A review by djotaku
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny

3.0

This book is 100% perfect as an illustration of a story being about the journey and not the destination. Zelazny creates a world in which a nuclear war has created a nightmarish, hellish landscape with enormous creatures. Hell Tanner has to cross this wasteland to make a delivery.

Spoiler

When he finally makes it to Boston, we just do a jump-cut to a statue of him, signifying his journey saving Boston. But it's literally the last 1% or so of the book. The majority was just about getting there.

This short story (or novella?) has a certain style of prose that harkens back to old genre fiction. Not quite Asimov levels, but not too far off either. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not in a hurry to recommend it.