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.

Good vs Evil in a post nuclear holocaust world

At the start of the book you will be introduced to a number of characters as they go about their lives in various parts of the United States. However, before you can even get to know them the nukes are flying and the world around them is destroyed. This sets the stage for a tale of good vs evil amidst a holocaust that develops a fantasy twist to it. Special powers and magical items are not abundant, but they are central to the confrontation as it unfolds.

Although they have different causes for the fall of civilization, the similarities between this book and The Stand by Stephen King are all too obvious, especially during the first half of the book. Both novels are well done and Swan Song does eventually develop its own personality and stands on its own merit. The two books are similar enough to say that if you didn’t like The Stand then you aren’t likely to enjoy Swan Song either.

Things get pretty dark as the tale goes on, and in predictable fashion, the various threads of the story eventually come together in a final confrontation. The characters are not that complex but the reading is well done and the story moves along well. If you are in the mood for a classic good vs evil story in a post-apocalyptic setting then you have come to the right place. If you are looking for a complex story with multi-layered characters then you should spend your credit elsewhere.

So I am a sucker for end of the world stories

Some reviewers have remarked on the similarity of this novel to The Stand. I can see what they are talking about -- the bizarre cast of characters, the epic quality, the quest of many whose paths ultimately converge. It is not quite as majestic; the supernatural Good v. Evil is not quite as elegant (and sometimes too over-the-top) -- and yet, it is a story well told. It grips you from the beginning and never lets go.

If you like a good post apocalyptic yarn, this is one of them.

Enjoyable but graphic

Any additional comments?

I did really like the story and wanted to give it a 3.5 but that's not possible. I liked everything enough to keep listening and find out what happens but there were a few issues for me. The story was really graphic at times, as you would expect in an end of the world tale. Certain elements were quite fantastical and stretched credulity.In the end I would recommend for those who like end of the world stories and are used to explicit detail.

Interesting post-apocalyptic fantasy

The story starts on the eve of a nuclear war that leaves the world in a nuclear winter. It's an interesting look at how the world could be in such an event. We see a lot of hardship and depravity, but the story provides reasons for hope. There are a lot of interesting characters and events in the story that keep it interesting and keep the flow going right to the end.

With all that said, I feel like the book could have been much better. There were a number of times when a potentially interesting plot point or narrative was suggested and then abandoned entirely. A lot of the situations and actions taken by characters felt contrived and unrealistic--and I'm not talking about the magic. The magic aspects of the book were interesting, but in the end were pointless--without going into detail, there was a big to-do throughout the book about getting two things together--it is a major driving point of the narrative--and then nothing ever results from it. Characters discover these magical powers and talents and essentially ignore them for years without even attempting to explore them. All through the book, we're led to believe that the magic is going to be necessary, but then while magic is used in the end, it wasn't necessary and everything resolved itself without actually needing any of the magic. I was left wondering what the point of the whole story was.

I enjoyed the narration. It wasn't perfect and there were times that I felt the tone or voices could have been done differently, but overall I think the narrator did a good job of it. He provided a number of different, recognizable voices and accents, and provided a nice tone and pace for the story.

Entertaining and exciting story written with feeling.

I first read this book almost 20 years ago but couldn’t remember the title. After searching for it by the idea I found many other good books but not this one. Then I thought of Swan by name and tried my search again. Being successful I ordered the book through amazon on audible and I just finished listening to it. As a much older adult I think I appreciate the story more than I did as a twenty-something kid. It makes me want to go out and be kinder to the people I meet and teach my children to do the same.

The performance of the reader was excellent. He really helped bring the story alive. His voices were so good I could actually see the different people as they spoke. Of all the books on tape and audible books I have listened to I think it’s the best. He made it better than reading it myself.

I would definitely recommend this book and especially the audible version.

Very enjoyable series!

I loved all 3 books, even though there was a lot in common with S. King's The Stand. There was also enough of a difference for this to have its own flavor and beloved characters. The narrator was very enjoyable.

When I eventually miss said characters enough, I will reread the series, say hello, and spend time with them, reminiscing.

Disliked the writing and story details.

Many things about this book agitated me. First off, there were a lot of details which were unrealistic or didn't make any logical sense. Such as a shotgun blast launching a person 6 feet into the air and over a table, using wheelbarrows as a logical way to transport personal belongings long distances, and details about post-apocalyptic reality seemed unrealistic. Details about setting were also nonsensical such as him describing a street as muddy and soft, while in the next paragraph describing the landscape as cold with absolutely frozen ground. It just doesn't make any sense and it just seems lazy.

I also didn't find myself connecting with any characters. Character development was shallow in my opinion, although I can see how it may be different for others. I liked the reading by Tom Stechschulte, but a few of his mannerisms became annoying after awhile, although it may be because I wanted the book to be over and not anything about Tom's style of reading.

I would not suggest this book. While I didn't hate it, I feel there is much better writing out there to spend your money on.

The suspension of disbelief...

The suspension of disbelief is an oft-abused writer's tool. I really wanted to like this book. I found the writing and pace nice and tight, without the excessive backstory most writers pad their books with.

Let me just say the narrator, Tom Stechschulte, was superb. But the story...

Early on, I had this nagging feeling that some things would not be explained, almost as if the author was evading the issues. I hoped I was wrong and he was just saving it for the end. Now, I wouldn't say that I am one of those readers who require an explanation for every little thing; I can apply my suspension as needed and forgivingly. But in the case of this novel, the entire story ends up hinging on a couple of elements that never get explained, and the reader is left to just accept that the origins are unnecessary to know.

I'm sorry, but I just find that lazy writing. I think many writers employ these "crutches" in order to be able to continue writing their story rather than slow down or stop to deal with the frequently difficult task of understanding the origins of your own creations. It's reasonable for the writer to hope that, in the course of moving forward through his novel, especially these long ones, the author will stumble onto the "eureka!" moment that allows them to explain where the crutches came from, or even remove them altogether for an origin that walks on its own two feet. But if they don't uncover that moment, they may very well be forced to do a massive rewrite... or just leave as is and hope for a generous suspension of disbelief from the readers.

For me, getting to the end after such a long and emotional journey, I felt betrayed. I know that may seem extreme, but my time is valuable, and so is my enjoyment of books. I may give McCammon another chance because I liked his characters and writing.

Gives one pause for thought

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES!!! This is one of the best stories I have listened to through Audible.

What did you like best about this story?

This story is well crafted. It talks about a nightmare that even now could befall us. It gives one pause to think of our relations with others and how we treat people. The story moves along at a great pace never did I find it lagging.

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

This is the first to my knowledge. I found I was listening to the story and not to the narration.

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

Sister, because of her gutsy determination.

Any additional comments?

The only other comment I have is regarding the language. The language has far too much swearing. Those who are bothered by foul language should be aware before listening to this story. That being said this is a story that is well worth the read or listen.

Very enjoyable book with a couple of issues

I love post-apocalyptic books, and since this was one of the books Stephen King has recced, I figured it might be good, and it was. Great character development, and a description of landscapes even I can understand with my poor visualization ability. The narrator is extremely good at voices, and except for a couple of female characters (the narrator has a deep male voice), I easily recognized who each was. The story was written in 1987, so it was assumed that the Soviet Union and the US were still nuclear enemies. I was a little apprehensive about the book being dated, but except for tiny parts (reel tape in computer mainframes, names of cars that don't exist anymore), the story seemed fresh. I felt for the characters, loved and seethed and cried with them, and the ending was very satisfying. It's also a very long book, which always ups the enjoyment factor for me.

The one star I held back from my rating is because of a couple of things involving Black characters: While Black characters were not stereotyped in themselves (in fact one my favourite main characters is Black, and is written very well), they were described upon first meeting as "a Black woman with grey hair" or "a skinny Black man", while White characters were just described as "a man with a grey beard" or "A woman with red hair". In other words, as if White were the default. Also, the narrative voices of Black characters were often stereotypical, one minor character even saying "I gots ta", and "Lawd", things like that. The story is compelling enough that I didn't stop listening, but when it happened it definitely took me out of the story. For those who don't want to hear this kind of narrative, I recommend reading the hard copy, although I'm not sure if the issue lies only with the narration or if some of it is written into the story, as I don't have a hard copy of the book.