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In a way, Wayward works better than its predecessor Pines. The latter was a """mystery""", despite a hostile and incurious main character in Ethan Burke actively preventing any intrigue. Wayward has no such pretensions. Here, the curtain is pulled back, allowing Ethan and the readers a full view of the town of Wayward Pines' insidious inner workings, making for a much tighter narrative.

It's still not a good book, though. It's very dumb.

The series' premise reminds me of the goofy recurring holodeck scenarios they tried on Star Trek: Voyager, Chez Sandríne and Fair Haven. Sure, some people would like to visit a dusty French pool hall or a pre-industrial Irish town, but certainly not everyone. It's presumptuous to think that one person's special interest (in say, a small 1950s town or a 1920s speakeasy...👀) would appeal to the majority.

Not enough reason is given as to why these pastiches are chosen by their respective proprietors. Pilcher isn't presented with any reverence or false sense of security from America's imagined mid-century past that would've inspired his town. Rather, its vintage feel is a major red flag when new residents wake up there, creating so much unnecessary conflict. I understand the thinking behind Kate & Howard's speakeasy a little more, as they are operating under a sort of prohibition. What's laughable is the idea that every attendee would be down for bootlegger-and-flapper cosplay. Probably appealing to the author, but stupid to me.

And constantly having characters say "fuck", "fucked", "fucking" and "fucker" doesn't make your silly little sci-fi book more mature. When Ethan flipped off a surveillance cam after banging his wife, I didn't think, "Wow, what a cool, mature, well-adjusted adult". I just thought he was cringe.