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. ( )

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

Russia and others have blown the crap out of the USA, nuclear style.

Now an isolated, broken down country, the United Nations enforces this situation, and Robinson looks at what it is like to live inside this boundary.

The main character is a young man finding his way.
There are some funny parts, such as the yarns their elders spin them at times about 'the old days', and the author has fun with that part.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/01/wild-shore-kim-stanley-robinson.html ( )

Russia and others have blown the crap out of the USA, nuclear style.

Now an isolated, broken down country, the United Nations enforces this situation, and Robinson looks at what it is like to live inside this boundary.

The main character is a young man finding his way.
There are some funny parts, such as the yarns their elders spin them at times about 'the old days', and the author has fun with that part.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/01/wild-shore-kim-stanley-robinson.html ( )

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3R72T8J... ( )