''Blackbirds'' is a 2012 noir/

urban fantasy Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy which places imaginary and unreal elements in an approximation of a contemporary urban setting. The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for cl ...

novel by

Chuck Wendig Charles David Wendig (born April 22, 1976) is an American author, comic book writer, screenwriter, and blogger. He is best known for his online blog Terribleminds, for his 2015 ''Star Wars'' novel trilogy ''Aftermath'', the first book of which d ...

. It was first published by

Angry Robot Angry Robot is a British-based publishing house dedicated to producing modern adult science fiction and fantasy, or as they call it “SF, F and WTF?!?”. The Nottingham-based company first released books in the UK in 2009, and since September 2 ...

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 A drifter is a vagrant who moves from place to place without a fixed home or employment. Drifter(s) or The Drifter(s) may also refer to: Films and television Films * ''The Drifter'' (1917 film), an American film directed by Fred Kelsey * ''Th ...

. When a man picks her up while

hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

, 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 ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' 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 ''

''; published July 15, 2015; archived online July 20, 2015; retrieved October 15, 2021 ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' called it " sceral and often brutal", noting its "emotional rawness".Blackbirds
reviewed at ''

''; published February 13, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021

Tor.com ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...

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

; published April 24, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021 In ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'',

Keith Brooke Keith Brooke is a science fiction author, editor, web publisher and anthologist from Essex, England. He is the founder and editor of the infinity plus webzine. He also writes children's fiction under the name Nick Gifford. Biography and publishin ...

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

, in ''

''; published May 29, 2012; retrieved October 15, 2021

Adaptation

In 2014,

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

planned an adaptation of ''Blackbirds'', to be produced by

John Shiban John Shiban is an American television writer and producer. He worked in both capacities on ''The X-Files'' and its spin-off ''The Lone Gunmen'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', ''Smallville'', ''Supernatural'', ''Legend of the Seeker'', ''Breaking Bad' ...

;Chuck Wendig’s Blackbirds Coming to TV!
at

; 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

, at TerribleMinds.com; published November 9, 2015; retrieved October 15, 2021

References

{{reflist Urban fantasy novels 2012 American novels Angry Robot books