Wastelands

Stories of the Apocalypse

By: John Joseph Adams

Narrated by: Susan Hanfield, J. Paul Boehmer, Gabrielle de Cuir, Harlan Ellison, Hillary Huber, Arthur Morey, Lisa Reneé Pitts

Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Famine, Death, War, and Pestilence - the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the harbingers of Armageddon - these are our guides through the Wastelands.

From the Book of Revelation to The Road Warrior, from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving eschatological tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. In doing so, these visionary authors have addressed one of the most challenging and enduring themes of imaginative fiction: The nature of life in the aftermath of total societal collapse.

Gathering together the best post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today's most renowned authors of speculative fiction - including George R. R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King - Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon. Whether the end of the world comes through nuclear war, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm, these are tales of survivors, in some cases struggling to rebuild the society that was, in others, merely surviving, scrounging for food in depopulated ruins and defending themselves against monsters, mutants, and marauders.

Wastelands delves into this bleak landscape, uncovering the raw human emotion and heart-pounding thrills at the genre's core.

©2008 John Joseph Adams (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

Fantastic!

For fans of fantasy this was a rare treat. I enjoyed every story, and didn't want the book to end.

A true ride into the dark...

what are you afraid of? chances are, you will find it within. This turned out to be such a marvelous collection that half way through I spent my next credit on part 2, and am starting it directly after posting this review. Mayhem, horror, tragic comedy... it's all inside baby! Buy
this ticket, take this ride into the mists of what could be...

Collections are hit and miss.

The book had some real awesome shorts and some real duds. I was torn on ★ rating. overall it was so up and down I couldn't hate it nor love it. Narration was also all over. I would say don't waste a copy edit and if you can buy for less than a 5 spot.

not bad

I like apocalypse-themed bedtime stories. This did not disappoint. Am trying to be brief to respect the character limit.

I love these stories

Wastelands and wastelands 2 are both solid collections of interesting and dark stories of the end of all things.

Certainly more good than bad here.

Would you listen to Wastelands again? Why?

Yes. There are certain stories I would listen to again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the characters in the story about a virus that takes away everyone's ability to speak. Very creative.

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

Not that I know of, but there was only one narrator I didn't care for. In an anthology like this, having only one I don't like is pretty rare, so I consider this book a success!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I think I laughed a few times, and was certainly moved by a few of the stories, but no tears this time.

Any additional comments?

I would say that I loved about 3 stories, and that I liked about 75% of them. To me, that adds up to an anthology worth recommending, especially to anyone interested in all of the myriad ways we humans might react to life after the end of the world as we know it.

Truly enjoyed

I really enjoyed these stories! Of course as with any anthology some were better than others but ALL were worth my time! And hearing familiar voices that John has found to be tried and true was a relief! If you are a Post Apocalypse fan you will find something here to enjoy!!!

I Don’t Get It

Maybe I needed to focus more on reading comprehension growing up. I don’t think it comes down to stupidity. For example, I’ve read ‘Crime and Punishment’ and thoroughly enjoyed it. Probably because it’s a straightforward story told plainly. There’s nothing obscure about it. This is my frustration with Wastelands. I love a good apocalyptic story but in one story after another here, I feel like I’m being asked to read between the lines to actually unravel what the nature of the apocalypse was. I was deeply frustrated as one writer after another refused to make it explicit what actually happened and why the characters live and act and speak like they do. Was there a nuclear war ? An asteroid ? A Martian invasion ? God forbid we’re ever told. We have to parse every sentence and hint and give it our best guess. Personally I find that too much work when I read a book. Just tell me a story or don’t. Don’t impress me with obscurity and ambiguity. I guess this is the reason I prefer horror to sci fi and I think this book falls fully into the sci fi category. I was so excited about the concept of post-apocalypse short fiction that I bought the second volume too. I hope that one will be more straightforward about how the world ends but I’m not optimistic. I won’t be told so I’ll have to ‘infer’. Oh joy.
The narrators are all excellent and I’m sure the authors are too for those with a higher IQ than me. I was especially happy to hear Steve Rudneki who’s the best narrator on Audible imo. If ever a man was born to tell a story it’s him. Even if I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about I simply enjoy his voice.

Better of the two book series

Any additional comments?

I definitely enjoyed the stories in this anthology much better than the second (although the second was good on it's own). Great for trips or enjoying a quiet day relaxing.

A good read, not great.

Some stories I just couldn't get into. I felt no empathy for the characters. Overall it was a good read, not great.