Swan Song

By: Robert R. McCammon

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 34 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

"We're about to cross the point of no return. God help us; we're flying in the dark, and we don't know where the hell we're going."

Facing down an unprecedented malevolent enemy, the government responds with a nuclear attack. America as it was is gone forever, and now every citizen - from the president of the United States to the homeless on the streets of New York City - will fight for survival.

Swan Song is Robert McCammon's prescient and shocking vision of a post-apocalyptic nation, a grand epic of terror and, ultimately, renewal.

In a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, earth's last survivors have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil, that will decide the fate of humanity. They include Sister, who discovers a strange and transformative glass artifact in the destroyed Manhattan streets... Joshua Hutchins, the pro wrestler who takes refuge from the nuclear fallout at a Nebraska gas station... and Swan, a young girl possessing special powers, who travels alongside Josh to a Missouri town where healing and recovery can begin with Swan's gifts. But the ancient force behind earth's devastation is scouring the walking wounded for recruits for its relentless army, beginning with Swan herself.

Please note: Two chapters were originally missing from Part 2 of this book. We were alerted to the problem on 11/21/11 and have corrected it. We're very sorry for any inconvenience. If you had already downloaded the book, don’t worry - your library has automatically updated with the corrected version. Simply re-download from your library, at no additional cost, to get the complete book.

©2009 Robert McCammon (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

My all time favorite book

I love this book so much. I’ve listened to it twice now and recommended it to everyone I can. The characters are amazing, with their depth and character development. The story line is thrilling, captivating and touching. If you like distopian books, this is the book for you.

Not For Those Taking Antidepressants

Should have read more reviews. I would have learned the book follows the lives of a few people who survived a nuclear holocaust. Most run around hungry, stinky and had to watch friends die gruesome deaths. Where is the fun in that?

There were a couple of themes I enjoyed. When the world crashes around a person, this is an opportunity for a new beginning. Also, to reach tomorrow’s goal, we must beat today’s problem.

I would listen again and again.

I smiled, and laughed and cried. Swan Song was such a treat. This will certainly go down as one of the greats on my book list.

If you’ve had your fill of zombies.....

An epic saga of good vs evil set in post apocalyptic
America. Only slightly dated by the 1987 copy right, you’ll cheer and cry for the heroes and be filled with fear and loathing for the villains.
Swan Song May very well be your new favorite version of the end of civilization.

keeps your intrest from the start!

What did you love best about Swan Song?

Usually a book soooo long would take me atleast a month to finish, not this one. Only a week, I even got in trouble because I listened to it at work. I just couldnt put it down. 5 stars!

a great book

What did you love best about Swan Song?

I love the way Swan Josh and sister become a family and the classic good vs. evil

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swan Song?

When Josh is made to run the gauntlet in the department stor in order to save their lives

Which character ??? as performed by Tom Stechschulte ??? was your favorite?

easily Josh

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes very much so

Any additional comments?

I have lots of audio books but this is far and away my favorite

A favorite of mine in print and in audio.

I've read and reread the book over the years. It was a new and enjoyable experience hearing the audio version.

A little predictable, but well worth the read!

Would you consider the audio edition of Swan Song to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but by how the book began, I am glad I was not reading it in print! When it started jumping from one character to another, forgetting about the first, I was getting confused and I think I would have quit had I been reading the print version. I stuck with it and things came together and made sense. I loved how each character evolved in its own story line throughout the entire book. It was like following multiple stories simultaneously, that all flowed seamlessly together. I am very glad that I stuck with it and listened all the way! This turned out to be an excellent book with a great reader. Each character personality, voice and emotion came through clearly and was very distinct to them.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved this whole story, from the fictional characters to the very realistic descriptions of a very possible scenario of nuclear holocaust. To see the struggles, successes and failures of each character was heart wrenching and joyful at the same time. I felt pulled into the scenes and could really picture what was happening.

Have you listened to any of Tom Stechschulte’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first of Tom Stechschulte's performance that I have listened to, but after listening to this, I would gladly listen to more from him. He did a great job here.

If you could take any character from Swan Song out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would love to go to dinner with Josh. His character was genuinely caring and loving. You could tell right from the beginning when he was portrayed as the big bad wrestler that everyone loved to hate, that he had a good heart and truly cared for his fellow man. Even when he did not understand what or why, he carried on without hesitation just with the simple knowledge that he must.

Any additional comments?

This book was well worth the money/credit and substantial time it took to listen. I am sure there are details that I missed and this is one that I would be happy to go back and find those missing parts. There were parts that were very predictable early on that turned out to be exactly as I suspected, but there were also surprises that I did not see coming. I would gladly listen to this audio again!

Wonderful

Just stop reading reviews of this book and choose it. You will not regret it. Thats the best review I can give.

Amazing story from start to finish!

This is not my usual type of book, but I bought it when it was on sale and it sounded mildly interesting. I was also looking for something longer that had good reviews. This story fit the bill perfectly.
I was hooked from the first. Each character was very well-developed and the narrator gave each of them a distinct personality that was recognizable throughout the story.
I loved that it wove so many characters into the single story line that wound itself together in a way that continually surprised the listener. The story never became unbelievable and the descriptions of both people and places were incredibly detailed without being overdone.
I would most definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a more intense, in-depth story that you can really immerse yourself in. It is, by no means, a light read, but it is not heavy and depressing. You won't be sorry for spending your credit on this one!