James Van Pelt

This short dystopian novel anticipated the Covid pandemic by fourteen years. It’s a thoughtful story, told throughout via shifts between the time of a pandemic and the remnant of society sixty years later. I appreciated it being set in an area I know very well. It also conveys a strong moral about our environment and connection to it, without turning to polemic.

Very competent fall-of-the-civilization novel. It's structured into two parallel stories told in alternating chapters, one during the fall of human civilization due to a devastating epidemic, and another sixty years later, when stories about the civilization seem myths. The main character is the same in both threads: in the first as a teenager and in the second as an old man. Well-written, but I found it a bit depressing and joyless. I still enjoyed it, but I was just not in the right mood show more for it. It's not the novel's fault, to be fair. show less

What will happen when civilization falls? If you're lucky, you'll survive. Or would you be lucky? Looting and disease, poisons in the air and water, from all the containment broken and leaking.

This book made me miss my mom and dad. When the past is gone, it's only alive in your memories. When you're gone . . .

...Van Pelt may still be more comfortable with shorter lengths but Pandora's Gun clearly shows that he can handle a full novel as well. It is one of those books that grab you from the beginning and that can be read in a single session. The author carefully balances characterisation and plot to create a story that is a satisfying read on several levels. Van Pelt wraps up the main story nicely but does leave a few questions unanswered. Should he be inclined to write one, a sequel is possible show more although not necessary. Once again Van Pelt has shown that I leave his books on the to read stack for way too long. Pandora's Gun is a very good read. Maybe it will even remind me to pick up one of those unread collections some time soon

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