Julia Whicker Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Julia Whicker is an American author whose debut novel hit the bookstores in 2018. Wonderblood takes readers to a post-apocalyptic United States that closely resembles the Mad Max Landscape.

A wife and a mother, Whicker has had the makings of a published author since she was really young. Whicker first experimented with poetry. And she even succeeded in getting some of her works published in the likes of ‘Iowa Review’ and ‘The Millions’.

Fiction came into the picture a little later. Wonderblood, the author’s first novel, did not really set the publishing field on fire. However, many a critic commended Whicker for the potential that her debut novel manifested.

In fact, a surprising number of readers admitted that while ‘Wonderblood’ was not especially impressive, it left them with enough curiosity to compel them to pursue more of Julia Whicker’s efforts in fiction writing.

Whicker graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The experience not only helped the author hone her skills, not to mention building her confidence as a writer but it also saw her win the Prestigious Capote Fellowship. This is on top of the Teaching-Writing Fellowship.

Julia Whicker seems to have an affinity for stories targeted towards young adults, though the brutal and unyielding nature of some of her ideas is likely to see her books marketed to adult readers.

+Wonderblood

Five centuries have passed. The United States has collapsed. It all began when a strain of mad cow disease called ‘Bent Head’ struck the population. It killed most Americans and destroyed the fabric of society.

To survive, the remnants turned back to the old ways. They embraced magic and barbaric religions, initiating a series of sacrificial rituals they think will cleanse the earth.

The United States has since become a war zone. Various factions are in a constant state of conflict against one another. The goal is to conquer and gain control over as much land as possible.

Aurora is a young girl whose life changes when she meets Mr. Capulatio. Capulatio leads a band of bloodthirsty marauders into her camp and, once all mayhem dies down, he claims her as his bride, taking her off to Cape Canaveral.

Capulatio intends to make Aurora his new queen. Aurora isn’t so certain that she is willing to embrace such a life. But it becomes clear that, regardless of her decisions, she has become embroiled in a conflict she cannot escape.

Other queens have emerged and they do not find the little girl’s ascent through the ranks amusing. It will take every skill Aurora has to survive.

Wonderblood marked Julia Whicker’s entry into the publishing arena as a fiction writer. The book plays with elements of politics and intrigue in a harsh world.

In the history of Wonderblood, a disease is said to have killed most of the United States. The people that remained gave up on science and embraced religion. Mankind rallied around a new sect that worshiped NASA and astronauts and space shuttles.

The people in Julia Whicker’s world believe that people went into space to find a cure for the disease that has continued to ravage their land and that those people will return one day to save everyone.

The primary threat to the wellbeing of the survivors is a series of traveling carnivals that fight one another. They believe that if they can kill and collect the heads of their enemies, they can accrue magic
The author invests a lot of time in the building of her world, so much so that the setting is often the most complimented element of this novel, this while the characters have been accused of being flat and uninteresting and primarily designed to reveal the lore of the Wonderblood world.

There are entire sections of this book during which the plot comes to a halt as Whicker delves into the history of her world.

Even though Aurora is the primary protagonist, the story spends a lot of time exploring the perspectives of other characters many of whom transition repeatedly between hero and villain.

Mr. Capulatio, Aurora’s captor, is a madman who has deciphered a prophecy that he believes grants him the right to become the one True King of the land. Aurora would rather avoid all the chaos of her new life.
The other queens, some of whom are deformed, physically and mentally, already see her as a threat. She must learn to maneuver the politics of her dying world not only for the sake of her husband but also because she must survive.

Wonderblood has been criticized for bringing to the fro content that is likely to leave some readers feeling squeamish, such as the elements of rape and pedophilia.

Additionally, Whicker’s debut novel does not tell a singular, self-contained story. The ending isn’t a clear finale and the author makes every effort to leave room for a sequel.

Wonderblood is most commonly associated with the young adult genre because of its dystopian setting. However, the book deals with so many grotesque and disturbing aspects that it would be more accurate to slap an adult rating on it.

+The Iowa Review Fall (2013)

The Iowa Review publishes works of fiction and nonfiction, this including poems, photography, and translations. The resource encompasses the efforts of both professional authors and aspiring and emerging writers.

The Iowa Review is produced using the combined efforts of people like Julia Whicker who participated in the editing of this publication in 2013. The resource is called so because it is compiled by people from the University of Iowa’s literature programs.

The Iowa Review is designed to spark conversations among readers and writers of contemporary literature from all over the world. The renown of this work is such that its stories, poems, and essays have been extracted on numerous occasions and inserted into annual anthologies.

The Iowa Review comes out three times a year. The 2013 issue which came out in the fall constitutes works about Emily Dickinson’s small sleigh bed, a stolen dog and Vikings to mention but a few.

Other contributors to this issue besides Julia Whicker include Molly McQuade, Jen Fawkes, Andrea Rosenberg, Nate Brown and Steven, W. Flores to mention but a few.