Episode 11 - The End
Next up is Episode 11 - The End. The panel discusses post-apocalyptic fiction at its finesst. Hear about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This novel weaves together the lives of several characters before, during, and after a devastating flu pandemic wipes out most of the world’s population. The story moves back and forth in time, connecting the characters through relationships, memories, and a mysterious graphic novel.
At the center is Kirsten Raymonde, a member of the Traveling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians who perform Shakespeare plays and music in small post-apocalyptic settlements around the Great Lakes. Their motto: "Survival is insufficient."
The book opens with the death of famous actor Arthur Leander, who collapses on stage during a performance of King Lear. Shortly after, the Georgia Flu begins to spread, leading to global collapse. Arthur’s life connects many of the characters — including his ex-wife Miranda, who created the Station Eleven graphic novel that becomes a symbol of hope and continuity for Kirsten and others in the new world.
The novel explores themes of memory, art, survival, and the importance of human connection. Despite the bleak setting, Station Eleven is ultimately a hopeful meditation on what makes life worth living.
Purchase:
Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin
Manhunt is a visceral and genre-defying horror novel set in a post-apocalyptic New England, where a mysterious virus transforms men with high testosterone levels into feral, zombie-like creatures. The story follows two trans women, Beth and Fran, as they traverse the ravaged coast, hunting these mutated men and harvesting their organs to secure estrogen for their survival. Their journey intertwines with Robbie, a trans man who lives by the motto "other people aren't safe," having learned it the hard way.
The trio forms an unlikely found family, navigating threats from violent TERF militias, a sociopathic billionaire in a fortified bunker, and the ever-present danger of feral men. Amidst the chaos, they also confront their own personal demons and complex relationships.
Manhunt has garnered critical acclaim, being named the #1 Best Book of 2022 by Vulture and one of the Best Horror Novels of 2022 by Esquire, Library Journal, and Paste. It was also a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror.
Purchase:
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
This gripping post-apocalyptic novel that begins with the discovery of a massive comet, Hamner-Brown, by amateur astronomers Tim Hamner and Gavin Brown. The comet, dubbed "The Hammer," is on a collision course with Earth, and its impending impact sets the stage for global catastrophe.
As the comet approaches, governments and scientists downplay the threat, but panic ensues when the comet's nucleus breaks apart, sending fragments crashing into Earth. The impacts trigger massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and a new ice age, leading to the collapse of civilization.
In the aftermath, various groups struggle for survival. One works to rebuild society using salvaged technology and knowledge, while another embraces anti-technological beliefs and resorts to cannibalism.
The novel explores themes of survival, the role of technology, and the fragility of human civilization in the face of catastrophic events.
Purchase:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Road is a haunting, minimalist novel that follows a father and his young son as they journey across a bleak, ash-covered America after an unspecified cataclysm has destroyed most of civilization and nature. The sun is blotted out, plants no longer grow, animals are gone, and most survivors have turned to cannibalism.
The man and the boy travel on foot, pushing a shopping cart filled with their belongings, following a road toward the coast in hopes of finding safety or warmth. Along the way, they face starvation, cold, illness, and violent encounters with other desperate survivors. Despite everything, the father is fiercely protective of his son, and they cling to their moral compass, often saying they are “carrying the fire” — a metaphor for hope, humanity, and love.
The novel ends on a bittersweet but subtly hopeful note, with the boy encountering a kind family who may offer him a future.
Purchase:
