While Josh returns to Mary's Rest, Swan embarks on a journey across America in an effort to heal the world with her powers. Characters The story follows the individual journeys of several major characters, combining them at the climax: Sue Wanda Prescott, or Swan, the eponymous young woman who has an empathic ability with plant life, allowing her to accelerate the growth of or resurrect dead plants through physical contact. Josh Hutchins, an African-American wrestler stage-named Black Frankenstein, and later the Masked Mephisto. He's Swan's protector and father-figure throughout the book. Sister Creep, later simply referred to as "Sister", a formerly deranged "bag lady" who survived a nuclear attack on New York City deep underground in the New York City Subway system. The guardian of the glass ring and late surrogate mother to Swan. Colonel Macklin, a survivalist and former U.S. Air Force P.O.W. contracted by investors to oversee a mountain bunker, inside of which he survives during the nuclear attack. Roland Croninger, a young boy brought to Macklin's mountain bunker by his parents. Through horrendous circumstances, and while under Macklin's tutelage, Roland transforms from an innocent child into a cold-blooded killer who lives to serve Macklin, and later 'Friend'. The Man with the Scarlet Eye, Friend, Doyle Holland, or The Man of Many Faces, an incarnation of demonic evil (allusions to the Devil). He is seen throughout the book as being a creature of chaos. He has the ability to shape-shift, manipulation, mind control, super strength, and the ability to control animals. It's suggested that he caused the nuclear war and other acts of terrorism for his own amusement. He sees the glass ring that Sister carries, and Swan, as cruelties because they bring hope. Awards Swan Song won a 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel and the 1994 Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize for Best Translated Novel. References See also The Stand, a similar post-apocalyptic horror/science fiction novel by Stephen King. Pink World by Planet P Project, a 1984 concept-album with many similarities to the story. 1987 science fiction novels American horror novels American science fiction novels American speculative fiction novels American post-apocalyptic novels Dystopian novels 1987 speculative fiction novels 1987 American novels Bram Stoker Award for Novel winners