One

Winner of the August Derleth Award, 2010

Virgin Books, 2009

“One is a riveting page-turner which will haunt your dreams.”
Stephen Jewell, SFX

“It should come as no surprise to admirers of Conrad Williams that his latest novel One – which is half post-apocalyptic road trip and half decidedly uncozy catastrophe – is a bleak and harrowing thing, as Williams specializes in such scenarios. More impressive is the power of the narrative engine, especially in the first half, which drives the story relentlessly forward. The novel as a whole is balanced on a thin edge between impossible hope and hopeless despair, a feat of dynamic equilibrium that seems more admirable the longer I think about it.”
Tim Pratt, Locus

“One is an intriguing blend of horror and science fiction that really kept me turning the pages to find out not only how it all ended but how it all began as well…” 8.5/10
Graeme Flory, graemesfantasybookreview.com

“One is a significant contribution to an illustrious post-apocalyptic tradition that includes Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (1954), John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids (1951), Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker (1980), Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006), and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002). Whereas there is often a sense of distance between the reader and the devastated world of the protagonist in post-apocalyptic narratives, Williams grabs you by the hair and forces you to stare at the more grisly elements of this mortally wounded world. As a result One packs an enormous emotional punch. In short, One is an absolute triumph: a novel that shows that literary horror still holds enormous potential to move and challenge its readership.”
David McWilliam, Strange Horizons

“One is a new, refreshingly literate take on the post-apocalyptic struggle. Williams has proven he is up there with the heavyweights in horror literature, and has shown the quality of work that can still be drawn from an often used scenario (the apocalypse). I can’t wait for more from this author.”
Craig Bezant, Horrorscope

“One is more than just a post-apocalyptic scenario or a horror novel. It is unfair to imprison it in the boundaries of these genres, because many readers will miss it because of this. Conrad Williams created a memorable novel, a powerful story that will haunt the reader long after it is finished.”
Dark Wolf’s Fantasy Reviews

“At its heart, One is a story about parents, children and family. What lengths would you go to in order to save your family? How far would you travel? Richard Jane is every parent while Stanley is every child. In my opinion some of the best horror comes from placing ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. One has this in spades. Jane is forced to do anything he can in order to survive. If it came down to it would you be able to do the same? Insightful, exciting and tinged with sadness the only thing I regret about the novel is that I wish I had read it sooner.”
The Eloquent Page

“One is a deep, satisfying read that certainly will scratch your post-apocalypse itch.”
King of the Nerds

“The first thing that impressed me about One was the opening chapter. Put simply, the first few pages contained some of the most exciting and effective opening action I’ve ever read… I really enjoyed One, depressing as it is. I also thoroughly enjoyed the way Mr. Williams writes. Full of juicy metaphors and similes, it felt at once traditional and uniquely effective. I’ll definitely be reading more works by Mr. Williams in the future.” 8/10
Speculative Fiction Junkie