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The Postman Hardcover – 1 Oct. 1985

by David Brin (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,658 ratings
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In the aftermath of a war that has devastated the nation, a traveling storyteller borrows the jacket of a long dead postal worker and is transformed unwittingly into a symbol of hope for America's future
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    1 Oct. 1985
  5. ISBN-10
    0553051075
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0553051070
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Product description

From the Inside Flap

story of a lie that became the most powerful kind of truth. A timeless novel as urgently compelling as War Day or Alas, Babylon, David Brin's The Postman is the dramatically moving saga of a man who rekindled the spirit of America through the power of a dream, from a modern master of science fiction.

He was a survivor--a wanderer who traded tales for food and shelter in the dark and savage aftermath of a devastating war. Fate touches him one chill winter's day when he borrows the jacket of a long-dead postal worker to protect himself from the cold. The old, worn uniform still has power as a symbol of hope, and with it he begins to weave his greatest tale, of a nation on the road to recovery.


From the Paperback edition.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Oct. 1985
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553051075
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553051070
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 612 g
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 2,658 ratings

About the author

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David Brin

David Brin

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David Brin is a scientist, public speaker and world-known author. His novels have been New York Times Bestsellers, winning multiple Hugo, Nebula and other awards. At least a dozen have been translated into more than twenty languages.

David's latest novel - Existence - is set forty years ahead, in a near future when human survival seems to teeter along not just on one tightrope, but dozens, with as many hopeful trends and breakthroughs as dangers... a world we already see ahead. Only one day an astronaut snares a small, crystalline object from space. It appears to contain a message, even visitors within. Peeling back layer after layer of motives and secrets may offer opportunities, or deadly peril.

David's non-fiction book -- The Transparent Society: Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Freedom and Privacy? -- deals with secrecy in the modern world. It won the Freedom of Speech Award from the American Library Association.

A 1998 movie, directed by Kevin Costner, was loosely based on his post-apocalyptic novel, The Postman. Brin's 1989 ecological thriller - Earth - foreshadowed global warming, cyberwarfare and near-future trends such as the World Wide Web. David's novel Kiln People has been called a book of ideas disguised as a fast-moving and fun noir detective story, set in a future when new technology enables people to physically be in more than two places at once. A hardcover graphic novel The Life Eaters explored alternate outcomes to WWII, winning nominations and high praise.

David's science fictional Uplift Universe explores a future when humans genetically engineer higher animals like dolphins to become equal members of our civilization. These include the award-winning Startide Rising, The Uplift War, Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore and Heaven's Reach. He also recently tied up the loose ends left behind by the late Isaac Asimov: Foundation's Triumph brings to a grand finale Asimov's famed Foundation Universe.

Brin serves on advisory committees dealing with subjects as diverse as national defense and homeland security, astronomy and space exploration, SETI and nanotechnology, future/prediction and philanthropy.

As a public speaker, Brin shares unique insights -- serious and humorous -- about ways that changing technology may affect our future lives. He appears frequently on TV, including several episodes of "The Universe" and History Channel's "Life After People." He also was a regular cast member on "The ArciTECHS."

Brin's scientific work covers an eclectic range of topics, from astronautics, astronomy, and optics to alternative dispute resolution and the role of neoteny in human evolution. His Ph.D in Physics from UCSD - the University of California at San Diego (the lab of nobelist Hannes Alfven) - followed a masters in optics and an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Caltech. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Space Institute. His technical patents directly confront some of the faults of old-fashioned screen-based interaction, aiming to improve the way human beings converse online.

Brin lives in San Diego County with his wife and three children.

You can follow David Brin:

Website: http://www.davidbrin.com/

Blog: http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DavidBrin

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/cab801

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,658 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a nice easy read with a thought-provoking story. They appreciate the character development, particularly noting the more likeable protagonist.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter development
27 customers mention ‘Readability’27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written, with one customer noting it should be read before watching the film adaptation.

"...It is well written and a real page turner. The central character Gordon was an unlikely hero who believed there could something better...." Read more

"...For me, this has lost this easy to read and entertaining book one star." Read more

"...don't know why the quasi robots were introduced, but this was still a readable and thought provoking book." Read more

"...It's well written, fast paced and should be read before seeing the film...." Read more

15 customers mention ‘Story quality’15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's story engaging and thought-provoking, with one customer describing it as a great post-apocalyptic tale about chance.

"...I found this book very thought provoking and the characters were very believable. It is well written and a real page turner...." Read more

"...In fact there are interesting ideas throughout - the book also meditates on the nature of leadership and how leaders should relate to society, for..." Read more

"...robots were introduced, but this was still a readable and thought provoking book." Read more

"...The story is great, it puts forward a now tired scenario perfectly and absorbingly with what seems a freshness as opposed to a bleakness - the post..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Character development’5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding the protagonist more likeable.

"...I found this book very thought provoking and the characters were very believable. It is well written and a real page turner...." Read more

"...Gordon is a likeable character, a reluctant hero who gradually grows into the role...." Read more

"...surprised to read a story with a lot more depth, and a much more likeable protagonist...." Read more

"...Reluctant heroes are somewhat appealing and this 'postman' is no different...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This was an extremely great surprise
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I had watched the film with Kevin Costner which was OK however it did spark my interest to read the book it was based on. I found this book very thought provoking and the characters were very believable. It is well written and a real page turner. The central character Gordon was an unlikely hero who believed there could something better. I would highly recommend this book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth a read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2024
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    If you like optimism in your post-apocalypse, you're going to enjoy this one.

    Fans of Death Stranding will be enthralled
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  • Cllr Chris Burke MBA
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Tale of a Nation Seeking to be Reborn
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Ever since reading The War of the Worlds by HG Wells I have enjoyed visionary novels and this excellent work is one of them.
    The people you meet live and breath and a ruined US feels it's way out of the effects of a nuclear war.
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  • 4u1e
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Postman always leads a renaissance of human society
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 June 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I've really wavered about how much I like this book. After ploughing my way through a few monstrously long post-apocalyptic novels, I refreshed myself with Neville Shute's much more elegantly paced On The Beach before approaching this, which I thought would be another overblown epic. I was delighted when I realised it's far less self-indulgent than some others in the genre and weighs in at about 400 pages, a length which feels 'right' for the story to be told.

    It starts really well, constantly changing direction as Gordon Krantz struggles to survive in (yet another!) post-apocalyptic North America. It's realistically done and I enjoyed the focus on the rights and wrongs of life in this much battered society. In this respect this early section is rather like The Road, albeit nothing like so dark and without Cormac McCarthy's lyrical psychological insight. The core idea, that a small lie can snowball and serve a much bigger and better truth, is a really interesting one and kept me engaged off and on to the end. In fact there are interesting ideas throughout - the book also meditates on the nature of leadership and how leaders should relate to society, for example.

    The book was originally written in three sections, which is obvious but actually works in its favour as each section has a different theme. It lost me slightly in the last section, as this element felt more like pulp scifi than the first two, but each to his own and I can hardly blame Brin for being a scifi author! Still, I found the final section less original than the first two and in this section the themes being explored are less subtly drawn, coming down to a physical confrontation between adherents of two different philosophies. For me, this has lost this easy to read and entertaining book one star.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • AReader
    4.0 out of 5 stars Some interesting ideas
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book explores the developments of post apocalyptic social structures in the United States, where "survivalists" with guns destroy other nascent social arrangements - mainly for the fun of it, as far as I could see. The concept of men seeking to define themselves by random destruction and violence is just as frightening even in countries that don't have survivalists or guns.

    Other reviewers have mentioned various philosophical points, but for me one theme stands out, the question whether in a new society women have inevitably to become household and bedroom slaves to men.

    I agree I don't know why the quasi robots were introduced, but this was still a readable and thought provoking book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mr. J. Forsyth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than these reviews
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Id like to start by saying just how surpriesd I am by all of these "a little dissapointed.." reviews im reading.

    The story is great, it puts forward a now tired scenario perfectly and absorbingly with what seems a freshness as opposed to a bleakness - the post apocalyptic struggle is a positive drive, not a tiresome nihlistic drag as some books suggest.

    People rattling on about the book failling to deliver its phillosophical points(?) in my opinion were looking too deep. FAR too deep. As with most good Sci-Fi there is a clever idea or message ingrained in the story but it is not the entire story, it is a skeleton to build around. Its got to have a good story or I lose interest in the ideas.

    So this is just that, a great post-apocalyptic story about chance and one mans destiny/fate, survival and the rebuilding of civilisation. And a nice, clever way of doing it.

    P.S. apart from the post-apocolypse thing I dont really get all the comparisons being made to A CANTICLE FOR LIEBOWITZ. Yes I read and own that book also, and to be honest didnt really get it, maybe I'll give it another read but it is SO DIFFERENT from this book. Really.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Mal
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good story, twists and turns and all based on a lie.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not going to spoil the book by bleating out the end, it's kind of hard to do as there isn't one, if this was a box you'd wait for season two what happens good Gordon?
    It's well written, fast paced and should be read before seeing the film. I said it has no end, but has a conclusion so read and don't be disappointed.
    Man or Woman kind will win out
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  • WebelWebel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers (in more ways than one!)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I watched the film many MANY years ago...I think when it first came out, and enjoyed that, so it was only natural that I would want to read the book, given I am spending the Pandemic reading nothing but Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic fiction! This novel delivers (in more ways than one...See what I did there?) Great descriptions of the various post-apocalyptic communities, as well as descriptions of both the good and bad elements in a truly bleak world!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Klapaucjusz
    5.0 out of 5 stars I just found my new favored author!
    Reviewed in the United States on 31 March 2019
    Verified Purchase
    It is one of the best post-apocalyptic novels I ever read. I did not see a movie and I did not know the writer. I bought this book only because it popped up in Daily Kindle Deals and I did not expect a story that will pull me in from the first chapter and will keep getting better and better with every next one. But this was exactly what happened. The book is over 30 years old but it passed the test of time in flying colors and it still feels fresh.

    I loved the main idea of Postman and the basically optimistic message of the book that there is a hope for the future of humanity as long as we can believe in something bigger than ourselves. Learning why and how apocalypse happened was fascinating. And the idea how society may be rebuild again, even more so. I also greatly enjoyed references to the real events in the history of our civilization (although some of them send me to Wikipedia in search for things like ancient Greek plays). They added deeper meaning to actions and motivations of protagonists.

    On top of all this the story is very well written and very well paced. The main protagonist is very likable and I could easily root for him. There is not more gore than required in every post-apocalyptic novel which I also found very refreshing.

    Summarizing, it was my perfect kind of book; great action, likable protagonists, amazing ideas and even opportunity to learn a little about the real world. It left me hungry for more books by this author (and I see that there are many to choose from).

    PS. The author webpage is definitely worth checking
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  • Brent L
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it and Read it
    Reviewed in Canada on 20 August 2013
    Verified Purchase
    If all you know about this book is the Costner movie you need to clear your palate.

    There is a reason this story has stood the test of time for as long as it has. It is more than a story of post apocalyptic survival or such. It is more than the struggle of people in a world where the only rule is their own. It is more than that.

    This is a story of what people are willing to do, can do, and will do to act like a human being when doing so is NOT mandated by law or public perception. It is about what we do when we have to, what we do when we don't want to, and what we do when the easy choice is the wrong one.

    It is an inspiring story and an excellent example of the best the genre has to offer.

    I cannot recommend it enough.

    I had not read it in some time (about two decades?), and when I went to do so I found I had at some point misplaced my copy. I bought this one because I wanted to read it again just that much.
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  • Cheryl Shoubridge
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just as powerful as when I read it 30 yrs ago!
    Reviewed in Australia on 26 December 2020
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I tripped across this recently looking for ebooks to read over the Christmas break. As I had not read this for so long I downloaded and simply read it right through in almost one sitting. So many relevant messages in today’s pandemic stricken world. Be kind to others, celebrate good men, stand up for what is right....always...and never ever underestimate women.
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  • Jorge Arceo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected
    Reviewed in Mexico on 10 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Love it, the world, the plot, the hope. It’s an excellent night read or emergency book for those long lines.
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  • Robert Meyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Die eindrucksvolle Vorlage zum Film
    Reviewed in Germany on 30 May 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ich kannte bisher nur den Film "Postman" mit Kevin Costner, Will Patton und Olivia Williams in den Hauptrollen.

    Nun konnte ich die literarische Vorlage lesen.
    Das Buch erschien schon mal unter dem Titel "Gordons Berufung".

    Amerika im Jahr 2013:
    Ein Atomkrieg hat die Welt in Schutt und Asche gelegt und die Menschen leben verstreut voneinander.
    Die Zivilisation scheint untergegangen zu sein und wird von manchen Menschen als Mythos betrachtet.
    Plündernde Truppen versetzen alle Leute in Angst und Schrecken.
    Doch Gordon Krantz, ein wandernder Einzelgänger, findet eines Tages ein altes, verrostetes Postauto mit den Überresten eines Postboten und Säcke voll mit unzugestellten Briefen.
    Gordon Krantz bestattet die Gebeine, zieht sich die Uniform über und nimmt die Postsäcke an sich in der Hoffnung durch die Zustellung der Briefe Unterkunft in Siedlungen zu bekommen.
    In einer Siedlung gelingt es Gordon einige Briefe erfolgreich zuzustellen.
    Mit neuen Briefen zieht Gordon weiter bis er in einer anderen Siedlung ankommt und man ihm den Eintritt verwehrt.
    Sofort gibt sich Gordon Krantz als Postbeamter der Wiederauferstandenen Vereinigten Staaten aus.
    Durch diese Lüge keimt in den verstreut lebenden Menschen die Hoffnung die Zivilisation von damals wiederaufzubauen.
    Gordon Krantz, der Held wider Willen, muss sich nun die Mühe geben den Postversand wiederherzustellen und versucht seine Rolle als Postbeamter zu halten.

    Der Roman überzeugt durch Tiefgründigkeit, ist eindrucksvoll und ist zugleich philosophisch.
    Ist es richtig mit Lügen den Menschen Hoffnung zu geben?

    David Brin hat einen meisterhaften Endzeitroman hervorgebracht und schildert sehr gut wie die Menschen, angespornt durch Hoffnung, versuchen das aufzubauen, wovon sie glauben dass es bereits da ist.

    Das Buch ist eindrucksvoll, aber mir persönlich gefällt der Film in vielen Aspekten besser.
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