The Last City Of America Analysis
Introduction
Personally, I am a big fan of future dystopian stories that explore questions about ourselves as humans. The Last City of America delivers in both regards: it is set in a ravaged America and it follows all sorts of characters, constantly challenging you to ask yourself what it means to be good or evil.
Summary
The Last City of America is a dystopian epic set in future America. A virus called Hephaestus has swept the nation and made conception difficult. In 2025, birth rates declined by fifty percent. In 2065, America became decentralized and divided. People started to form their own tribes and law was ignored. In 2066, “The Founding” occurred, leading to the relocation of all American citizens to one of seven cities: Sacramento, …show more content…
Some events are glossed over too fast. You spend an awful long time reading in preparation of some major event, like a zombie assault on an airbase, or a huge battle between the same airbase and Chicago. But when these events occur, they are described in only a couple of chapters. Perspectives change rapidly, sometimes only describing half a page of thoughts. One-off perspectives occur as well. Both could do with a bit more content. Finally, the resolution of the book, is somewhat unsatisfactory. The journeys you follow leave you with a lot of content to digest, which is somewhat steered by an epilogue. Based on this epilogue, most of the things learned are up to the reader to interpret or remember. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels after 600+ pages with an enormous amount of perspectives, it would be logical to have some definitive conclusions, even if these conclusions are inconclusive. Right now, it leaves open too many questions and does not dare to state anything.
Conclusion
Ultimately, The Last City of America is an intriguing, worthwhile book for people who love dystopian epics infused with philosophy of human nature. If you are not shy to invest some time, do it, and enjoy a twisted, yet deep set of stories which question our very existence to the core of our actions. Despite some discussed gripes, I rate this debut of Matthew Tysz 3 out of 4 stars. If the aforementioned gripes were not there, it might have been a 4 star
Personally, I am a big fan of future dystopian stories that explore questions about ourselves as humans. The Last City of America delivers in both regards: it is set in a ravaged America and it follows all sorts of characters, constantly challenging you to ask yourself what it means to be good or evil.
Summary
The Last City of America is a dystopian epic set in future America. A virus called Hephaestus has swept the nation and made conception difficult. In 2025, birth rates declined by fifty percent. In 2065, America became decentralized and divided. People started to form their own tribes and law was ignored. In 2066, “The Founding” occurred, leading to the relocation of all American citizens to one of seven cities: Sacramento, …show more content…
Some events are glossed over too fast. You spend an awful long time reading in preparation of some major event, like a zombie assault on an airbase, or a huge battle between the same airbase and Chicago. But when these events occur, they are described in only a couple of chapters. Perspectives change rapidly, sometimes only describing half a page of thoughts. One-off perspectives occur as well. Both could do with a bit more content. Finally, the resolution of the book, is somewhat unsatisfactory. The journeys you follow leave you with a lot of content to digest, which is somewhat steered by an epilogue. Based on this epilogue, most of the things learned are up to the reader to interpret or remember. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels after 600+ pages with an enormous amount of perspectives, it would be logical to have some definitive conclusions, even if these conclusions are inconclusive. Right now, it leaves open too many questions and does not dare to state anything.
Conclusion
Ultimately, The Last City of America is an intriguing, worthwhile book for people who love dystopian epics infused with philosophy of human nature. If you are not shy to invest some time, do it, and enjoy a twisted, yet deep set of stories which question our very existence to the core of our actions. Despite some discussed gripes, I rate this debut of Matthew Tysz 3 out of 4 stars. If the aforementioned gripes were not there, it might have been a 4 star