Ever wonder what a traveling theater troupe at the end of the world performs?

I just finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. The book is set in a world ravaged by a flu that kills most of the population. The night before the outbreak begins, a famous actor, Arthur, dies on stage while playing King Lear. 

The book follows the lives of people Arthur was connected with in some way—the paparazzo turned paramedic student who tries to save his life, the young actor who looks up to Arthur as a father, Arthur’s first two wives and his son. Although most of these people do not have connections in this new world, they are nonetheless bound by survival and history. 

This book doesn’t do anything new with the end of the world theme, but it is a solid entry into the ranks. This is not Hunger Games, but rather the kind of fiction that focuses on what normal people would do when faced with the end of society as we know it. I like the last scene where a character chooses to look to the future rather than relying on the past. An all-around solid read that will be on shelves at a library near you soon! If you liked this, I would also recommend The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Another phenomenal read in the end of the world genre. 

Oh, and to answer the title’s question: Shakespeare, of course.

~Amanda D.