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In Benjamin Percy's new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary - the remains of St. Louis - a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.
Then a rider comes from the wasteland beyond its walls. She reports on the outside world: west of the Cascades, rain falls, crops grow, civilization thrives. But there is danger too: the rising power of an army that pillages and enslaves every community they happen upon.
Against the wishes of the Sanctuary, a small group sets out in secrecy. Led by Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark, they hope to expand their infant nation, and to reunite the States. But the Sanctuary will not allow them to escape without a fight.
BookBrowse Review
Benjamin Percy's latest novel, The Dead Lands, is set in a post-apocalyptic United States. As the book opens, readers discover that St. Louis has been sealed off to protect a remnant of humanity behind its walls, and over the centuries the population has come to believe they're the only inhabitants left on a dying planet. A small group of radicals believes that this assumption is wrong, and the book's plot revolves around this cadre of people escaping from the city to discover what exactly is beyond the ruins.
Percy's writing style is at times rather beautiful, with vivid descriptions of the failing city and the land beyond. That is, however, perhaps the only bright spot I found in the book. The characterization in particular was amateurish; the characters were not only one-dimensional but complete cartoons, in some cases being so evil or warped that they were laughable. The plot was reasonably imaginative, but really not exceptional and at times I found it unnecessarily gory and violent. There were lots of monstrous creatures (too many, in my opinion) as well as mutant humans with special abilities, but rather than making the book exciting, I thought these features simply made it silly.
It reminded me a lot of Justin Cronin's The Passage (which I loved, by the way), but instead of being geared toward adults and creating a truly scary vision of the future, Percy's effort seems targeted to teenage boys. It might make a good movie for that audience, but I don't think it'll appeal as a written work to those who enjoy their horror with a dash of literary merit.
Oh, and if you're wondering, the only things the plot has in common with the Lewis and Clark expedition is that the characters travel from St. Louis to Oregon, and they're named Lewis and Clark. 1 out of 5 stars.
- Kim Kovacs
Other Reviews
"Starred Review. With its fluid integration of reflections on American values and freedoms into a near-future scenario whose dramas resonate with the contemporary zeitgeist, this novel is a reminder that the best speculative fiction speaks to the concerns and issues of its time." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Percy's sophomore outing (after the acclaimed Red Moon) is not only a compelling postapocalyptic adventure populated by fascinating characters but a clever riff on the Lewis and Clark expedition." - Library Journal
"Benjamin Percy's The Dead Lands is a case of wonderful writing and compulsive reading. You will not come across a finer work of sustained imagination this year. Good God, what a tale. Don't miss it." - Stephen King
"The Dead Lands is a gripping and inventive adventure about the resilience of the human species. Benjamin Percy may conjure a future that's brutal and dark, but it's not without bravery, compassion, and love. He is a truly gifted storyteller." - Edan Lepucki, author of California
"The Dead Lands is an ingenious thriller, relentlessly driven by Benjamin Percy's powerful writing." - Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins
"The Dead Lands is a bomb-blast of a novel, casting its tremors in every direction...Their adventure, like the novel itself, travels far past the frontier, into the deepest and most thrilling of wildernesses." - Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead
"This post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark passage is a thrill ride through a nightmare America." - James Frey, author of Bright Shiny Morning and Endgame
This information about The Dead Lands was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Jennifer Percy
Benjamin Percy has won a Whiting Award, a Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, an NEA fellowship, and the iHeartRadio Award for Best Scripted Podcast. He is the author of the novels The Ninth Metal, The Unfamiliar Garden, The Dark Net, The Dead Lands, Red Moon, and The Wilding; three story collections; and an essay collection, Thrill Me. He also writes Wolverine and X-Force for Marvel Comics. He lives in Minnesota with his family.
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