Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

[King Bob]

I remember this got a lot of buzz when it came out, and I probably read a review but can't recall. I heard that it was a post-apocalyptic story (here a killer flu) about a traveling group of musicians and actors whose big thing is doing Shakespeare, but that's only part of it. It really is about connections among a group of people and their stories, and I'd say half of it takes place before the killer flu. So there are flashbacks, and switches of focus onto different characters. I suppose one could dismiss this as a mainstream novel dressed up with a popular genre theme for better sales, but I thought it worked and was well done. An artist's graphic novel project is a big part of it, both pre- and post-apocalypse, and a quote from Star Trek Voyager is a motto of the performers.

[Drunk Monk]

 a quote from Star Trek Voyager is a motto of the performers.

Which quote? Resistance is futile?

[King Bob]

I was leaving it out but (SPOILER) here it is: "Survival is insufficient."

[Drunk Monk]

I was leaving it out but (SPOILER) here it is: "Survival is insufficient."

Had to look that one up. S6E2 Survival Instinct.  Read the synopsis but I don't remember the ep.

[Drunk Monk]

So I watched STV S6e2 last night. It was okay. 7of9 backstory so Jeri Ryan is all borged out, not nearly as distracting as in her indie-boob catsuit.  I was falling asleep so I wasn't paying that much attention to it all and remember thinking how well the indie-boobs were lit all the time in every shot, clearly the cinematographer's spotlight. 7of9 was one uptight borg.  

I never would have noticed that quote.  Although it was key to the message this episode was propounding, it really wasn't that pivotal.  It doesn't make me curious about this book.

[King Bob]

Just re-read this, since it's about a pandemic, and it let me say to myself, "Well at least ours isn't that bad." Just as good on second reading. I think one of the best books I've read that was published in the 2010s.