In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Cary Groner's 'The Way (Spiegel & Grau, Dec.). The clever postapocalyptic novel is set in the aftermath of a deadly near-future avian flu epidemic. In its review, PW said, “Groner paints a persuasive picture of his dystopian world, peopled with strong characters and driven by cinematic action,” adding that “this reinvigorates an overworked genre.”

Here's how the book came together:

Cary Groner

Author

“I wanted to create a narrative exploring certain difficult questions about our existence. Most of them are very old, but there are good reasons people still ask them: How do I balance altruism and reasonable self-interest? How do I live in a dangerous world while doing as little harm as possible? Do I worry about death too much—or maybe not enough? Of course, I also wanted to write an engaging novel, not a treatise, and finding that balance was often challenging.”

Cindy Spiegel

Co-CEO and Editor, Spiegel & Grau

“I published Cary Groner’s excellent first novel, Exiles, over a decade ago. In July 2023, I received an email from Cary, asking advice about finding an agent, since he’d finally finished a new novel. I offered to read it but then was pulled away by other work. In December, I was cleaning out my inbox and Cary’s email popped up. I clicked on the attachment and began reading—and I didn’t get off the couch for hours. We ended up making a deal without an agent.”

Madeline Partner

Cover Designer

“The painting is by the Icelandic artist Thorgrimur Einarsson. I think his work has such energy and magnetism, and his expressive brushwork lends itself to a dystopian story where the world is slightly different than we expect it to be. I created around 40 different cover options, and once we decided on our direction, we just had a few type tweaks before we got to the final version.”