Swan SongSwan Song
Score Classic
What it's about
After a nuclear war destroys America, a handful of survivors set out across the wasteland. A homeless woman in New York finds a strange glass ring that glows. A former wrestler in Kansas protects a young girl named Swan, who has the power to make dead things grow again. And something evil, the Man with the Scarlet Eye, is gathering an army to stop her.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It's an epic good-versus-evil story, often compared to The Stand, and its readers love it fiercely.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stand
The Road
Station ElevenGood to know
It's almost a thousand pages, with graphic violence and horror. The opening chapters of the war are harrowing.
By the numbers
- Readers91 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #12 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #57 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #203 of the 762 classics we rank
- #634 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Thought-provoking, Epic
If you like this, read next
The Truth
Dark Slayer
Dark Curse
A Deadly Education
The Library at Mount Char
There Is No Antimemetics DivisionExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Swan Song worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It ranks #634 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Swan Song about?
After a nuclear war destroys America, a handful of survivors set out across the wasteland. A homeless woman in New York finds a strange glass ring that glows. A former wrestler in Kansas protects a young girl named Swan, who has the power to make dead things grow again. And something evil, the Man with the Scarlet Eye, is gathering an army to stop her.
How long does it take to read Swan Song?
About 22 hours (880 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Swan Song?
If you liked it, try The Stand by Stephen King, The Road by Cormac McCarthy or Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.