End of the World: Out West (free ebook copy of Hear Me Scream)

I recently moved from Kentucky to Nevada. Yup, I left the Bluegrass State for the Silver one. Not by choice. I don't adapt to change very well. Takes me a minute--or two. However, I was looking forward to traveling across the country on a trip to the American West. Grand or simple locations can serve as great inspiration for an author's next story. And since I've been on the topic of 'End of the World', I figured I point out some of the stories set in some of these beautiful and scenic locations I traveled by:

This is a gas station's convenience store somewhere in Kansas. I took the picture after too many hours of being cramped in the caravan. We needed a break. Fueling the car seemed like a good enough reason to stop. Now, a post-apocalyptic novel/movie/series set here, the only one that comes to mind at this time will have to be the short-lived Jericho (2006-2008 TV series) The story in a nutshell: The show centers on the residents of a small and fictional town in Kansas, Jericho. After a nuclear attack on other major cities and states, the people of the town are stuck trying to figure out what happened and how they will survive.

Our next stop was the beautiful state of Colorado. If you've never been, you should. Unfortunately, we traveled most of the state by night, and so I couldn't take any good pictures except for the one I took at the welcome center. The welcome center was nice and I got a bunch of travel guides. You should stop by if you're ever entering the state. The nice folks who work here and very friendly and helpful.

Parts of The Stand were set in Colorado where a group of survivors from a pandemic are drawn together and try to start a new life led by an old lady, Mother Abagail, a woman seemed to them as what good is supposed to be. This Stephen King novel is rather long, but interesting. 

Another novel that comes to mind and where Colorado is more prevalent: The Dog Stars. The story of a man who survived a flu pandemic. Everyone he knows is dead. He lives in an airport with his dog. He does fly and explore a lot of what is left of the state. The author's, Peter Heller, punctuation reminded me of Cormac McCarty. You'll see if you read.

The state I took the most pictures of was Utah. It was morning when we arrived and the sun wasn't high enough to be a problem and the land was just peaceful. Or maybe I was in a good mood because we were so close to our destination. 

Beautiful Southwest, beautiful state. And while, I'm at it, I might as well include a post-apocalyptic story with Utah as a setting. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller 

Story: Many decades after a holocaust has destroyed most of the earth, a monk discovers holy relics that could hold the keys to mankind's salvation. The story has many layers, and if you don't mind religion, give it a try.

Next up: Arizona. Rocks everywhere. And honestly, I couldn't think of a post-apocalyptic movie/tv series/or book set in this particular state. However, if you do know of one leave a comment, I'm offering up a free ebook copy of Hear Me Scream , which is set in Kentucky, to the first person to respond with an answer. 

And finally we come to Nevada, my new home. Hopefully, I'll love it here. But not the heat, never the heat. The Stand, as already mentioned, is one novel partly set in Las Vegas, where another group of survivors are led my Randall Flagg, the opposite of Abagail, he represents evil. 

There is also a few short stories set in the Nevada desert, some of the ones in Wastelands like In the Deep Blue Sea, a short story about a woman tasked with taking some medical aid across the radiation-drenched country while the heat nearly consumes her and a debt collector keeps trying to stop her.

 Just one of the many stories in Wastelands. Not all are based on Nevada. Maybe just one or two. But the whole book is worth a look for Post-Apocalyptic lovers.

Final note: I look forward to new memories and new stories arising from my new state since I live in it now.