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colinsk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
alicjaz's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
aoc's review against another edition
3.0
I've a certain fondness for settings that don't immediately bash you over the head with what they're all about, and Damnation Alley is right up my, pardon the pun, alley as far as that concern is raised. In fact I would argue it could've benefited from presenting more of its world, but that would get in the way of a tight story with a very simple goal and tunnel vision with getting there.
Sometimes after WW3 the world has certifiably gone downhill. Our protagonist Hell Tanner comes as close to being a psychopath as one might be and still fulfill the role of the protagonist... who is also coerced into being the Nation of California's hope of getting certain medication to Boston, Massachusetts where a strain of plague has broken out threatening to make the city and wider area very extinct. With a pardon, for crimes both known and unknown, waved to his face it falls to the very last of Hell's Angels to run the infamous continent-wide Damnation Alley and survive whatever dangers a post-apocalyptic world can throw his way. Bats the size of cars included.
With that I've pretty much told you everything.
All things considered this is a very straightforward "get from point A to point B" story almost becoming something of a travel log at times. Types of danger may differ depending on where you are, but be it deadly winds that have made flying impossible or biker gangs in more civilized areas this is a cruel world and police states are the last refuge of civilization. Which is why I would've appreciated hearing more about it beyond merely couple of walls of text novel throws at you. Tanner himself remains the protagonist throughout, but you do get brief other POVs as well. Those primarily serve to put into perspective what's happening elsewhere to build up desperation and urgency this vital shipment presents. Beyond some action scenes, this IS an armored vehicle armed to the death, I found Hell Tanner's musings on nature of things to be the highlights and seeing him change as the week goes by. He does fall that under hyper competent protagonist type who are just so good at everything they do, but this is [largely] balanced out by his harsh life and how stunted he appears out of his element.
One segment that puzzled me were some jumbled chapters towards the end where I couldn't tell if that was plot-induced Hell going mental or very abstract form of storytelling.
Sometimes after WW3 the world has certifiably gone downhill. Our protagonist Hell Tanner comes as close to being a psychopath as one might be and still fulfill the role of the protagonist... who is also coerced into being the Nation of California's hope of getting certain medication to Boston, Massachusetts where a strain of plague has broken out threatening to make the city and wider area very extinct. With a pardon, for crimes both known and unknown, waved to his face it falls to the very last of Hell's Angels to run the infamous continent-wide Damnation Alley and survive whatever dangers a post-apocalyptic world can throw his way. Bats the size of cars included.
With that I've pretty much told you everything.
All things considered this is a very straightforward "get from point A to point B" story almost becoming something of a travel log at times. Types of danger may differ depending on where you are, but be it deadly winds that have made flying impossible or biker gangs in more civilized areas this is a cruel world and police states are the last refuge of civilization. Which is why I would've appreciated hearing more about it beyond merely couple of walls of text novel throws at you. Tanner himself remains the protagonist throughout, but you do get brief other POVs as well. Those primarily serve to put into perspective what's happening elsewhere to build up desperation and urgency this vital shipment presents. Beyond some action scenes, this IS an armored vehicle armed to the death, I found Hell Tanner's musings on nature of things to be the highlights and seeing him change as the week goes by. He does fall that under hyper competent protagonist type who are just so good at everything they do, but this is [largely] balanced out by his harsh life and how stunted he appears out of his element.
One segment that puzzled me were some jumbled chapters towards the end where I couldn't tell if that was plot-induced Hell going mental or very abstract form of storytelling.
eahaynes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
Story here is pretty straight-forward. Our protagonist needs to transport life saving drug from US West Coast to East Coast. He needs to be hard as nails and capable in order to cross the distance in shortest possible time using a heavily armored and armed vehicle. Reason for such a vehicle, you ask? Well time is (maybe unfortunately not so far) future, world after the thermonuclear war where almost everything is destroyed and glowing in the dark due to the weapons unleashed.
So, when you look at the premise, it does not sound much different than say Snake Plissken or Mad Max stories - it is story of a lone cowboy moving around and helping people in need. And you would be right if it weren't for the fact that our protagonist, Hell Tanner, is everything but a nice guy. Last gang banger, apparently from Hells Angels, lone survivor of the great Raid during which Angels were eliminated he is given an option - help East Coast by transporting the ever needed drug to them or end up and die in jail.
Of course, Hell accepts the mission, tries to evade the actual engagement (start of the novel is something that was copied in the Escape from New York) but eventually accepts the mission and starts the voyage.
Hell is very nasty piece of business, involved with biker gangs from early age and doing some very disturbing things - from murder to smuggling to human trafficking and exploitation. You name it he definitely did it. Clad in leather clothes and missing his biker equipment (much of it neo-Nazi WW2 SS equipment) he is something that would terrify today's PCs. He smokes, he drinks, he is ready to get into fight more on the instinctive level - to make sure everyone around him recognizes him as a killer.
His instinct and knowledge of the road and dangers ahead will greatly help him. But what will change him is the voyage itself.
And this is the thing - this is not just story of the voyage but how voyage changes the man, even someone as dangerous and criminally oriented as Hell. And for me this was unexpected and interesting part of the story. Hell, initially treating everyone else as tool, people he owns nothing to as he likes to say, starts to change as he comes across various people that try to save their humanity and what remains of their society. People ready to help, especially those they see as people able to link these now remote societies with each other and thus enable them to trade, cooperate and try to find the way out of the disaster they found themselves in. This voyage across the Damnation Alley (route through the central US) will change Hell to a degree he did not expect himself. And Hell's internal change follows the actual changes in the environment as he approaches the destination, where he will encounter the greatest challenge on the road, huge nomad biker gangs.
While ending is what one might expect from rough rider, although he attempts to downplay his role, Hell is definitely not the same person from the beginning of the story.
Very interesting, fast paced story. Release I read has no chapters story is split across paragraphs following Hell and those showing devastation caused by plague on the US East Coast. Even without chapter structure story was pretty well paced and kept my attention to the end (I have to admit I thought it would be more disconcerting considering that there are no logical divisions of the story - I was wrong, it worked like a charm here).
Highly recommended to fans of action and adventure, especially fans of SF dystopia like Mad Max and adventures of Snake Plissken, with bigger than life armored vehicles and bikes that pack quite a few surprises.
So, when you look at the premise, it does not sound much different than say Snake Plissken or Mad Max stories - it is story of a lone cowboy moving around and helping people in need. And you would be right if it weren't for the fact that our protagonist, Hell Tanner, is everything but a nice guy. Last gang banger, apparently from Hells Angels, lone survivor of the great Raid during which Angels were eliminated he is given an option - help East Coast by transporting the ever needed drug to them or end up and die in jail.
Of course, Hell accepts the mission, tries to evade the actual engagement (start of the novel is something that was copied in the Escape from New York) but eventually accepts the mission and starts the voyage.
Hell is very nasty piece of business, involved with biker gangs from early age and doing some very disturbing things - from murder to smuggling to human trafficking and exploitation. You name it he definitely did it. Clad in leather clothes and missing his biker equipment (much of it neo-Nazi WW2 SS equipment) he is something that would terrify today's PCs. He smokes, he drinks, he is ready to get into fight more on the instinctive level - to make sure everyone around him recognizes him as a killer.
His instinct and knowledge of the road and dangers ahead will greatly help him. But what will change him is the voyage itself.
And this is the thing - this is not just story of the voyage but how voyage changes the man, even someone as dangerous and criminally oriented as Hell. And for me this was unexpected and interesting part of the story. Hell, initially treating everyone else as tool, people he owns nothing to as he likes to say, starts to change as he comes across various people that try to save their humanity and what remains of their society. People ready to help, especially those they see as people able to link these now remote societies with each other and thus enable them to trade, cooperate and try to find the way out of the disaster they found themselves in. This voyage across the Damnation Alley (route through the central US) will change Hell to a degree he did not expect himself. And Hell's internal change follows the actual changes in the environment as he approaches the destination, where he will encounter the greatest challenge on the road, huge nomad biker gangs.
While ending is what one might expect from rough rider, although he attempts to downplay his role, Hell is definitely not the same person from the beginning of the story.
Very interesting, fast paced story. Release I read has no chapters story is split across paragraphs following Hell and those showing devastation caused by plague on the US East Coast. Even without chapter structure story was pretty well paced and kept my attention to the end (I have to admit I thought it would be more disconcerting considering that there are no logical divisions of the story - I was wrong, it worked like a charm here).
Highly recommended to fans of action and adventure, especially fans of SF dystopia like Mad Max and adventures of Snake Plissken, with bigger than life armored vehicles and bikes that pack quite a few surprises.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Damnation Alley is about a biker named Hell Tanner who has to take some plague serum from LA to Boston, travelling a route called Damnation Alley across the nuclear wasteland that is the United States in a car that might as well be a tank. Along the way he encounters such mutants as giant Gila Monsters, spiders, bats, butterflies, and snakes.
Hell Tanner should be regarded as Snake Plissken's ancestor of sorts. Every time he had dialogue I kept hearing Kurt Russell's voice. The writing is a little cheesy but it fits with the story. Overall it was enjoyable but nothing fantastic. I'm tempted to track down the movie but there are pictures from it in the middle of the book and they look nothing like I pictured. Jan Michael Vincent was way too pretty to play Hell Tanner.
Hell Tanner should be regarded as Snake Plissken's ancestor of sorts. Every time he had dialogue I kept hearing Kurt Russell's voice. The writing is a little cheesy but it fits with the story. Overall it was enjoyable but nothing fantastic. I'm tempted to track down the movie but there are pictures from it in the middle of the book and they look nothing like I pictured. Jan Michael Vincent was way too pretty to play Hell Tanner.
darkstar_pl's review
3.0
Nice little story that has not aged at all, except for one moment where it detours reality - and that is when one of the characters mentions people living on Mars and Titan.
mferrante83's review against another edition
3.0
I am an unabashed fan of Zelazny’s Amber books, yes I even love the second series starring Merlin, but other than Amber I am far too under-read when it comes to Zelany’s body of work. Last year, when tracking down post-apocalyptic novels to read I came across Zelazny’s Damnation Alley, purchased a used copy, then promptly forgot about it on a bookshelf. I noticed the bright yellow spine of the Gollancz SF paperback and decided finally give it a go.
Damnation Alley is a post-apocalyptic action novel where convicted Hell’s Angel member Hell Tanner is offered a pardon in return for running the titular Damnation Alley. Loaded up in an armed and armored car Hell has to head from L.A. to Boston to deliver a cargo of antiserum. Crossing the entire country while skirting radioactive craters and dealing with horridly mutated monstrosities that populate the former United States.
Damnation Alley is not a meditative novel. While Zelazny offers hints of what happened to the country (and the world) the gist of the explanation is simply “war.” Damnation Alley is about as over the top as they come and the novel never flinches at the ridiculous. Giant Gila Monsters, Giant Bats, Giant Spiders, mentioned though never seen killer butterflies, and tornado dodging covers just about all the notes of craziness you’ll see over the course of this journey; typically only when briefly illuminated by a muzzle flash or flamethrower. Hell Tanner is a mean son of a bitch with some noble qualities, a quintessential anti-hero, though his good deeds never seem to quite make up for his ornery nature and past atrocities.
Zelazny does offer some interesting notes of introspection on Tanner’s part; notably a sort of stream-of-consciousness scene early during the start of the journey, and a later injury induced delirium scene at novels end that allow for some fascinating imagery that illuminate a theme of redemption that is belied by the fact that Tanner never really changes. In fact there is a nice little conversation between Tanner and a scientist quite to this effect in high Tanner is accused of contradicting the idea of Batesian mimicry; he is a man that refuses to adapt. Indeed, despite his few good deeds Tanner’s refusal to change remains an integral part of the novel right up to and through the final scene.
While reading Damnation Alley you might be struck by the idea that this would make a great movie. This is apparently was the thought in 1977 when the book was made into a film starring Jan-Michael Vincent as Tanner. The movie was, apparently, a total bust that takes all the over-the-top elements of character and action and creates a watered down mess. Honestly, I think it’s time someone tried again. Given that Machete (itself spawned from the Grindhouse team-up between Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino) just opened at #3 at the US box office and the recent action-fest that was the Expendables I think U.S. audiences are at least a ready for a more faithful adaptation of an over-the-top Grindhouse worthy post-apocalyptic adventure. Well, I am, so if Hollywood reads this: get to work!
While almost universally agreed as numbering among Zelazny’s lesser (if not least) works Damnation Alley is still an entertaining romp that I strongly recommend taking for a spin. It’s a fast paced read not overly concerned with character development and world building but one that still manages to tell a ripping yarn that will still have you grinning as you ride shotgun with Hell (note: Ride shotgun with Hell would be a great tagline for the non-existent new movie). Damnation Alley is the flip side of the science fiction coin standing in stark contrast to the open wonder and questing nature of a title like Rendezvous With Rama; a book that uses its fantastical elements for one goal: fun.
Damnation Alley is a post-apocalyptic action novel where convicted Hell’s Angel member Hell Tanner is offered a pardon in return for running the titular Damnation Alley. Loaded up in an armed and armored car Hell has to head from L.A. to Boston to deliver a cargo of antiserum. Crossing the entire country while skirting radioactive craters and dealing with horridly mutated monstrosities that populate the former United States.
Damnation Alley is not a meditative novel. While Zelazny offers hints of what happened to the country (and the world) the gist of the explanation is simply “war.” Damnation Alley is about as over the top as they come and the novel never flinches at the ridiculous. Giant Gila Monsters, Giant Bats, Giant Spiders, mentioned though never seen killer butterflies, and tornado dodging covers just about all the notes of craziness you’ll see over the course of this journey; typically only when briefly illuminated by a muzzle flash or flamethrower. Hell Tanner is a mean son of a bitch with some noble qualities, a quintessential anti-hero, though his good deeds never seem to quite make up for his ornery nature and past atrocities.
Zelazny does offer some interesting notes of introspection on Tanner’s part; notably a sort of stream-of-consciousness scene early during the start of the journey, and a later injury induced delirium scene at novels end that allow for some fascinating imagery that illuminate a theme of redemption that is belied by the fact that Tanner never really changes. In fact there is a nice little conversation between Tanner and a scientist quite to this effect in high Tanner is accused of contradicting the idea of Batesian mimicry; he is a man that refuses to adapt. Indeed, despite his few good deeds Tanner’s refusal to change remains an integral part of the novel right up to and through the final scene.
While reading Damnation Alley you might be struck by the idea that this would make a great movie. This is apparently was the thought in 1977 when the book was made into a film starring Jan-Michael Vincent as Tanner. The movie was, apparently, a total bust that takes all the over-the-top elements of character and action and creates a watered down mess. Honestly, I think it’s time someone tried again. Given that Machete (itself spawned from the Grindhouse team-up between Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino) just opened at #3 at the US box office and the recent action-fest that was the Expendables I think U.S. audiences are at least a ready for a more faithful adaptation of an over-the-top Grindhouse worthy post-apocalyptic adventure. Well, I am, so if Hollywood reads this: get to work!
While almost universally agreed as numbering among Zelazny’s lesser (if not least) works Damnation Alley is still an entertaining romp that I strongly recommend taking for a spin. It’s a fast paced read not overly concerned with character development and world building but one that still manages to tell a ripping yarn that will still have you grinning as you ride shotgun with Hell (note: Ride shotgun with Hell would be a great tagline for the non-existent new movie). Damnation Alley is the flip side of the science fiction coin standing in stark contrast to the open wonder and questing nature of a title like Rendezvous With Rama; a book that uses its fantastical elements for one goal: fun.
aphrael's review against another edition
3.0
pretty good toadtrip kind of story. I normally don't care much for post-apocalyptic stuff but this was nice and character driven. pretty brutal at some points but still has some of the dreamy prose you find in Amber as well.