Systemic Shock

Most of the people I've known have thought about, at one time or another, how they would fare in a world gone wild (possibly the next FOX super-stupidity series). Systemic Shock takes a detailed, and disturbing, look at the possibilities and choices of both individuals and nations.Ted Quantrell is our link to this world. Young in body, old in spirit, unmatched in physical and mental speed, the character goes from young boy to lethal gentleman in the span of a couple hundred pages.Ing has the ability to write not only involving action scenes, but clear ones as well. Without burning the reader out on detailed moments, he still manages to craft a memorable scene. I could draw diagrams from memory of most of the gunfights, and yes, I did read the books dozens of times so that may not be so surprising.This is not a book for young readers, but young adults may well enjoy the series (Single Combat, Wild Country as sequels). There is a lot to learn from reading these books, and they're utterly enjoyable along the way.If you like Roger Zelazny or Louis L'Amour, you'll like Systemic Shock.

I've alway love "post Apocalypse SF". While I still list "Lucifer's Hammer" as #1, Ing's "Systemic Shock" is a very good read. If I consider this trilogy [including "Single Combat" & "Wild Country"] as one yarn, it rivals King's "the Stand" for second on my list.The whole set isn't much longer than either "The Stand" or "Lucifer's Hammer" .Mr. Ing creates a plausible and exciting global disaster, and a great set of characters and sub-plots, including "the starlet and the improved Ural Boar".His respect for the LDS Faith vs his recognition of the human failings of some of it's members was was magnificient. The LDS Church gained even more respect from this outsider [a life long Unitarian], yet several of the lessor villians and one of the major villians think of themselves as Mormon.A Great Read, well worth the time and trouble to track down!

This book came out in 1981. I was thirteen then and I read the whole thing staight through. Over the past nineteen years I've re-read it more than once and every time I've enjoyed it along with the two sequels: Single Combat and Wild Country. Yes there are elements in the series wich are now obsolete,but that is beside the point. These books are beautifully detailed, intelligent, suspenseful, and have some very well done action sequences. They accomplish what good science fiction should do, they take the reader to another reality and make it believable. My only complaint is that there has never been a fourth installment in the series. At the end of Wild Country ( released 1985) there are hints of what is coming in the next instalment, but fifteen years later there is still no 4th part. Why? Yes it is no longer applicable to the world of today but so what? Let's just say it takes place in an alternate reality and get on with it. Please. Otherwise pick up these book if you get the chance. In my opinion they are three of Mr. Ing's best works.