In The Land Of The Dead

Rot & Ruin #1.5

by Jonathan Maberry

Genres: Zombies, Young Adult, Horror, Short Stories, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Ebooks

25 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com

Reviews

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read Rot & Ruin (the first of the Benny Imura books) I highly recommend that you do. This is shaping up to be a spectacular series with a lot of heart. Love the writing, love the world-building, love the characters -- especially Benny's older brother Tom (be still my heart). Book 3 Flesh & Bone is coming in September, and to my utmost, fangirl delight -- it's been confirmed that there will be a Book 4 next year, Fire & Ash. *happy dance* The series definitely has its fans, but I still don't think it's getting nearly the attention it deserves, and I really want to play my small part in changing that.

This short story is set between Books 1 and 2 and it has been such a delight to re-visit Benny's world (and Tom!!!!!!) In the Land of the Dead is a series of vignettes woven together describing various aspects of life inside the fences protected from the Rot and Ruin. Whatever you do, DON'T read this story first because it is majorly spoilery for Book 1. For fans of the series, it is a gracious treat easily savored.

Benny's hilarious exchange with best friend Lou Chong made me laugh as they both stress and fret over the troubled young women they each have feelings for. It is a tender moment of innocence and normalcy in a world that has become an abomination sparsely populated with traumatized survivors, choked with fear and grief.

Another scene which delighted me to my toes has Tom continuing his combat and self-defense training of Benny and his circle of friends. Here, Benny is mercilessly teased by everyone when he screams "like a ten year old girl". Benny claims it is his warrior's cry sure to intimidate his enemies.

“It wasn’t a scream,” insisted Benny. “It was a high-pitched yell.”
“Uh huh,” said Chong.
“A hunting call.”
“Right,” said Nix.
“Like eagles use.”
“Sure,” said Tom.
“It was a battle cry--.”
“Dude,” said Morgie, who sat on the bench, his shaved head still bandaged. “You screamed like a little girl. I’m kind of embarrassed to know you.”

Ah Benny. Still so much to learn young grasshopper.

So what are you waiting for??? This series is all kinds of awesome. If you start now you'll be all ready for Book 3 come September. How much do I love? Let me count the ways.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN THE LAND OF THE DEAD is free bonus manterial set between ROT & RUIN and DUST & DECAY. Here’s a link to the main page; access the scenes by clicking on the banner that reads: READ BONUS MATERIAL BY JONATHAN MABERRY: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Dus...

There are also free bonus prequel scenes set before ROT & RUIN available on the Simon & Schuster webpage for the book. http://books.simonandschuster.com/Rot...

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually didn't know that this existed before! LOL! I'm so clueless about these releases sometimes!

Anyway, In The Land of The Dead features short stories set at Mountainside. These stories focuses on some instances in the lives of our major characters in the series: Tom, Benny, Nix, Chong and Lilah.

This is really a cool prelude to Dust & Decay and I just wished that I could have read this before I read the second book. Well, I just wish that. There's not much I can do anyway. But, anyway, these short stories were really awesome and the way Jonathan Maberry writes is very consistent and the feel when you read his work is very real. I like that about his writing. But yeah, I just have to say, that in the first short story in this ebook, there a few typos but nevertheless, still really great!

[Katie Kenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another short novella in the Benny Imura series, this slots in between books one and two, and is available on the Simon and Schuster website.

One of the reasons this only gets three stars is the spelling and grammar errors. I get it that this is a freebie for readers, but they couldn't find an editor - heck, even an intern - to give it a once-over with a red pen? Seriously? This is a big publishing house, surely someone could have spent an hour on this.

This seemed a little disjointed, almost as if it's parts that got sliced from the novel in the editing process. It was okay, but nothing super special.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a favorite series for me and I am so happy to hear that there will be third and fourth books coming.

[Kreiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bonus chapter of the AMAZING ROT AND RUIN book. When I read this it’s like I was putting all the pieces of the puzzle and I can’t helped my FEELS about Tom Imura.

[Jamie]

http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/files/...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5/5, but bonus points for building the world.

[Momi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war cry of a ferocious piglet

“That’s all I have to do. I go up to a girl who is a year older than me; a girl who has lived alone
for years doing nothing but killing zombies and rogue bounty hunters; a girl who knows
more ways to kill me than I know how to die; a girl who fought in the zombie pits at
Gameland when she was eleven; a girl—I might add—who is skilled with every kind of
lethal weapon from handguns to swords…you want me to go up to that girl and just ask
her to the summer dance? That’s what you think is easy.”
“Sure.”
“So, I was right all along. You are brain dead.”
“Hey, I--.”
“I mean, are you trying to get me killed?”
“You have to admit that she’s hot.”

I love the conversation between Benny and Chong <3

Chong che legge "The Mortal Instruments" e "Harry Potter"? Ragazzo tu si che sai scegliere!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

These shorts take place right before the beginning of Dust and Decay. They're more like deleted scenes or an extended prologue than complete short stories, but they do give a little insight into what happens between Rot & Ruin and Dust and Decay. Not necessary to understand anything, but a nice little bonus.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of short stories set in the Benny Imura world that falls between Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay. I enjoy the stories, especially the first one that gives insight into Benny's emotional state after the events of Rot & Ruin. I'm giving it a 4 instead of a 5, though, because of all the errors in the text that pulled me out of the story. Misspellings, typos, pronouns not matching the subject... Careless mistakes that were distracting and should have been caught by a proofreader.

[Malissa]

I'm not going to actually rate either #.5 or #1.5 because I'm just not sure how to. I enjoyed them for what they are, bonus content for fans to either give a bit more insight into the characters' world or to tide us over until the next book. Or both. At least reading them *after* finishing bk #2, I don't feel like they added anything I'd feel any real loss without, yet I do really love the fact that the relative ease of eBooks and electronic content gives authors the ability to offer things like this and readers the chance to indulge their obsessions even more ;)

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is bonus material that you can download for free on the author's website. You must sign up for the newsletter to be offered the bonus material.

In the Land of the Dead takes place between Rot and Ruin (book 1) and Dust and Decay (book 2). There is nothing terribly important in this novella. Its a series of short stories that give us an idea of what is going on with all the main characters. It prepares us for the direction that Dust and Decay is going to take us in. It is well written. It is also very short. It took me about 10 minutes to read.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting portion of Maberry's Imura series.

Looking forward to the new one very soon.

That being said, I'm a little surprised at the number of editing errors in this snippet. I wouldn't expect a publisher to put something up online for the public without proofing it.

[C Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were paying more attention, I should've read this before Dust & Decay but it's never too late! We see Benny and Nix training, Chong hasn't professed his love for Lilah, and the zoms are coming en masse.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME! I read this after Rot & Ruin (book #1) and before Dust & Decay (book #2) and I loved it! I'm so ready to start Dust & Decay... I can't wait! Awesome for Maberry to post them for free as well!

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Nix :(

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good shorts to get reacquainted with the characters.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished book one and waiting for book two I read this little teaser in the meantime. There's not a lot of meat but I still liked it and can't wait for the second book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this little book(:

[Tylar · Rating 2 out of 5]

You really tried it with that Mortal Instruments shout out.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good PDF of what happened between book 1 and 2. there is some funny scenes between benny and choung. i still love tom!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome.

[Cameron Mascari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little short story about the book series. I usually rate these on a curve but it deserves 4 stars. Nicely done Maberry.

[Saphirablue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little moments that tell us a bit more about the characters. :)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free on publisher's website.

A set of short stories between Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay. Not a whole lot of new info but good to read.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slakes a little of the thirst I have for Benny's world until "Ruin #4" makes its way to the bookstore shelves.

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short story leading up to book 2. Maberry does a nice job introducing the trauma Nix has experienced and her anger.

[Governor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read bits &pieces and am therefore not sure which stories belong to which shortstory. But the ones I am sure were only meh in my opinion.

[Gale]

20** Unannounced