Ed Gosney's Blog, page 49
April 7, 2015
Apocalypse Weird: The Serenity Strain
Apocalypse Weird: The Serenity Strain by Chris Pourteau is an exciting blend of science, mysticism, and the struggles of a broken family. The science and mysticism come as a no-brainer when you’re reading a series of interrelated novels in a world gone apocalyptic. But the soul of The Serenity Strain is the Hughes family.
Mark Hughes has moved out, and his estranged wife, Lauryn, and teen daughter, Megan, soon find themselves in need of help from Mark after a devastating series of hurricanes hits Houston. The problem is, along with the storms, something else blew into town. A powerful being, she calls herself ID, and gathers some escaped prisoners—who are part of a genetic experiment—from the facility where Lauryn works. Meanwhile, the scientist behind the experiment is determined to hunt them down and find out just where things went wrong.
This is a more-than-worthy addition to the Apocalypse Weird series of books, and Pourteau puts a lot of heart and soul into The Serenity Strain. I’m ever hopeful that he’ll continue where he left off, because I am looking forward to reading more of what happens in his apocalyptic corner of the world. I highly recommend it.
Get The Book
Apocalypse Weird: The Serenity Strain
(based on 4 ratings)
Buy Book
KindleNookKoboIbooks
Book author : Chris PourteauSeries Name :
Primary Genre :
Subgenre :
Purchase Links : KindleNookKoboIbooksCover Artist :
Editor :
Publisher :
March 21, 2015
Apocalypse Weird: The Dark Knight
Apo
calypse Weird: The Red King by Nick Cole was a fascinating introduction to this new shared universe of crazy stories. Multiple authors are contributing, and that is going to keep this series fresh and exciting, as we see the apocalypse from multiple perspectives, writers, and settings. Cole’s novel is labeled as WYRD 1.0 in the top left corner, and on February 23, 2015, Wonderment Media launched five additional books in the Apocalypse Weird universe.
Apocalypse Weird: The Dark Knight, is listed as WYRD 2.0, and after finishing it, I hope we see several more WYRD numbers in the future. If you read 1.0, then you are familiar with Holiday and his associates of people trying to survive in a world gone weird. And while we continue with that community of survivors, it isn’t long until we are introduced to The Dark Knight of the book, Cory, a nineteen-year-old special needs man-child who envisions himself as Batman, The Dark Knight, in these dark days of Apocalypse.
In my opinion, Cory is awesome, and Cole handles him with a deft touch of sensitivity. Part of the drama with Cory is also seeing how others think and react to a special needs person in this terrifying landscape. Are they willing to help out the man-child, or should they consider their own safety above his? And Cory does his best to stay brave in the face of imminent danger by repeating his Batman mantra, “I am Vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman.”
This story is worth every penny. Don’t miss it.
Get The Book!
Apocalypse Weird: The Dark Knight
(based on 3 ratings)
Buy Book
AmazonKindleBarnesnobleNookKoboIbooks
March 13, 2015
Apocalypse Weird: Texocalypse Now
Though I often read books to learn things (and those books are usually nonfiction), my primary reason to read is to be entertained. Having gotten my degree in English Education, I’ve read lots and lots of classics (Dickens, Faulkner, Hemingway, and all their friends), and what are considered important works of contemporary fiction such as The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and The Sportswriter by Richard Ford. But when I want to have fun and live an adventure through writing that takes me someplace else, nothing beats speculative fiction. Science Fiction and Fantasy are my true passions, and when you find a writer you really love, it becomes an obsession to read everything they
write.
But now something new has emerged on the scene, and it’s not just about the author. Apocalypse Weird is the brainchild of Wonderment Media, a newly formed company that is using multiple authors to tell a story so vast in scope that it will no doubt be around for years. The feedback on the books released February 23 has been overwhelmingly positive, which is fantastic news for people like me, who love to live adventures (albeit these are life and death adventures!) in the pages of fun, fast-paced stories in a world that isn’t ours. Of course the scary thing is, you never know, right? The apocalypse HAS been talked about and prophesized for centuries.
Intrigued yet? A great primer for Apocalypse Weird is The Red King by Nick Cole. It’s free on Amazon, and with free, you can’t go wrong. I strongly suggest that you read it first. Once finished with it, you can try any of the Apocalypse Weird books that are for sale at your favorite online bookseller. My first foray after The Red King happened to be Texocalypse Now, which is co-written by Michael Bunker (you know, the king of Amish science fiction who wrote the hit novel Pennsylvania Omnibus) and Nick Cole (The Wasteland Saga and Soda Pop Soldier – must reads).
With Texocalypse Now we are introduced to new characters, both good and bad. There are precious metal pirates, bikers, and kids just trying to survive the crazy world they’ve suddenly found themselves a part of. Oh, and the tunnels. There are miles and miles of tunnels underneath a section of Texas. This is an intriguing part of the story itself, and yes, we find out the origins, but Texocalypse Now, I think, has barely scraped the surface…or should I say, “Underworld,” of these passages.
Texocalypse Now is listed in the top left corner of the cover as DIGGER 1.0. As a fan, I’m expectant that someday in the future, we’ll be seeing DIGGER 2.0, and perhaps 3.0. This is fun stuff, and if you are a fan of end-of-the-world fiction, how can you NOT hit the Buy Now button?
Get The Book!
Apocalypse Weird: Texocalypse Now
(based on 4 ratings)
Buy Book
AmazonKindleBarnesnobleNookKobo
March 12, 2015
Birth of Modern Fantasy
If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, Conan, or Superman, and enjoy reading about the historical aspects of the fantasy genre, then McFarland Books might have just what you are looking for.
J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and the Birth of Modern Fantasy by Deke Parsons is number 47 in McFarland’s Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy series. This volume provides a fascinating look into these fictional worlds of fantasy, giving us background on not just the stories and the writers, but the motivations for these worlds that, interestingly enough, were all started in the 1930s.
If you’ve only been exposed to Conan the Barbarian via film, Parsons paints a much different Conan that Howard created. Whereas I’ve read the books and seen the movies of Tolkien, and have read many Superman comics and seen most of what Hollywood has produced for the screen, both movies and TV shows, Howard’s works are something I’ve never read. And this book will definitely leave you wanting to read about the “real” Conan.
Get My Books
Orange Crik (A Short Story)
Buy Book
Kindle
Prometheus Stumbles
Buy Book
AmazonKindleBarnesnoble
March 3, 2015
Dark Screams: Volume Two
While I didn’t li
ke Dark Screams: Volume Two as much as I did Volume One, it is still an entertaining read for the price. I was excited to see that it contained a Robert McCammon story, “The Deep End,” but it turned out to be one I read when it was originally released back in the late 80s. Yet I enjoy his brand of storytelling, and it was long enough ago that I didn’t remember much of what happened, so all is forgiven.
“Interval,” by Norman Prentiss, is a disturbing tale to read if you’re at an airport. It turned out quite differently than I thought it was going to, so there you are. He fooled me and made me uncomfortable. What more can you ask for in a horror short?
“If These Walls Could Talk” is my first exposure to Shawntelle Madison, and it made me think twice about all the home fix-it shows my wife watches. While not my favorite in the batch, it did its job of bringing us a disturbing ending.
I wasn’t sure I liked “The Night Hider” for the first few pages. Then the mystery deepened, and Graham Masterton built a little mythology of his own around C. S. Lewis and his land of Narnia. This is definitely worth a read if you are interested in Lewis or are a fan of Masterton.
Lastly, whatever. I mean, “Whatever.” Richard Christian Matheson takes us back and forth throughout the seventies following the exploits of rock band Whatever and its eclectic members. It’s a very different story, and it’s not what you would think would be in this anthology, but yet it fits. Although as fascinating as I found it to be, I can just as easily imagine some readers, upon finishing, saying, “Whatever.”
January 26, 2015
Apocalypse Weird: The Red King (WYRD Book 1)
If you are a fan of zombie fiction, then Apocalypse Weird: The Red King (WYRD Book 1) by Nick Cole is a must read for you. If you are NOT a fan of zombie fiction, you still need to read it. And especially so if you appreciate nerve-wracking, post-apocalyptic novels and the exploration of such worlds.
By now, word has spread around the globe that we are facing Apocalypse Weird. If you don’t believe me, just go over to YouTube and search “Apocalypse Weird Teaser Trailer.” Things are strange, and will be getting even stranger, from what I’ve seen and read. And Nick Cole starts it all off right, with The Red King.
Cole has multiple storylines going on, from survivors, to special ops guys, to mysterious insiders. And The Red King is just the beginning. Apocalypse Weird is a shared world, and other writers, such as Michael Bunker, Chris Pourteau, Kim Wells, Eric Tozzi, Jennifer Ellis, Hank Garner, Lesley Smith, Weston Ochse, and more, are scheduled to bring the apocalypse to a reading device near you.
Five books will be launched in late February, followed by a couple of books each month after the big launch. If The Red King is any indication of what is to come, it should be a lot of fun. Cole has put web links in the story that lead to maps, further information, and other parts of the enfolding novel. There’s a lot of mystery going on in The Red King, such as the origin of the relentless zombies, and I’m looking forward to learning some answers.
Nick Cole never lets his readers down. He knows how to write action scenes, but more importantly, he knows how to draw readers in and have empathy for his characters. He is a fantastic stylist, and if you’ve never read The Wasteland Saga or Soda Pop Soldier, you need to put them on your reading list.
Do yourself a favor and give this book a try. What do you have to lose, since it’s free? But don’t blame me if you find yourself up after midnight finishing it, which I did. This is fun stuff, with much more to come.
My Books
Prometheus Stumbles
Buy Book
AmazonKindleBarnesnoble
Orange Crik (A Short Story)
Buy Book
Kindle
