Without Warning (Birmingham novel)

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Without Warning
ISBN
978-0-345-50289-6
Followed byAfter America 

Without Warning is an

After America and Angels of Vengeance continue the story.[3]

Plot

On the eve of the Iraq War, March 14, 2003, the majority of the population of the contiguous United States (along with the bulk of the populations of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba) disappears as the result of a large energy field that later comes to be known as "The Wave". Without Warning deals with the international consequences of the disappearance of the world's last superpower on the eve of war.

Development

Birmingham said he was inspired to write the novel after hearing someone during a student demonstration at the University of Queensland say the world would be a better place if the United States disappeared.[2]

References to other works

Without Warning contains a large number of references to popular culture. Birmingham, the author, said that he did this as a nod to American novelist Stephen King:

When I was a kid and started reading big, fat books, the thing that struck me about his novels, so different to the dull, dull things they made us read at school, was they were full of real world references.[2]

Reception

Literary significance

Jim Hopper of the

San Diego Union-Tribune said Without Warning is an example of "'mainstream' genres (thrillers particularly) [that] incorporate some SFnal elements pretty often as greater or lesser plot element."[4]

References

  1. ^ "Fantastic Fiction.com: Without Warning by John Birmingham". www.fantasticfiction.com.
  2. ^ a b c Blundell, Graeme (2008-10-18). "On lowbrow street". The Australian. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  3. ^ "MCC-Longview 2008 Literary Festival". Metropolitan Community College. 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  4. ^ Moench, David (22 April 2009). "The Future of Newspapers and Book Coverage: A Book Reviewer Roundtable". Unbound Worlds. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2009-04-27.

External links