Warren Norwood (1945–2005)

Shudderchild by Warren C. Norwood 1987

So I recently found this book while adding a box of old paperbacks to my LibraryThing account. I have read it before but it could have been 20 years ago. Long enough that though the story seemed familiar I had no idea what was going to happen next. Since I have read this book last I have read many other books that fall into that TEOTWAWKI category and must say it was refreshing to read a story of some people in the US after a great destruction, something show more having to do with plate tectonics and earthquakes, that weren’t eating each other. This is not to say life was easy or everyone got along but cannibalism seems to be the norm in this genre. Another thing that struck me and frankly it may be my mindset was the quest for power by several people most notably the priest. I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.

Lastly I liked Norwood’s use old infrastructure and equipment. It makes sense to me that people would use gas, trucks, roads, and airplanes as long as they would make things easier for them, perhaps with less and less frequency but still as long as they could cobble things together. show less

I was so overwhelmed by the oddball plot that I was unable to describe it to anyone. Here's how one conversation went:

"So in order to save the planet, they have to travel to the underworld and play...basketball of all things...against the Lords of the Underworld. And the bad guys cheat a lot."

Then my friend said, "That sounds a lot like the plot of Space Jam. You know, the movie with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan."

Unfortunately, he's right--this incredibly zany/offbeat plot can be described show more as "basically Space Jam." show less