Mockingbird

By: Walter Tevis

Narrated by: Robert Fass, Nicole Poole

In a world where the human population has suffered devastating losses, a handful of survivors cling to what passes for life in a postapocalyptic, dying landscape. A world where humans wander, drugged and lulled by electronic bliss. A dying world of no children and no art, where reading is forbidden. And a strange love triangle: Spofforth, who runs the world, the most perfect machine ever created, whose only wish is to die; and Paul and Mary Lou, a man and a woman whose passion for each other is the only hope for the future of human beings on Earth.

An elegiac dystopia of mankind coming to terms with its own imminent extinction, Mockingbird was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novel.

©2014 Walter Tevis (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

" Mockingbird will become one of those books that coming generations will periodically rediscover with wonder and delight." ( The Washington Post)

Hopeful dystopia

I am glad I listened to this work. I was familiar -- and impressed -- with all of Walter Tevis' works, but I didn't know about this one until it was recommended by a mutual friend whose mother knew Tevis personally. He said it was the only novel that hasn't yet been turned into a film (all his others were, like The Hustler, The Color of Money, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Queen's Gambit), and all were quite successful--so I was intrigued with this one. I thought the story was really well done, although perhaps a bit of a cliche at first with robots taking over and creating a dystopia. But the character development and plot was excellent and engaged the reader as we hoped that the protagonists could somehow return to a life that they could only read about. It was so rewarding to know that their struggles resulted in achieving their dreams. This was an ultimately uplifting read!

Great

And I just pre ordered tevis’ book of short stories from audible. All of his I’ve listened to have been great

One of a kind

Amazing book, particularly when you consider it was written in 1980. Short, but every paragraph is exactly what it should be...no more, no less.

Still his best and a masterpiece

I read this when it was first published. All these years it is still one of the best books I have ever read. The audible version is superbly done.

well written, well read

An excellent story by v Walter Tevis. More complex than "The Man Who Fell to Earth ".