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Traveler #2
Kingdom Come
Journeying through what remains of Minnesota after the nuclear holocaust, Traveler encounters a caravan of horse-drawn station wagons under attack by an army of motorcycle thugs.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1984
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February 28, 2018Second book in the series. Written by John Shirley as D. B. Drumm that takes place 15 years after a nuclear apocalypse and the antics of the remaining survivors.
June 12, 2019
A cut above the standard post-apocalyptic road-warrior type story, primarily because the writing is really quite good. This is the second in the series and I'm moving right on to the third. That definitely means I enjoyed it. The author is D. B. Drumm, but that's a house name for the series. This volume was written by John Shirley, while Traveler #1 was written by Ed Naha. I found there to be considerable consistency across the two books and both were enjoyable.
The story is about an ex-special forces soldier who now goes by the name of "Traveler." He was exposed to a nerve toxin that has left him hyper sensitive to stimuli. This is sometimes bad and sometimes good. In this volume, Traveler comes upon a group carrying a peace message from Wichita to Kansas City, two surviving urban areas after a nuclear holocaust that occurred about 15 years earlier. The group is also taking a woman to Kansas City for a political marriage. Thousands of "road rats," (think of the bad guys in Road Warrior) stand between them and their goal and Traveler has to lead them through.
The story is about an ex-special forces soldier who now goes by the name of "Traveler." He was exposed to a nerve toxin that has left him hyper sensitive to stimuli. This is sometimes bad and sometimes good. In this volume, Traveler comes upon a group carrying a peace message from Wichita to Kansas City, two surviving urban areas after a nuclear holocaust that occurred about 15 years earlier. The group is also taking a woman to Kansas City for a political marriage. Thousands of "road rats," (think of the bad guys in Road Warrior) stand between them and their goal and Traveler has to lead them through.
May 3, 2020
Written by John Shirley as D. B. Drumm. The second book of the series is the beginning of Shirley's five-book story arc.
The plot of this novel concerns Traveler escorting Princess Sandy of the Kingdom of Wichita to Kansas City, where she is to marry the son of Baron Moorcock. The remnants of the U.S. government try to stop this political marriage by hiring biker gangs and roadrats to stop the Wichita delegation before they reach Kansas city. Traveler helps break the siege of Kansas City and disperse the hoard of roadrats. Then he rides off into the sunset blasting the Doors’s “Roadhouse Blues” on his tape deck, to find and kill Colonel Vallone.
While traveling between cities Sandy is damseled and rescued by Traveler. Traveler's smooch of victory takes the form of a Penthouse Letters style sex scene. I bought this book off of a spinning rack at a supermarket in 1984 when I was 14.
If you’re turned off by the customary right-wing slant of most men’s adventure novels, you should check out Traveler, as not only is it a thorough skewering of right-wing posturing, but it also doles out all of the expected tropes of the genre.
This volume has the first appearance of President Andrew Frayling, a mostly senile former actor-turned president. President Frayling is secretly trying to prevent the unification of Kansas City and Wichita. Now in Las Vegas, Frayling is surrounded by sycophants and a personal guard of soldiers referred to as “Glory Boys.” Shirely writes the scene with tongue firmly in cheek as a doddering Frayling stumbles over furniture and has trouble remembering things while discussing his plans with an assistant. We also learn that Traveler’s old enemy Major Vallone heads up the Glory Boys, and Vallone himself has been tasked with stopping the Wichita delegation from reaching Kansas City.
This also has the first appearance of The Black Rider, an infamous biker-ninja type who is introduced into the series with this volume and will serve as another of Traveler’s archenemies in the forthcoming installments. The Black Rider is Vallone’s top henchman and is responsible for uniting the roadrats and bikers in the effort to stop the Wichita delegation. When Traveler sees the Black Rider from the Kansas City battlements he instantly knows that this black mutant is his enemy, and later when Traveler infiltrates the road rats camp they abduct him, though of course he eventually escapes to return another day.
The Buddhist monk Nicholas Shumi and his elephant-sized siamese cat Ronin make a couple of brief appearances as well.
For the most part, this is a guilty pleasure read. A blood-soaked action novel in a style popular in the 80s.
The plot of this novel concerns Traveler escorting Princess Sandy of the Kingdom of Wichita to Kansas City, where she is to marry the son of Baron Moorcock. The remnants of the U.S. government try to stop this political marriage by hiring biker gangs and roadrats to stop the Wichita delegation before they reach Kansas city. Traveler helps break the siege of Kansas City and disperse the hoard of roadrats. Then he rides off into the sunset blasting the Doors’s “Roadhouse Blues” on his tape deck, to find and kill Colonel Vallone.
While traveling between cities Sandy is damseled and rescued by Traveler. Traveler's smooch of victory takes the form of a Penthouse Letters style sex scene. I bought this book off of a spinning rack at a supermarket in 1984 when I was 14.
If you’re turned off by the customary right-wing slant of most men’s adventure novels, you should check out Traveler, as not only is it a thorough skewering of right-wing posturing, but it also doles out all of the expected tropes of the genre.
This volume has the first appearance of President Andrew Frayling, a mostly senile former actor-turned president. President Frayling is secretly trying to prevent the unification of Kansas City and Wichita. Now in Las Vegas, Frayling is surrounded by sycophants and a personal guard of soldiers referred to as “Glory Boys.” Shirely writes the scene with tongue firmly in cheek as a doddering Frayling stumbles over furniture and has trouble remembering things while discussing his plans with an assistant. We also learn that Traveler’s old enemy Major Vallone heads up the Glory Boys, and Vallone himself has been tasked with stopping the Wichita delegation from reaching Kansas City.
This also has the first appearance of The Black Rider, an infamous biker-ninja type who is introduced into the series with this volume and will serve as another of Traveler’s archenemies in the forthcoming installments. The Black Rider is Vallone’s top henchman and is responsible for uniting the roadrats and bikers in the effort to stop the Wichita delegation. When Traveler sees the Black Rider from the Kansas City battlements he instantly knows that this black mutant is his enemy, and later when Traveler infiltrates the road rats camp they abduct him, though of course he eventually escapes to return another day.
The Buddhist monk Nicholas Shumi and his elephant-sized siamese cat Ronin make a couple of brief appearances as well.
For the most part, this is a guilty pleasure read. A blood-soaked action novel in a style popular in the 80s.
January 8, 2021
Traveler gets to have sex!
At least that is my main takeaway from this book. Which is kind of surprising to me as usually these kinds of books (not this particular series, mind you) are generally firmly rooted in in sex and violence. The Traveler series has all kinds of well described violence, but there was no sex in the other books of the series that I read. I certainly don't mind reading sex scenes, and these fit properly within the framework of the story, so cool by me.
As with the other Traveler books, there is no character arc here, and I guess that is what makes these types of series very similar to comic books. Batman and other major heroes of this caliber (see what I did there?) generally just react to some sort of event, save the day, and then move on to the next event. Traveler does exactly that in each of these books. He doesn't learn some grand lesson or have some internal character change. Maybe that comes in some later books, but I haven't seen it so far.
Anyway, I wouldn't say that this is required reading in any way, shape or form, but if you like these kinds of books, Traveler is a pretty entertaining series. So far, I might have enjoyed this one the most. The first book was written by Ed Naha using the DB Drumm pen name, but this is the book where John Shirley takes over for a run using the same pen name. I haven't really been able to tell the two authors apart based on my readings, but I think I like this book the best of the ones I've read so far.
At least that is my main takeaway from this book. Which is kind of surprising to me as usually these kinds of books (not this particular series, mind you) are generally firmly rooted in in sex and violence. The Traveler series has all kinds of well described violence, but there was no sex in the other books of the series that I read. I certainly don't mind reading sex scenes, and these fit properly within the framework of the story, so cool by me.
As with the other Traveler books, there is no character arc here, and I guess that is what makes these types of series very similar to comic books. Batman and other major heroes of this caliber (see what I did there?) generally just react to some sort of event, save the day, and then move on to the next event. Traveler does exactly that in each of these books. He doesn't learn some grand lesson or have some internal character change. Maybe that comes in some later books, but I haven't seen it so far.
Anyway, I wouldn't say that this is required reading in any way, shape or form, but if you like these kinds of books, Traveler is a pretty entertaining series. So far, I might have enjoyed this one the most. The first book was written by Ed Naha using the DB Drumm pen name, but this is the book where John Shirley takes over for a run using the same pen name. I haven't really been able to tell the two authors apart based on my readings, but I think I like this book the best of the ones I've read so far.
May 24, 2020
Another one from my pulp fiction literary past. In the second volume our hero saves a convoy of
refugees from a motorcycle gang. It turns out the convoy is taking Princess Sandy (did David
Alexander get inspiration for the bizarre names in his books?) to a forced wedding to A guy
named Moorcock (wether this is true or not only Princess Sandy knew). Anyway, it'll come as
no surprise that our hero gets there first (no wonder he calls himself Traveler).
There's plenty of action Mad Max style. A little sex with Princess Sandy. It's odd why there's
so much sex in these kind of books, with half the world blown to kingdom come I would have
thought it would be the last thing on peoples' minds. Oh well, that's entertainment.
All in all a harmless way to pass the time.
refugees from a motorcycle gang. It turns out the convoy is taking Princess Sandy (did David
Alexander get inspiration for the bizarre names in his books?) to a forced wedding to A guy
named Moorcock (wether this is true or not only Princess Sandy knew). Anyway, it'll come as
no surprise that our hero gets there first (no wonder he calls himself Traveler).
There's plenty of action Mad Max style. A little sex with Princess Sandy. It's odd why there's
so much sex in these kind of books, with half the world blown to kingdom come I would have
thought it would be the last thing on peoples' minds. Oh well, that's entertainment.
All in all a harmless way to pass the time.
January 3, 2020
En Virkelig god bog, i stil med Mad Max... med en masse gode karakterer.
January 24, 2022
After finishing the first Traveler book, I couldn’t wait to start the second! For some reason book two is worth a bit more than the others, so I waited a bit until I found one at good price. And if you can find yourself book 2, don’t hesitate, buy it now!
Kingdom Come followers the traveler on his journey into post apocalyptic America. This time in Kansas City. If you missed the first book, you need not worry, there is almost no mention of the first storyline whatsoever in book 2, and the little info you need, will be covered.
I’m a big fan of this series thus far, because you get right into the action. As someone who loves the 80s post apocalyptic books, a big problem (imo) in all of them is the long, drawn out, details surrounding the results of WW3.
In the Traveler, bang. You’re right in there. It’s great. It also has a very mad max vs fallout (video game franchise) feel. In Kingdom Come, we start to see something I was hoping would eventually come to the series, and that is nuclear deformities, creatures and other wild ideas. Book one, barely mentioned this, but in book two, we see three instances of it!
Without giving spoilers, in the middle of the book, the Traveler stumbles upon one of these nightmarish nuclear “things” and it had me at the edge of my seat. With no answers or clues as to what it was, I’m hoping we get more of it in book 3!
If you are looking for a quick, fast, nonstop 80s action adventure, then you can’t miss with this one! I’m already buying book three and and can’t wait!
Kingdom Come followers the traveler on his journey into post apocalyptic America. This time in Kansas City. If you missed the first book, you need not worry, there is almost no mention of the first storyline whatsoever in book 2, and the little info you need, will be covered.
I’m a big fan of this series thus far, because you get right into the action. As someone who loves the 80s post apocalyptic books, a big problem (imo) in all of them is the long, drawn out, details surrounding the results of WW3.
In the Traveler, bang. You’re right in there. It’s great. It also has a very mad max vs fallout (video game franchise) feel. In Kingdom Come, we start to see something I was hoping would eventually come to the series, and that is nuclear deformities, creatures and other wild ideas. Book one, barely mentioned this, but in book two, we see three instances of it!
Without giving spoilers, in the middle of the book, the Traveler stumbles upon one of these nightmarish nuclear “things” and it had me at the edge of my seat. With no answers or clues as to what it was, I’m hoping we get more of it in book 3!
If you are looking for a quick, fast, nonstop 80s action adventure, then you can’t miss with this one! I’m already buying book three and and can’t wait!
wish-list
March 24, 2009John Shirley writing as D.B. Drumm.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews