"The Last One" Effortlessly Marries Reality TV and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction. No Kidding!

The Last One - Alexandra Oliva

Just about anyone who knows me well probably also knows that I have nothing to do with so-called “reality” televisions shows. I’ve never voluntarily watched more than a few seconds of “Survivor,” “Big Brother,” or any other example of the genre. Face facts: I’m really not willing to suspend my disbelief for this particular form of escapism: life’s tough enough for most people without phony challenges and fake contests. So it might come as a surprise to my acquaintances that my most recent literary find is all about a reality television show…

…or maybe they wouldn’t be surprised, since Alexandra Oliva’s debut novel, The Last One, is at the same time a damned fine example of one of my favorite genres: post-apocalyptic fiction. Here: let me tell you about it.