GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE

Road Warrior meets the Odyssey, with a hero a bit like wise-cracking, irreverent Harry of the Dredsen Files. Some may complain about sexism and violence, and we are not talking great literature here, but if you enjoy postapocalyptic fiction, then I suspect this book may be for you. There are glaring leaps in the storyline, and not a bit of implausibility, but overall it is a page-turning thrill that will satisfy anyone who likes shows such as The Walking Dead. Mortimer Tate ran away from divorce and fortuitously squirreled away supplies in a cave home that protected and isolated him during the destruction of the known world, only to emerge to see what calamity had wrought; a stash of booze and other items allows him entree into a privileged strata in the new reality. Along with two faithful companions (a gunslinging cowboy and tough young lady), he goes on a quest to find his ex-wife. The world is slowly knitting itself together against vicious, brutal overlords and cannibalistic tribes; the emerging society loosely forming around a string of go-go bars (somewhat like western brothels) that provide a sense of the familiar as well as an economic engine that encourages economic industriousness and community building. There are plenty of colorful characters, daring escapes, rough scenes, humorous banter, and even a little sex. One can only wonder why there hasn’t been a graphic novel and screen adaptations, although the book isn’t that old.