Warday (1984)

[Rivet]

I finished reading Warday (1984) by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka back in December. The story involves a limited nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1988. The narrative is a fictionalized account of the two authors traveling across the country and interviewing people as they go. It chronicles the social, political, economic, and environmental changes wrought by the the attack. I am not sure how realistic the scenario actually is, but it still was a pretty fascinating read from the era.

Anyone else read the book? What did you think of it?

[phylo_roadking]

Anyone else read the book?

Oh yes.

What did you think of it?

Absolute and complete sh1te, frankly! I have a whole collection of "apocalyptic" fiction on my shelves - and it is one of the really low points I lent it out once...but sadly I got it back!

[Rivet]

LOL! Tell us how you really feel. Kidding, thanks for the reply.

I didn't like Warday as much as Alas, Babylon, though the time periods we very different (early 80s versus late 50s).

Any other recommendations in the genre (Cold War-era, post nuclear exchange)?

[phylo_roadking]

Any other recommendations in the genre (Cold War-era, post nuclear exchange)?

Most of what I have read is immediately post-exchange....or very longterm, like Star Man's Son, or A Canticle for Leibowitz. Of the "medium term" ones I have, you can't beat Zelazny's classic Damnation Alley (VERY little in common with the film!!!), or the "pre-timeslip" Survivalist books by Jerry Ahern All excellent romps...but avoid the SECOND half of the Survivalist series like the plague!

My personal faves are the WWIII-type - little gems like Eric Harry's Arc Light, or any of the Harold Coyle or Larry Bond military fiction. But Arc Light is the best IMHO.

But there is ONE interesting little number to keep an eye open for - it's called First Angel, and published on the Star label maybe 15 years ago now...by Soldier of Fortune Magazine! Suprisingly for its origins, it's WELL worth grabbing if you see it. There's also a British-flavoured WWIII novel called Chieftains by one Bob Forrest-Webb on the Futura label, and well over 20 years old now, and only one edition....but if you ever see it, grab it with both hands! And David Graham's "Down To A Sunless Sea" which is great - except for the very last paragraph!

Moving more into the medium to long-term future again....and thus verging on sci-fi...also keep an eye for any of Edgar Pangborn's old "Davy" series - Davy, The Company Of Glory etc. an Eastern Seaboard milieu about a hundred years after a nuclear war, where a sort of neo-Puritanism has descended on the survivors...and along this line, M.K. Wren's A Gift Upon The Shore. Poul Anderson's Orion Shall Rise is another romp - you can guess the premise from the title! - set a couple of hundred years in a post apocalyptic world...and there's Patrick Tilley's old "Amtrak Wars" series, but although a lot of people seem to like it, I don't.

But if you liked Warday, try Kim Stanley Robinson's The Wild Shore - it's not a personal fave, but it's sort of the same idea.

[Rivet]

Thanks for recommendations. I'll be doing some searches on those titles.

[phylo_roadking]

That's only the top layer of WWIII-related Apocalyptic fiction. If you're interested in other forms of apocalypse LOL there are some brilliant novels out there...

[Rivet]

FWIW, I found this text online for free. Posting in case anyone is interested.