Norwescon discussion

Have you read or are you reading Countdown City? What did you think?

Here's what I just posted as my review:

Neat book (well, books, I suppose, as I read the first book in the series immediately beforehand, so they kind of meld together into a single entity in my brain). I liked it, but I didn't entirely get into it; while the story was good (though more for the exploration of the crumbling society than for the noir mystery that drives the plot), I'm a bit over-apocalypsed at the moment. Also, the book is written with a first-person present tense point of view, and while not as jarring as some other books I've read that are written this way (like the Hunger Games series), it's a style I've always found a little odd, and not my favorite. So, good marks for ideas and worldbuilding (or world destroying, I suppose), minus a few points for style and gloominess.

My review: If you knew the world was going to end, that you and everyone else had only 74 days left to live, what would you do? Would you hunker down, hoard what you could and hope for the best? Abandon everything you knew and run for the nearest beach? Or perhaps set up residence at a library and read as fast and furiously as possible, pausing only to sleep on the floor next to the pile of books you'd never got around to reading?

For Hank Winters, still a cop in his heart long after the dissolution of the force, his driving purpose is the hunt of the case. Assisting his childhood babysitter by finding her missing husband, we see how he chooses to cope, while also watching society resetting itself around him.

The detective story is solid, but it's not the priority of the novel. It's all but impossible to not look within oneself and ponder what would you do? Are your loyalties to others, or to yourself? Does what you do at the end really count?

The middle novel of a planned trilogy, I have a feeling that the next installation is going to be a lot rougher. The utopian societies and "bucket lists" are quickly hitting their peak, as the inevitable difficulties of no utilities, no government, no hope take their toll.

Cant wait to get started. Loved the first one, and the first fifty pages look promising. Truly a great main character and wonderful iventiveness. Sure hope Winters is working on a brand new book these days.

The third and final installment just came out this month!

I actually just dropped the third book in my bag this morning; will probably be starting it over lunch. :)