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Blake 187: A Zombie Revolution
By the twenty-seventh century, eons of war, disease, and climate change have diminished the earth’s population. Those who remain must struggle to survive.
Towns worldwide have sunk into coastal waters. Deadly viruses kill thousands each day, and a dangerous man with a sinister past—Pye Peters—wields an iron grip on the ‘zones’ that have survived nature’s purge. Severance, Peters’ radical new order, likes it Exploit the ‘breathers’ and use advanced medical techniques to revive the newly deceased.
Thousands are brought back from the dead, kept animated and docile by medication that prevents zombies’ typical rabidness. These modern versions of the undead are forced into a harsh rehabilitation program to ensure the changes take. Blake 187 is one such rehabilitee.
Towns worldwide have sunk into coastal waters. Deadly viruses kill thousands each day, and a dangerous man with a sinister past—Pye Peters—wields an iron grip on the ‘zones’ that have survived nature’s purge. Severance, Peters’ radical new order, likes it Exploit the ‘breathers’ and use advanced medical techniques to revive the newly deceased.
Thousands are brought back from the dead, kept animated and docile by medication that prevents zombies’ typical rabidness. These modern versions of the undead are forced into a harsh rehabilitation program to ensure the changes take. Blake 187 is one such rehabilitee.
- GenresHorror
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2014
About the author
Aiden James
283 books318 followersedit biographydelete
Biography
Aiden James is the bestselling author of "Cades Cove: the curse of Allie Mae", "The Judas Chronicles", and the "Nick Caine Adventures" (with J.R. Rain). The author has published over forty books and a new series is set to begin in the fall of 2022 (The BloodStar Chronicles). At present, he resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Fiona, and an ornery little dog named Pepper.
To learn more about Aiden James and his latest books, please visit AidenJamesNovelist.com, or look for him on Facebook (Aiden James, Paranormal Adventure Author) and Twitter (@AidenJames3).
You can also learn more about Aiden and Fiona, and their interests, at the links below:
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ManorHousePu...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 22, 2015
So, it's zombies; but different. Instead of the shuffling monsters of the horror films of days gone by these are zombies re-animated specifically to serve as labour. The armies of zombie slaves are controlled through a basic need for their medication. This medication is controlled by the ruling human classes and dispensed as reward and withheld as punishment. Somehow our hero must find his place in his new community and begin to fight against the system (for zombie worker rights or something). It's a dystopian novel after all. So much, so far, this is your standard Marxist political treatise cleverly disguised as a dystopian zombie horror novel. Or not.
In this dystopian zombie novel (the workings of which aren't ever quite explained) Blake is the worst kind of zombie: a re-animated suicide. As a recently awakened zombie the point is made that his family will disown him as his father is prejudiced against zombies and his new zombie brothers will look down on him as a suicide. Beyond a few pointed comments later in the novel nothing further is really made of either of these two potential tensions. Blake is allocated the number 187. He must always be referred to as Blake 187 now, never just Blake. It's not explained if the number is arbitrary or if he's the 187th re-animated Blake (I'm assuming he's not the 187th zombie as there must be a lot more of them knocking about than that). The novel is the story of Blake 187's journey. From his re-animation through his 1984-esque indoctrination and re-education. His seemingly random work allocation, regular abuse and eventual connection with two other like-minded zombies. It's never really explained why Blake 187 is different. Why does he push against the system, answer back, get in trouble. Beyond him and his two zombie pals, all the other zombie characters are just a whitewash of mindless sameness.
Ultimately, it's an interesting idea, with an implementation that never lives up to that promise. The world-building feels a little heavy-handed with many odd things explained briefly for either no purpose at all, or to serve as some 'ah' moment explanation to something two pages later which is never mentioned again: . Other things are mentioned in passing but only serve to confuse the world-building – could the humanity really survive if all animals are extinct? And why does the conversation have to consequently explain what a snake is, but not what a weasel is? Finally, the characters feel a little shallow and the dialogue a little wooden. Although, I suppose we are talking about zombies here, maybe that's just the way they roll... As a shorter work it might have hung together better, but while I didn't actively dislike it at all, there just wasn't enough development of that initial unique idea to shine through and catch my excitement.
In this dystopian zombie novel (the workings of which aren't ever quite explained) Blake is the worst kind of zombie: a re-animated suicide. As a recently awakened zombie the point is made that his family will disown him as his father is prejudiced against zombies and his new zombie brothers will look down on him as a suicide. Beyond a few pointed comments later in the novel nothing further is really made of either of these two potential tensions. Blake is allocated the number 187. He must always be referred to as Blake 187 now, never just Blake. It's not explained if the number is arbitrary or if he's the 187th re-animated Blake (I'm assuming he's not the 187th zombie as there must be a lot more of them knocking about than that). The novel is the story of Blake 187's journey. From his re-animation through his 1984-esque indoctrination and re-education. His seemingly random work allocation, regular abuse and eventual connection with two other like-minded zombies. It's never really explained why Blake 187 is different. Why does he push against the system, answer back, get in trouble. Beyond him and his two zombie pals, all the other zombie characters are just a whitewash of mindless sameness.
Ultimately, it's an interesting idea, with an implementation that never lives up to that promise. The world-building feels a little heavy-handed with many odd things explained briefly for either no purpose at all, or to serve as some 'ah' moment explanation to something two pages later which is never mentioned again: . Other things are mentioned in passing but only serve to confuse the world-building – could the humanity really survive if all animals are extinct? And why does the conversation have to consequently explain what a snake is, but not what a weasel is? Finally, the characters feel a little shallow and the dialogue a little wooden. Although, I suppose we are talking about zombies here, maybe that's just the way they roll... As a shorter work it might have hung together better, but while I didn't actively dislike it at all, there just wasn't enough development of that initial unique idea to shine through and catch my excitement.
February 21, 2014
Blake is a zombie – assigned the number 187 when he rose from the dead after he tried to kill himself to be with his long dead girlfriend, killed in one of the plagues that ravages this broken, dystopian society
Zombies are brought back for one reason – to work for an ever dwindling human population. Kept rational by medication, they exist to serve as a slave class to the living who regard them with disgust and revulsion.
Once they have finished rehabilitation into becoming good little followers of the revered god-like leader of their society (and failing to revere him is not… healthy). Blake is more stubborn and rebellious than most –and less able to guard his tongue as they slowly grind him down. His choices, such that they are, are to be finally broken and become the model zombie they want…
…or find a way to escape, should that ever be possible, if he can exist without the meds and if the horrors that exist in the waste do not get him instead.
This is a book of two halves. The first half of the book I nearly put it down – it was so very close to being a DNF review.
The concept was interesting – a dystopian world ravaged by plague and disasters told from the point of view of a zombie who had basically been raised as slave labour – was an interesting one. But the way it was presented was really rather terrible. We followed the protagonist, Blake, as he was returned from the dead and rehabilitated.
And by “followed” I mean he goes from place to place being randomly abused while we were treated to epic info dump after info dump after info dump. Everything about this book is told there is virtually no show at all. We’re told about the witches and how they’re oppressed and treated. We’re told about the reanimation process. We’re told in incredible depth about the nature of this dystopian world – and it is a really good world. From how breeding is controlled, to the manufactory sterilisations and the control by fear and propaganda and shortages and the environmental destruction and a thousand things more – this world is incredibly detailed with so many different elements that make up this deeply repressive society. A huge amount of work has gone into this world building to such a degree that it feels almost like the setting for an RPG because there is such a focus on every last detail of the world and how it works. It’s very very well made
But not well presented, because all of this is told to us in a series of repeated lectures. And no matter how fascinating the subject matter is, info-dumping is a clumsy way to convey your world setting – it also includes a whole lot of information that isn’t strictly necessary. Sure it’s fascinating to learn the minutiae of the society, but a lot of this isn’t relevant – or isn’t relevant ion the detail that was reached – to actually tell the story.
Blake makes his way through various stages of rehabilitation, imprisonment and eventual slave labour and in doing so we rarely get shown the things he talks about. We see abuse from his controller, but very little in the way of societal oppression against the zombies because we don’t have chance to see society. The guards could be abusive prison guards and the zombies just other people rather than an abused class in the society for all the substantive difference it makes, for example. Again – lot of tell not a lot of show.
In between the ocean of exposition we do get brief introductions to Pete, Zinda and Helena, the other principle characters and some half-decent attempts at character establishment on Zinda. But not much, not even on Blake (beyond a basic decent guy magically escaping most of the prejudice of his society, Blake doesn’t really have a lot of identifiers to establish him as a character).
But after that we break out into the action – escape and rebellion and revolution. The writing is quick, the action well written and the pacing sprints forwards. It’s energised exciting, complicated full of plotting and planning and abrasive characters and a whole new dimension to the fascinating, but slow, information gathering of the first half
Read More
Zombies are brought back for one reason – to work for an ever dwindling human population. Kept rational by medication, they exist to serve as a slave class to the living who regard them with disgust and revulsion.
Once they have finished rehabilitation into becoming good little followers of the revered god-like leader of their society (and failing to revere him is not… healthy). Blake is more stubborn and rebellious than most –and less able to guard his tongue as they slowly grind him down. His choices, such that they are, are to be finally broken and become the model zombie they want…
…or find a way to escape, should that ever be possible, if he can exist without the meds and if the horrors that exist in the waste do not get him instead.
This is a book of two halves. The first half of the book I nearly put it down – it was so very close to being a DNF review.
The concept was interesting – a dystopian world ravaged by plague and disasters told from the point of view of a zombie who had basically been raised as slave labour – was an interesting one. But the way it was presented was really rather terrible. We followed the protagonist, Blake, as he was returned from the dead and rehabilitated.
And by “followed” I mean he goes from place to place being randomly abused while we were treated to epic info dump after info dump after info dump. Everything about this book is told there is virtually no show at all. We’re told about the witches and how they’re oppressed and treated. We’re told about the reanimation process. We’re told in incredible depth about the nature of this dystopian world – and it is a really good world. From how breeding is controlled, to the manufactory sterilisations and the control by fear and propaganda and shortages and the environmental destruction and a thousand things more – this world is incredibly detailed with so many different elements that make up this deeply repressive society. A huge amount of work has gone into this world building to such a degree that it feels almost like the setting for an RPG because there is such a focus on every last detail of the world and how it works. It’s very very well made
But not well presented, because all of this is told to us in a series of repeated lectures. And no matter how fascinating the subject matter is, info-dumping is a clumsy way to convey your world setting – it also includes a whole lot of information that isn’t strictly necessary. Sure it’s fascinating to learn the minutiae of the society, but a lot of this isn’t relevant – or isn’t relevant ion the detail that was reached – to actually tell the story.
Blake makes his way through various stages of rehabilitation, imprisonment and eventual slave labour and in doing so we rarely get shown the things he talks about. We see abuse from his controller, but very little in the way of societal oppression against the zombies because we don’t have chance to see society. The guards could be abusive prison guards and the zombies just other people rather than an abused class in the society for all the substantive difference it makes, for example. Again – lot of tell not a lot of show.
In between the ocean of exposition we do get brief introductions to Pete, Zinda and Helena, the other principle characters and some half-decent attempts at character establishment on Zinda. But not much, not even on Blake (beyond a basic decent guy magically escaping most of the prejudice of his society, Blake doesn’t really have a lot of identifiers to establish him as a character).
But after that we break out into the action – escape and rebellion and revolution. The writing is quick, the action well written and the pacing sprints forwards. It’s energised exciting, complicated full of plotting and planning and abrasive characters and a whole new dimension to the fascinating, but slow, information gathering of the first half
Read More
May 12, 2023
Unlikeable
It’s rare I come across a book where I hate every character, but here we are. This is a brutal story set in a dystopian world. It unrelenting and utterly lacking in good.
The writing is wooden. The storyline is disjointed, unbelievably, and doesn’t engage.
It’s rare I come across a book where I hate every character, but here we are. This is a brutal story set in a dystopian world. It unrelenting and utterly lacking in good.
The writing is wooden. The storyline is disjointed, unbelievably, and doesn’t engage.
March 16, 2014
I received this book from the publisher for free for an honest review.
For the last 300 years mankind has been on the brink of annihilation. Billions have already died worldwide either from a ravaging virus, toxic weather, or on the orders of global dictator Pye Peters and his Severance organization. This is a desolate world full of despair where even thinking bad thoughts can lead to imprisonment or worst of all execution and revival. Those still alive are collectively called Breathers, amongst them are witches who are on the bottom rung of society’s ladder, shunned by all, imprisoned just for existing, punished only by execution, and rape. Even zombies, slaves who have no rights, even the right to think for themselves, are still placed higher than witches.
It is the year 2603, Mars has been colonized and turned into a debauched holiday resort for those unfortunate enough to still be living on what is left of Earth. Blake 187 has heard the stories, no zombie worth his salt wants to work there cleaning up after sex workers and their clients. This is the story of Blake Evan Floray, who is denied the peace of everlasting sleep after committing suicide to escape from a life without his beloved girlfriend Enni, brought back to life by the Severance organization. Severance requires slaves as a cheap labour force, so after revival, multiple operations, continual medication, and reprogramming Blake 187 is to be put to work, Mars beckons.
Blake is as miserable in death as he was in life, but it is his small spark of stubbornness that keeps him going and it is not long before his thoughts turn to escape and dreams of heroes. The hero in question being the legendary zombie escapee Dex and his equally legendary rebel army, who are purportedly thriving out in the badlands even without the medication supplied by Severance.
You might think that zombies have been done to death (pun intended), but it is actually in its relative infancy compared to so many other genres. There has been a glut of zombie novels released in recent times, however, I can honestly say that this is only the second time I have come across the fully sentient walking dead. Indeed the zombies in Blake 187, are trying their hardest to keep rabidity at bay and save their humanity.
The authors Michelle Wright and Aiden James obviously complement each other well, I tried extremely hard, and trust me, I was looking, but I could not find the joins at all.
I liked it, I like miserable people and Blake was wretched enough for me to want to fire up my DeLorean and deposit half my Prozac prescription in his rotting palm. Yes Blake is suspicious and a little bit introspective, but it cannot be much fun being a zombie, and he is a product of an unpleasant childhood not to mention a pitiable life and death. The is no action until the second half of the book which is unusual for a book featuring zombies, but then this is a slightly unusual story. There is a twist towards the end for everyone who loves twisting and the culmination leaves the reader with ample room to send their imagination off on all sorts of tangents.
Maybe there are more zombie books out there following this sentient path, if so, I for one would like to do a shambolic shuffle across some more in the same vein.
For the last 300 years mankind has been on the brink of annihilation. Billions have already died worldwide either from a ravaging virus, toxic weather, or on the orders of global dictator Pye Peters and his Severance organization. This is a desolate world full of despair where even thinking bad thoughts can lead to imprisonment or worst of all execution and revival. Those still alive are collectively called Breathers, amongst them are witches who are on the bottom rung of society’s ladder, shunned by all, imprisoned just for existing, punished only by execution, and rape. Even zombies, slaves who have no rights, even the right to think for themselves, are still placed higher than witches.
It is the year 2603, Mars has been colonized and turned into a debauched holiday resort for those unfortunate enough to still be living on what is left of Earth. Blake 187 has heard the stories, no zombie worth his salt wants to work there cleaning up after sex workers and their clients. This is the story of Blake Evan Floray, who is denied the peace of everlasting sleep after committing suicide to escape from a life without his beloved girlfriend Enni, brought back to life by the Severance organization. Severance requires slaves as a cheap labour force, so after revival, multiple operations, continual medication, and reprogramming Blake 187 is to be put to work, Mars beckons.
Blake is as miserable in death as he was in life, but it is his small spark of stubbornness that keeps him going and it is not long before his thoughts turn to escape and dreams of heroes. The hero in question being the legendary zombie escapee Dex and his equally legendary rebel army, who are purportedly thriving out in the badlands even without the medication supplied by Severance.
You might think that zombies have been done to death (pun intended), but it is actually in its relative infancy compared to so many other genres. There has been a glut of zombie novels released in recent times, however, I can honestly say that this is only the second time I have come across the fully sentient walking dead. Indeed the zombies in Blake 187, are trying their hardest to keep rabidity at bay and save their humanity.
The authors Michelle Wright and Aiden James obviously complement each other well, I tried extremely hard, and trust me, I was looking, but I could not find the joins at all.
I liked it, I like miserable people and Blake was wretched enough for me to want to fire up my DeLorean and deposit half my Prozac prescription in his rotting palm. Yes Blake is suspicious and a little bit introspective, but it cannot be much fun being a zombie, and he is a product of an unpleasant childhood not to mention a pitiable life and death. The is no action until the second half of the book which is unusual for a book featuring zombies, but then this is a slightly unusual story. There is a twist towards the end for everyone who loves twisting and the culmination leaves the reader with ample room to send their imagination off on all sorts of tangents.
Maybe there are more zombie books out there following this sentient path, if so, I for one would like to do a shambolic shuffle across some more in the same vein.
March 29, 2014
This is an entirely different type of zombie book! A unique and unusual approach that had me intrigued from the get-go. Here the zombies are the good guys, they only have a small problem that if they don't get their meds they will go rabid and eat anything living in sight, but other than that, they are the poor, oppressed, downtrodden members of society. In a dystopian future ruled by a maniacal despot who controls the world through the usual methods proven through history: with drugs, brainwashing, taking away hope, forbidding religion, controlling the right to arms, creating a depopulation and a procreation system devoid of any need for the family unit. All of these have been used in the past and are used today, making such a reality possible. However, since this is science fiction other controls are in place such as the complete control of weather (and this doesn't mean hot & sunny, but bringing on earthquakes when the despot thinks it's necessary) and the Zombie program. All dead bodies in preservable condition are taken to the program where they are revived through, science and medicine, into Zombies. This is where Blake finds himself after he kills himself and the story continues as he makes a few friends who attempt to escape the terrible work compound they are forced to live on. Then a survival story as our group, who meets new people, learns how to live on the Outside, learns horrifying truths about the political world they've escaped and meet up with people who kill, lie, betray and deceive as a way of life. Yet there are always one or two, a person can trust and this small group vows to make changes and become part of the Zombie Revolution. A good quick read, with an excellent, unique plot that kept me interested throughout. I found the characters a little stale, the dialogue somewhat stiff,so I didn't connect with them on an emotional level, yet I enjoyed their adventure. The ending is one where the reader can image that now they are set and their lives will continue on past the pages of this book,or it could all just be the set up for a sequel.
January 22, 2014
Blake was just a normal man, desperately in love until Enni died of the plague. Unable to bear life without her, he chooses suicide... only to be brought back as a zombie. In 2603, humans, called breathers, are not to reproduce outside of authorized situations, and zombies are deliberately created for lives of slavery and entertainment. Witches are banned, most sentenced to death. And zombies are given medicine on a regular basis to keep them from turning rabid.
This is the world Blake 187 wakes to find himself in. Desperate for a way out of the path his creator, Pye Peters, intends for him, he befriends Pete, a zombie with many secrets, and Helena, a witch whose path is nearly as bleak as his own. Diving into the wild, he finds a revolution, and maybe, just maybe, he's found the place where he can be happy.
This book was so well-written I could visualize it as the future of our nation- and it sent chills down my spine. An amazing read, highly recommended. I cannot wait for future installments! I have so many questions that I cannot wait to have answered...
This is the world Blake 187 wakes to find himself in. Desperate for a way out of the path his creator, Pye Peters, intends for him, he befriends Pete, a zombie with many secrets, and Helena, a witch whose path is nearly as bleak as his own. Diving into the wild, he finds a revolution, and maybe, just maybe, he's found the place where he can be happy.
This book was so well-written I could visualize it as the future of our nation- and it sent chills down my spine. An amazing read, highly recommended. I cannot wait for future installments! I have so many questions that I cannot wait to have answered...
March 5, 2014
Zombies, if properly medicated and educated, can be controlled but are not citizens regardless of their functional levels. Blake 187 and pals disagree with being slaves. Can they escape their captors? Is there a safe haven? What's with this bias against witches?
An action packed and appropriately detailed, with regards to gore, narrative winds all over and through Blake's zombification, history, and adventures. Characters are detailed, caring, flawed, and mysterious.
Overall, a thrilling read.
An action packed and appropriately detailed, with regards to gore, narrative winds all over and through Blake's zombification, history, and adventures. Characters are detailed, caring, flawed, and mysterious.
Overall, a thrilling read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews