Open your eyes and follow me.

Narration is an art form, especially when given as a dramatic performance rather than a simple reading. Not many male narrators can reproduce convincing female voices, one notable exception being Jeff Hays, so frequently heard in Harmon Cooper's LitRPG titles. Even fewer woman can provide authentic sounding male voices and in this Andrea Parseneau, narrator of this book, is exceptional. Her whole performance is outstanding. However, throughout the entire story, this reader could not prevent the thought - why, when all of the main protagonist are male (apart from very brief appearances of Hope and very occasional odd sentences by others), in a book heavy with dialogue, is the reader female? It makes no sense. Despite the marvellous work of Ms.Parseneau, listening would have been much easier with a male narrator.

But perhaps this is another surreal joke by Mr.Cooper. Star-Spangled Apocalypse is so remeniscent of the mid 1960s, even referencing cultural aspects of the time and the obsession of so many with life's meanings. And it is a satire on society, longings, lusts and, especially, prejudice which unfortunately stays, it seems, eternal. Two barristas from opposite ends of the political spectrum, one a drunk the other a stoner, had passed work time in aimless conversation about what they would do if Armageddon came. And then it does! Or seems to, when the city in which they worked, Austin, Texas, explodes into fire. They decide to get out together and take to the road in a haze of alcohol and drugs, vaguely heading for Denver. This is their psychodylic road trip, their experiences along the journey, funny - loved the amphetamine fuelled James heading for New Mexico - and somewhat horrifying, too. Took this reader right back in time!

Apart from my ongoing reservation about the choice of narrator, I loved this book. My thanks to the author who, at my request, freely gifted me a complimentary copy. It is very different from his splendid LitRPG novels, the work of an earlier mind but no less immaginative, humourous and fun.
Recommended.

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