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Without Warning is an alternate history novel written by the Australian author John Birmingham.[1] It was released in Australia in September 2008 and in the United States and the United Kingdom in February 2009.[2] It is the first book in a new stand-alone universe. The novels After America and Angels of Vengeance continue the story.[3]
 | |
| Author | John Birmingham |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Disappearance Series |
| Genre | Alternate history, Techno-thriller novel |
| Publisher | Pan MacMillan |
Publication date | September 2008 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-0-345-50289-6 |
| Followed by | After America |
Plot
editOn the eve of the Iraq War, March 14, 2003, the majority of the population of the contiguous United States (along with the bulk of the populations of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba) disappears as the result of a large energy field that later comes to be known as "The Wave". Without Warning deals with the international consequences of the disappearance of the world's last superpower on the eve of war.
Development
editBirmingham said he was inspired to write the novel after hearing someone during a student demonstration at the University of Queensland say the world would be a better place if the United States disappeared.[2]
References to other works
editWithout Warning contains a large number of references to popular culture. Birmingham, the author, said that he did this as a nod to American novelist Stephen King:
When I was a kid and started reading big, fat books, the thing that struck me about his novels, so different to the dull, dull things they made us read at school, was they were full of real world references.[2]
Reception
editLiterary significance
editJim Hopper of the San Diego Union-Tribune said Without Warning is an example of "'mainstream' genres (thrillers particularly) [that] incorporate some SFnal elements pretty often as greater or lesser plot element."[4]
References
edit- ^ "Fantastic Fiction.com: Without Warning by John Birmingham". www.fantasticfiction.com.
- ^ a b c Blundell, Graeme (2008-10-18). "On lowbrow street". The Australian. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ^ "MCC-Longview 2008 Literary Festival". Metropolitan Community College. 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^ Moench, David (22 April 2009). "The Future of Newspapers and Book Coverage: A Book Reviewer Roundtable". Unbound Worlds. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
External links
edit- Without Warning title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Review in The Independent Weekly
- Without Warning review on SF Site
- Without Warning on Google Books
- Without Warning review on the American Spectator
 | This article about a 2000s science fiction novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |
 | This article about an alternate history novel of the 2000s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |