Review - Mall by Eric J. McConnell
Mall
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Volume 1 of Mall
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic Speculative Fiction
Posted in Book Reviews on 13 September, 2026
Luke just went to the mall to get his phone fixed. While he’s waiting on the repair in the shop, the cold war era mall’s public address system announces there’s a nuclear attack and all the security gates roll down. Luke is trapped in the store with several other customers and a few employees. Someone thinks to suggest they get under the display tables for protection, which Luke does, along with a store employee named Jack. That’s when a big boom happens and several displays fall over. Luke and Jack are safe, along with others, but now they’re trapped in the mall. Luke and Jack set out to find the things they might need to survive for however long they’re in the sealed building.
“Mall” is the start of an unnamed series set in a post-apocalyptic middle America. It’s a well-trodden theme in speculative fiction, but this story updates the concept to reflect modern technology and adds a bit of gay romance to boot. It’s almost like a very dark rom-com, with a meet-cute under a table during a nuclear blast and a slow burn as the pair trade quips trying to lighten the mood.
The story is told entirely from Luke’s point of view. He comes across as a very average sort of young man. Not athletic. Not even much of a fashion fan. As a master degree student, even if it is in English literature, Luke is relatively smart. He also has a sense of humor that sometimes veers into dad joke territory.
Luke may be smart, but Jack is the quintessential nerd, full of all sorts of information that may have been trivial, but proves valuable once the pair are trapped. Luke and Jack may be opposites in many respects, but the chemistry between the two comes across strong in the story. The two young men aren’t alone for long. They soon collect a few other survivors who are hiding around the mall. It turns into a group effort to stay safe, since there may be some others in the building who aren’t interested in sharing the limited resources.
“Mall” is available from Smashwords or from independent booksellers through Bookshop.org.
