Bar None

July 27, 2009
Six months after a plague wipes out most of the world's population, several survivors follow the advice of a mysterious stranger and leave their mansion hideout to seek Bar None, the last bar on Earth, in this brief but enjoyable horror-fantasy tale. The travelers face a hard journey, dodging strange creatures and hostile survivors in an ever-changing natural environment unfettered by humankind. Lebbon (Dawn
) indulges in almost laughable, flowery descriptions of numerous beers and ales (“Marston's Double Drop, a golden ale with a fruity malt aroma, a bright and yeasty taste with a bitter, caramel finish, cool going down and calm as it dulled my senses”) that take up more than their share of space, but this is nevertheless a fun, engaging, exceptionally strange and refreshingly original tale for fans of postapocalyptic fiction.

September 15, 2009
The subtitle surrogate of horror master Lebbons latest says its A novel of chilling suspense, apocalyptic beauty, and fine ales. Apocalyptic about it is the grim setting in a near-future England devastated by deadly plagues. A small collection of survivors are huddled in and around an isolated English manor, squeezing sustenance from a dwindling supply of canned foods and beer. Then an enigmatic stranger arrives, holding out the promise of a distant, well-stocked pub, the Bar None, and the gang hits the road. Lebbons meandering, haunting tale follows the narrator and cohorts across the British countryside, avoiding the lurking post-humans while spinning theories about the plagues origins, brooding over past lives and loves, and reminiscing about assorted flavorful brews. Lebbons work has already been compared favorably to Cormac McCarthys Pulitzer Prize winner, The Road (2007), another post-apocalyptic walkabout. Yet Lebbons touch here is lighter, leavening the horror his characters endure with nostalgia, philosophical musings, and the occasional recipe for good ale. One of his finest novels to date.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)