The Wild Shore

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Other authorsTerry Carr (Editor), Andrea Baruffi (Cover artist)

Paperback, 1984-03

Status

Available

Call number

PS3568.O2893 W55

Series

Three Californias (1)

Genres

Science Fiction

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Ace Science Fiction Books (New York, 1984). 1st edition, 1st printing. 371 pages. $2.95.

Description

From the author of the award-winning Mars trilogy comes a vision of a radically different alternative future, where every day is a fight to survive. North America, 2047. For the small Pacific Coast community of San Onofre, life in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack is a matter of survival, a day-to-day struggle to stay alive. But young Hank Fletcher dreams of the world that might have been, that might yet be-and dreams of playing a crucial role in America's rebirth. Kim Stanley Robinson's first novel, The Wild Shore is an epic tale that will appeal to adults and young adults alike.

User reviews

LibraryThing member seldombites

This book is set in a quarantined America devastated by nuclear weapons. While we are subjected to much speculation by various characters, we never do find out precisely who attacked America, why they were attacked or why they are under quarantine.

Kim Stanley Robertson has a real talent for

presenting believable characters and situations in his books, and this one is no exception. I felt sympathy for the people in this book, who were simply trying to rebuild their lives under very trying circumstances, not knowing who to trust, who to regard as the enemy or why they were being held back from recovery.

I found this book to be so realistic, particularly in the light of the fact that it was written in the mid-eighties, during the height of the cold war, that it was, at times, quite frightening. This is not the best post-apocalyptic novel I have read, but it is definitely worth your time.

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LibraryThing member fikustree

The great part about this book (that the reviewer below gives away)is that you read this story from the perspective of a young boy in America in the future gone wrong and it isn't clear what happened to any of the characters, they are just trying to survive. Even though it was written in the

eighties the cautionary tale really works for now.

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LibraryThing member brakketh

Enjoyed this book of post-apocalyptic America and the way the changes that could be wrought.

LibraryThing member nakmeister

This is the first in Kim Stanley Robinson's Trio of Orange County novels, each depicting life in an alternate California, 50 years in the future.

In this novel, America was ravaged half a century ago by thousands of nuclear bombs going off. More than 95% of the population were killed, and technology

was destroyed, electric power gone, and most of the survivors mad. The rest of the world was relatively unscathed however. 50 years later, small communities across America have survived and are attempting to rebuild, but outside forces are stopping the Americans from banding together and rebuilding in any meaningful way.

In one valley in Orange County California, the protaganist in the novel, a teenage boy, gets drawn in to a plot by the new 'American Resistance' founded by residents of nearby San Diego...

This is a great novel. It does a good job of depicting what life would be like 50 years after the near destruction of America. The story is good, if not great, and you find yourself caring about most of the characters. On it's own it is a very good book, but it will be interesting to see how it compares with the other two books in the series by the same author, depicting different futures.

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LibraryThing member ladycato

In the year 2047, humanity struggles to survive in the ruins of coastal California. Almost 50 years before, nuclear blasts decimated thousands of cities across the United States. However, this is the only world teenaged Henry knows: a world revolving around harvests, fishing, the howl of the Santa

Ana, and the danger of wild-eyed scavengers in Orange County. His ancient mentor, Tom, taught him how to read and of the way things used to be. Henry's world shifts when strangers from the outside arrive. San Diego seeks to unite the coastal communities by handcar rail, even as outside forces bomb their efforts. Henry must decide where his future lies.

This was a fascinating coming-of-age tale. It's not a suspenseful read. It builds slowly, and shows how people have scraped by. I loved the details on fishing and harvest time, and all of the characters felt real and complicated. Some people might find the detailed world building to be dull, but in some ways, it reminded me of a childhood favorite, The Other Side of the Mountain, or a pioneer book. Those details made their hardship feel genuine to me.

This apparently is part of a trilogy called The Three Californas. I'm a little disappointed that the other books cover different interpretations of the future Orange County and won't continue this post-apocalyptic setting. However, as a native Californian, I adore speculative fiction set in the state, and I will read the next books at some point.

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LibraryThing member paperloverevolution

This is Kim Stanley Robinson at his absolute best - his most lyrical, his most impassioned, and his most engaging. These interrelated novels depict three different possible futures for California: ravaged by war, an urban wasteland, an ecotopia. Gorgeous and provocative.

LibraryThing member veracite

Apparently this guy is one of the first eco-sf writers. It's an interesting story but the lack of agency for women characters - they are just there to be wives and girlfriends - really annoyed me.

LibraryThing member kvrfan

Kim Stanley Robinson has quite a following. but I can't count myself among the legions. Because I know he's got a got a great fan-base, I have attempted three of his books. But I have not been able to finish any of them.

Mr. Robinson may have some interesting ideas, but I've never been able to find

any of his characters compelling. In The Wild Shore, even the premise seems kind of goofy. There has been a war that has been devastated America, but apparently the rest of the world is not similarly affected. It's as if the other great powers had ganged up on the United States to take it down. Furthermore, they continue to work hard to keep it in something of a post-apocalyptic state. The Japanese patrol our Wast Coast and bomb any efforts remaining Americans attempt to improve their technology, like building a rail line.

Mr. Robinson obviously spends a lot of time conceiving the "universes" in which his stories take place, and he fills them with details of how life is conducted in each "universe's" context. So we get a lot of dialogue between characters on the "small-talk" level. "Oh, hi, Tom. How are you?" "Fire, Joe. And you?" "OK. Say what are you doing today?" "Oh, just the usual . . ." Enough already! Cut to the chase! Fiction can be realistic, but to be good it shouldn't be mimicking every boring part of reality. While I'm sure Jesus had a lot of ordinary conversations with his disciples too, the New Testament writers had good enough sense to edit those parts out.

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LibraryThing member bness2

Pretty good, as post-apocolyptic novels go. Caught my attention because I live in California.

LibraryThing member ohernaes

Life in a small fishing village in 2047 in an isolated US which has been the target of a nuclear attack. A realistic if somewhat boring portrait of life in such a village, which would presumably resemble life in similar villages 100 years ago, and getting in contact with the wider world. Not

recommended.

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LibraryThing member sarcher

I didn't do my homework and didn't realize at first that this series were three different futures in the same setting, so I took the ending of this book as a resolvable cliffhanger. After realizing my mistake, I liked the book even more. The book is characterized by confusion, darkness, and failing

to communicate, so it's only right that I should feel the same way about what will happen next.

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