The Postman is a perfect example of a great storyline with a great build-up that is then totally ruined by a deus ex machina resolution. It's as if the author were given a page count limit and then realized that he was about two dozen pages from that limit and said, "Uh-oh, I'd better wrap this up." This ranks right up there with Stephen King's The Stand for a horrible, abrupt ending that had little to do with the build-up and character development of the first 95 percent of the book.If Brin wou...

Good post-apocalyptic SF.David Brin’s 1985 novel, really a put together of two novellas, has won numerous accolades and gushing praise, including the 1986 Locus Award. And for good reason, Brin is a good writer and backs up his prose with real science.More than just a Road Warrior after civilization story, Brin explores themes of the frailty of civil society, but also the perseverance of that same community and the importance of belief in tradition and national identity.A survivor dons an old po...

I have read this a few times over the years, but it has been a decade or so since the last time. While aging not exactly like fine wine, TP still packs an emotional punch. First published in 1985, (the first two sections were published earlier in the 80s as short stories), Brin takes us to a post-apocalyptic Oregon following the trials and travails of George, our main protagonist. George's past and the events that lead to the apocalypse are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. George, now in th...

Hello, Mr. Postman! *snickers* Yes, I'll admit it, I've seen the movie with Kevin Costner and I liked it. In fact, I’m gonna re-watch it tonight. As with many movies from my childhood/teenage years, I didn't know there was a book. As soon as I did, it became clear that it might be a good idea to read it. We are in a post-apocalyptic world. The worst shit hit the fan about 16 years ago only. Thus, there are definitely some people left who remember the "before". But it was already bad before that

The Postman is often in lists of Post Apocalyptic fiction must reads. I was aware that this had been made into a film in the 90s, in fact I worked in a cinema at the time. I don't remember watching the film so I thought that as this was a PA must read I would pick this up.Boring. If I could sum this book up in 1 word. Boring. Dull characters, very little action and full of droning repetition. I'm lucky because I very rarely get bored- why would I be? There is always a book to read. The only reas...

This is a re-read but here's a funny thing: I feel exactly the same about it now as I did when I read it over 30 years ago.Optimism and idealism spitting in the face of opportunism and cynicism.I mean, even when you're reading this and the MC IS opportunistic and cynical, the fact that he takes on a ROLE, a MYTH, is enough to spark a light in everyone's imaginations. Fake it till you make it.And eventually, all the things he might have been lying about become true.And after all this, even in tod...

With the popularity of post-apocalyptic novels today, one almost thinks David Brin published this one too soon. Republish it today and maybe add some zombies and an EMP... okay just kidding. But Brin has always been a thinking fan's SF author, with big and intelligent ideas even in his space operas.The Postman does not feature zombies, killer plagues, or EMPs. The "Doom War" that ended civilization was set off by the rise of fanatics in the East and the West, leaving the U.S. (and all other coun...

The movie moved me, the novel is cautionary and healing meI'm not a big sucker to Sci-Fi, and I have a penchant for Soft-Sci(Rollins, Lincoln Preston and some Crichton, etc), so few books can move meTechnically, it's a Sci-Fi, but I don't take it for a Sci-Fi. Did anyone read McCarthy's The Road as a Sci-Fi or Fantasy stuff?

I'm sure it was a very well written book, but it just wasn't for me.

I never saw the movie and I took a good long time to get around to the book, but I really like this one. It's a cautionary, yet reassuring, story. A good fit for the apocalyptic feel of our current world situation. Having grown up in western Oregon and visited most of the cities mentioned in the book, there was an added a extra sense of reality for me. Something missing from the many 'set in LA/NYC' disaster stories out there.

(3.5 stars.) Most post-apocalyptic stories can ultimately be traced back to a deep nostalgia for the pre-modern, a sort of postmodern self-conscious Romanticism projected onto the future -- inevitably, the (crucially, now much smaller) post-apocalypse populace reverts back to something like feudalism, or occasionally tribalism (or, often enough, exaggerated evil tribalism), paired with a reversion to pre-modern technology which includes the wisdom of knowing that modernity was, in some sense, a

I stayed away from this book for a long time, mostly due to some cheesy scenes from the Kevin Costner movie I've caught between switching channels on my TV.I'm glad I've finally got around to give it a try. It starts as a rather bland post-apocalyptic adventure, but gradually the author weaves in the real theme - the role of myths (or Big Lies as they are called in the text) in shaping society. The Postman, the supercomputer and Denna are all riffs on the theme of the Messiah in the guise of Dut...

6.0 stars. This book is the newest addition to my list of ALL TIME FAVORITE novels. Simply put, I loved this story and characters with whom David Brin has populated it. The story is a post-apocalyptic novel set in a future United States in which society has collapsed. However, within this setting the book is really about civilization and the symbols that people rally behind in difficult situations in order to accomplish larger goals beyond their own interests.The main character is Gordon Krantz,...

Of course, I thought I'd be different and actually enjoy this book since I really enjoyed the movie. But, no. What a train wreck! The first half was great; I'd give it 4.5 stars. A post-apocalyptic wandering bard finds a postman's outfit and begins delivering the mail, hope, and unity to the scattered masses. Lovely. It could have cleanly ended there and all would have been well.The second half of the book is, at best, 1.5 stars. It's as if someone else wrote it, and it barely resembles the firs...

Funny to think we have passed the future timeline in this book, published thirty-three years ago, and we are still here. Its it just luck so far, that has kept us from living in the apocalyptic future that this story takes place in? It is scarier and scarier to think that we could be her any time soon. The Doomwar and the Holnist mentality seem pretty close some days.Oh a happier note, I would like to think that people like Gordon Krantz will exist in that future time. People who care and people...

One of my all time favorite books, no question. I don't give out many 5 star ratings. Here I give it enthusiastically. I stumbled on this book some years ago and frankly was surprised at how much I liked it. There are a lot of post apocalyptic books out there. They run the proverbial gamut from excellent to unreadable. This is actually not only a good one, but one of the best.No spoilers, but we pick up some years after "the collapse" when the infrastructure of the country has ceased to exist. O...

Christmas 2010: I realised that I had got stuck in a rut. I was re-reading old favourites again and again, waiting for a few trusted authors to release new works. Something had to be done.On the spur of the moment I set myself a challenge, to read every book to have won the Locus Sci-Fi award. That’s 35 books, 6 of which I’d previously read, leaving 29 titles by 14 authors who were new to me.While working through this reading list I got married, went on my honeymoon, switched career and beca

I wish I could give this book 2.5 stars.First let me say I have to go against the overwhelming tide of opinion that holds this novel to be an excellent work. Not that it's terrible, but it wasn't what I expected - or wanted.The first half of the novel isn't bad as we accompany the protagonist and his effort to survive in post-apocalyptic America. The character isn't heroic. Instead he's a survivor. And then we get started with the postman charade. At first it has potential - the reestablishing o...

A great book with an unsatisfactory ending.Must write a more comprehensive review at some point.

“The heart of my story… about a flawed and fretful hero who feels guilt over telling a beautiful lie, in order to survive.”That is David Brin’s very nice summary of The Postman his best novel (IMO). This is from an article celebrating the 20th anniversary of the movie adaptation.In my experience people who pretend to be postmen are usually up to no good, they are more apt to enter your homes under false pretenses and rob you blind than attempt to unite the post apocalyptic Disunited States of