Swan Song: Book Review

Today, we will be reviewing Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon, a post apocalyptic novel. This novel is high on many lists and I wanted to see if it was all hype or actually as good as people say it is. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this novel and if you should read it too.

Post apocalyptic novels have only grown in popularity since the early 2000’s. Before its rise to fame, that genre had some books written like this one but it wasn’t mainstream. Now, the genre is flooded with hundreds of books and many have gotten an adaption or two.

Swan Song Summary

After a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union takes place, the United States is barely hospitable. Protagonist Josh Hutchins’s car breaks down at a gas station in Kansas and he meets a nine-year-old girl named Sue “Swan” Wanda and her mother. They take shelter in a basement to survive the imminent nukes.

This is the beginning of a long journey as Josh discovers Swan is not an ordinary girl. It is up to him to help Swan and himself survive and find other survivors. Besides surviving against deranged people, Josh and Swan are being pursued by a man with a scarlet eye.

Both parties are planning for a battle that will decide the fate of humanity. Josh must find alleys and rebuild civilization and take it back from the chaos and disorder. But with a villain that is not human, Josh must help Swan realize her potential while also protecting as she is humanity’s last hope.

Commentary

Swan Song was published in 1987 and went on to win the 1987 Bram Stoker award along with Stephen King’s Misery. Interestingly enough, it also won the 1994 Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize for Best Translated Novel.

An interesting fact that is relevant is that the scenario in the book almost happened in real life. The United States and the U.S.S.R. have never got along well and the U.S.S.R almost launched nukes at the U.S. McCammon decided to use that event for his novel and imagines a world where that was the reality.

I enjoyed this novel a lot but I did not expect it to almost be a thousand pages long. There are a ton of characters and a lot takes place. It could have skipped some of it but it is still a fun read despite that.

After reading it, I do think it deserves the recognition it has gotten. Many authors wish they could write a story like this. McCammon’s storytelling shines bright and he’ll have you hooked from page one.

Conclusion

If you like post acocalyptical novels, then Swan Song is one of the better ones in my opinion. McCammon is a great storyteller and the novel is full of action and it doesn’t slow down. While I wouldn’t reread it, I am glad that I did read it. Until next time, happy reading!

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