From archive (archive)
Subject: AFTER THE ZAP by Michael Armstrong
From: holloway@drivax.UUCP (Bruce Holloway)
Organization: Digitalis Research, Inc.
Date: 10 Aug 87 20:03:17 GMT



AFTER THE ZAP [***+]
Michael Armstrong

Years ago, a thermonuclear bomb detonated high in the stratosphere
burnt out every bit of electronics in the Western Hemisphere. It also
did pretty much the same thing to the people.

A few - very few - retained any ability to read. Some got perfect
recall.  Most lost all their memory. Nobody particularly minds their
current tribal lifestyles, but then, they they don't remember anything
different.

Holmes Weatherby III (that's "eye eye eye") is a freelance Reader,
deciphering people's names from various bits of text they had near
them when they woke - he names two people right off - "Electrolux" and
"Brontosaurus Oil Company".  But up in the Klondike, people want to
leave their pasts behind them, and they don't much like Readers.
Holmes narrowly escapes to a conveniently placed blimp (a lot of
things get conveniently placed) owned by a group of fanatics dedicated
to giving people atomic bombs - but there's a catch. The key to
detonate the bombs is imprinted in the heart of a living child.

The post-holocaust story has been done and redone, but it's been a
long time since I've read one as lively as "After the Zap". It's a fun
read, in the same vein as the "Mad Max" films. The book could easily
have turned into an extended lecture on the evils of atomic weapons,
but Armstrong has done a masterful job of packing every page of the
book with plot and action.

This book is a wild card - unpredictable and surprising.  However,
sometimes coincidence is just a bit stretched... Armstrong doesn't
dwell on it, but it's there, and no reasons are given.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to relax with a good, fun
book, one you won't soon return to the used book store.

- Bruce 

-- 
Bruce Holloway - Terminal Netnews Addict    {seismo,sun}!amdahl!drivax!holloway
ALBATROSS, ATARI*TROS @ Plink                                ALBATROSS @ Delphi
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