Nuke Opera 2020: A Reading List

[dunmurderin]

Nuke Opera 2020: A Reading List

Reposted from my blog, Doomsday Writer; originally posted January 12, 2020

Introduction:

Since tonight is going to be an earlier than usual night for me, I figured I’d toss up a list of the Nuke Opera books I’m planning on taking a look at. The idea, right now, is to start at the top of the list and work my way down, since I’m thinking that’ll be a good way to explore how the subgenre developed and changed over time. How well that plan will go depends on how easily I can find my copies of these books.

Nuke Opera Reading List:

• The Survivalist: Jerry Ahern, Book #1: Total War (1981) -- the book that started the genre
• Ashes: William W. Johnstone, Book #1: Out of the Ashes (1983) -- a long running series by a prolific author and easy one of my least favorite examples of the genre for reasons I'll get into later on.
• Wasteworld: James Barton, Book #1: Aftermath (1983)
• Amtrak Wars: Patrick Tilley, Book #1: Cloud Warrior (1983)
• The Outrider: Richard Harding, Book #1: The Outrider (1984)
• Doomsday Warrior: Ryder Stacy, Book #1: Doomsday Warrior (1984)
• Traveler: B. Drumm, Book #1: First, You Fight (1984)
• The Zone: James Rouch, Book #1: Hard Target (1984)
• The Guardians: Richard Austin, Book #1: The Guardians (1985)
• A.D.S.: John Sievert, Book #1: C.A.D.S. (1985)
• The Last Ranger: Craig Sargent, Book #1: The Last Ranger (1986)
• Endworld: David Robbins, Book #1: The Fox Run (1986) -- I’m also going to be looking at the prequel, Endworld: Doomsday, published in 2009, which is set 100 years before the series begins and helps set up/flesh out the series backstory.
  • Note: David Robbins wrote in a wide variety of genres, as did/do a lot of nuke opera writers. He's written horror stories, war stories and Westerns, including a long-running series, Wilderness, about the adventures of mountain man, Nathaniel King (a former accountant who went West looking for adventures) and his family. Robbins crossed this series over with Endworld in Giant Wilderness #6: Frontier Strike, where the leads from Endworld travel back in time and join forces with Nathaniel King. Nuke operas can be weird.
• Deathlands: James Axler, Book #1: Pilgrimage in Hell (1986) – The longest-running nuke opera series; it reached 125 print books and is still being produced in audiobook form by Graphic Audio, which has adapted the 125 print books and produced 10 audiobook exclusive stories (and counting)
• Phoenix: David Alexander, Book #1: Dark Messiah (1987)
• Roadblaster: Paul Hofrichter, Book #1: Hell Ride (1987)
• Wingman: Mack Maloney, Book #1: Wingman (1987)
• The Marauders: Edward M. McGann, Book #1: The Marauders (1989)
• Blade: David Robbins, Book #1: First Strike (1989) – Spin-off series from Endworld
• Eagleheart: T. Westcott, Book #1: Silver Wings and Leather Jackets (1989) – a rare nuke opera series intentionally written to be funny.
• Omega Sub: David Cameron, Book #1: Omega Sub (1991)
• Swamp Master: Jake Spencer, Book #1: Swamp Master (1992) – a very late entry into the nuke opera genre, written just after the end of the Cold War and demonstrating the necessity of finding a new Big Bad.
• Outlanders: James Axler, Book #1: Exile to Hell (1997) – a spin-off/sequel series to Deathlands. Also, the second longest-running nuke opera series (ended with 75 books).

Note: I believe that these series represent pretty much the entirety of the genre but I'm more than happy to be proved wrong; if you know of a series I've missed, feel free to drop a mention in the comments.
Nuke Opera Adjacent Books:

• Horseclans: Robert Adams, Book #1: The Coming of the Horse Clans (1975) -- adjacent because it falls outside my established timeline for the genre (1980-1991); haven't read it yet, but from what I hear, it sounds like it might be an early example of the genre.
• I, Martha Adams (1984) by Pauline Glen Window -- adjacent because it isn't a series, but it's definitely earned a place at the table.
• Amerika (1987) by Brauna E. Pouns, Patrick Anderson -- Novelization of the 1987 TV miniseries about the Soviet Union invading America. Adjacent because while nuclear weapons are part of the invasion, they're used to create EMPs to knock out America's communications networks, not to destroy cities.

Additional Reviews: These books and stories aren’t nuke operas themselves, but are included because I feel they have important things to say about the nuke opera subgenre. This list will likely be added to as time goes on.

• Lot (1953) and Lot’s Daughter (1954) by Ward Moore – I’m looking at these two stories because they are in sharp contrast to the macho, action-adventure fantasy of most nuke opera stories.
• A Boy and His Dog (1969) by Harlan Ellison
• Farnham’s Freehold (1964) by Robert A. Heinlein – This book is included because I feel that it is a forerunner to/trope originator for the nuke opera subgenre.
• The Long Tomorrow (1955) by Leigh Brackett
• That Only a Mother (1948) by Judith Merril
• Gate into Women’s Country (1988) by Sheri S. Tepper
• The Chrysalids (1955) by John Wyndham – published in the US as Re-Birth
• Z for Zachariah (1974) by Robert C. O’Brien – I might do a compare/contrast with this and the movie.

I plan to look at Lot, Lot’s Daughter, and A Boy and His Dog before I start on the nuke operas themselves. Again, plans are subject to change. Right now, I’m working on some explanatory articles about the science behind nuclear weapons and the history of the Cold War as well as an article fleshing out just what I mean when I say "Nuke Opera." I should, fingers crossed, have at least one of those articles up by Wednesday.
But for now, as I said, tonight’s an early night for me so I’m going to get this posted and go to bed. Hope you’re having a good week and I’ll talk to you soon!

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Originally posted at: Nuke Opera 2020: Reading List, January 12, 2020