Blackbirds is a 2012 noir/urban fantasy novel by Chuck Wendig. It was first published by Angry Robot.
Synopsis Whenever Miriam Black makes skin contact with someone for the first time, she sees how and when they will die. As a result, she is unable to function in society, and has become a drifter. When a man picks her up while hitchhiking, and she sees that she will be present at the time of his violent death 30 days later, she begins trying to change the future.
Reception Kirkus Reviews considered Blackbirds to be "delightfully vicious and bloody" with "an engaging blend of occult surrealism, nihilism, and startling violence", but conceded that the book's "pyrotechnic profanity, bloody ultraviolence, and lack of romance", as well as its "Tarantino-esque" multiple viewpoints, may not appeal to all readers.BLACKBIRDS, by Chuck Wendig, reviewed at Kirkus Reviews; published July 15, 2015; archived online July 20, 2015; retrieved October 15, 2021 Publishers Weekly called it "[v]isceral and often brutal", noting its "emotional rawness".Blackbirds, reviewed at Publishers Weekly; published February 13, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021
Tor.com praised it as "consistently captivating and a pure, dark delight" and "immensely entertaining", but emphasized that Miriam is "an opportunistic, bitter, abrasive loner who takes advantage of people who are about to die", and that the book may not be enjoyed by people who "prefer likeable characters".Short, Sharp, Awesome: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, by Stefan Raets, at Tor.com; published April 24, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021 In The Guardian, Keith Brooke lauded it as "fast-paced" with a "clever interweaving of viewpoints and flashback", which was, however, "occasionally rough round the edges".Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig – review, by Keith Brooke, in The Guardian; published May 29, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021
Adaptation In 2014, Starz planned an adaptation of Blackbirds, to be produced by John Shiban;Chuck Wendig’s Blackbirds Coming to TV!, at Tor.com; published May 7, 2014; retrieved October 15, 2021 however, in 2015, Wendig announced that the adaptation would not proceed.In Which Miriam Black Delivers Some Bad News, by Chuck Wendig, at TerribleMinds.com; published November 9, 2015; retrieved October 15, 2021
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