Our Discussion of Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world's last hope.

Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other “shepherds” who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For on their journey, they will discover an America convulsed with terror and violence, where this apocalyptic epidemic proves less dangerous than the fear of it. As the rest of society collapses all around them–and an ultraviolent militia threatens to exterminate them–the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart–or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world. Goodreads.

Below are a sampling of our comments:

• When we chose this title 18 months ago, we didn’t realize we would be experiencing a pandemic…
• It was a little too close to home and the disclaimer rings a bit hollow considering current events
• Listening to the audio book was helpful in plugging along (especially on 2.5 speed!)
• The book had science fiction, although it didn’t really feel like science fiction, and was also sociological
• The twist at the end about Black Swan and the nanotech was definitely science fiction
• White Mask, with its 99% mortality rate, makes Covid look wimpy
• The criticism of the President and the depiction of the power of the white supremacist militias and the religious right, were all very apt
• None of the politicians came off well
• Matthew's assault was unnecessary
• Shana cut no one any breaks, especially her dad, which is true to life
• The rock star was annoying and served no purpose. On the other hand, the character was comic relief and had one of the few redemptive arcs
• Brian the Elder translated the binary code (!) chapter heading to read, “Maybe we deserve it”
• Many things were never explained such as how the nanotech was transmitted to other people as the flock walked nearby and how it allowed the walkers to climb over trucks
• By making Black Swan’s motivation climate change at the end, the author added yet another trope

Please add any additional thoughts or comments you have about Wanderers. We gave this title the codes NFW, PAN, DOM, CUL, POL, REL, HIT & UTP with an average rating of 4.3.