Rendered Flesh

by David Cartwright

When zombie apocalypse RPG games go wrong… they go brain-splatteringly wrong! You feel it don’t you, like maggots in your mind, or ragged teeth gnawing at your belly? The dissatisfaction of the daily grind. The disillusionment with the status quo. You watch the dead-eyed, slack-jawed masses as they feast on the rancid meat of propaganda, biting off little pieces of your shredded soul along with it. You rail against the fence-sitters and the fascists, but they simply band together against your small party. The rasping voice of the faceless hordes drowning out your cries for equality. You want to rip into it, tear at it with a chainsaw of righteous outrage but the gears stutter and the teeth falter, clogged with the foul muck of mass-media bias. The roar of the engine is answered by the deafening howls of the brain-washed mob. This is Lex’s life, their reality, their struggle. Burnt-out by the trolls and bigots who so callously oppose their part in social-media campaigns for a better world, Lex retreats with gamer friends, Jay and Indi into a new total-immersion, zombie-survival game. But, with the stakes rising and the illusion of ‘the game’ falling away, it soon becomes clear that, in order for Lex, Jay and Indi to survive the horrors of the game, something of the real-world has to die. Real or virtual, brain-washed or brain-dead, Lex cannot escape the ravenous, cadaverous hordes of Rendered Flesh.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2021

Reviews

[Randall Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, but bogged down by politics.

I've seen this book often referred to as "The Walking Dead meets Sword Art Online", but I don't think that comparison does anyone any favors.

Rendered Flesh is ultimately a book about politics. Specifically, a warning against nihilism. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that.

It's interesting to read, and I enjoyed it, otherwise I'd of rated it lower. I would recommend it, but only to people who don't mind reading characters frequently discussing politics with a leftist lean.

[Alex Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy for an honest review.
This was my first lit rpg ive ever read, and it was actually pretty good :) honestly, some of the commentaries of modern society were a bit much for me, but if that's your thing, this is the book for you.
We follow a trio of gamers, from the pov of Lex, and as the book describes, it's a VR game about zombies. Soon, it becomes not that distinguishable from real life, or becomes even too real compared to real life, but there are constant references to modern day problems.
These are all good topics to touch on, but if you look at my reading history it's mostly swords and fantasy - hence the four star rating. But it was a nice change from the usual, and it was a reasonably fast read, perfect for a weekend session.
Nice job, Mr Cartwright :)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I’m a sucker for zombies and the links to modern day life and politics were clever. Plus, as a gamer, I appreciated how everything was woven together in a simulation.

Full review to come through British Fantasy Society

[Céline Terranova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, especially in-game fights that were gory and not at all clichés. I would have liked less politics perhaps, because it was a bit much, but otherwise a fun read!

[Robin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulls no punches, presenting a gore- and politics-fuelled rush through a gaming scenario that is all kinds of nightmares wrapped up in a no holds barred bruiser of a story.

I’m not a horror fan but have been dabbling more in that direction, and this is the kind a taught and fast-paced tale that I would want from the genre. A compelling and diverse cast of characters makes this novel all the more engaging. Great stuff.