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American Wasteland
Forty years after the destruction of civilization...man is reduced to salvaging the ruins of a broken world. One man's most prized possession is an ancient novel. With the words of the classic echoing across the wasteland, the survivor of the nuclear holocaust journeys into the unknown to break a curse. What follows is an incredible tale of survival and endurance.
One man must survive the desert wilderness and mankind gone savage to live the classic struggle of man versus nature. Part Hemingway, part Cormac McCarthy's The Road, a suspenseful odyssey into the dark heart of the post-apocalyptic American southwest.
One man must survive the desert wilderness and mankind gone savage to live the classic struggle of man versus nature. Part Hemingway, part Cormac McCarthy's The Road, a suspenseful odyssey into the dark heart of the post-apocalyptic American southwest.
Audio CD
Published January 28, 2020
65 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Nick Cole
186 books623 followersNick Cole is a working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can often be found as a guard for King Phillip the Second of Spain in the Opera Don Carlo at Los Angeles Opera or some similar role. Nick Cole has been writing for most of his life and acting in Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Army.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 29, 2021
A highly rated trilogy. I did not get on as well as most in the first couple of books, but the third book redeemed this for me. A good character focussed story looking at survivors in a post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland. The first book pays homage to "The Old Man and the Sea" but then it goes further.
The writing is excellent, and the story is often moving.
The writing is excellent, and the story is often moving.
March 1, 2020
What an epic story !
Such a good story. Very creative an original. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that goes beyond just a story a makes you really think. This book had so many deep and profound thoughts laden throughout it. Please go and catch the big fish =)
Such a good story. Very creative an original. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that goes beyond just a story a makes you really think. This book had so many deep and profound thoughts laden throughout it. Please go and catch the big fish =)
January 22, 2020
Vivid imagery, relatable characters we can love (or dislike!) all combine in a well wrought tale of the nuked-out American west.
If you’re a fan of the post-apocalyptic then Mr Cole will not disappoint. A great read from a great author.
E
If you’re a fan of the post-apocalyptic then Mr Cole will not disappoint. A great read from a great author.
E
July 17, 2021
I read a lot of dystopian novels, and this was a very good one. It surprised me more than once and that doesn't happen often. I am 74 and have been an avid reader pretty much as long as I have been able to read ( this is according to my Mom who is 97.) Anyway, this trilogy had everything that makes for enjoyable reading. The characters were well thought out, and some of the best surprises came from them. The author did an excellent job in creating a la
ndscape that challenged the characters, and sometimes it was harrowing for me, as the reader. That is how good the author was in pulling the reader into this world. My ONLY caveat is.....if violence really bothers you then this book might not be for you. There were a few cringe worthy scenes but no more than most Dystopian novels. I rarely give a five star rating, but to me, this trilogy deserved it.
ndscape that challenged the characters, and sometimes it was harrowing for me, as the reader. That is how good the author was in pulling the reader into this world. My ONLY caveat is.....if violence really bothers you then this book might not be for you. There were a few cringe worthy scenes but no more than most Dystopian novels. I rarely give a five star rating, but to me, this trilogy deserved it.
September 28, 2020
I’ve never been more emotionally impacted and drained by a Book
Three books, one after the other, felt like an epic tale of greatness. Sometimes I felt as dry and emotionless as the characters and other times I felt every emotion that the author meant me to feel. The book is filled with horror, loss, discovery, adventure, hope, love, everything...and the end makes it all worth it. Very very few books have left me with tears in my eyes and I’ll always be thankful to Nick Cole for that gift.
Three books, one after the other, felt like an epic tale of greatness. Sometimes I felt as dry and emotionless as the characters and other times I felt every emotion that the author meant me to feel. The book is filled with horror, loss, discovery, adventure, hope, love, everything...and the end makes it all worth it. Very very few books have left me with tears in my eyes and I’ll always be thankful to Nick Cole for that gift.
May 4, 2021
This is probably one of my favorite books by Nick Cole. I’ll admit, I thought it started off kind of slow. However, it quickly grabbed my attention. I haven’t cried while listening/reading a book in a long time and I did with this one. Tears of pain and tears of joy. I especially liked the last part of book 3. A lot of the areas mentioned in the book I have or currently live in. I could actually visualize all the places and the post apocalyptic look they would have in the stories. Thank you, Nick, for such an awesome and profound group of stories.
July 13, 2020
I've come to really enjoy Nick Cole and his style of storytelling. A great series about a lost American and the potential future we face if 2020 is any indication of our future. but seriously if you are tired of zombies but like adventure and post-apocalyptic pick this up.
September 20, 2020
Tough read but worth it
A realistic view of what a post apocalyptic world might look like. It would be hard and good moments few and far between. Even victories would carry a terrible cost.
A realistic view of what a post apocalyptic world might look like. It would be hard and good moments few and far between. Even victories would carry a terrible cost.
March 28, 2021
Long but good.
An interesting read that felt very much like a longer form poem. Simple in its construction, yet still able to deliver a complex picture of a blasted world and the broken people in it who just keep going.
An interesting read that felt very much like a longer form poem. Simple in its construction, yet still able to deliver a complex picture of a blasted world and the broken people in it who just keep going.
April 12, 2021
Outstanding
A great series, well thought out, well told stories. Even in the depth of the post-apocalyptic world he has drawn, hope remains.
A great series, well thought out, well told stories. Even in the depth of the post-apocalyptic world he has drawn, hope remains.
March 5, 2024
Fantastic book!! Absolutely loved every minute. Highly recommend
January 12, 2024
Great omnibus edition!
Nick Cole's post-apocalyptic take on Hemingway is ambitious, meta as heck, but also an "answer" to the forays of both Stephen King and Robert McCarron so many years ago. When the Cold War ended, it seemed like we all suffered from collective amnesia about just how horrendous the aftermath of a full nuclear war would be, but not Nick. Furthermore, he sprinkles his work with what might be deliberate references to "Tank Girl" (but way better), and the Horseclans (but also way better), showing his knack for redeeming interesting concepts lacking a sense of something better beyond themselves.
Nick Cole's post-apocalyptic take on Hemingway is ambitious, meta as heck, but also an "answer" to the forays of both Stephen King and Robert McCarron so many years ago. When the Cold War ended, it seemed like we all suffered from collective amnesia about just how horrendous the aftermath of a full nuclear war would be, but not Nick. Furthermore, he sprinkles his work with what might be deliberate references to "Tank Girl" (but way better), and the Horseclans (but also way better), showing his knack for redeeming interesting concepts lacking a sense of something better beyond themselves.
December 21, 2023
A classic post-apocalyptic series that I've read before, but long enough ago to keep it interesting. Loosely based on Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," but much longer and set in what used to be the southwestern US 40 years after a nuclear war has devastated the country. Yes, it's bleak at times and reflects human nature at its worst, but also at its best. It's a story of determination in the face of adversity and sacrifice for others.
The audiobooks are narrated by the author, who does a fantastic job.
The audiobooks are narrated by the author, who does a fantastic job.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews