I actually had to check the publication date because this felt like it was written in the 50s (it was not). I.e. swear words are "blanked" out... as in F--- or C---... what on earth is that all about? If they swear, they swear, blanking it out just makes me feel like the censor board got a hold of it before I did. It's not like you're fooling me as to what the words actually mean.

Then I had to check the author's gender because the name looks like a female author's name but it certainly isn't written with any respect for women (it was a female author).

One of the main characters is female but she's written like a male writer from the 50s would write a post-nuke female... i.e. she needs to find a man to travel with, then she needs him to defend her honor re rape, then she needs him to show her that the "ways of love" are not the "ways of rape" (I guess she was a virgin... like there's any of them over age 16 anymore - hence the 50s feel).

Anyway... leaving the depiction of women aside, I had to reread sections because: what is the difference between a Pirate and a Mutie and what is the main character and what is the main character's man? They are all from different "categories" of post-nuke survivors but I couldn't figure out which was which half the time. Other than the Pirates being murderers, because, of course, it's perfectly logical - post-nuke - to drive around raping and murdering every living creature you find, right? ( )

Apocalypse via environmental collapse/general human stupidity. Not bad, kind of a lame ending. ( )