The Amtrak Wars

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The Amtrak Wars are series of books written by Patrick Tilley. The series are post-apocalyptic science fiction with some fantasy elements such as the existence of magic. The series is set at the end of the 3rd millennium and follows Steve Brickman as he discovers the truth about the corrupt Amtrak Federation, an underground nation based in Texas and the surrounding states descended from the survivors from a military bunker. The nation is a despotic regime ran solely by the inbred First Family; few who are not in the First Family live beyond their thirties due to 'high radiation levels' which were actually created by the Family as a means of controlling the Trackers, as citizens of the Amtrak Federation are called. Access to technology and information is carefully controlled by the Family. The Federation is waging a war against the Mutes — mutant tribes descended from survivors of the apocalypse. Steve Brickman has an unconscious telepathic connection (and possibly incestuous relationship) with his "kin-sister" Roz.

Contents 1 Societies 2 Books 3 Other Material 4 Controversy

[edit] Societies

• The Amtrak Federation—It is descended from those who survived the Holocaust in underground bases in Texas, connected by radiation-sealed railroad cars that acted as mobile command centres for the military, running on the American railroad system, Amtrak, hence the name.^{[citation needed]}. They see themselves as a 'master race' who will ultimately rule the world. However, this survival has come at a price—most of the men are sterile, with the exception of some members of the First Family. They are the technological leaders of the world. All other groups see the Federation as over-dependent on machines, deaf to the real world, and doomed to destruction. The Federation culture has a fondness for the wild west mythos of the 20th century.
• The Mutes—They are descendants from the general population who somehow found the mental and physical strength to survive the nuclear winter. As a result, Mutes are physically very strong, and, while mostly congenitally forgetful, they regularly produce some children with exceptional mental abilities, who then remember for the general populace. They also have some limited ability with precognition (which comes from a being called Mo-Town the Sky Mother) and summoning power (from a being called Talisman). Their survival has resulted in a mutation - their skin is multi-colored and lumpy. However, they sometimes produce 'straights' - children with multi-colored unlumpy skin. As the story starts, the Plainfolk are producing first-generation 'superstraights' with perfectly normal skin. Their speech seems to indicate at least partial cultural descent from African-Americans.
• The Sons of Ne-Issan—They are descended from two groups: Asiatic illegal immigrant communities on the Eastern seaboard at the time of the Holocaust, and Japanese boat-people who survived at sea. They run the area between the St. Lawrence River, the Atlantic Ocean, and Virginia in a fashion similar to feudal Japan. They are ruled by a shogun, through regional domain-lords. Given the multi-racial character of their society, there is a strict hierarchy among the East Asian nationalities present, with ethnic Japanese at the top, followed by Koreans, Chinese etc. with their position determined by the proximity of the sacred Mt.Fuji, down to a large population of Mute slaves. Their survival has resulted in a mutation—their cardiovascular systems have been weakened, with a high rate of haemophilia and heart attacks. The Mutes call them the Iron Masters, in reference to their knowing how to produce iron, and their being the source of all the Mutes' iron, which is traded for Mute slaves. They are adept at mechanical and steam technology, but have a strong cultural phobia of the use of electricity and other higher sciences.

[edit] Books

1. Cloud Warrior (1983)
   This book opens with an examination of the character of a Mute named Cadillac, and his world-view. We learn of the Talisman Prophecy, Cadillac's status as a wordsmith and a freak, and his love of Clearwater. The story, however, is about Steven Roosevelt Brickman, an 18-year-old wingman (pilot) in the war against the Plainfolk Mutes. He is shot down, but is spared by the Mutes. He meets Cadillac, Cadillac's mentor Mr. Snow, and Motor-Head, the tribe's paramount warrior. He sees the gaps in his Tracker worldview, but still tries to escape. He meets Clearwater, falls in love with her, and woos her away from Cadillac. He then escapes, killing the jealous Motor-Head in the process. The book ends with Mr. Snow telling Cadillac and Clearwater that they will have a role to play in the Talisman Prophecy.
2. First Family (1985)
   This book opens with an examination of the character of a Tracker named Deke Haywood, and his world-view. He is a 'techie' in the Tracker base on the ruins of Pueblo, Colorado. He then notes that someone is trying to approach the base on his monitors. It is Steven Roosevelt Brickman. He is captured, and treated as a suspected traitor, but is not questioned. Through a series of undercover agents, the First Family manoeuvers Steve into a position of weakness and desperation, then sends him back into the field as a member of AMEXICO, the AMtrak EXecutive Intelligence COmmandoes (agents are known as 'Mexicans') with orders to kill Cadillac and Clearwater. He is promptly attacked by a group of deserters, who steal all his stuff and throw him out. He then finds his way back to Mr. Snow, whose tribe takes him in. After hearing that Cadillac and Clearwater have gone north to the land of the mysterious 'Iron Masters' (and that Cadillac used magic to copy his technical abilities), Steve stows away on an Iron Master vessel.
3. Iron Master (1987)
   This book opens with an examination of the character of an Iron Master named Toshiro Hase-Gawa and his world-view. He is a Herald of the Inner Court, a secret agent of his Shogun. With the arrival of Steve, Cadillac and Clearwater, the internal political groups are thrown into some turmoil, and Steve receives some offers. Steve also discovers that Cadillac is making recon gliders for the Iron Masters, masquerading as Steve (since Mutes are supposed to be illiterate). Steve agrees to help Cadillac, in exchange for Toshiro's help in getting them all out of the country at the end. Toshiro then gets Steve to kill one of the seventeen daiyamo (domain-lords). They then escape to a secret First Family recon station with two other runaways, where they steal transportation and fly back to Wyoming. But this is according to the Family's plan, and one of the runaways is a spy.
4. Blood River (1988)
   Steve, Cadillac and Clearwater meet with triumph and disaster as they try to evade the clutches of both the Iron Masters and the disguised hunter/killer squads sent out by the Lone Star Confederation to purge the overground of renegade Trackers and deserters.
5. Death-Bringer (1989)
   With the seriously-injured Clearwater now safely in their hands the First Family hatches a plan to capture Cadillac and Mr Snow and annihilate the Clan M'Call; a plan in which Steve is forced to continue his double-role as loyal agent of the Confederation and blood-brother to the Plainfolk.
6. Earth-Thunder (1990)
   As the "Great Mountain in the West speaks to the Sky with a Tongue of Flame", the Talisman Prophecy is on the verge of fulfillment...

[edit] Other Material

There is also a rare guide to the Amtrak Wars world titled Dark Visions: an illustrated guide to the Amtrak Wars, ISBN 0-7474-0270-1 (Sphere Books, 1988).

[edit] Controversy

The Amtrak Wars is notable for having a cliffhanger ending to the final volume, in which two of the main characters are killed, one of the three main civilisations is plunged into civil war and two children are born with pre-ordained destinies. However, since 1990 there have been no further additions to the series. In a letter dated 26 August 1991 Patrick Tilley confirmed that both the fans and publishers wanted additional novels to be published in the series and he was pursuing the matter, but only if he could "make it good enough." [1] No further explanation has been forthcoming on the matter. Rumours have circulated that additional novels in the sequence were being written, reaching a height in 1999 when a seventh volume was listed for publication by several websites. Unsubstantiated rumours surfaced in 2001 that Book 7 would be called Ghost Rider[2], and that one of the characters killed at the end of book 6 wasn't actually dead! As of April 2006, these rumours have amounted to nothing. Although Mr. Tilley is approaching his 80th birthday, he has once again hinted that there will be three further volumes in the sequence [3].