Suicide Mission – “Aleja Potępienia” – book review

Roger Zelazny Avenue of Damnation is one of the most important titles of the post-apo genre, which was an inspiration for,  among others , Stephen King

Czort Tanner

From today’s perspective, the story from the book should come as no surprise to anyone. A dangerous criminal living in a post-apocalyptic world is faced with a choice: death or performing a difficult task that could have the same effect. His mission is to get the vaccine from Los Angeles to Boston, which would not normally pose much of a problem. After the end of the war, the United States is not what it was before. The unstable atmosphere and damaged roads will certainly not make Czort’s life easier, and this is just the beginning of the problems that may meet him during his travels. At this point the road novel begins, gradually changing Tanner’s character.

Economical form 

Nowadays, lovers of post-apo literature have different ideas of what this genre represents. It has its motives and clichés that we have already dealt with many times. Avenue of Damnationoriginally published in 1969, it shows how little has changed in the design of these patterns and how successfully they are used to this day. The author has created a story sparing in words and without unnecessary words. There are a lot of understatements here, which means that the reader has to figure out many things on his own. In this case, in my opinion, it definitely works in favor of the novel. Everyone can take advantage of these gaps and create the world in their own way. We will not see here a long and detailed description of the conflict that led to the nuclear holocaust. The image of the world that remained after the war is also served in a sparing form. Accompanying Czort during his journey, we observe ruined America and people coping with the hardships of life in extreme conditions. However, this is only a small glimpse into what the world looks like after the apocalypse. We also do not get to know the political and social climate of the USA and the situation prevailing in other countries of the world.

Roger Zelazny used a trick in the novel, as a result of which the main character does not arouse sympathy in the reader. Tanner looks like a typical American motorcyclist, living a tradition that goes back to the origins of his country and is completely dependent on freedom. Before the war, he earned the status of Los Angeles’s most dangerous criminal. The mission he undertakes thus contradicts his ideals, thus locking him in a metaphorical prison. The most important phenomenon we observe in the book is the character’s gradual transformation. Czort changes under the influence of the people he meets on the way. He begins to see the purpose of his task and is ready to sacrifice a lot for the success of the mission. Scratches begin to appear on the armor of the ruthless tough guy with which he surrounds himself.

Summary 

Aleja Potępienia is a road novel in which, as the number of kilometers traveled by the protagonist increases, we learn about the principles of the world and observe its drastic transformation. It inspired many authors to create their versions of the world after the Holocaust, who used the themes contained in it to varying degrees. The author does not present us with extensive and sophisticated descriptions of the world, partially leaving the reader a free hand in creating reality. Zelazny’s work is a classic of the genre that every post-apo admirer should know. The novel shows that by using a small number of words and a mass of understatements, you can create a credible world that looks a bit different for each of us.