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A Tidy Armageddon
“Samuel Beckett meets Stephen King in an absurd and eerie coming-of-end tale that should serve as some sort of warning.”— Peter Darbyshire, author of Has the World Ended Yet?
“This book is the furthest apocalypse from Mad Max that you can get. Instead, it’s a transfixing and brilliant attack on consumerism and, in a way, humanity’s inability to look before we leap…” — Post Apocalyptic Media
The world is transformed into what looks like a massive warehouse overnight, and the result is a suspenseful and action-rich tale as humanity is forced to face the scale of its consumption
A provocative eco-novel featuring an apocalypse like no other, A Tidy Armageddon describes the current world transformed. Civilization has been dismantled by an unknown hand and reassembled into a vast maze of blocks, each comprised of a single item, packed Tetris-style and stacked nine storeys tall: watering cans, electrical transformers, fake Christmas trees, helicopters, plastic spoons, and everything else human culture has ever produced.
In rich, descriptive prose shattered by moments of suspense and action, the novel chronicles the journey of a diverse group of soldiers led by Elsie Sharpcot, a Cree sergeant and Afghanistan vet, who must reconcile a desperate hunt for her daughter with the responsibility to safeguard the recruits under her command. Passing with fear and wonder through this mausoleum of human excess, provisioning themselves from its treasures while searching for those they love, this band of misfits amalgamates into their own dysfunctional family as they race to outrun the approaching winter.
“This book is the furthest apocalypse from Mad Max that you can get. Instead, it’s a transfixing and brilliant attack on consumerism and, in a way, humanity’s inability to look before we leap…” — Post Apocalyptic Media
The world is transformed into what looks like a massive warehouse overnight, and the result is a suspenseful and action-rich tale as humanity is forced to face the scale of its consumption
A provocative eco-novel featuring an apocalypse like no other, A Tidy Armageddon describes the current world transformed. Civilization has been dismantled by an unknown hand and reassembled into a vast maze of blocks, each comprised of a single item, packed Tetris-style and stacked nine storeys tall: watering cans, electrical transformers, fake Christmas trees, helicopters, plastic spoons, and everything else human culture has ever produced.
In rich, descriptive prose shattered by moments of suspense and action, the novel chronicles the journey of a diverse group of soldiers led by Elsie Sharpcot, a Cree sergeant and Afghanistan vet, who must reconcile a desperate hunt for her daughter with the responsibility to safeguard the recruits under her command. Passing with fear and wonder through this mausoleum of human excess, provisioning themselves from its treasures while searching for those they love, this band of misfits amalgamates into their own dysfunctional family as they race to outrun the approaching winter.
404 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 12, 2023
A group of Canadian soldiers are ordered into a bunker. When they emerge a few weeks later into a giant maze, it’s walls are made of stuff eg plastic spoons all gathered together, blocks of machinery, cans of soup, and later they come across helicopters, skyscrapers, telephones, alarm clocks etc etc. Communications no longer work and when they arrive at what should be their headquarters, it’s no longer there. They march through the maze to where a city should be, it’s also not there. It appears that all the human made stuff of the world has been transferred to these walls, the soldiers name whatever has done this the ‘accruers’.
I found this to be an original and fascinating that does get a bit repetitive (each new wall of stuff there’s a list of brands, types etc). Who or what did this? What happened to all the humans? Are there other survivors? These questions . So it’s interesting and also slightly frustrating post apocalyptic fiction.
I found this to be an original and fascinating that does get a bit repetitive (each new wall of stuff there’s a list of brands, types etc). Who or what did this? What happened to all the humans? Are there other survivors? These questions . So it’s interesting and also slightly frustrating post apocalyptic fiction.
February 6, 2023
after earth has been ultimately destroyed, a group of diverse misfit soldiers band together to search for useful objects as well as meaning within the desolate landscape. elsie sharpcot is a cree woman who has dealt with extreme anti-indigenous rhetoric put forth by the united states military. now that everything is gone, she leads a small group of flawed, odd soldiers across what is left of earth.
this is primarily a story of travel and contemplation. the characters are well written and funny, yet terribly flawed as well. the dialogue flows naturally and each character has a distinct personality. they are traumatized people, diverse in ethnic and racial origin, and they are accessible. bh panhuyzen writes of the remnants of earth in vivid detail, bringing beauty to destruction.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
this is primarily a story of travel and contemplation. the characters are well written and funny, yet terribly flawed as well. the dialogue flows naturally and each character has a distinct personality. they are traumatized people, diverse in ethnic and racial origin, and they are accessible. bh panhuyzen writes of the remnants of earth in vivid detail, bringing beauty to destruction.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
March 5, 2023
I loved loved loved this story, but the ending left me desperate for answers!!!
The detail of the scenes (especially walking through the blocks of items), the characters, and the plot were fantastic and captivating.
Once you start reading, it’s definitely hard to stop. Nothing terribly horrifying or gory happens, but I was still frightened by the absolute power and bizarreness of the events that had occurred while Section 3 was in the bunker.
I was able to commiserate with the team as had the flu while reading and was so sick of canned soup!! Give me fresh and homemade food any day over another can of anything!!
Really hoping there is a Followup or Prequel novel or even novella as I’d love to read what happens to Sarge & the rest once they reach their destination. Or see the “Event” from the perspective of someone who was there during it; maybe Lana?
Oh, the other thing I enjoyed was the use of cities/places I know (being an Edmonton gal) used in a apocalyptic setting!! So cool!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and ECW press for a copy!
The detail of the scenes (especially walking through the blocks of items), the characters, and the plot were fantastic and captivating.
Once you start reading, it’s definitely hard to stop. Nothing terribly horrifying or gory happens, but I was still frightened by the absolute power and bizarreness of the events that had occurred while Section 3 was in the bunker.
I was able to commiserate with the team as had the flu while reading and was so sick of canned soup!! Give me fresh and homemade food any day over another can of anything!!
Really hoping there is a Followup or Prequel novel or even novella as I’d love to read what happens to Sarge & the rest once they reach their destination. Or see the “Event” from the perspective of someone who was there during it; maybe Lana?
Oh, the other thing I enjoyed was the use of cities/places I know (being an Edmonton gal) used in a apocalyptic setting!! So cool!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and ECW press for a copy!
May 31, 2023
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
This book is the furthest apocalypse from Mad Max that you can get. It’s a transfixing and brilliant attack on consumerism and, in a way, humanity’s inability to not look before we leap. A great deal of our progress, this book suggests, is also our downfall, much like the words of Jurassic Park's Ian Malcolm, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”
It’s hard to describe what this book actually is without ruining the magic of jumping in blind. Without saying too much, the soldiers in the story are attempting to find their way through these seemingly never-ending stacks upon stacks of ... stuff. It's fascinating in that the reader and the characters have no idea what's going on or why these things have been accumulated. It’s hard to tell whether the novel is meant to be literal or some sort of collective dream or simulation - which is part of the fun. What it definitely is, though, is a critique of humanity’s penchant for making so much stuff. It has a real environmental focus in a way that isn’t subtle but also isn’t didactic or placing blame. I thought it was well-balanced (but it could also be because I’m definitely on board with anything that critiques wastefulness).
It’s a bit slow (which I personally don't mind, though other readers might find it drags a little), and while there is an ending, or, more so, an explanation, I can understand if people don’t find said ending entirely satisfactory. I love an ending that makes you ponder, so it worked very well for me. I also like a ponderous novel, and I had trouble putting this book down at night.
This novel definitely has a found family aspect. In this case, it’s the soldiers: Sharpcot, Wakely, LeClerc, Virago, Tse, Deeks, Loko, and Bronski. They are a diverse bunch, with a lot of women for a military unit, but the very fact of their unit’s makeup is explained at one point in a way that is pointing out the racism and sexism that still exists in the military. I really enjoyed the gender parity of the group, as it allowed the women to be more open and vulnerable, which in turn led the men to do so. While all the characters are soldiers, only three of them are seasoned, with the rest being privates barely out of basic training. Deeks was my favourite, as she was always making sarcastic jabs and quips. I couldn’t stand Bronski, but despite his rather abrasive personality (he's the kind fo guy who would put those fake balls on his truck) he also wasn’t vilified. He, like the others, felt real. It’s third-person slightly omniscient, as it jumps around at times into other characters’ heads, but stays mainly with Sharpcot and Wakely.
The plot is both quite straightforward and decidedly not. It’s a survival story, but not the type you usually encounter in an apocalypse.
If you want an almost literary fiction apocalypse novel that contains quite a few tropes but in ways you don’t expect, you should totally check this out. I thought it was fantastic.
This book is the furthest apocalypse from Mad Max that you can get. It’s a transfixing and brilliant attack on consumerism and, in a way, humanity’s inability to not look before we leap. A great deal of our progress, this book suggests, is also our downfall, much like the words of Jurassic Park's Ian Malcolm, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”
It’s hard to describe what this book actually is without ruining the magic of jumping in blind. Without saying too much, the soldiers in the story are attempting to find their way through these seemingly never-ending stacks upon stacks of ... stuff. It's fascinating in that the reader and the characters have no idea what's going on or why these things have been accumulated. It’s hard to tell whether the novel is meant to be literal or some sort of collective dream or simulation - which is part of the fun. What it definitely is, though, is a critique of humanity’s penchant for making so much stuff. It has a real environmental focus in a way that isn’t subtle but also isn’t didactic or placing blame. I thought it was well-balanced (but it could also be because I’m definitely on board with anything that critiques wastefulness).
It’s a bit slow (which I personally don't mind, though other readers might find it drags a little), and while there is an ending, or, more so, an explanation, I can understand if people don’t find said ending entirely satisfactory. I love an ending that makes you ponder, so it worked very well for me. I also like a ponderous novel, and I had trouble putting this book down at night.
This novel definitely has a found family aspect. In this case, it’s the soldiers: Sharpcot, Wakely, LeClerc, Virago, Tse, Deeks, Loko, and Bronski. They are a diverse bunch, with a lot of women for a military unit, but the very fact of their unit’s makeup is explained at one point in a way that is pointing out the racism and sexism that still exists in the military. I really enjoyed the gender parity of the group, as it allowed the women to be more open and vulnerable, which in turn led the men to do so. While all the characters are soldiers, only three of them are seasoned, with the rest being privates barely out of basic training. Deeks was my favourite, as she was always making sarcastic jabs and quips. I couldn’t stand Bronski, but despite his rather abrasive personality (he's the kind fo guy who would put those fake balls on his truck) he also wasn’t vilified. He, like the others, felt real. It’s third-person slightly omniscient, as it jumps around at times into other characters’ heads, but stays mainly with Sharpcot and Wakely.
The plot is both quite straightforward and decidedly not. It’s a survival story, but not the type you usually encounter in an apocalypse.
If you want an almost literary fiction apocalypse novel that contains quite a few tropes but in ways you don’t expect, you should totally check this out. I thought it was fantastic.
March 5, 2023
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The book follows the story of a squad of Canadian soldiers who, after ~3 weeks, leave a bunker they have been sent to for reasons that remain unclear only to find a very different world outside. Someone has taken all the products manufactured by humankind, brought them together, and put together in hyperorganised piles by product. The story follows the squad as they grapple with the new reality, re-establish relationships within the group, and seek purpose.
Despite a promising premise, this book ended up being painfully boring, above anything else. It felt like 50%+ of the text (at least in the first three quarters) was painstakingly detailed descriptions of consumer products, their brands (long long lists...), and their use cases. The only way to read the book, for me, was to skip over these tedious sections. I still don't understand their purpose other than to make a political point (which I personally agree with), but, after reading 2-page long description of the 10th consumer good, one begins to wonder what this all is for.
The characters in the story are also somehow bland and boring. I just couldn't get myself to care enough about any of them. They felt like badly drawn caricatures of soldiers, with a few contemporary issues sprinkled throughout (bi-sexual orientation, racism, sexism, etc). It felt more like a sketch of what protagonists should look like, vs a fully blown portrait.
The last fifth of the book started being more interesting (I'll spare the spoliers), but it felt like it was too little too late, and didn't change the overall impression of the book.
Overall, I can't really recommend it. I'm left with the impression this could have been a very good and successful novella, that got blown out of proportion by bad editing and even worse discipline by the author. What emerges feels far too shallow to be genuinely engaging, and the important ecological message gets lost in the tedium of facts and figures.
The book follows the story of a squad of Canadian soldiers who, after ~3 weeks, leave a bunker they have been sent to for reasons that remain unclear only to find a very different world outside. Someone has taken all the products manufactured by humankind, brought them together, and put together in hyperorganised piles by product. The story follows the squad as they grapple with the new reality, re-establish relationships within the group, and seek purpose.
Despite a promising premise, this book ended up being painfully boring, above anything else. It felt like 50%+ of the text (at least in the first three quarters) was painstakingly detailed descriptions of consumer products, their brands (long long lists...), and their use cases. The only way to read the book, for me, was to skip over these tedious sections. I still don't understand their purpose other than to make a political point (which I personally agree with), but, after reading 2-page long description of the 10th consumer good, one begins to wonder what this all is for.
The characters in the story are also somehow bland and boring. I just couldn't get myself to care enough about any of them. They felt like badly drawn caricatures of soldiers, with a few contemporary issues sprinkled throughout (bi-sexual orientation, racism, sexism, etc). It felt more like a sketch of what protagonists should look like, vs a fully blown portrait.
The last fifth of the book started being more interesting (I'll spare the spoliers), but it felt like it was too little too late, and didn't change the overall impression of the book.
Overall, I can't really recommend it. I'm left with the impression this could have been a very good and successful novella, that got blown out of proportion by bad editing and even worse discipline by the author. What emerges feels far too shallow to be genuinely engaging, and the important ecological message gets lost in the tedium of facts and figures.
Shelved as 'not-for-me'
December 19, 2023This was an interesting concept, but I couldn't stay engaged. I think this was more a me issue, so no rating.
February 27, 2023
The first, I want to say, about 150 pages were great, engaging and sometimes really quite anxiogenic (the idea of walking between stories high towers of just stuff organized in categories and holding together in an unknowable way just feels so claustrophobic even for someone who doesn’t struggle with claustrophobia). But after that, I felt that the story started to drag and I struggled to keep my attention on it. The reoccurring descriptions of the piles was probably mean to instill a sense of how oppressive the landscape had become but for me it became a type of filler.
At one point one of the characters thinks of their child's interaction with a social worker and the social worker says to the effect that the puzzle piece has been accepted as the symbol for autism. It hasn't been accepted as such by the autistic community, it's something that is being pushed by Autism Speaks a eugenicist organization that is known for speaking over actually autistic people and to further stigmatize autism. I am well aware that the character might think something while the author knows differently but it made me uncomfortable to see it without the caveat since the autistic community already struggles so much to have its voice heard. The autistic community's chosen symbol is the infinity symbol (sometimes in gold and sometimes in rainbow), in case anyone cares.
I received a free eARC of this book from ECW Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My original review has been edited because I realized that I had unintentionnally misrepresented the nature of the scene (also see the comments below my review for clarification of the situation by the author).
At one point one of the characters thinks of their child's interaction with a social worker and the social worker says to the effect that the puzzle piece has been accepted as the symbol for autism. It hasn't been accepted as such by the autistic community, it's something that is being pushed by Autism Speaks a eugenicist organization that is known for speaking over actually autistic people and to further stigmatize autism. I am well aware that the character might think something while the author knows differently but it made me uncomfortable to see it without the caveat since the autistic community already struggles so much to have its voice heard. The autistic community's chosen symbol is the infinity symbol (sometimes in gold and sometimes in rainbow), in case anyone cares.
I received a free eARC of this book from ECW Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My original review has been edited because I realized that I had unintentionnally misrepresented the nature of the scene (also see the comments below my review for clarification of the situation by the author).
July 17, 2023
This was tough. I personally read a lot of rambling work that has not a ton of plot progression and much more focus on characters and feelings. So I’m not immediately adverse to that. However, I think one of the major reasons people read scifi/dystopian work is for plot? Yes? This had no real progression until maybe the last 1/5 of the book. And on top of that, I could not really distinguish character voice ever unless there was a stereotypical quip about race or sexuality thrown in. I did at one point stop reading to go check out the author’s blog because I was feeling a bit uncomfortable with some of the comments on sexuality and race, and I think I determined that they are not the author’s own thoughts convincingly enough that I felt comfortable going back into the book. Though I wish there was at least one character with a less “boomer” approach toward these politics. Especially gender/sexuality/religion. The racist issues mostly felt like they were there to serve a point, but I’m not sure the same care was taken to make that apparent with other politics.
Ultimately, as others have mentioned, at least 3/4 of this book is wildly repetitive descriptions of consumerism. I agree whole heartedly with the thought behind this book. The execution was just lacking for me. I really believe that more voice and character distinction would have made this so much more bearable.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW for the reviewer copy
Ultimately, as others have mentioned, at least 3/4 of this book is wildly repetitive descriptions of consumerism. I agree whole heartedly with the thought behind this book. The execution was just lacking for me. I really believe that more voice and character distinction would have made this so much more bearable.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW for the reviewer copy
July 1, 2023
Is very hard for me to review this book without spoiling it to everyone who read this. For me was difficult get this book, because I don’t know if is something that was happening, is a simulation, is a fantasy, is collective histeria, dreaming or who knows what. Because literary none the characters or the reader know what is going on in this book. I adore the fact that I felt it is a critique to the humanity, the materialistic culture we have as a society and the signs of a environmental importance in this book is something I never discover en other modern book. The book may not be enjoyed for many since is a very slow pace one, and in the end there is a ending and a explanation but seems like is not very clear one. I like how diverse are the characters in this book. It is a post apocalyptic story, but is more a survival story. In the end I felt like desperate for
More answers and feel like okay I want more. I couldn’t put this book down and this is what make me give a good amount of stars when I review a book. Big shout out to NetGalley for the access to this ARC
More answers and feel like okay I want more. I couldn’t put this book down and this is what make me give a good amount of stars when I review a book. Big shout out to NetGalley for the access to this ARC
September 5, 2023
3.5 stars.
A squad of soldiers emerges from a bunker to find their world silent and weirdly transformed: there are countless objects organized into massive blocks, with each block containing millions/thousands of the same type of object. For example, plastic spoons, wrist bands, watering cans, cricket bats, container ships, skyscrapers, etc. There is no indication of who has done this, and the squad finds no evidence of other humans in the vicinity.
The squad is led by Elsie Sharpcot; she's Cree and has endured years of racism and misogyny in the military. Her secondDorian “Jack” Wakely, is suffering, from PTSD. Both are veterans of Afghanistan, and decide to lead their squad of misfit and malcontent privates back to where their base is, on the way provisioning themselves from items scrounged from the organized blocks.
They need to find shelter before winter arrives, and are discombobulated by the eerie silence around them, the lack of connection to the wider world (their cellphones get no signal).They move through the massive maze, wondering who could have created it, while morale and discipline ebb due to exhaustion and fear.
B.H. Panhuyzen conjures a situation that centers our uncontrolled consumption. Panhuyzen also shows us the effects of the mystery and fear it induces on each soldier, who are at the mercy their memories; for example, Elsie keeps remembering her daughter Lana, a bright girl then a difficult teenager. The others are worn down by the lack of contact with others, and the pervasive quiet. Violence ensues, as the squad continues westward in the hope of finding people and answers.
Panhuyzen’s post-apocalyptic story left me both bereft, and slightly hopeful. The author does not provide a conclusive answer to who organized all the world's objects into a gigantic maze, and where are the people. The soldiers name the unknown actors the Accruers, which is an apt name.
This is not quick-moving story. Instead, it's one of slow, grinding horror, as we move through towering piles of objects, and no evidence of who could have performed this stunning feat.
This book is about survival, endurance and maintaining faith in oneself and one's companions/community. The story is quiet, scary and tense. This book won't be for everyone, but I liked it.
Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
A squad of soldiers emerges from a bunker to find their world silent and weirdly transformed: there are countless objects organized into massive blocks, with each block containing millions/thousands of the same type of object. For example, plastic spoons, wrist bands, watering cans, cricket bats, container ships, skyscrapers, etc. There is no indication of who has done this, and the squad finds no evidence of other humans in the vicinity.
The squad is led by Elsie Sharpcot; she's Cree and has endured years of racism and misogyny in the military. Her secondDorian “Jack” Wakely, is suffering, from PTSD. Both are veterans of Afghanistan, and decide to lead their squad of misfit and malcontent privates back to where their base is, on the way provisioning themselves from items scrounged from the organized blocks.
They need to find shelter before winter arrives, and are discombobulated by the eerie silence around them, the lack of connection to the wider world (their cellphones get no signal).They move through the massive maze, wondering who could have created it, while morale and discipline ebb due to exhaustion and fear.
B.H. Panhuyzen conjures a situation that centers our uncontrolled consumption. Panhuyzen also shows us the effects of the mystery and fear it induces on each soldier, who are at the mercy their memories; for example, Elsie keeps remembering her daughter Lana, a bright girl then a difficult teenager. The others are worn down by the lack of contact with others, and the pervasive quiet. Violence ensues, as the squad continues westward in the hope of finding people and answers.
Panhuyzen’s post-apocalyptic story left me both bereft, and slightly hopeful. The author does not provide a conclusive answer to who organized all the world's objects into a gigantic maze, and where are the people. The soldiers name the unknown actors the Accruers, which is an apt name.
This is not quick-moving story. Instead, it's one of slow, grinding horror, as we move through towering piles of objects, and no evidence of who could have performed this stunning feat.
This book is about survival, endurance and maintaining faith in oneself and one's companions/community. The story is quiet, scary and tense. This book won't be for everyone, but I liked it.
Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 8, 2023
What happens after the Armageddon? A group of forgotten Canadian soldiers emerge into a new, highly organized world -- one where our everyday items are horrificly well-stacked into piles (how did the author research and create so many "things"). The group sets out to discover what happened and find other people. The book is their journey as they come to grips with what's before them and determine a new future. It's a quiet book full of empathy for an eclectic group of people in a challenging situation. Like all good speculative fiction, you leave examining your own behaviors and that of the world around you. And it makes you want to change.
November 7, 2023
There are so many reasons why I am giving this book 5 stars! There are so many books, so many we love, so many we seek out and so many we know we will never read. And that's fine. We've all got our own tastes, but then there are some books that we MUST read.
I'd argue everyone, especially the well-read book lover, should read all the books about the climate crisis, about the environmental impact of our consumerism, and A Tidy Armageddon by B.H. Panhuyzen is exactly the book to read. It's not a book that gets lost in its cautionary tale and it doesn't even get lost in the structural symbolism built-in to the book. It is a book about people, about love, about our humanity and more than anything it is a book about hope. That at the end of all this (and believe me there is an end to the world as it is now), we might be able to pick up and start over.
I look forward to reading more from BH Panhuyzen!
I'd argue everyone, especially the well-read book lover, should read all the books about the climate crisis, about the environmental impact of our consumerism, and A Tidy Armageddon by B.H. Panhuyzen is exactly the book to read. It's not a book that gets lost in its cautionary tale and it doesn't even get lost in the structural symbolism built-in to the book. It is a book about people, about love, about our humanity and more than anything it is a book about hope. That at the end of all this (and believe me there is an end to the world as it is now), we might be able to pick up and start over.
I look forward to reading more from BH Panhuyzen!
June 5, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
How much I enjoyed this book really snuck up on me.
I began A Tidy Armageddon very interested to see how Panhuyzen would execute the very unique concept promised in the description—the world suddenly being organized into a seemingly-endless grid of stacks of manmade objects. The concept can very quickly become silly if not approached carefully, and a careful, though still at times clumsy, approach is exactly what we end up with here.
While initially slow to start, it is genuinely fascinating to see our lovely cast of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers begin to grapple with their new world after emerging from a bunker during a supposed training exercise to find the world transformed. The horror of realizing that each stack contains *every* object of that type that has ever been created, and the implications of that, are portrayed amazingly, even if I think that some of the characterizations do later fall a bit flat.
The implications are truly where Panhuyzen succeeds, setting up a world both familiar and foreign, and exploring the idea of the stacks to their greatest extent, while also simultaneously not providing a lot of concrete answers. You’re right there on the ground alongside the soldiers, and you figure things out at the same pace they do. There’s a passage close to the end of the novel that was terrifying in what it represented for the world, and helped drive home that this book is as much a horror novel as it is sci-fi, in some ways. The greater metanarrative of the stacks also stuck with me, in a way I was surprised to not find cheesy: After reading the book, when I’d go to use a plastic spoon or similar object, I’d think, “Where would this be in the stack of every plastic spoon?” And make a conscious choice to find a reusable one instead.
Not everything is a success, as I mentioned earlier, the characterization can fall flat at times, particularly in the beginning, and there isn’t always great imagery or prose to be found. Additionally, a lot of space gets taken up by long lists of objects in a given stack, which is tiring and leads to skimming. The ending also just kind of….happens, without a lot of buildup. It just ends, and that’s that, and it was a little disappointing.
One thing I’m not going to fault the book for, however, is the lack of definite answers as to the mysterious force behind the arrangement of objects in the first place. The tantalizing clues inferred through observations or mentioned by characters were wonderfully eerie, and I’m satisfied with the amount we ended up getting: we can draw our own conclusions, just as the characters can.
Maybe I just happen to fall in a specific subset of people for whom this type of novel is extremely entertaining, but whatever it was, something really clicked for me with A Tidy Armageddon, and I’ll be watching to see what Panhuyzen does next.
4/5.
How much I enjoyed this book really snuck up on me.
I began A Tidy Armageddon very interested to see how Panhuyzen would execute the very unique concept promised in the description—the world suddenly being organized into a seemingly-endless grid of stacks of manmade objects. The concept can very quickly become silly if not approached carefully, and a careful, though still at times clumsy, approach is exactly what we end up with here.
While initially slow to start, it is genuinely fascinating to see our lovely cast of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers begin to grapple with their new world after emerging from a bunker during a supposed training exercise to find the world transformed. The horror of realizing that each stack contains *every* object of that type that has ever been created, and the implications of that, are portrayed amazingly, even if I think that some of the characterizations do later fall a bit flat.
The implications are truly where Panhuyzen succeeds, setting up a world both familiar and foreign, and exploring the idea of the stacks to their greatest extent, while also simultaneously not providing a lot of concrete answers. You’re right there on the ground alongside the soldiers, and you figure things out at the same pace they do. There’s a passage close to the end of the novel that was terrifying in what it represented for the world, and helped drive home that this book is as much a horror novel as it is sci-fi, in some ways. The greater metanarrative of the stacks also stuck with me, in a way I was surprised to not find cheesy: After reading the book, when I’d go to use a plastic spoon or similar object, I’d think, “Where would this be in the stack of every plastic spoon?” And make a conscious choice to find a reusable one instead.
Not everything is a success, as I mentioned earlier, the characterization can fall flat at times, particularly in the beginning, and there isn’t always great imagery or prose to be found. Additionally, a lot of space gets taken up by long lists of objects in a given stack, which is tiring and leads to skimming. The ending also just kind of….happens, without a lot of buildup. It just ends, and that’s that, and it was a little disappointing.
One thing I’m not going to fault the book for, however, is the lack of definite answers as to the mysterious force behind the arrangement of objects in the first place. The tantalizing clues inferred through observations or mentioned by characters were wonderfully eerie, and I’m satisfied with the amount we ended up getting: we can draw our own conclusions, just as the characters can.
Maybe I just happen to fall in a specific subset of people for whom this type of novel is extremely entertaining, but whatever it was, something really clicked for me with A Tidy Armageddon, and I’ll be watching to see what Panhuyzen does next.
4/5.
May 28, 2023
The two main characters- Elizabeth and Jack!!!! ( different spellings of course, somehow)
Dystopian fiction with a nod to Star Trek at the end !
Dystopian fiction with a nod to Star Trek at the end !
January 23, 2024
DNF @ 50%
I have a policy that making it halfway through a difficult read counts as finishing it. I liked this at first. Characters are interesting. Premise is fascinating. Good prose. Boring execution. The blurb on the jacket promised action. Where did they stack all the action? Maybe between the stack of my little pony action figures and the stack of salad-spinners? Maybe next to the pile of every band-aid that ever existed? Must be on the other side of the planet, bc i didn't find it here in the first half of the book. Too much time spent wandering endless stacks of flotsam.
I have a policy that making it halfway through a difficult read counts as finishing it. I liked this at first. Characters are interesting. Premise is fascinating. Good prose. Boring execution. The blurb on the jacket promised action. Where did they stack all the action? Maybe between the stack of my little pony action figures and the stack of salad-spinners? Maybe next to the pile of every band-aid that ever existed? Must be on the other side of the planet, bc i didn't find it here in the first half of the book. Too much time spent wandering endless stacks of flotsam.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2023
A total repackaging of the apocalypse. Instead of a bunch of desperate survivors scrambling through the ruins of civilization, looking for something, anything, they can use, here we have a squad of heavily armed soldiers wandering through a world that has been disassembled and stored neatly away by category. Imagine if the entire world was an Ikea mixed with a supermarket mixed with a Home Depot — and there is no escape. A Tiny Armageddon is a genre blender that is equal portions post-apocalypse, existential horror, sci-fi mystery, and bizarro road trip No batteries required… but if you want some, go down the block with the lighthouses, turn left at the block of fake Christmas trees and look for the block of Kindles, then….
April 30, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mesmerizing writing! Following a band of Canadian soldiers finding stacked rows of items across a destroyed planet, this apocalyptic novel is unique in its contrast to so many novels of this genre. A sharp, edgy book with reference to mass consumerism and resource consumption. Very well written and recommended.
Mesmerizing writing! Following a band of Canadian soldiers finding stacked rows of items across a destroyed planet, this apocalyptic novel is unique in its contrast to so many novels of this genre. A sharp, edgy book with reference to mass consumerism and resource consumption. Very well written and recommended.
March 12, 2023
What an incredibly fascinating and entertaining read! The premise of the story is so refreshingly original, a great break from the flood of zombie dystopias out there right now. The characters are well written and genuine, the scenery is epic and cinematic. I can easily see this story being picked up for film or television. Read it now in its best and original form!
June 22, 2023
A Tiny Armageddon opens with Sergeant Elizabeth Sharpcot questioning her ability to command after two young privates under command have died. We get no explanation how or why they died and teh story skips back just over three weeks when Three Section of Two Platoon of Bravo Company of the Second Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is hustled into an underground bunker and told to stay there.
Three weeks later, the Section emerges into a world gone peculiarly mad. Their base is gone, and they are confronted by a maze of 9-meter-high blocks consisting of a variety of a mind-numbing variety of walls - including one that may be composed of every plastic spoon ever made.
Sharpcot decides that her Section must try to see if this is the case: she orders her troop to head toward Winnipeg several days march away. As they proceed, they encounter more and more blocks - each consisting of one type of item stacked nine meters high.
A Tidy Armageddon has a lot to say about our times: Sharpcot is a sergeant not because of merit but because she is a woman and a member of Cree Nation (her superior notes that she saves him from having to promote one more token person). Her section is composed of people who were also annoyances in one or another - they were stuck together to be an irritant to her while keeping them out of the way of anyone else.
Author BH Panhuyzen also addresses sexual harassment/assault in the Armed Forces as well as outdated male attitudes towards women in general (even one of her section responds poorly to her command).
Panhuyzen's writing is precise and detailed - we get (for example) lists of the names of producers of some of the items in the blocks the Section passes (names of vacuum cleaner or clock manufacturers, for instance). This can get a bit tedious at times, but invariably, once we get past such lists, things return to more interesting things - conversations between the members of Three Section give us insights into their personalities, preferences, what they might have lost if the world has indeed ended (not to mention speculations of how, why and maybe who/what could have done it and built the blocks).
We learn how those two privates died - they will not be the only deaths in Three Section.
A Tidy Armageddon has a premise that takes the usual expectations for end-of-the-world stories and goes off in unique directions.
This is absolutely a five-star book.
Three weeks later, the Section emerges into a world gone peculiarly mad. Their base is gone, and they are confronted by a maze of 9-meter-high blocks consisting of a variety of a mind-numbing variety of walls - including one that may be composed of every plastic spoon ever made.
Sharpcot decides that her Section must try to see if this is the case: she orders her troop to head toward Winnipeg several days march away. As they proceed, they encounter more and more blocks - each consisting of one type of item stacked nine meters high.
A Tidy Armageddon has a lot to say about our times: Sharpcot is a sergeant not because of merit but because she is a woman and a member of Cree Nation (her superior notes that she saves him from having to promote one more token person). Her section is composed of people who were also annoyances in one or another - they were stuck together to be an irritant to her while keeping them out of the way of anyone else.
Author BH Panhuyzen also addresses sexual harassment/assault in the Armed Forces as well as outdated male attitudes towards women in general (even one of her section responds poorly to her command).
Panhuyzen's writing is precise and detailed - we get (for example) lists of the names of producers of some of the items in the blocks the Section passes (names of vacuum cleaner or clock manufacturers, for instance). This can get a bit tedious at times, but invariably, once we get past such lists, things return to more interesting things - conversations between the members of Three Section give us insights into their personalities, preferences, what they might have lost if the world has indeed ended (not to mention speculations of how, why and maybe who/what could have done it and built the blocks).
We learn how those two privates died - they will not be the only deaths in Three Section.
A Tidy Armageddon has a premise that takes the usual expectations for end-of-the-world stories and goes off in unique directions.
This is absolutely a five-star book.
June 4, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Caveat: Audiobook, DNF at 80%
The themes of this book remind me of Down to the Sea In Ships, it really makes you think of the sheer scale of industrialization and the fact that every little thing you have ever bought from a shop had to be packed and moved and shipped and transported miles and miles (except, perhaps, local goods from a farm). It is a scary prospect, how invisible many of these processes are to us. I liked how uncomfortable it made me feel.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and I would not recommend it. My problem with the audio book was not the narrator, as her narration was suitable and I do appreciate her effort to do different voices for each of the characters. The problem was with the nature of the first 2+ hours of the audiobook, where most of the airtime is taken up by lists of objects and their unique aspects. This happens every single time our protagonists see a new pile of items, and I do not understand why it could not be detailed maybe the first two times and then glossed over afterwards. I assume when you read this novel traditionally you can gloss over these areas, so in fact I am not sure why they are included at all if not to gloss over.
Some of the characters didn't resonate as more than caricatures; Bronski especially doesn’t seem real, like he is TOO annoying and stupid to be believable. The characters didn't feel very distinct much of the time. Sometimes I mixed up the characters, because they are all referred to with last names and/or the narrator could only do so many voices, I actually didn’t grasp who was who until at least 1/4 of the way through. The first half should be massively abridged for the audiobook, I think. It began to catch my attention more around the midway point, but by then I had run out of time to finish before the archive date.
Overall, I'd like to have given this more of a shot (as a paper copy).
Caveat: Audiobook, DNF at 80%
The themes of this book remind me of Down to the Sea In Ships, it really makes you think of the sheer scale of industrialization and the fact that every little thing you have ever bought from a shop had to be packed and moved and shipped and transported miles and miles (except, perhaps, local goods from a farm). It is a scary prospect, how invisible many of these processes are to us. I liked how uncomfortable it made me feel.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and I would not recommend it. My problem with the audio book was not the narrator, as her narration was suitable and I do appreciate her effort to do different voices for each of the characters. The problem was with the nature of the first 2+ hours of the audiobook, where most of the airtime is taken up by lists of objects and their unique aspects. This happens every single time our protagonists see a new pile of items, and I do not understand why it could not be detailed maybe the first two times and then glossed over afterwards. I assume when you read this novel traditionally you can gloss over these areas, so in fact I am not sure why they are included at all if not to gloss over.
Some of the characters didn't resonate as more than caricatures; Bronski especially doesn’t seem real, like he is TOO annoying and stupid to be believable. The characters didn't feel very distinct much of the time. Sometimes I mixed up the characters, because they are all referred to with last names and/or the narrator could only do so many voices, I actually didn’t grasp who was who until at least 1/4 of the way through. The first half should be massively abridged for the audiobook, I think. It began to catch my attention more around the midway point, but by then I had run out of time to finish before the archive date.
Overall, I'd like to have given this more of a shot (as a paper copy).
July 20, 2023
𝗔 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗼𝗻 by BH Panhuyzen
Published: April 25, 2023 by @ecwpress
Reviewed by: Mel
Format: Audiobook
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆
✽ Post-apocalyptic stories
✽ Taking a deeper look at human culture
✽ Adventure and action
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
At first, the cover of this book caught my eye [yeah, I know what you’re thinking…did she really just make a comment about judging a book by its cover?] but then, when I read the synopsis and saw that it was a study in human culture and consumerism…I was wildly intrigued.
Overall, I’d probably give this book a 3.5, but I bumped it up to 4 since it’s wildly unique and creative. Why a 3.5? Let me dive in…
Ok, so, it’s a post-apocalyptic book where [stop reading if you don’t want spoilers] a military squadron is trapped in a bunker and when they finally emerge…all of humanity is gone. Cities, towns, countries….everything is gone. Everything ever created by a human has been categorized, stacked, and organized into blocks in an area between Winnipeg, Canada, and the central USA. To say this book is shocking and really makes you sit back and think about this concept on a deeper level, is an understatement. It certainly made me take a hard look at my own consumerism and look around my house and literally every single thing that could be classified individually.
I listened to this on audio, so being able to close my eyes and imagine the scenes playing out was fascinating - especially the scenes where they entered human structures like lighthouses, famous buildings, etc. Sure…but why 3.5? It definitely lost some points because, while impactful and unique, there were definitely parts that dragged on, and at times I felt this may have been even more impactful as a novella.
I did enjoy it and felt it was entertaining, unique, and captivating — and I can certainly imagine it being a movie!
[Thank you to @netgalley and @ecwpress for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest review #gifted ]
Published: April 25, 2023 by @ecwpress
Reviewed by: Mel
Format: Audiobook
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆
✽ Post-apocalyptic stories
✽ Taking a deeper look at human culture
✽ Adventure and action
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
At first, the cover of this book caught my eye [yeah, I know what you’re thinking…did she really just make a comment about judging a book by its cover?] but then, when I read the synopsis and saw that it was a study in human culture and consumerism…I was wildly intrigued.
Overall, I’d probably give this book a 3.5, but I bumped it up to 4 since it’s wildly unique and creative. Why a 3.5? Let me dive in…
Ok, so, it’s a post-apocalyptic book where [stop reading if you don’t want spoilers] a military squadron is trapped in a bunker and when they finally emerge…all of humanity is gone. Cities, towns, countries….everything is gone. Everything ever created by a human has been categorized, stacked, and organized into blocks in an area between Winnipeg, Canada, and the central USA. To say this book is shocking and really makes you sit back and think about this concept on a deeper level, is an understatement. It certainly made me take a hard look at my own consumerism and look around my house and literally every single thing that could be classified individually.
I listened to this on audio, so being able to close my eyes and imagine the scenes playing out was fascinating - especially the scenes where they entered human structures like lighthouses, famous buildings, etc. Sure…but why 3.5? It definitely lost some points because, while impactful and unique, there were definitely parts that dragged on, and at times I felt this may have been even more impactful as a novella.
I did enjoy it and felt it was entertaining, unique, and captivating — and I can certainly imagine it being a movie!
[Thank you to @netgalley and @ecwpress for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest review #gifted ]
November 21, 2023
This was a really interesting take on the End of the World! I listened to it via Audiobook on Hoopla.
I loved the concept of the story, but it took me a solid 1/2 to 2/3 of the book to really feel connected to the main cast of characters. For much of the beginning of the story, I couldn't keep track of who was, as the omniscient narrator (at least in audiobook) switched perspectives within a scene multiple times.
There were times when the squad was exploring the stacks where it ended up feeling like list after list of brand name items, which was both annoying yet also appropriate to the plot and concept of over-consumption.
I wish that some of the characters had a better backstory flushed out - Deeks felt relatively one-dimensional at times because I didn't understand her history prior to the events, and similarly Brodsky could have benefitted from a longer look at his neuroses earlier in the plot. He was insufferable, but you don't actually have any empathy for him until just before his death. The story would have benefitted from more time in their perspective/heads.
One nitpick as a Canadian : Units of Measurement. I know that as Canadians we often alternate between units of measurement (feet and metres, inches or cm) based on our proximity to the US and their non-metric measuring system, but I felt the times when the author used miles instead of km jarring, and pulled me out of the scene. IIRC, it was a cliche/turn of phrase that was used, but it felt disingenuous for the character/narrator at the time to have used that expression.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book - it is one of the most unique concepts I have read, and the Canadian setting made it even more engaging for me.
I loved the concept of the story, but it took me a solid 1/2 to 2/3 of the book to really feel connected to the main cast of characters. For much of the beginning of the story, I couldn't keep track of who was, as the omniscient narrator (at least in audiobook) switched perspectives within a scene multiple times.
There were times when the squad was exploring the stacks where it ended up feeling like list after list of brand name items, which was both annoying yet also appropriate to the plot and concept of over-consumption.
I wish that some of the characters had a better backstory flushed out - Deeks felt relatively one-dimensional at times because I didn't understand her history prior to the events, and similarly Brodsky could have benefitted from a longer look at his neuroses earlier in the plot. He was insufferable, but you don't actually have any empathy for him until just before his death. The story would have benefitted from more time in their perspective/heads.
One nitpick as a Canadian : Units of Measurement. I know that as Canadians we often alternate between units of measurement (feet and metres, inches or cm) based on our proximity to the US and their non-metric measuring system, but I felt the times when the author used miles instead of km jarring, and pulled me out of the scene. IIRC, it was a cliche/turn of phrase that was used, but it felt disingenuous for the character/narrator at the time to have used that expression.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book - it is one of the most unique concepts I have read, and the Canadian setting made it even more engaging for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
Oh man, the premise sounded so interesting and this was such a dud!
- large cast with very little characterization, let alone character development
- geographic ridiculousness (walking through Utah and crossing the Sierra Nevadas in winter with no good water supply? Um OK! Since rivers are open, just follow those, ding dongs. Then you have water!)
- verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow/nonexistent plot. I really wish an editor told this guy he didn't need to reiterate the variety of consumer goods the characters walk by. Spend that time having something HAPPEN. Also he should have ctl-f for "Thai" - yes it's a language with a cool alphabet but it's a pretty small country so you're probably not walking by stuff with Thai writing a large fraction of the time.
I'm sure this guy means well (he's an effective altruism person so odds are, steeped in privilege and not a great critical thinker but really wants to "help"!) but if you're going to have characters be Cree, have autism, have PTSD etc. YOU NEED TO RESEARCH THESE IDENTITIES. The autistic character know random things when it's convenient to the plot (but doesn't have an opinion about going across North America instead of just following a river to southeastern US), the PTSD guy gets a few bad dreams and that's it, and we just know the Cree lady doesn't like racism (duh), but nothing about what being Cree means to her. Was she raised in the culture and if so how does that inform her? We'll never know.
Since VERY LITTLE HAPPENS in this book (we don't find out what happened, you would think you'd get some insight into what makes these people tick. But no. What insight we get is often pretty unpleasant - we get a lot of Bronski being a clueless sexist/racist. But nothing about why. Of course.
- large cast with very little characterization, let alone character development
- geographic ridiculousness (walking through Utah and crossing the Sierra Nevadas in winter with no good water supply? Um OK! Since rivers are open, just follow those, ding dongs. Then you have water!)
- verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow/nonexistent plot. I really wish an editor told this guy he didn't need to reiterate the variety of consumer goods the characters walk by. Spend that time having something HAPPEN. Also he should have ctl-f for "Thai" - yes it's a language with a cool alphabet but it's a pretty small country so you're probably not walking by stuff with Thai writing a large fraction of the time.
I'm sure this guy means well (he's an effective altruism person so odds are, steeped in privilege and not a great critical thinker but really wants to "help"!) but if you're going to have characters be Cree, have autism, have PTSD etc. YOU NEED TO RESEARCH THESE IDENTITIES. The autistic character know random things when it's convenient to the plot (but doesn't have an opinion about going across North America instead of just following a river to southeastern US), the PTSD guy gets a few bad dreams and that's it, and we just know the Cree lady doesn't like racism (duh), but nothing about what being Cree means to her. Was she raised in the culture and if so how does that inform her? We'll never know.
Since VERY LITTLE HAPPENS in this book (we don't find out what happened, you would think you'd get some insight into what makes these people tick. But no. What insight we get is often pretty unpleasant - we get a lot of Bronski being a clueless sexist/racist. But nothing about why. Of course.
June 14, 2023
A group of soldiers emerge from a safe bunker to find everything (literally every. thing.) in the world organized and stacked into massive cubes. They have to figure out what is going on and move through this brand new world.
I always find it thrilling when I come across a brand new idea. I cannot get the image of singular items packed all together in a single space (think fake christmas trees packed nine stories tall....) out of my head. Amazing, almost surrealist, imagery.
This read came at quite a wild time in my life: I have been sifting through a dozen years of life and getting ready for a huge move overseas. I am a woman of a lot of paper (I have kept every single plane ticket from every flight I have ever taken...I have a collection of beer bottle labels...) and sorting through everything while reading this gave the exercise a whole new dimension.
What does our stuff say about us? What does it say about all the stuff we treasure, keep, use, discard? Of course there are keepsakes and big things, but think about the quotidian stuff that we leave in our wake as we move through the world: band-aid wrappers, q-tips, coffee cups, napkins, daily contacts, twist ties, bobby pins, gum wrappers, and receipts. The read will leave you chewing on questions around consumption, identity, and the global impact of civilization as we have built it. Are we just the product of our stuff? Who are we with all this stuff? Who are we without it?
Full of massive questions, gorgeous imagery, and sweeping emotion, this is a book that will permanently alter how you look at life. I'm adding it to my BOTY list for sure.
I always find it thrilling when I come across a brand new idea. I cannot get the image of singular items packed all together in a single space (think fake christmas trees packed nine stories tall....) out of my head. Amazing, almost surrealist, imagery.
This read came at quite a wild time in my life: I have been sifting through a dozen years of life and getting ready for a huge move overseas. I am a woman of a lot of paper (I have kept every single plane ticket from every flight I have ever taken...I have a collection of beer bottle labels...) and sorting through everything while reading this gave the exercise a whole new dimension.
What does our stuff say about us? What does it say about all the stuff we treasure, keep, use, discard? Of course there are keepsakes and big things, but think about the quotidian stuff that we leave in our wake as we move through the world: band-aid wrappers, q-tips, coffee cups, napkins, daily contacts, twist ties, bobby pins, gum wrappers, and receipts. The read will leave you chewing on questions around consumption, identity, and the global impact of civilization as we have built it. Are we just the product of our stuff? Who are we with all this stuff? Who are we without it?
Full of massive questions, gorgeous imagery, and sweeping emotion, this is a book that will permanently alter how you look at life. I'm adding it to my BOTY list for sure.
May 2, 2023
Update! Upgrading my star rating from 3 to 4.
While it took me 2 weeks to reach the halfway point; it took only a couple of days to finish. The action picked up considerably and devastatingly; so much so, I couldn't put the darn thing down.
I've not been able to get this story or its characters out of my head (a good thing). Well written, imaginative... and thought provoking. I even started to enjoy the lists.
*************************
I am just little more than halfway through; but I thought I'd share my thoughts at this juncture anyways.
The premise of this story is fascinating .... but a little tiresome too. A motley section of an army squad emerges from a bunker weeks after an unknown crisis to find that any consumer good ever invented or assembled has been organized with like items and made into huge walls of stuff arranged into a seemingly never ending maze. Much of the story comprises list after list of these goods and descriptions of all manner of these goods ..... interesting for a while, but by page 180..... well; enough already!
That said, the characters are interestingly drawn, and their interactions with one another, while fraught, and sometimes juvenile, provide a smidge of comic relief and a dram of drama. Their quest to find what’s left of civilization and just WTF happened is holding my interest, and I shall forge ahead, because I want to know too! I’m managing this by skimming over (but still getting the gist of) the endless lists and descriptions of the contents of the ‘wall/maze’.
Thank you ECW Press for providing me the opportunity to read and review A Tidy Armageddon by B.H. Panhuyzen.
While it took me 2 weeks to reach the halfway point; it took only a couple of days to finish. The action picked up considerably and devastatingly; so much so, I couldn't put the darn thing down.
I've not been able to get this story or its characters out of my head (a good thing). Well written, imaginative... and thought provoking. I even started to enjoy the lists.
*************************
I am just little more than halfway through; but I thought I'd share my thoughts at this juncture anyways.
The premise of this story is fascinating .... but a little tiresome too. A motley section of an army squad emerges from a bunker weeks after an unknown crisis to find that any consumer good ever invented or assembled has been organized with like items and made into huge walls of stuff arranged into a seemingly never ending maze. Much of the story comprises list after list of these goods and descriptions of all manner of these goods ..... interesting for a while, but by page 180..... well; enough already!
That said, the characters are interestingly drawn, and their interactions with one another, while fraught, and sometimes juvenile, provide a smidge of comic relief and a dram of drama. Their quest to find what’s left of civilization and just WTF happened is holding my interest, and I shall forge ahead, because I want to know too! I’m managing this by skimming over (but still getting the gist of) the endless lists and descriptions of the contents of the ‘wall/maze’.
Thank you ECW Press for providing me the opportunity to read and review A Tidy Armageddon by B.H. Panhuyzen.
January 28, 2024
Initially, I was very excited about the premise of this story, and the fact that the audiobook is over 16 hours long made me really excited for all of its possibilities.
2.5 hours deep, I was still intrigued, but losing a great of patience. The descriptions of the towers of collected items were almost horrifyingly specific and certainly made me (already concerned about the environment) even more concerned - my plastic utensil usage has dropped exponentially.
But continuing forward, the descriptions became exceptionally, unbearably, tiresome. “I get it, watering cans have been manufactured in ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES and by ALL OF THE BRANDS.” Where is the Story???
The characters really didn’t pull me in, and for a military group, they seemed wildly undisciplined and obnoxious so there was nothing tying to me to them.
God bless the reviewer who said nothing really happens until about 80% in because I finally skipped ahead, unwilling to listen to ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES anymore, and desperate for something to happen. I honestly don’t feel like I missed anything, and I still had to use the “fast forward 15 seconds” button an absurd amount of times, sometimes multiple times in a row to get to more plot and past ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES.
By the time the sort-of-reveal comes (“Hey, I think there’s a chance this maybe might have been actual aliens”), I don’t think anyone would be surprised. Especially since the crew float the idea about 10 steps out of their starting bunker in the first 30 minutes of the story.
Skip this one. I recommend literally, but you can skip this one 15 seconds at time if that’s how you want to spend your life.
2.5 hours deep, I was still intrigued, but losing a great of patience. The descriptions of the towers of collected items were almost horrifyingly specific and certainly made me (already concerned about the environment) even more concerned - my plastic utensil usage has dropped exponentially.
But continuing forward, the descriptions became exceptionally, unbearably, tiresome. “I get it, watering cans have been manufactured in ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES and by ALL OF THE BRANDS.” Where is the Story???
The characters really didn’t pull me in, and for a military group, they seemed wildly undisciplined and obnoxious so there was nothing tying to me to them.
God bless the reviewer who said nothing really happens until about 80% in because I finally skipped ahead, unwilling to listen to ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES anymore, and desperate for something to happen. I honestly don’t feel like I missed anything, and I still had to use the “fast forward 15 seconds” button an absurd amount of times, sometimes multiple times in a row to get to more plot and past ALL OF THE ADJECTIVES.
By the time the sort-of-reveal comes (“Hey, I think there’s a chance this maybe might have been actual aliens”), I don’t think anyone would be surprised. Especially since the crew float the idea about 10 steps out of their starting bunker in the first 30 minutes of the story.
Skip this one. I recommend literally, but you can skip this one 15 seconds at time if that’s how you want to spend your life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2023
Thank you to @NetGalley and @ECWAudio for the audio-ARC
A group of soldiers in the prairies of Canada emerge from an assignment in a bunker to find that every manufactured item on the planet has been collected, sorted and stacked into nine story towers. In a story of survival the eight soldiers attempt to reconstruct what has happened to the human race while surviving in a new landscape.
This is an ambitious novel that is a little heavy on the message. A comment on consumerism is doubled, tripled and quadrupled down by long lists of items found. This novel without the lists would probably be at least 30% shorter. The message is clear, our consumerism will be our downfall. However, there is a lack of connection that makes this interesting, but not quite fully engaging.
The character development and world building are adequate, but never quite go far enough to make the reader really care about the individuals. Some of the characters are really thin, Bronski especially, is just a dumb racist sexist white boy. There is not attempt to build him into a three dimensional character. Instead he is there so the reader can scoff and feel superior. I want to understand and hate these kinds of characters.
Discussions of racism and misogyny in the military are poignant and necessary. The overall world this novel lives in, is interesting and surprising. Still a decent read, but it just could have been so much more.
A group of soldiers in the prairies of Canada emerge from an assignment in a bunker to find that every manufactured item on the planet has been collected, sorted and stacked into nine story towers. In a story of survival the eight soldiers attempt to reconstruct what has happened to the human race while surviving in a new landscape.
This is an ambitious novel that is a little heavy on the message. A comment on consumerism is doubled, tripled and quadrupled down by long lists of items found. This novel without the lists would probably be at least 30% shorter. The message is clear, our consumerism will be our downfall. However, there is a lack of connection that makes this interesting, but not quite fully engaging.
The character development and world building are adequate, but never quite go far enough to make the reader really care about the individuals. Some of the characters are really thin, Bronski especially, is just a dumb racist sexist white boy. There is not attempt to build him into a three dimensional character. Instead he is there so the reader can scoff and feel superior. I want to understand and hate these kinds of characters.
Discussions of racism and misogyny in the military are poignant and necessary. The overall world this novel lives in, is interesting and surprising. Still a decent read, but it just could have been so much more.
February 26, 2023
This is one of the most original books I have ever read. The author creates a mysterious and captivating world within an apocalypse and he does this with gorgeous, evocative writing (filled with many lists, though these are just embellishments that add depth and occasionally humour, which can safely be skimmed). The book made me consider the way we live and consume, but it is so much more than its environmental message. This is a story about relationships. We get a sense of each character, and while they are a diverse group, each one feels unique, multi-dimensional and relatable. I was moved by the way the characters hold each other's panic, grieve their losses together, and discover a deeper sense of their individual and collective humanity as they navigate this mysterious world. The writer has clearly done his research on products and consumption, but also on issues of justice, marginality, attachment, survival and trauma. I appreciate the way that hope was woven into this story, it's not obvious but it's there. I'm still processing this important book and will be rereading it.
February 17, 2023
This started out great! I loved all the Canadian references throughout and the dialog was mostly well-done, if a bit long-winded.
What I had trouble with was the character development. Sharpcot felt almost clumsily put together, almost a caricature of an Indigenous person. Some of her reactions and responses to events felt wholly unnatural. I recognize the intent to create interesting and diverse characters in stories, but she felt so one-dimensional I would’ve rather she didn’t have that backstory at all. I personally also didn’t love all the military references, but I can recognize the need for something like that given the premise of the story.
I also found the latter half of the book almost painful to get through. While the first half was fun and engaging, the latter part dragged on seemingly forever without reprieve.
Thank you to ECW for the ARC!
What I had trouble with was the character development. Sharpcot felt almost clumsily put together, almost a caricature of an Indigenous person. Some of her reactions and responses to events felt wholly unnatural. I recognize the intent to create interesting and diverse characters in stories, but she felt so one-dimensional I would’ve rather she didn’t have that backstory at all. I personally also didn’t love all the military references, but I can recognize the need for something like that given the premise of the story.
I also found the latter half of the book almost painful to get through. While the first half was fun and engaging, the latter part dragged on seemingly forever without reprieve.
Thank you to ECW for the ARC!
June 4, 2023
Una premisa curiosísima: una unidad del ejército canadiense sale del bunker en el que les habían ordenado esperar y se encuentra con que la gente ha desaparecido y todas las cosas manufacturadas por los seres humanos están apiladas en muros de 9 metros de altura separados por pasillos, formando una especie de laberinto en el que ahora una pared es un muro formado por todas las botellas de agua del planeta y la otra el equivalente con todas las lavadoras, todo encajado como un tetris por algún algoritmo incomprensiblemente avanzado.
Quizás como metáfora del ultraconsumismo en el que vivimos es un poco evidente, pero los personajes están muy bien escritos y la salvan. De todas formas, scifi bélica (no me juzguéis por ello, solo me gusta la guerra en la ficción) y detectives scifi son mis dos subgéneros favoritos, así que tampoco os fiéis mucho.
Quizás como metáfora del ultraconsumismo en el que vivimos es un poco evidente, pero los personajes están muy bien escritos y la salvan. De todas formas, scifi bélica (no me juzguéis por ello, solo me gusta la guerra en la ficción) y detectives scifi son mis dos subgéneros favoritos, así que tampoco os fiéis mucho.
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