Bookless

If anybody has been keeping track, over the last few weeks, I've been reading a book called The Passage, by Justin Cronin. Tonight I finished it up and I sit before you bookless as bookless can be.

The Passage is a sci-fi-esque, post-apocalyptic page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire story. As a whole, it feels a lot like Stephen King's The Stand, but upon closer examination the story exhibits it's own distinct personality. It's not just another vampire book, even though the primary foe(s) is likened to a vampire. Cronin's writing style is straight forward, eliciting vivid imagery without excessive wording. After my Terry Goodkind marathon, JC's flavor of prose hit the spot. Apparently The Passage is part of a trilogy to come. I cant wait for the next book.

On a related side-note, I would like to take a moment to point out that this genre is probably my favorite. There's something about the prospect of a cataclysmic, sudden end (or near end) of civilization that has always captivated me. I keep mentioning The Stand because it was the first book of this type I ever read. It most surely stands near the top of my list of favorite reads. Prior to reading The Passage, the last book I sampled from this subject vein was called The World Without Us. I actually came away disappointed because it wasn't what I was expecting. Initially I thought it would be a story, but it was not. The author ends up presenting a perspective on what would happen to the planet if mankind simply vanished. It was an interesting book, but it ended up a tad preachy. Don't get me wrong, I love hugging trees as much as the next guy, but I was expecting a plague, or zombies, or something as a pretense for the book.

Anyway, what I cant decide is why I like stories where civilization is wiped out. My good friend Joe has labeled me a misanthropist on more than one occasion, which I think could be indicative of something. Maybe, despite all our progress, deep down I think people will inevitably find such an end. The idea that something so small, like a virus, could unwind the rich tapestry of humanity in the historical blink of an eye fascinates me. Maybe that's morbid, but whatever.

As a secondary side note, I've been considering writing a short story. Don't ask me what about, because I don't know. I've never been a strong fiction writer, but maybe that's because I don't try enough. Stick around, maybe I'll write something that isn't just aimless opinions. Maybe.

-Colin