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Wick #1-4

The Wick Omnibus: The Complete Collection

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This is the complete WICK Omnibus Edition, and includes the completely re-edited and expanded text of Michael Bunker's four WICK series books.

In WICK 1... a man walked out of New York City after Hurricane Sandy and fell off the edge of the earth...

In WICK 2: Charm School... a mysterious town explodes in violence and America is dealt a deadly blow...

In WICK 3: Exodus... the world is without power. You are on foot and have no home. Any stranger you meet may kill you... and normal is never coming back.

In WICK 4: One Word of Truth... Weeks after the world has been crippled by massive EMP attacks, nuclear weapons are used on major cities, and survivors grapple with a changed world that may never be the same again.

In this much anticipated WICK Omnibus Edition, Michael Bunker's completed WICK series is finally bound into one earth-shattering novel.

572 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2011

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Michael Bunker

87 books156 followers

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5 stars
102 (32%)
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91 (29%)
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76 (24%)
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27 (8%)
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16 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Steve.
962 reviews112 followers
September 16, 2014
A very good, but very difficult book to read. The story is well-written, and there are tons of references and quotes from all sorts of sciences and literature. This is definitely not an action-packed novel by any means; it's more of a thinking man's version of the end of modern life as we know it.
The threads the author weaves is what drives this book, and whether or not they realize it, all of the characters are tied together and caught up in events way beyond their control. Surprising deaths and twists abound in this book, too.
Recommended for anyone who has deeply considered how society as a whole responds to a collapse of the most basic of necessities.
Profile Image for Stefano.
115 reviews30 followers
August 6, 2013
Every page of Wick is full of references to almost every discipline: literature, music, politics, science, history, anthropology, human behavior, psychology, and even... camping!
I learnt a lot reading wick but most of all I enjoyed one of the most beautiful piece of literature since a long time.
The connections between real events and fictional ones are ingenious!
I cannot suggest enough this book to everyone, do yourselves a favour and get this book before it becomes a classic.
An ode to literature, life, freedom.
Profile Image for One Man Book Club.
965 reviews56 followers
September 14, 2016
Well, that made me mad.

You should read this book if:
1) You like things that make you feel depressed and hopeless.
2) You like to read extremist propoganda.
3) You live/would like to live in Idaho or Montana with a stockpile of weapons and fuel.
4) You believe the United States government has no actual interest in the well being of it's citizens.
5) You feel that if the government were to collapse you would turn into a heartless killer/theif with no control over yourself or your actions.
6) You like it when the best characters die.
7) You enjoy reading pages and pages of crazy philosophical ramblings.
8) You like feeling that an author cares about his personal agenda more than his plot, story, or characters.

If you are like me and despise any of these things, you can thank me for taking this bullet for you. Don't be mislead by the gushing reviews like I was. Obviously there are people that enjoy learning that you are nothing more than a slave to an oppressive society that has so much control over you you don't even know it's happening and the only people that are inlighted are either Amish or extreme survivalists . . . apparently it's more PC to say "people who live a 'plain' lifestyle. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

The saving grace (and the reason I didn't just stop reading) is that when the story does get going (which isn't very often) it's actually pretty cool . . . until everyone you like dies and the bad guy gets exactly what he wants.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. If you want to read an actually entertaining story on the impact to the country after a nuclear and EMP attack, check out The Great and the Terrible series by Chris Stewart.
Profile Image for C.J. Peter.
Author 11 books2 followers
March 26, 2014
A very good, yet very different story. It would be difficult to be more specific without giving certain things away, so I'll just say I enjoyed the book very much.
It IS a slower paced read, and in regards to characters, I think G.R.R. Martin would be proud. --this isn't always a good thing. ;-)

Some reviews have made snarky comments about the author's "extremism". This isn't a valid point as the story dictates what is extreme, and what is necessary in the world of that story. AND in this story, the narrator occasionally breaks the third wall..which in the context of a historian relaying past events...would have a viewpoint more extreme than our current "civilized" sensibilities.

While you can tell the author injects a 'back to basics is good' vibe, in a world such as this, it is necessary for survival.

Good stuff.
Profile Image for Mathew Carruthers.
549 reviews32 followers
December 8, 2014
Fantastic story

As stated in my title, I think this is a fantastic story. It is well written, sometimes beautifully so, and well researched. I really was impressed by the premise - a confluence of events (actual historic events which give this story some immediacy and plausibility) result in a total breakdown of society. This breakdown is then exploited by those who wish to see America fall. Parts of the story remind me of other works in the dystopian genre, chiefly "Dies the Fire" by Stirling because they are similar in tone, though Stirling's dystopia is more rooted in the fantastic than the realistic. All in all, it was a pleasure to read and gave me lots of food for thought - can't ask for much more than that.
Profile Image for Hanna Elizabeth.
Author 8 books14 followers
October 7, 2013
Great loss begets great deeds

It's the end of the world as we know it and as one might expect, there is death and destruction, survival and loss. Plays for power and control abound in a world torn asunder. A new day has risen and it's nothing like the day before. Very few people were prepared for such a disaster, and certainly not for such a disconnect from the reality they were used to. Adjustments have to be made, lives are lost, psychopaths seek power, and justice is but a dream burst into flames.

That is the world you step into when you read WICK Omnibus. The disconnect that left people without any of their familiar comforts is beautifully woven throughout the story as you follow the lives of a handful of survivors. You get a clear picture of just how bad things can get when the moral compass is no longer pointing north and when fear is the guiding factor.

I found myself walking an emotional ridge, falling this way or that with the turning of every page. As I read this story, I wondered about the secrets that lay buried under a blanket of snow and I was consistently surprised as they came into view.

Coming in at a whopping 572 pages, this is a remarkable story and not one to miss!
Author 34 books33 followers
February 6, 2014
Wick isn't your average end-of-the-world novel. It wouldn't make a good summer action blockbuster starring Bruce Willis. That's not to say that there's no action, but Wick is one of those stories where the movie could never do justice to the book. You'd lose the heart of the story, which takes place in the main character's mind and soul. Written in the style of a Russian novel, Wick explores relationships, philosophy, politics and society from multiple angles, leaving the reader with a lot to think about as the pages fly by. The action doesn't start on page one, it builds slowly in the style of many classics of an older era. This is a literary end-of-the-world novel, but I don't mean that in a college professor/what is the symbolism of the skateboard way. It's the kind of a book that sticks with you and you'll want to read again. But you won't have time, because you'll be busy reading Michael Bunker's other works. The point is that you'll want to read it again, it's that good.
1 review
November 28, 2013
Wick turned my thinking on its head. It made me think about my perceptions and my realities. I was made to think about things that made me feel uncomfortable (rightly so - in that's a good thing, whether or not you agree). At one stage I thought, 'conspiracy theory' not my cup of tea but the author/s deconstructed that as well.

This story I was gripped by, I was very glad that I downloaded the omnibus.

There is one character who is a common thread throughout but not all the other characters are aware they have that one character in common. Its a post-apocalyptic novel featuring several groups of characters building their own story that head zigzaggingly in the same direction. Suffice to say that you identify and buy into them all and become caught up in their adventures. Be prepared to be devastated occasionally.
Profile Image for Daniel J. Weber.
Author 4 books8 followers
May 9, 2014
Review originally published at Daniel J. Weber Creates

Mature-Content Rating: PG (action violence)

From the mind of Michael Bunker and the political excellence of Chris Awalt comes this nice piece of dystopian fiction. It is not often evident what an author is all about simply by reading their art, but Wick is a pleasant exception. Not only do you get to know the characters and world being build, but also are afforded a unique opportunity to enter the mind of the author(s). Science fiction with Amish and political leanings makes this a wonderful piece of art that is hard to compare with. If you are the type of reader that likes lots of action and little thought this may not be your thing, but if you like to think there is no better piece of art. Throughout Wick there is a wonderful amount of matter-of-fact life philosophising built into the prose which make for a delightful ride that feels dense. No, not dense because it is hard to get through, but like a pit of tar: once entered, it will suck your mind right in, and you may have trouble getting out. Because of this, the point of view taken feels reserved, almost making the narrator/author a character of their own, allowing for wonderfully crafted observatory world building.

Because of this feeling of separation between the narrator and the character, at times pacing issues are evident. It has been said that if do not enjoy slower books, this may not be your thing, but that is not the issue here (for if a book is meant to be slow, and does it in an engaging manner [i.e. W1ck] then it works). The biggest issues I had were with the "section" or "part" splits. This Omnibus was originally published in 4 different parts, three of which make sense on their own. The middle two parts should, realistically, have been one because of the way the story progresses. Also, at times, there are too many characters and it is difficult to follow.

The biggest issue, however, I had was with the ending. Much like the ending of the different "parts" of W1ck, the pages are just suddenly blank. No, I don't mean that there is some kind of strange print error. Bunker just decided to call it a day, and that is that. I will admit that this format fits well with the reserved POV chosen, and if it were done any other way, the results would have been mind-jarringly worse. I suppose with this type of ending, it makes me want to read more to find out what happens next, but there is nothing that happens next. This Omnibus is the complete package. The "sequel" (if you will) happens 20 years later, being a world sequel and not a direct descendant.

All in all, W1ck is an enjoyable journey filled with great philosophical musings, and out-spoken activism that you can only not get in trouble for if it is folded inside the covers of a book labelled "fiction." This, coupled with great storytelling and wonderful prose, makes Michael Bunker an author that I will definitely return to. His writing style is so gloriously fresh and interesting that I found it easier to ignore the pacing failures throughout and poor conclusion. Reading W1ck feels like watching a painting unfold before my eyes, colour splashed by the voice of God.
Profile Image for Bobby.
116 reviews5 followers
October 2, 2013
Full review here on my blog: http://onenovelconcept.blogspot.com/

Amazon synopsis:
In WICK 1... a man walked out of New York City after Hurricane Sandy and fell off the edge of the earth...
In WICK 2: Charm School... a mysterious town explodes in violence and America is dealt a deadly blow...
In WICK 3: Exodus... the world is without power. You are on foot and have no home. Any stranger you meet may kill you... and normal is never coming back...
In WICK 4: One Word of Truth... Weeks after the world has been crippled by massive EMP attacks, nuclear weapons are used on major cities, and survivors grapple with a changed world that will never be the same again.

My review: I have been sitting here for more then an hour and written four different synopsis's about this book and have finally decided to copy the synopsis from Amazon, just so we are clear the words written above are not my own. This book is huge close to 600 pages with very small font type. There is so much going on in each of these books that I literally cannot find a way to describe this book in one small paragraph. I liked this book, I have loved every Michael Bunker book I have read so far and this one does not disappoint. I did struggle through book two but read books three and four in just a few days. Book one was phenomenal and the kindle version is free right here on Amazon. If you want to get a taste read this first and the decide if you want to read the entire book. It all started because I wanted to read Michael's book The Last Pilgrims which is the sequel to Wick even though Wick was written afterwards. So I decided to start chronologically instead of in the order the books were written, which I never do. But I felt in this scenario I needed to know pre-story beforehand. I don't think I can convince my wife and her book club to read this book but if you want a great story about the end of the world, buckle in and prepare yourself for a story that will take to the end of the world (literally) and back. I tip my hat to you Michael, well done and thank you.

My rating: 7
Pages: 572
Author website: http://journal.michaelbunker.com/
Profile Image for Carol.
109 reviews4 followers
May 19, 2015
I love apocalyptic fiction, so I was ready to love this book. I see that many other reviewers have noticed the same flaws that bothered me, though. I actually finished it, but I recall the point at which I noticed that it seemed a bit like an Ayn Rand book - when it started to make me feel like I could never be good enough, disciplined and knowledgeable enough, simple and plain enough, anti-tech enough to meet the standards of the impossible cardboard characters whose ruminations I tried to keep up with. I found the philosophical ramblings interesting but the way in which the authors set them up was hokey. I agree with an earlier reviewer - there's something really good here, but it needed an editor to nudge and suggest and push for revisions.
Profile Image for Mike.
122 reviews3 followers
September 7, 2014
I wanted to like this book - I was enticed by the idea of the 'Amish SciFi writer' and after reading Wool, very excited about the DIY publishing movement.

I made it to around page 120 before I couldn't stand anymore - and that was clearly supposed to be the 'exciting part'. If I had hit that part around page 30, I probably would have liked it, but the slog to get there was so tedious that I just didn't care. Editors serve a very important function and this book would have benefited immensely from one.
Profile Image for Greg Tymn.
144 reviews6 followers
May 9, 2015
How to sum up a 4-novel omnibus edition in just a few words:

Ayn Rand, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins Go Camping.

Seriously, I attempted to give this set of novels a chance, but found myself skipping page after page of polemics looking for the next dialogue section.

I'm sure the book will appeal to some, but it doesn't make my minimum acceptable level of mediocrity to be worth finishing. I stopped after book 2.

You've been warned.
Profile Image for Courtney.
17 reviews27 followers
February 6, 2015
Author's favorite phrases are "pay close attention" and "this is important."
Profile Image for Chris .
141 reviews
June 3, 2017
I just finished Wick and I have to say the first part of it really hit close to home. Having lived through Hurricane Sandy myself, and actually not too far from the hardest hit areas, the character's description of the devastation as he walks the streets of NYC is pretty accurate. He decides to put the city life behind him and tries to travel back upstate to his farm. The author then starts getting philosophical and a little preachy, which might be too much for some, but the way he introduced the characters and had each of their lives intersect throughout a well-constructed story made it a very engaging series.
Profile Image for Ginger Rogers.
21 reviews8 followers
December 6, 2022
I greatly appreciate books that make me ponder and ruminate on a verity of topics. This book did just that. A lot of the concepts presented in the story are things I have been thinking about for years. The only other author whose books I've read that has provided this level of deep thinking has been Neal Stephenson.
The story line, while at times a little unsettling due to focus shifts, was engaging and the characters were extremely relatable. I highly recommend this book, but not if you are looking for a light and fluffy escape novel. This book will definitely leave you with "deep thoughts."
Profile Image for Robert Defrank.
Author 6 books15 followers
March 28, 2021
An alternate history that picks up in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and asks the question: what if things keep getting worse.

Opening with a widower who sees the ugly reality behind civilization's tattered mask and begins a kind of odyssey back to a long-remembered home, our POV character gets hints of forces at work that are set to bring the West to its knees. The story quickly veers into some odd and unexpected territory in the second, third and fourth parts, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with some great post-apocalyptic literature.
Profile Image for Kay.
1,721 reviews18 followers
October 4, 2017
The story starts with one man, Clay, and his journey out of New York after the metropolis has been hit by a major storm. Don't want to say too much as it means giving away the plot but this is a well written story about America being brought to a halt and not just by an EMP strike. Unlike most EMP novels based in America this isn't all about the military and their influence. It is about people and how they deal with the aftermath. Well worth reading.

Ray Smillie
Profile Image for Joel.
138 reviews
November 23, 2017
I really liked this book, although i had a hard time with how quickly everything went to hell and how people reverted no nomadic tribal fiefdoms. it was still well told and a harrowing story. it looks like he may write another book told in the recent future of this tale and i would look forward to that.
Profile Image for Becky Ippolito.
53 reviews10 followers
May 27, 2017
This is not a bad series, but was not what what I was looking for in a read. I found the philosophizing more tedious than thought-provoking and it distracted from any kind of concrete storyline and character development.
Profile Image for Matthew Lee.
122 reviews14 followers
October 27, 2015
I came to this book after reading Pennsylvania. I was expecting more of the same, but was pleasantly surprised that Wick is nothing like Pennsylvania.

Wick is an Odyssey seen through the eyes of several successive characters. Some may say it was slow, but I was highly impressed by the author's patience, even when I wanted to know EVERYTHING NOW! The story kept me in for hours every time I sat down and called me back when I had to tear away and return to reality. The characters are intricate and deep, and each brings something special to the story. Take your time and think through the struggles as you go.

The softness caused by modern society is a great fear of mine, because I live in a more unstable society than my birth-country where the veil of prosperity is torn and realize that I depend too much on others work to survive out here.

Would I survive if I had to live by my hands and ingenuity? Probably...I was a good Boy Scout. Would I make it if I had to fight for resources to survive? Probably not for long.
Profile Image for Kenn Hendricks.
5 reviews
June 24, 2014
I'm not sure why but this was a very difficult read for me. I'm not saying it's a bad book or that it's poorly written because it's neither of those to me. I just kept getting to a certain point in the book where I just had to stop and do other things. I guess that's the beauty of a kindle. I couldn't finish the book but it was always right there taunting me. I finally gave in completely and forced myself to do the unthinkable, I finished the book. I am so glad I did! The ending is a work of art that I'm ecstatic I forced myself into reading. More from Michael Bunker please
Profile Image for Colby.
338 reviews10 followers
October 30, 2014
Part Red Dawn, and part The Road, Wick was a great read. This was one of those stories that made me actually say "NO!" out loud more than once when something unexpected happened. Bunker does a fantastic job of making you love characters right before doing something horrible to them. Like some of the best writers out there, Bunker makes you care about his characters, which is not an easy thing to do. I'm glad I finally made the time to read this one, because it was very different from the author's style in his other works, but in a wonderfully surprising way. Well done, Mr. Bunker!
Profile Image for Shelli Black Rose.
49 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2016
After reading the first part free, I had to buy the omnibus edition to read the rest of the story. I was hooked right away! A very unusual story, packed with twists and turns, some of which were completely unexpected. While the author's philosophy and mine are compete opposites, I was able to read this as intended: a story of fiction. I loved how "current" events were meshed with a fictional apocalyptic story.

I would have given this a 5 star rating, if not for the proselytizing.
Profile Image for Rose.
117 reviews
September 20, 2014
It is worth reading the entire WICK collection together in the Omnibus Edition as there are nuances that may be forgotten over time. The motivations of the characters are interesting, though at times there was a bit more philosophical reflection than I wanted ... as I wanted to get on with the story. A satisfying read.
Profile Image for B. Soreil.
73 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2014
Fantastic Read!

5 stars aren't enough! This amazing, gripping tale of duplicity, annihilation, Apocalypse, sad endings and daringly brave beginnings needs at least TEN stars!!! You will not want to put this down until you've finished it - and maybe not then! Just plain, bloody WOW!!!!!
Profile Image for Jamie Daniel.
Author 1 book1 follower
November 28, 2014
Very good read, but took awhile to catch my attention. Once hooked though, it was hard to put this one down, so it took several days to read the series. While not action-packed, it definitely made the reader think. It was hard to not say, "damn, we're so close to that point now." Interesting, thoughtful read.
Profile Image for Peg.
184 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2014
I get the feeling there is a fifth book in the works, based on the ending that suggested what might happen to the remaining characters (warning, a lot of main characters die). Good character development, plot a bit muddled.
Profile Image for Dale Bauer.
14 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2013
Beautifully written, engaging tales of society upended. A must read. My first Michael Bunker book, but surely not my last.
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