I’ve enjoyed the movie version of Zelazny’s classic work Damnation Alley, but wasn’t surprised to find that there was very little in common between the two.
Damnation Alley takes place in a post-apocalyptic nuclear war where most of the earth has been destroyed. Only a few pockets of humanity exist in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Boston. The mid-section of the country is a wasteland, occupied by extremely violent tornadoes, huge bats, Gila monsters the size of Greyhound buses and large, radioactive holes in the ground where the enemy missiles struck so long ago. Planes cannot fly since the atmosphere is wrought with fierce winds a few hundred feet above the earth’s surface.
When a messenger arrives in L.A. from Boston that a deadly plague has hit the city, the nation of California sends the only man who can cross the Alley to take the necessary drugs to the northeast. Murderer/rapist Hell Tanner is the man they need. Zelazny must have started the trend of the lowest, most despicable human being as the only one who can save us all and the world. This theme has been over-used and worn out ever since then. It came as no surprise that of the five men who set out from L.A., Tanner is the only one to make it. His rough and brutal manner is what gives him the ability to traverse Damnation Alley and survive its pitfalls and dangers.
The story is a chronicle of Tanner’s adventures from L.A. to Boston but Zelazny’s writing keeps the reader hanging on to each encounter and wandering what will happen next. Zelazny gives plenty of excitement to the readers’ delight. His description of post-nuclear was America is vivid and frightening. But he does not give much detail about the war or when it occurred. Fleeting references only place it years in the past.
Tanner finally reaches his destination barely alive but he saves the day in a scene reminiscent of Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain. As far as Zelazny’s work goes, Ii still much prefer his Princes in Amber series, but for science fiction Damnation Alley is one of the best I’ve read. He weaves a terrifying and excellent story and certainly head-and-shoulders above many of the other post-nuclear war stories out there.
Damnation Alley takes place in a post-apocalyptic nuclear war where most of the earth has been destroyed. Only a few pockets of humanity exist in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Boston. The mid-section of the country is a wasteland, occupied by extremely violent tornadoes, huge bats, Gila monsters the size of Greyhound buses and large, radioactive holes in the ground where the enemy missiles struck so long ago. Planes cannot fly since the atmosphere is wrought with fierce winds a few hundred feet above the earth’s surface.
When a messenger arrives in L.A. from Boston that a deadly plague has hit the city, the nation of California sends the only man who can cross the Alley to take the necessary drugs to the northeast. Murderer/rapist Hell Tanner is the man they need. Zelazny must have started the trend of the lowest, most despicable human being as the only one who can save us all and the world. This theme has been over-used and worn out ever since then. It came as no surprise that of the five men who set out from L.A., Tanner is the only one to make it. His rough and brutal manner is what gives him the ability to traverse Damnation Alley and survive its pitfalls and dangers.
The story is a chronicle of Tanner’s adventures from L.A. to Boston but Zelazny’s writing keeps the reader hanging on to each encounter and wandering what will happen next. Zelazny gives plenty of excitement to the readers’ delight. His description of post-nuclear was America is vivid and frightening. But he does not give much detail about the war or when it occurred. Fleeting references only place it years in the past.
Tanner finally reaches his destination barely alive but he saves the day in a scene reminiscent of Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain. As far as Zelazny’s work goes, Ii still much prefer his Princes in Amber series, but for science fiction Damnation Alley is one of the best I’ve read. He weaves a terrifying and excellent story and certainly head-and-shoulders above many of the other post-nuclear war stories out there.
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