Amerika

by Brauna E. Pouns, Patrick Anderson

Novelization of the 1980s miniseries "Amerika" whose premise was the USSR detonating electro-magnetic pulse ("EMP") hydrogen weapons over the continental United States, destroying our communications grid, rendering the military powerless, and occupying the USA. America then undergoes what comes to be called "The Transition" which is essentially a conversion of the former USA to a communist dictatorship. Fun times.

Genres: Fiction

412 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amerika was a 14 1/2-hour miniseries broadcast over seven nights in 1987 and it went off like a damp squib. Starring Kris Kirstofferson, Sam Neill, Christine Lahti, Mariel Hemingway and Lara Flynn Boyle, it had news magazines frothing at the mouth for weeks before it aired, but after the first two episodes its ratings dropped drastically. Inspired by columnist Ben Stein’s outraged reaction to the perceived liberalism of the nuclear-war-TV-movie, The Day After, this was supposed to show Americans what they were fighting the Cold War for. Instead, it killed the maxi-miniseries, bringing to a close an era that saw the 30 hour War and Remembrance, the 14-hour Winds of War, the 9-hour Roots, the 12-hour Rich Man, Poor Man and the 20-hour Centennial. It also spawned a novelization, and that’s what we’ll be discussing here today because I suffered through reading the damn thing and now I’m going to share my pain.

In the Soviet invasion book, I, Martha Adams, the most heinous crime of the Soviet invaders is being tacky and coarse. In the young adult Soviet Invasion book, USSA, the their greatest crime is making rock n’roll illegal. There’s some of both of those flavors here, but Amerika is mostly focused on kinky sex and a view of American history that is parroted by the Tea Party today. The President who turns over the country to the Soviet Union is a spineless surrender monkey who should have gone down fighting, but he’s just a symptom of a sickness that has infected post-Vietnam America, destroying our inherent “sense of greatness” with self-doubt. Because being a real American means never questioning yourself, never doubting your (manifest) destiny and never being weak! Appease the liberals today — appease the Commies tomorrow.

(Read the rest of this review here)

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enciklopedija SFa smatra da je Brauna E. Pouns pseudonim grupe autora, dočim negde se navodi Patrick Anderson kao jedini pisac koji se krije iza ovog imena, no dileme nema AMERIKA je novelizacija vrlo zanimljive i kontroverzne mini-serije AMERIKA iz 1987. godine u kojoj SSSR izvrši "meku" okupaciju SAD posle aktiviranja EMPa i uništenja njene elektronike i sredstava komunikacije.

Nekoliko godina posle uspostavljanja okupacije, SAD postoje kao jedna ljuštura one stare države, a mladi, ambiciozni i inteligentni komunistički kadrovi se bore sa starim kremaljskim kukama oko toga na koji način ovo sve treba voditi. Matorci su za čvrstu ruku, a mlađi, u duši impresionirani Amerikom, za umereniji, humaniji ali i lukaviji pristup.

Igra kreće kada iz zatvora izlazi poslednji istinski subverzivan i samostalan američki političar koji je sklonjen sa izbora i poslat u zatvor. Novi komunistički kadrovi imaju nameru da ga iskoriste za svoj projekat komadanja Amerike, stari ustanici žele da on bude katalizator pobune a on samo želi da vidi svoje sinove koje je odvela njegova bivša žena i postala veoma bitan činilac u okupatorskoj vlasti.

Kada sam pisao scenario za film 2020. koji je u međuvremenu postao 2030, mini-serija AMERIKA mi je bila jedna od inspiracija jer je pokazivala društvo koje je erodiralo pre nego što je istinski potčinjeno i u kome nije potrebno neposredno prisustvo strane čizme kako bi bilo okupirano i kako bi njegova normativna suverenost bila potpuno irelevantna.

Dok je Wrye u seriji to dobro postavio, mada možda nije otišao dovoljno daleko u odnosu na ono što bi želeli jastrebovi koji su se radovali ovoj seriji, u romanu nažalost nijedan od tih koncepata nije suštinski razrađen, i nema naročite nadgradnje kojoj sam se nadao.

Backstory svih dešavanja nije bitno bogatiji od onoga što je Wrye utkao u scenario, a kao što serija nije doživela dalju ekspanziju, nije ni ovaj roman, iako deluje kao da je pisan sa ambicijom da bude deo serijala.

Ko god ga je napisao, nije mnogo propustio time što nije stavio svoje ime na korice.

Stil je korektan ali je tekst poprilično nabacan, paralelne radnje sve prate neprekidno pa poglavlja zapravo ne dele tok romana suštinski i u svakom poglavlju ide svaka od narativnih linija. Struktura u tom pogledu deluje skoro po aljkavo.

Rukopis ipak nije previše sporan, oseća se da je sve radila sigurna i pripovedački efikasna ruka, ali glava kao da nije bila u punoj meri aktivirana.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel has the flavor of the spy trailer from the 1980s combined with an ending that could have been fashion by Taylor Caldwell. It leaves the reader with a sense of hope and yet this book does not seem so outdated. Interesting idea though I wonder 30 years later if the techniques employed by the take over powers it might be different.

[Rajat Narula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Russia occupies and controls America and poverty and communism engulfs the land of the free. Interesting story but not written too well.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

How could I have forgotten this gem? This is the novelization of the ABC miniseries from ... 20 or so years ago now. Russia conquers the US and no one can save us but populist hero Kris Kristofferson. Most memorable to me for providing my nephew Devin with his name (KK's name in fact).

Best read while listening to Rammstein's 'Amerika'.