Medora

Medora #1

by Wick Welker

As the uprising of the undead sweeps the streets of New York City, a small family fights through skyscrapers and schools to find one another. A special-ops military unit discovers that the cover-up of a chemotherapy nanovirus experiment has gone awry. As a disgraced researcher becomes entangled in the mystery of Medora, North Dakota, the President fights off a modern age of imperialism. As policemen flee from children and mothers brandish hacksaws, the country's fate will depend on the civil war between humankind and the dead. Welcome to Medora, population zero and spreading.

Genres: Zombies

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2013

About the author

Wick Welker is the the winner of the Self Published Science Fiction Contest SPSFC4 with Saint Elspeth and a two time finalist of the competition as well. Start with either Dark Theory or Saint Elspeth for an intro into his writing.

https://wickwelker.com/

Reviews

[Wick Welker]

This is my freshman book that I wrote while in medical school. It DEFINITELY has some weaknesses but overall I think it's got a fun story with a nice twist at the end.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A zombie apocalypse. The virus starts small in Manhattan, but pretty soon it's everywhere. The President can't make a decision. A maverick doctor is trying to do research, and a guy is trying to get to his family.

Gore galore.

[Gary Monson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Media book one

Really enjoyed this take on a zombie type event. Really good characters and look forward to the next book in the Medora series.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this zombie novel kept me hooked and I really liked all of the characters.

[Yvonne Krendick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from Amazon thanks to my Prime membership. Very good book! Initially, I wasn't impressed. I'm not sure if it was the editor, the author or the printing house, but there are a number of typos in the first chapter that are completely aggravating. However, as I continued to read the typos disappeared and the characters developed fairly well.

It's the typical zombie book, but I did enjoy it. Nothing utterly shocking, but well written and graphic descriptions of the carnage involved was very engrossing! I could visualize it well, probably thanks to watching numerous zombie movies.

I would definitely recommend it to others as long as the reader enjoys this genre.

[Dominee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book far exceeded my expectations. Because of the lack of reviews I wasn't expecting much but I'm so glad I read it anyway! There are a few typos but overall the story was so good it didn't bother me very much. I loved the personalities of the characters, well done and they felt like real people, something that I usually find lacking in zombie books.

There was also a unique take on the infected which was refreshing and really drew you into the story and had great pacing. I was disappointed that it ended, sad that it didn't last longer, and bummed that it's a stand alone novel but all-in-all I loved it and can't wait to read more!

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gory

I don't mean gory in a bad way....just cautionary! I'm not completely sold on zombie stories but this is a good one. I enjoy story telling coming from several different fronts like this one. The buddies going separate ways, a doctor working on a cure, politicians making agonizing decisions and a mother and daughter trying to stay alive. This one had it all as well as a sub plot concerning China. A good one, especially if you like apocalypse-type tales.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read Medora plus this author's second book in the series. It was such an awesome, creative story. The second book got even better. I'm hoping he'll write a third because he left the novel perfectly set up for another one. Thrilling story - loved it!

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better zombie books that I have read. It had a different spin on zombies and it was refreshing to see. I enjoyed this book!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There was a plausible virus scenario, plenty of action, and good strong characters.I also was quite happy that it was a stand alone novel, not the beginning of a series.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. A solid if not uneven zombie tale that unfortunately suffers from insufficient editing - in this case primarily formatting issues - that, for example, make it difficult in spots to follow who is speaking to whom.

First and foremost, if you're new to Wick Welker's writing, please know that "Medora" - while a passable zombie story with good potential and signs of promise scattered throughout - is or I guess was his first published novel. I've been following Dr. Welker's literary career in almost reverse order, having read first his absolutely brilliant scifi thriller "Refraction" followed by an ARC of his yet-to-be-released but extremely entertaining epic "Dark Theory", due out this coming April. Both of these books are listed on my own "best of" list for 2021 (or I guess for 2022 for "DT") and I can't wait seeing what he comes out with next. The plotting in BOTH these books is just wonderful and so very intelligent and if you're like me, will make you an instant and avid fan! I would also not hesitate to compliment Welker's overall writing style and confirm that his prose is simply outstanding, again throwing in the word intelligent to help convey his skills!

Knowing these latest offers then like I do, I was a little shocked to see that he started everything a few years back with a couple of zombie books! I can't say that I personally would ever even consider starting a literary journey with this "medium" and, to be blunt, it does not allow W2 to shine like I know he can. I say this as a self-proclaimed aficionado of all things written about the undead - noting that particular word only appears 3!! times by my count in the entire novel (with the "z" word not appearing at all!). I therefore DO appreciate that it is not easy to nail down a truly entertaining AND original zombie plot, particularly in this day and age of (waves vaguely at everything). This is especially true for a genre that is perhaps by this point in time over-saturated and has had its overall potential reduced greatly as well by some less-than-stellar and over-played efforts in the TV, movie and even graphic novel industries. To have things work I really feel like an author has to embrace all that has come before and then turn around and make their own efforts something that no one could have seen coming. Not easy, no, and very rare ... but oh so good when it's done right!

With that in mind, I think that it is absolutely essential that if and when someone does offer a new ztory (sic), that it's of paramount importance that the cast of any such book be very well-formed and sympathetic (or just the opposite of same)- and in large part Welker achieves this as we are treated to a wide variety of personalities, motivations and more. In addition, the necessary fight for survival and even eradication (if things get that far) of whatever or however the disease arises must be extremely well-handled and perhaps most critically, VERY unique. While this book approaches that better than many I've read (the scene at the top of that 80-story NYC skyscraper is magnificent!) but it still lacked that essential "oomph" from start to finish that would have managed to truly set it apart from the pack.

Without belaboring the point, I will say there are glimpses of what the author has/will become - and how much his talent has grown - that should keep anyone reading to the end of this book and into the next. And I have to admit, I did wind up reading the book in a day (albeit during two well-separated "sessions") as Welker keeps things moving along and for the most part - if you'll pardon the pun - digestible. What was needed, again, was a better editing/formatting pass and perhaps even someone to stand up and say "no, please don't do that" (yes, I'm referring in part to the moment when our youngest cast member makes her surprise re-appearance … which had me moaning like... well, you get the picture...).

I will confirm that I'm curious enough about the on-going plot and potential of the sequel to keep reading. While I know it's not going to be a trilogy like initially projected (or will it?), I do want to find out more about what I read in that tantalizing teaser included at the back of my copy of part 1!

[John Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a groundbreaking zombie thriller. It was an entertaining zombie romp!

Based on entertainment and desire to read the next book I can go no less than 4 stars. I see some complaints about editing but being self published this happens.

It seems to shine in the medical parts unsurprisingly

On occasion I would agree with another review I saw that its sometime not clear within a chapter whose POV I am in when there are multiple main characters. This to me is worst with Dave and Anderson. Am I watching only from Dave? When did I become Anderson. If I'm not Anderson how on earth would Dave know what Anderson is doing at this point. Kind of thing. Not too jarring but if I gotta pick out one thing that would be it.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best zombie book I've ever read

full of immediate and ongoing action..not an overabundance of characters ...and those personalities were well defined and detailed ...there also wasn't an overabundance of editorial mistakes and it was fairly easy to overlook them ...
i truly enjoyed this fast paced well thought out extremely unique storyline ...i will be following Mr Welker from now on and look forward to any new book releases...thank you sir !!

[Veronik Durocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but...

Good, but no ending... the two books were published in 2018. Since then, the author has published others stories but not the third one...? That's not really cool for the readers...

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry --- the stilted writing and poor editing in this book is so bad that I couldn't finish it.

[DC Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good characters, awesome zombies! It starts out fairly conventionally for zombie stories: a group of ordinary people living an ordinary day when they are interrupted by sick coworkers who begin attacking everyone and spewing blood. Very quickly the sick outnumber the healthy, and they hide and survive in a variety of clever and blood-soaked ways. But as the plot progresses we learn that there is something unique about this batch of zombies. The ending is really cool.
The author's medical background is very notable in the gore descriptions, so that's a plus. Also, without spoiling anything the ending, the zombie virus origin is the kind of thing you wouldn't think of unless you went to medical school first.
Recommended for all zombie lovers and their mothers.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, but I was disappointed with the ending.... it felt as if the author was simply done with the book and wanted it to end, resulting in wrapping everything up a little too quickly and cleanly. The meat and potatoes of the book received the three stars, but the ending would receive one and a half to two stars.