by David Brin
First published 1985
Gordon Krantz wanders the ruins of America after war destroyed the nation. He survives by performing Shakespeare for scattered settlements, trading stories for meals and a place to sleep. When he discovers the skeleton of a postal worker in an abandoned truck, Gordon takes the man's jacket and mail bag. What starts as protection from the cold becomes something larger when suspicious villagers spot his uniform. Gordon spins a lie about a restored United States government and a rebuilt postal service connecting distant communities. The deception spreads from town to town as people desperately want to believe recovery is possible. Gordon finds himself trapped between his growing lie and the hope it kindles in survivors. His invented postal service begins to take on a life of its own as communities start writing letters and expecting mail delivery. The pretense forces Gordon to choose between abandoning his comfortable deception or accepting the responsibility of making his fabricated restoration real.
Genres: dystopia, adventure, post-apocalyptic, alternate-history
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: America
Period: 20th-century
321 pages · Paperback · Orbit