What Should I Read Next? My Faves: Unwind

Unwind by Neil Shusterman

Mr. Shusterman is one of the most diverse authors of Young Adult literature, having written highly acclaimed novels in the humor, fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. Unwind represents his bold foray into the dystopian genre, and he does not disappoint.

The novel takes place in an America a generation from now, but very recognizable in most ways. However, this America exists in the aftermath of a second civil war, which was fought to determine when life begins, and whether abortion of any kind is acceptable. A stalemate resulted in a horrific compromise where everybody lost. Abortions were disallowed, but a parent could remand any child under the age of 18 to the state for unwinding - a process where every part of the child's body is harvested and donated to those in need of a new organ, a new limb, or even new hair. The story follows a trio of 'unwinds' who escape the system and attempt to remain hidden until their respective 18th birthdays. Connor is a rebellious teen sent for unwinding by his parents because of his repeated trouble-making. Risa is an orphan whose talents are not sufficient to save her from unwinding. Most heart-breaking is Lev - a child raised from birth for the sole purpose of unwinding as an offering by his parents to God.

The fascination of Shusterman's story is not so much what happens to the teens on their journey toward freedom, but rather the presentation of a society that has become the ultimate paradox: one that saves unborn babies only to sacrifice them as teens; one that forces a child to become expendable so that others might live fuller and longer lives. When embarking upon the reading of this novel, I felt that the idea of such a society and such a terrible compromise was a bit far-fetched. I still do - perhaps I have too much faith in humanity. However, despite my feelings, I found myself genuinely aching for the characters as expendable members of society. More chillingly, I recognized the traits, thought processes, and behaviors of those defending and participating in the unwinding process - I have seen those traits and mindsets in people I know. Far-fetched or not, the novel demonstrated powerfully a weakness of human nature - our ability to rationalize evil behavior and accept it as status quo. Recent history shows that entire nations can adopt this mindset with terrible consequences, such as child slavery, female suppression, and genocide.

The most powerful scene of the novel is when the author takes us into the secret unwinding room, and follows the unwinding of a character we have come to know. Because the victim is forced to be awake for the entire procedure, the reader experiences the physical and emotional horror of unwinding through the thoughts and senses of the character. That scene alone sets this novel apart from any other I have read. I highly recommend this novel to anyone willing to face questions of deep moral ambiguity. I guarantee that you will think about this one long after reading the final page.

What Should I Read Next? My Faves: Incarceron

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Although a captive in Incarceron prison, Flinn adamantly believes that he is there by mistake. Incarceron is more than a prison: it is a structure so vast and timeless that millions of prisoners reside within its dark interior for generation upon generation. Unlike the others who have been residents since birth, Flinn has no memories of his past in prison, but in fact indistinct memories of another place.

Claudia is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and heir to the privileges of that position. Despite her lofty status, she feels out of place and dissatisfied with the role she has been asked to accept, which includes an impending marriage to the despicable prince of the kingdom. Both Flinn and Claudia appear fated to their bleak futures until a mysterious pair of devices bring them into verbal contact. Together they work to escape their prisons, his physical and hers psychological, and unlock the mystery that is Incarceron.

Ms. Fisher creates an extraordinary world both inside and outside the prison, dripping with atmosphere and renaissance culture. He creates highly believable characters complete with flaws and virtues, and crafts genuine relationships amongst them. This terrific novel is part one of a continuing series, but is highly entertaining as a standalone work.

What Should I Read Next? My Faves: The Maze Runner

Maze Runner by James Dashner

Have you ever awakened in a strange place and lay wondering for a moment "Where am I" before remembering? What if you didn't remember where you were, or who you were, or anything about yourself other than your first name? This is the opening premise of "The Maze Runner", and the mystery only deepens from there.

Teenager Thomas finds himself in a glade surrounded by a massive maze, and in the company of dozens of other teenage boys who share the same memory loss. The boys work together to survive in the glade while searching for a way of escape without falling prey to the murderous Grievers. The arrival of a teenage girl signals a game change, forcing desperate decisions by Thomas and the others to escape before the Grievers take them all.

The book is constructed in the style of game-playing mysteries. The teens find themselves part of a diabolical game, and to survive they must determine both the rules and a way to win the game. Although the character relationships are a bit simplistic, the friendship between Thomas and the hapless Chuck is touching. Nevertheless, it is not the characters that drive the story, but rather the mystery and the inevitable action that follows.

The Best Post-Apocalyptic Short Story - Ever!

A Pail of Air by Fritz Lieber. With a claim like that, it better be good. It is. Written in 1951, the story starts with a startling premise: Earth has been ripped away from the sun by a 'dark star', the atmosphere lies in frozen layers on the ground, and everyone is dead. Well, not quite everyone. The tale is narrated by a boy who survives with his small family in a hand-built dwelling, valiantly staving off human extinction. The story owes its title to one of the boy's daily chores: donning a suit, going outside, and retrieving a pail of frozen air. The fire inside warms the air, it turns to gas, and thus sustains the family.

Why is this the best short story ever? Because, there is no hope, but the characters hope anyway, and fight on. It is this quirk of the human spirit that makes every post-apocalyptic story so compelling, and inspires me. It was stories like this one that drew me to the genre, and keeps me coming back.

You can read the story for free at the following link posted by the original publisher.

A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber

There is a short introduction, so just skip to the first line "Pa had sent me out to get an extra pail of air." Yep - still gives me chills.

What to Read After the End of the World

Hey, campers! We all survived the End-of-the-World, AKA The Mayan Apocalypse. That's good news, unless you gave all your stuff away or ran up your credit card debt.

Back to literature. You might have noticed that there are two types of apocalyptic novels: Apocalyptic, and Post-Apocalyptic. The first deals mostly with "How the world ends". The second deals mostly with "What people do to survive and rebuild after the world ends". Some are hybrids, dealing with both the end and the aftermath. Different readers may prefer one type over the other. In that vein, I've listed below my favorites by type.

You'll notice very few straight up end-of-the-world novels. Readers want hope, generally. But sometimes we love to wallow in the misery of a hopeless story. I recently watched the movie "Melancholia". Without spoiling it, the movie was utterly hopeless to the bitter end, so much so that it literally depressed me for a couple of days afterward. However, my main criteria for any "great" story is that it touches me deeply. In that sense, Melancholia was a great story.

End of the World:
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
- On the Beach by Nevil Shute

After the End of the World:
- Shore of Monsters by David Nix (that's me)
- Blood Red by Moira Young
- City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
- Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
- A Gift Upon the Shore by M. K. Wren
- The Postman by David Brin
- Through Darkest America by Neal Barrett Jr.
- Z for Zechariah by Robert C. O'Brien
- Daybreak 2250 A.D. (Star Man's Son) by Andre Norton

End of the World and What Comes After:
- The Passage by Justin Cronin (reading this right now, in fact)
- Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
- A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller (although this is harder to place; more like what comes after, and then the end of the world again)
- The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
- The Death of Grass (No Blade of Grass) by John Christopher
- Earth Abides by George Stewart
- The Tripods by John Christopher
- Vault of Ages by Poul Anderson