Norwescon discussion

Have you read Bannerless? What did you think? Let us know!

I’ve mentioned in past years that I’m not a big fan of post-apocalyptic stories; as such, they generally don’t rate very high for me, even when I know that they’re good, well-written stories. This is a rare exception - apparently, the trick is to place the time period a good few decades after civilization falls over, so that the story isn’t overshadowed by the depressing turbulence and chaos of most post-apocalyptic tales. Here, there are distant remnants of the world as it was, but the world has survived, society has rebuilt (to a point, at least), and our characters can have their adventures and solve their mysteries in the world they know. The look at the society that emerges, and how it builds on what fell in the past, attempting to use the lessons of the collapse of the past to keep a stable present, worked very well for me.

What kind of post-apocalypse novel is this, where smart and good people do smart and good things, and lead a decent life because of it? A hugely refreshing addition to the genre, that's what!

Set a few generations past the collapse of society, we follow the story of Enid, an "Investigator" who is called to the site of a death, which may or may not have been murder. And while this frames the story, it's more a tale of learning from the mistakes of the past and fixing what went wrong. Towns now consist of households, a family unit made of many permutations of adults, all working towards the strength of the community, hoping to prove they can provide for themselves and contribute to the good of the neighborhood, eventually earning a banner that gives them permission to bring a child into the world, one for whom will be properly supported and cared.

I loved the tone of this book. Optimism and hope and wisdom abound. Even with the deaths and lies and glimpses of the darker side of human nature, this left me feeling uplifted, without the dark aftertaste of dispair that most post-apocalyptic tales wallow in.

Nominee for the 2018 Philip K Dick Awards, and my running favorite so far to win.

What Michelle said. So refreshing to read a post-apocalyptic novel that moves past the typical post-apocalyptic tropes.

There's a long article in last month's Locus with Carrie Vaughn. She talks a lot about her thoughts around Bannerless and its companion writings.

https://locusmag.com/2018/02/carrie-v...