You don't see a lot of epic stories like Chuck Wendig's Wanderers/Wayward books anymore. Sure, there are plenty of series books out there, but they generally come in bite-sized volumes.
Wayward is the sequel to Wendig's monumental science fiction/horror/adventure novel, Wanderers. It's an apocalyptic tale of a group of catatonic walkers who wander toward a common destination. Society crumbles along the way, as Wendig casts a potent tale of the dangers of technology run amuck and social upheaval.
The plots are ingenious, the characters are rich, and the saga marches forward in a tremendously exciting way. Chuck Wendig has been at the game a long time now, and his hand at plotting has never been surer.
When I reviewed Wanderers back in 2019, I mentioned that Wendig gets pretty heavy-handed with his political convictions. He does so more, a lot more, in Wayward. He obviously feels strongly about social issues, and that's good, but Wayward becomes more than a little pedantic. The book is almost an all-out polemic. The villains are grotesque caricatures, with no redeeming values whatsoever. Heavy, heavy handed melodramatics here. It's not like I even disagree with his stances, but it's gets so ham-fisted at times. To give an example of how unsubtle Wayward is, there's a character named White Jesus.
I think of a writer like Don Winslow. Winslow is an outspoken Trump-hating Liberal, but he forces his readers to see the humanity in his antagonists. Unlike Wendig, he doesn't dismiss dozens of characters as Nazis. Don Winslow is one of America's greatest popular writers, and one of his biggest strengths is how he makes us understand unlikable characters. Build bridges, not walls.
The obvious comparisons to Wanderers and Wayward are The Stand and Swan Song. I can't quite put Wendig's books in the same category. I found the pacing of Wayward lagged here and there, and when I was around one hundred and fifty pages from the conclusion, I found myself wishing I was done with it.
Plus, I loved Stu and Frannie, Glen and Larry, Tom Cullen and Mother Abigale, from The Stand. My heart ached for Swan, for Sister, for Josh, from Swan Song. I liked but can't say I loved any Wanderers or Wayward characters. One in particular, an aged rock star, gets really annoying at times.
I don't wish to dissuade anyone from reading these books. Despite my minor misgivings, I greatly enjoyed them both, and I believe most people will as well. This is grand entertainment, and Wendig gives readers philosophical thoughts about the nature of life and intelligence, what it means to be human, what we believe in and give our lives for, and the maddening challenges of family and friendship.
Will there be another sequel? It's possible. There are still stories to tell, I think, about the people in these vast and important books. If Wendig writes one, I will be in line to read it.
I'm well aware of how schizophrenic this review is, but it's exactly how these books made me feel. Half in awe, half frustrated as hell.
Written by Mark Sieber
Wayward is the sequel to Wendig's monumental science fiction/horror/adventure novel, Wanderers. It's an apocalyptic tale of a group of catatonic walkers who wander toward a common destination. Society crumbles along the way, as Wendig casts a potent tale of the dangers of technology run amuck and social upheaval.
The plots are ingenious, the characters are rich, and the saga marches forward in a tremendously exciting way. Chuck Wendig has been at the game a long time now, and his hand at plotting has never been surer.
When I reviewed Wanderers back in 2019, I mentioned that Wendig gets pretty heavy-handed with his political convictions. He does so more, a lot more, in Wayward. He obviously feels strongly about social issues, and that's good, but Wayward becomes more than a little pedantic. The book is almost an all-out polemic. The villains are grotesque caricatures, with no redeeming values whatsoever. Heavy, heavy handed melodramatics here. It's not like I even disagree with his stances, but it's gets so ham-fisted at times. To give an example of how unsubtle Wayward is, there's a character named White Jesus.
I think of a writer like Don Winslow. Winslow is an outspoken Trump-hating Liberal, but he forces his readers to see the humanity in his antagonists. Unlike Wendig, he doesn't dismiss dozens of characters as Nazis. Don Winslow is one of America's greatest popular writers, and one of his biggest strengths is how he makes us understand unlikable characters. Build bridges, not walls.
The obvious comparisons to Wanderers and Wayward are The Stand and Swan Song. I can't quite put Wendig's books in the same category. I found the pacing of Wayward lagged here and there, and when I was around one hundred and fifty pages from the conclusion, I found myself wishing I was done with it.
Plus, I loved Stu and Frannie, Glen and Larry, Tom Cullen and Mother Abigale, from The Stand. My heart ached for Swan, for Sister, for Josh, from Swan Song. I liked but can't say I loved any Wanderers or Wayward characters. One in particular, an aged rock star, gets really annoying at times.
I don't wish to dissuade anyone from reading these books. Despite my minor misgivings, I greatly enjoyed them both, and I believe most people will as well. This is grand entertainment, and Wendig gives readers philosophical thoughts about the nature of life and intelligence, what it means to be human, what we believe in and give our lives for, and the maddening challenges of family and friendship.
Will there be another sequel? It's possible. There are still stories to tell, I think, about the people in these vast and important books. If Wendig writes one, I will be in line to read it.
I'm well aware of how schizophrenic this review is, but it's exactly how these books made me feel. Half in awe, half frustrated as hell.
Written by Mark Sieber
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