In a post-apocalyptic Oregon devastated by nuclear winter and societal collapse, Gordon Krantz is a lone wanderer seeking survival. After discovering an abandoned mail truck, he dons the uniform of a United States Postal Inspector to trade services for food. His initial lie—that a Restored United States exists with a functioning central government—ignites a collective memory of civilization among isolated settlements. This fabrication evolves into a genuine movement as Krantz leads a resistance against the Holnists, a survivalist militia governed by a brutal social-Darwinist ideology.
Readers of classic speculative fiction seek out this narrative for its focus on the fragility of civic infrastructure and the psychology of myth-making. It appeals to those interested in the restoration of order rather than the chaos of destruction. The reader gains an understanding of how shared illusions can rebuild communal bonds and the physical necessity of communication networks. It provides a grounded look at how individual accountability and the return of public service counteract lawlessness in a fractured society.
Clear-cut; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1985
- Language
- EN
