Elizabeth B. (Cattriona) - reviewed on 12/22/2010 + 200 more book reviews

This is an intriguing, if somewhat dated, fictional view on life in America after Russia starts a nuclear war in 1988. The two authors, interestingly, cast themselves as the main characters, playing journalists on a tour of post-war America and writing about what life is now like in different corners of the country. Their imagination for detail is fascinating -- there are imaginary interviews with various survivors, administrators and relief workers. There are pages of fictional government reports and documents on everything from new agricultural policies to "triaged" health care based on each citizen's level of radiation exposure. The most poignant are reports from salvage workers on the miles of copper wire pulled from the World Trade Center (the book was written in 1984, pre-9/11). The only low point is the ending -- after a lengthy and detailed story, the abrupt ending seems like an afterthought. Recommended for fans of post-apocalyptic literature.

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