What do you think?
Rate this book
Sustainable Earth #1
Year of the Dead
An advanced alien civilization sends out probes to study and preserve different planetary cultures and biospheres. A probe evaluates Earth and determines that humanity is headed toward extinction due to self-inflicted environmental degradation. In order to make Earth sustainable and to save humanity, the probe decides that Earth’s population must be radically reduced.
The probe is programmed with prime directives that force it to make all interventions culturally appropriate. Since pop culture is full of movies describing the end of the world by zombies and vampires, the probe manufactures viruses that create an outbreak of these creatures. Ninety-eight percent of humanity is wiped out by culturally-sensitive environmentalist aliens who are here to save us.
This is a story of people living in Salt Lake City, Utah when the alien probe destroys the world. The unlucky, slow, and foolish die quickly. This isn’t a typical zombie apocalypse story about a bunch of victims wandering the world slowly getting picked off one-by-one. This novel is about people, who refuse to be victims. They understand that the only way to survive is to band together and to control their environment. The aliens, zombies, and vampires need to be taught that on Earth the top predator will always be human.
The probe is programmed with prime directives that force it to make all interventions culturally appropriate. Since pop culture is full of movies describing the end of the world by zombies and vampires, the probe manufactures viruses that create an outbreak of these creatures. Ninety-eight percent of humanity is wiped out by culturally-sensitive environmentalist aliens who are here to save us.
This is a story of people living in Salt Lake City, Utah when the alien probe destroys the world. The unlucky, slow, and foolish die quickly. This isn’t a typical zombie apocalypse story about a bunch of victims wandering the world slowly getting picked off one-by-one. This novel is about people, who refuse to be victims. They understand that the only way to survive is to band together and to control their environment. The aliens, zombies, and vampires need to be taught that on Earth the top predator will always be human.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2010
30 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 25, 2016
-Puestos a buscar excusas para el fin del mundo… .-
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. Mark Jones es uno de los supervivientes del fin del mundo tal y como lo conocemos, que ha tenido que adaptarse a la nueva situación y pasar de ser una persona corriente (aunque vivía especialmente bien gracias al dinero que anualmente le pagaba un fondo de seguros tras la muerte de sus padres) a un superviviente nato. Pero no es el único, ya que la llegada al Sistema Solar de una sonda extraterrestre al final de su vida útil y programada para la detección y preservación de la biodiversidad planetaria provoca que ésta decida usar conceptos de la cultura popular para asegurar que el ser humano no es una amenaza para su propio planeta. Primer libro de la serie Sustainable Earth.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. Mark Jones es uno de los supervivientes del fin del mundo tal y como lo conocemos, que ha tenido que adaptarse a la nueva situación y pasar de ser una persona corriente (aunque vivía especialmente bien gracias al dinero que anualmente le pagaba un fondo de seguros tras la muerte de sus padres) a un superviviente nato. Pero no es el único, ya que la llegada al Sistema Solar de una sonda extraterrestre al final de su vida útil y programada para la detección y preservación de la biodiversidad planetaria provoca que ésta decida usar conceptos de la cultura popular para asegurar que el ser humano no es una amenaza para su propio planeta. Primer libro de la serie Sustainable Earth.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
July 10, 2015
I liked it. Zombie apocalypse books can be a lot of fun. I really liked the premise but I lost interest in the narcissistic self-absorption of the man character and eventually hoped he would get eaten and another character would step into the lead. The ending also petered out, there was no real conclusion or cliffhanger to spark the readers interest in the forthcoming installment. I still enjoyed it but I'm not sure if I will read the next in the series.
February 25, 2016
Oh the horror indeed...
A friend once asked me how I could read HP Lovecraft. The exposition was repetitive and way over the top. And that is exactly why I loved it. This added to the dread and the fear and while you know it's silly, the character is so earnest and caught up in his personal horror, you cannot help but be horrified as well.
I love spectacle and drama and sci-fi and horror can often deliver the biggest bang for the buck. I grew up on this. I eat it for breakfast. And when it's bad, so often it crosses over the line of cheese, into unintentional comedy. This can be a good thing...hell, it can even be great.
Not so here.
Too many things too convenient and not earned; the protagonist's fortune at being accidentally prepared for holocaust (due to being a bored billionaire playboy and having had matrix-like training in every combat art imaginable), supreme leadership and hero worship; the obvious social and political moralizing; the spoon-fed explanations of everything the characters do; the marginalization of women as adorers of "great" men or feminist stereotypes...Helen Hansen was obviously written by a man and it sounded phony. It read like a parody of a parody, and if that was the aim, then let me reverse myself and say that this was a BRILLIANT book. Then again...one would have to walk away from the experience of reading the book with the understanding that that was what the author was going for.
And no conflict. Seriously...this subject is ripe for conflict but zombies are dumb and easily outwitted, vampires are also dumb and easily outwitted. I realise that a suspension of disbelief is required for the reader, but it wouldn't hurt for the characters to at least say - "What!! Vamps too!? Are you shitting me??!!" Or maybe even something as mundane as - "What?! All these other people sleeping two feet away from me??!! I haven't slept in days and that guy's snoring really makes me want to punch him in the face!"
The test of a good book, to me, is that when I am reading it, I forget I'm reading. The words bypass the eye and go directly into the processing center of the brain that creates the visual. Words become imperceptible and fluid and vanish altogether. That's a tough skill to master. I can't do it. Not many can. So in Mr. Lee's defense, my hat's off to him for doing the work. Only time and practice will say whether or not he'll get there.
A friend once asked me how I could read HP Lovecraft. The exposition was repetitive and way over the top. And that is exactly why I loved it. This added to the dread and the fear and while you know it's silly, the character is so earnest and caught up in his personal horror, you cannot help but be horrified as well.
I love spectacle and drama and sci-fi and horror can often deliver the biggest bang for the buck. I grew up on this. I eat it for breakfast. And when it's bad, so often it crosses over the line of cheese, into unintentional comedy. This can be a good thing...hell, it can even be great.
Not so here.
Too many things too convenient and not earned; the protagonist's fortune at being accidentally prepared for holocaust (due to being a bored billionaire playboy and having had matrix-like training in every combat art imaginable), supreme leadership and hero worship; the obvious social and political moralizing; the spoon-fed explanations of everything the characters do; the marginalization of women as adorers of "great" men or feminist stereotypes...Helen Hansen was obviously written by a man and it sounded phony. It read like a parody of a parody, and if that was the aim, then let me reverse myself and say that this was a BRILLIANT book. Then again...one would have to walk away from the experience of reading the book with the understanding that that was what the author was going for.
And no conflict. Seriously...this subject is ripe for conflict but zombies are dumb and easily outwitted, vampires are also dumb and easily outwitted. I realise that a suspension of disbelief is required for the reader, but it wouldn't hurt for the characters to at least say - "What!! Vamps too!? Are you shitting me??!!" Or maybe even something as mundane as - "What?! All these other people sleeping two feet away from me??!! I haven't slept in days and that guy's snoring really makes me want to punch him in the face!"
The test of a good book, to me, is that when I am reading it, I forget I'm reading. The words bypass the eye and go directly into the processing center of the brain that creates the visual. Words become imperceptible and fluid and vanish altogether. That's a tough skill to master. I can't do it. Not many can. So in Mr. Lee's defense, my hat's off to him for doing the work. Only time and practice will say whether or not he'll get there.
May 2, 2011
Going in to this book, I'm pretty excited. The entire concept is intriguing -- that super-advanced aliens, in an effort to save Planet Earth from polluting/warring/nasty old homo sapiens, are utilizing human myths to destroy us. Which means that, in the space of days, vampires and werewolves and every other nightmare creature imagined by man suddenly springs into existence.
Giddy shiver.
Here's hoping the book fulfills the outrageous awesomeness of its premise!
.....
Okay, I've finished the book. While it could've benefitted from a good editor (repeat words and misspellings make me bananas), I really enjoyed the creativity and a fresh approach to zombies.
The POV jumps around between multiple characters, which is not my favorite storytelling approach since I enjoy getting into one or two characters' heads and staying there. It works, though, in books like Year of the Dead since it allows the reader to more fully experience the zombie-pocalypse. (World War Z is another example of how this approach can work.)
Yes, I saw the ending coming wayyyy before I got there. But I still enjoyed the book and will read the next in the series.
Giddy shiver.
Here's hoping the book fulfills the outrageous awesomeness of its premise!
.....
Okay, I've finished the book. While it could've benefitted from a good editor (repeat words and misspellings make me bananas), I really enjoyed the creativity and a fresh approach to zombies.
The POV jumps around between multiple characters, which is not my favorite storytelling approach since I enjoy getting into one or two characters' heads and staying there. It works, though, in books like Year of the Dead since it allows the reader to more fully experience the zombie-pocalypse. (World War Z is another example of how this approach can work.)
Yes, I saw the ending coming wayyyy before I got there. But I still enjoyed the book and will read the next in the series.
February 14, 2011
This is probably one of the least drama filled books I've ever read. The book reads almost like journal entries and makes the whole thing seem so nonchalant and honest. It's kind of like "zombies came, we kicked their butt, we rock". It was light reading with light humor in it. I didn't always like all the technical talk when they were making weapons and such, and yet those parts really added to the book. It kind of made me feel like I was learning and becoming an expert and that I, too, could kick some zombie butt.
At the end there was a prologue for the second book, which sounds like things are really going to get interesting. In a way I think this first book was more of an intro then an entertaining read, though it did that too. It's not a book that makes you feel bad or teary eyed or disgusted. It's more of a book to make you believe that odds can be overcome with ease. It's borderline epic.
At the end there was a prologue for the second book, which sounds like things are really going to get interesting. In a way I think this first book was more of an intro then an entertaining read, though it did that too. It's not a book that makes you feel bad or teary eyed or disgusted. It's more of a book to make you believe that odds can be overcome with ease. It's borderline epic.
February 21, 2013
The main character speaks like he is the President of the "Look at What I Did" Chapter of the "I Love Me" Club. The actions are ridiculous and unbelieveable and reads like a pamphlet for Mormonism. Maybe the book gets better eventually. Maybe 1-Star isn't fair considering that I didn't finish it. But my time is too valuable to take the chance that I'm wrong. If you don't have time to waste...don't.
May 23, 2012
What more could fans of dystopic and apocalyptic literature want? This book has it all! I had a great time reading it and it was so refreshing to not be subjected to the usual moronic characters so often found in this type of novel.
December 20, 2021
The last gasp of an alien civilization creates a zombie and vampire plague to wipe out the human population of Earth and preserve the planet from human depredation. This is mind candy. Mildly entertaining, but much like a video game.
August 28, 2024
please write another
November 27, 2016
In Year of the Dead, author Jack Lee serves up an unusual spin on the traditional zombie story. An alien probe monitoring Earth determines that what the planet really needs to survive long-term are a lot fewer humans, so it creates a virus that turns humans into horrifying predators - specifically zombies and vampires. The outbreak decimates the country, but in Salt Lake City, enclaves of well-prepared Mormons manage to stay alive. So has Mark Jones, a rich playboy with survival skills, martial arts training, a secret lair full of gadgets and weaponry, and lots and lots of bats (OK, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea). Jones decides to take on the enemy, and along the way essentially takes over the remnants of society.
Zombie/Vampire 411 - For the most part, the zombies in New Zed Order: Survive are your basic Romero-style living dead. In other words; they're slow and they bite, infecting others. Lee does get a little creative with matters of physiology and the zombies' capabilities. The vampires, on the other hand, seem more like werewolves than anything else. They're essentially mindless predators with amazing jumping abilities and superior strength. They don't recruit followers, infect others, or brood gothically with perfectly arranged hair.
Pros - If you can roll with some of the story's more fantastic elements, Year of the Dead is an awful lot of fun. Lee introduces some very memorable characters and gives them each a unique voice. Even in the most unbelievable circumstances, his characters seemed very real and the dialogue was pretty natural. He also writes some very cool action sequences that would translate really well in graphic novel form (that's the picture I had in my head anyway). Lee obviously has a lot of ideas about the conventional zombie/survival story, and has given a lot of little twists that make this a more memorable read.
Cons - Others have pointed out that the main character is essentially a ready-made superhero that just happens to have everything he needs to survive an outbreak at his disposal. This probably would have bothered me as well, but hey, I love superheroes, and Mark Jones was just a cool character. Besides that, it's pretty hard to resist a Matrix-looking dude with a samurai sword decapitating zombies and punching the throat out of a vampire. My main issue was with the alien elements. Not so much the idea (though I have to wonder why aliens studying us would hone in on our pop culture), but the clumsy way it was handled. Those sequences were not the same caliber as the rest of the story.
While not without its flaws, Year of the Dead is an entertaining story, and one that should appeal to most zombie fans. It's at about the same quality level as most Permuted Press titles, and is more than worth the low Kindle price. Go into it like you would a graphic novel or Hollywood action flick and you should be satisfied.
Zombie/Vampire 411 - For the most part, the zombies in New Zed Order: Survive are your basic Romero-style living dead. In other words; they're slow and they bite, infecting others. Lee does get a little creative with matters of physiology and the zombies' capabilities. The vampires, on the other hand, seem more like werewolves than anything else. They're essentially mindless predators with amazing jumping abilities and superior strength. They don't recruit followers, infect others, or brood gothically with perfectly arranged hair.
Pros - If you can roll with some of the story's more fantastic elements, Year of the Dead is an awful lot of fun. Lee introduces some very memorable characters and gives them each a unique voice. Even in the most unbelievable circumstances, his characters seemed very real and the dialogue was pretty natural. He also writes some very cool action sequences that would translate really well in graphic novel form (that's the picture I had in my head anyway). Lee obviously has a lot of ideas about the conventional zombie/survival story, and has given a lot of little twists that make this a more memorable read.
Cons - Others have pointed out that the main character is essentially a ready-made superhero that just happens to have everything he needs to survive an outbreak at his disposal. This probably would have bothered me as well, but hey, I love superheroes, and Mark Jones was just a cool character. Besides that, it's pretty hard to resist a Matrix-looking dude with a samurai sword decapitating zombies and punching the throat out of a vampire. My main issue was with the alien elements. Not so much the idea (though I have to wonder why aliens studying us would hone in on our pop culture), but the clumsy way it was handled. Those sequences were not the same caliber as the rest of the story.
While not without its flaws, Year of the Dead is an entertaining story, and one that should appeal to most zombie fans. It's at about the same quality level as most Permuted Press titles, and is more than worth the low Kindle price. Go into it like you would a graphic novel or Hollywood action flick and you should be satisfied.
November 8, 2014
This book is about twice as long as it needs to be. It runs into the same problems as a few other zombie novels I have read--the author seems to be more interested in trying to impress readers with minute, unimportant details to show of his knowledge of certain topics rather than writing a well-paced and interesting story. This is unfortunate because buried under all of the unnecessary details (I've learned more about Mormons and building silencers for AR-15s than I did about the zombies reading this book) is a really interesting story. However I spent myself skimming through much of it and about a third of the way through the book I realized I was FORCING myself to finish because I had already put time and money into starting it.
The origin of the zombie and vampire disease is completely unique to this book and the very best thing it has going for it, but there is way too little time spent on it. Telling the story through several different points of view also makes it very interesting, though at times several people tell the same parts of the story. Most of the time their points of view are not different enough to warrant this. I found myself skimming in many places because the same thing I had read ten pages ago was being repeated. It also doesn't help that with the exception of two, perhaps two and a half, of these characters, they are all INTENSELY UNLIKEABLE. This includes the "main" character, who is one of the truest Mary Sues I can think of. It is probably not a good sign that I kept hoping most of them, including Mary Sue himself (Mark), would get eaten by zombies.
While this was an intriguing start to the series, I am not sure I can force myself to slog through pages and pages of details of things I don't care about in order to find the few sentences of story. There are also several instances where the sentence structure is very odd and abrupt. The author seemed to be trying to establish their "voice" or writing style, however it just did not flow well and simply felt awkward. In addition, the portrayal of female characters was completely flat. Either the women were delicate little swooning flowers who chase after the alpha males, or they were angry, femininst "bitches." As a woman who is neither, I found this to be somewhat distracting and very unrealistic.
The origin of the zombie and vampire disease is completely unique to this book and the very best thing it has going for it, but there is way too little time spent on it. Telling the story through several different points of view also makes it very interesting, though at times several people tell the same parts of the story. Most of the time their points of view are not different enough to warrant this. I found myself skimming in many places because the same thing I had read ten pages ago was being repeated. It also doesn't help that with the exception of two, perhaps two and a half, of these characters, they are all INTENSELY UNLIKEABLE. This includes the "main" character, who is one of the truest Mary Sues I can think of. It is probably not a good sign that I kept hoping most of them, including Mary Sue himself (Mark), would get eaten by zombies.
While this was an intriguing start to the series, I am not sure I can force myself to slog through pages and pages of details of things I don't care about in order to find the few sentences of story. There are also several instances where the sentence structure is very odd and abrupt. The author seemed to be trying to establish their "voice" or writing style, however it just did not flow well and simply felt awkward. In addition, the portrayal of female characters was completely flat. Either the women were delicate little swooning flowers who chase after the alpha males, or they were angry, femininst "bitches." As a woman who is neither, I found this to be somewhat distracting and very unrealistic.
May 20, 2011
OK, I'm pretty sure this was written by a Mormon. If I had figured that out right away, I probably would have stopped reading...but I'm so glad that I didn't because his book was really fun to read and I actually enjoyed learning a bit about the structure of the Mormon church. If there was a non-religious organization similar to the Mormon Church, I'd probably belong to it, their chances of surviving a catastrophe are probably pretty high.
Anyway, the basic premise is that a space probe has a mission to help biospheres maintain sustainability and after it determines that Earth has too many people, it watches our communications to find a way of thinning the population that wouldn't be suspicious or indicate outside interference. It determines from our movies and TV shows that zombies and vampires are one way the human population is diminished. So, it produces two separate viruses to create both zombies and vampires (and does a great job of explaining the science between the two).
I liked how well thought out the strategies and devices were that the survivors came up with for combating zombies vs. vampires. And even with the Mormon slant, there were non-Mormon characters and strong smart women etc. so it wasn't infuriatingly sexist or anything (although a few of the characters were).
Bottom line, this is a funny, interesting, scary, informative read that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I give it 5 stars because it excels at what it is...a great vampire/zombie apocalypse read!
Anyway, the basic premise is that a space probe has a mission to help biospheres maintain sustainability and after it determines that Earth has too many people, it watches our communications to find a way of thinning the population that wouldn't be suspicious or indicate outside interference. It determines from our movies and TV shows that zombies and vampires are one way the human population is diminished. So, it produces two separate viruses to create both zombies and vampires (and does a great job of explaining the science between the two).
I liked how well thought out the strategies and devices were that the survivors came up with for combating zombies vs. vampires. And even with the Mormon slant, there were non-Mormon characters and strong smart women etc. so it wasn't infuriatingly sexist or anything (although a few of the characters were).
Bottom line, this is a funny, interesting, scary, informative read that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I give it 5 stars because it excels at what it is...a great vampire/zombie apocalypse read!
July 9, 2013
This book, I will have to say, surprised the life out of me. The premise was absolutely terrible--a combination vampire and zombie novel, get real, right? No. The unique approach, albeit very far-fetched and out there, was enough to draw me into the book. The storyline was very intriguing, with zombies, as zombies go, killing off the stupid and those not able to adapt quickly, and then vampires pick off the ones that survive. The creation was very interesting.
The humans, the characters whose stories you follow, were connectable. I liked how Lee jumped from chapter to chapter, almost making it a diary type of book about the characters who have to live in this hell. Some of the characters seem almost too perfect, but I think that Lee's goal was to do that. The one very interesting part, which kind of irritated me at first, was how focused he was on Mormons and LDS. Then I realized, the story did set place in Utah, and the Mormoms, as he says in the book, are very prepared for emergency situations. It was surprising, as I don't normally like books that involve religion. All in all, this book was a very quick read, and I can guarantee i'll be picking up his next one!
The humans, the characters whose stories you follow, were connectable. I liked how Lee jumped from chapter to chapter, almost making it a diary type of book about the characters who have to live in this hell. Some of the characters seem almost too perfect, but I think that Lee's goal was to do that. The one very interesting part, which kind of irritated me at first, was how focused he was on Mormons and LDS. Then I realized, the story did set place in Utah, and the Mormoms, as he says in the book, are very prepared for emergency situations. It was surprising, as I don't normally like books that involve religion. All in all, this book was a very quick read, and I can guarantee i'll be picking up his next one!
November 4, 2018
"Vampires and Zombies, oh my heck!"
Mark Jones is a trust fund baby, and his biggest complaint in life is that he has to work to find things to distract him. After running a huge marathon, he sleeps for days in his basement bedroom and awakes to find the biggest distraction he has ever encountered.
An alien intelligence has determined that if left unchecked, the massive amounts of humans on planet Earth will eventually destroy not only the planet, but their own species, taking all other Earth life forms with them. The intervention begins.
And from there, it's Zombies and then, Vampires. The survivors band together, and come up with ingenious ways to take out not only Zombies, but the Vampires as well. It's not an easy task, but with Mark Jones leading them, everyone rises to the occasion in delightfully inventive ways.
This was a bit different from your standard Zombie apocalypse book. Zombies tend to be the "worst case scenario" but they also have a way of inspiring those who survive to also thrive and rediscover the best aspects of humanity.
Mark Jones is a trust fund baby, and his biggest complaint in life is that he has to work to find things to distract him. After running a huge marathon, he sleeps for days in his basement bedroom and awakes to find the biggest distraction he has ever encountered.
An alien intelligence has determined that if left unchecked, the massive amounts of humans on planet Earth will eventually destroy not only the planet, but their own species, taking all other Earth life forms with them. The intervention begins.
And from there, it's Zombies and then, Vampires. The survivors band together, and come up with ingenious ways to take out not only Zombies, but the Vampires as well. It's not an easy task, but with Mark Jones leading them, everyone rises to the occasion in delightfully inventive ways.
This was a bit different from your standard Zombie apocalypse book. Zombies tend to be the "worst case scenario" but they also have a way of inspiring those who survive to also thrive and rediscover the best aspects of humanity.
September 7, 2013
Not gonna lie, when I first picked this up, I figured this would be one of the worst books I had read this year. I mean, zombies, vampires, and aliens, all in one book? Really? Who would've thought it would end up being one of the best!
The reasoning the author used to explain the reason there are zombies and vampires on Earth was very original, I thought. As far as I'm aware, I've not heard, nor read, of anything else with that same concept. I may be wrong however. I enjoyed the way the story was told. Much the same as World War Z, the story is told chapter by chapter by the viewpoints of different characters during different time frames. It can be a little confusing at first, but once you're accustomed to it, everything gets better.
I had so much fun reading this. If you love zombie stories, read this. If you like vampires, read this. There's not a whole bunch about aliens, but I still say read this! No matter how crazy it may sound, it is definitely worth giving a chance. I can't wait to get a start on the second book.
The reasoning the author used to explain the reason there are zombies and vampires on Earth was very original, I thought. As far as I'm aware, I've not heard, nor read, of anything else with that same concept. I may be wrong however. I enjoyed the way the story was told. Much the same as World War Z, the story is told chapter by chapter by the viewpoints of different characters during different time frames. It can be a little confusing at first, but once you're accustomed to it, everything gets better.
I had so much fun reading this. If you love zombie stories, read this. If you like vampires, read this. There's not a whole bunch about aliens, but I still say read this! No matter how crazy it may sound, it is definitely worth giving a chance. I can't wait to get a start on the second book.
July 29, 2016
My review from amazon.com dated 4/8/2013
Title: Such a great book, zombies, survival, & vampires
An alien probe that doesn't want to be discovered starts the Zombie apocalypse we all fear plus a sprinkle of some vampires. The people of Utah were not expecting everything to happen so fast.
I just loved all of the characters of this book, you had a leader that you could actually understand, legends in the making in the youngest members, and believable situations. Half way through the book the characters stopped thinking about just surviving day to day but actually recreating the society that they once knew. I loved the transition from survival to sustainability of our culture. Such a great start to an amazing story, I definitely did not want it to end. I got this book for free on a day when it was free and I wish I could easier paid for the next two books because I know they will be great. Can't wait to read those!
Title: Such a great book, zombies, survival, & vampires
An alien probe that doesn't want to be discovered starts the Zombie apocalypse we all fear plus a sprinkle of some vampires. The people of Utah were not expecting everything to happen so fast.
I just loved all of the characters of this book, you had a leader that you could actually understand, legends in the making in the youngest members, and believable situations. Half way through the book the characters stopped thinking about just surviving day to day but actually recreating the society that they once knew. I loved the transition from survival to sustainability of our culture. Such a great start to an amazing story, I definitely did not want it to end. I got this book for free on a day when it was free and I wish I could easier paid for the next two books because I know they will be great. Can't wait to read those!
December 14, 2012
Different. I generally enjoy apocalypse books but don't like zombies, don't usually like vampires and not particularly attracted to EOTW scenarios involving religious groups. This book contains most of my prejudices and still managed to hook me.
Very interesting apocalypse/ post-apocalypse scenario and although not particularly believable, the foundation premise did make as much sense as most of the zombie/vampire scenarios as did the setting in the Mormon communities in Utah.
The main character, again somewhat at odds with my usual preferences, is not a particularly likeable individual but he is well developed and is particularly competent so the whole thing works.
Not my usual read and I actually didn't expect to like it as well as I did. I imagine I will indulge in the next volume as well and see if the author can do this again.
Very interesting apocalypse/ post-apocalypse scenario and although not particularly believable, the foundation premise did make as much sense as most of the zombie/vampire scenarios as did the setting in the Mormon communities in Utah.
The main character, again somewhat at odds with my usual preferences, is not a particularly likeable individual but he is well developed and is particularly competent so the whole thing works.
Not my usual read and I actually didn't expect to like it as well as I did. I imagine I will indulge in the next volume as well and see if the author can do this again.
October 27, 2014
A very good apocalyptic book
Meteors, volcanos, floods, "sharknadoes" there are all kinds of apocalyptic events that can take place. This, however, are nothing compared to an environmentally dedicated alien race that decides that the human race is, in fact, a "plague" to be eradicated and proceeds to do so using popular myths, urban or otherwise.
The characters that populate this work of fiction are as varied a group of people as you are likely to meet. Religious people, agnostics, military men, professionals, screw ups, that are all here. All delightfully different and very well structured.ed and developed.
Although there are a couple of editing mistakes, it reads like a well published novel.
The change of perspective style is a little disconcerting at first, but, eventually, you get used to it.
All in all, a very good, readable book.
Meteors, volcanos, floods, "sharknadoes" there are all kinds of apocalyptic events that can take place. This, however, are nothing compared to an environmentally dedicated alien race that decides that the human race is, in fact, a "plague" to be eradicated and proceeds to do so using popular myths, urban or otherwise.
The characters that populate this work of fiction are as varied a group of people as you are likely to meet. Religious people, agnostics, military men, professionals, screw ups, that are all here. All delightfully different and very well structured.ed and developed.
Although there are a couple of editing mistakes, it reads like a well published novel.
The change of perspective style is a little disconcerting at first, but, eventually, you get used to it.
All in all, a very good, readable book.
March 21, 2016
This is not a normal read for me. Very seldom do I read horror, but there was something about this premise that intrigued me. To imagine that a probe traveling million and millions of miles from a unknown part of space whose only duty is to help planets maintain their natural resources. And then one day it finds Earth.
It finds out that there are over 6 billion people on earth and calculates in order to make Earth sustainable and to save humanity, the probe decides that Earth’s population must be radically reduced.
Learning from Earth's pop culture, full of movies describing the end of the world by zombies and vampires, the probe manufactures viruses that create an outbreak of these creatures. Ninety-eight percent of humanity is wiped out.
This is a trilogy and I just finished book one. I brought the other two books because its a good read.
It finds out that there are over 6 billion people on earth and calculates in order to make Earth sustainable and to save humanity, the probe decides that Earth’s population must be radically reduced.
Learning from Earth's pop culture, full of movies describing the end of the world by zombies and vampires, the probe manufactures viruses that create an outbreak of these creatures. Ninety-eight percent of humanity is wiped out.
This is a trilogy and I just finished book one. I brought the other two books because its a good read.
May 25, 2012
I thought this was a great book and once I started it I couldn't put it down (which made the next day a very long and sleepy day...).
This isn't your normal zombie book. Imaging an alien space probe, from a race that's now long gone, that's on its last legs (and knows it). But its determined to fulfill its mission, to ensure the survival of a given planets species and biosphere, while keeping its existence secret. On seeing Earth it knows it has its work cut out for it!
So it uses Earth's own ideas of apocalypses to thin down the herd...
Then you mix in a guy who's so narcissistic that he actually sleeps through the zombie apocalypse, yet in the end saves the day.
If you read zombie, you've got to get read this one.
This isn't your normal zombie book. Imaging an alien space probe, from a race that's now long gone, that's on its last legs (and knows it). But its determined to fulfill its mission, to ensure the survival of a given planets species and biosphere, while keeping its existence secret. On seeing Earth it knows it has its work cut out for it!
So it uses Earth's own ideas of apocalypses to thin down the herd...
Then you mix in a guy who's so narcissistic that he actually sleeps through the zombie apocalypse, yet in the end saves the day.
If you read zombie, you've got to get read this one.
May 1, 2014
As far as undead apocalypse books go, this one isn't bad, but it isn't great. Zombie, Inc and the Passage are better, in my opinion.
However, the story is compelling and the human interaction with the story believable. I had a hard time with the main character - he felt like what every 13 year old wishes he was/will be as a man until he grows up enough to understand what kind of traits and values are truly important. He's a bit like Batman...too rich with too much time on his hands...but with no higher morale compass.
The story behind the trigger of the undead epidemic is a bit different and interesting. This is the first of a series (of at least three) and I will likely continue reading.
However, the story is compelling and the human interaction with the story believable. I had a hard time with the main character - he felt like what every 13 year old wishes he was/will be as a man until he grows up enough to understand what kind of traits and values are truly important. He's a bit like Batman...too rich with too much time on his hands...but with no higher morale compass.
The story behind the trigger of the undead epidemic is a bit different and interesting. This is the first of a series (of at least three) and I will likely continue reading.
May 16, 2011
Very fast, very entertaining read. I particularly liked the explanation of the origin of the zombies and vampires; not your usual witch-doctoring or evil corporation or space asteroid bullshit. I also like the inclusion of Mormons, even though I am not one, since they are a natural fit for a survivalist book. The overlap of days between character accounts can be a little confusing at first, but luckily each chapter is headed by the character name and dates. At first I thought it was going to go more in the direction of Eloise Knapp's The Undead Situation but I'm glad it didn't; Year of the Dead is much more human and interestingly different.
December 9, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. I think Lee does a great job of setting up the premise--zombies and vampires cause an apocalypse--and then lets the characters run the show.
And what characters they are. Mark Jones, the lead protagonist, is one of the most narcissistic people on the planet, even before most of the planet became zombie chow. Before you judge him too harshly, however, he just may be the one person who can save those around him and re-establish a functioning society.
I'm definitely going to be picking up the other books in this series at some point as I so thoroughly enjoyed this one.
And what characters they are. Mark Jones, the lead protagonist, is one of the most narcissistic people on the planet, even before most of the planet became zombie chow. Before you judge him too harshly, however, he just may be the one person who can save those around him and re-establish a functioning society.
I'm definitely going to be picking up the other books in this series at some point as I so thoroughly enjoyed this one.
August 2, 2011
Honestly, this was a good read. I was at times confused by the perspective and had to go back to see who was talking. The first person story telling was well done but the shift from person to person stopped me and was confusing at times. The author has really thought out solutions to zombies and vampires and really wanted to tell us about them. There are some interesting new ways to deal with zombies that I enjoyed reading about. I give it an A for information and a C for story telling. Mark Jones reminded me of Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (from the book not the movie).
February 14, 2012
"Year of the Dead" has put itself right up there with "World War Z" as my favorite Zombie and/or Vampire novels. Really an interesting premise - an alien race seeks to make Earth sustainable by reducing the human population by, oh, 99% via plagues that they engineer. Like World War Z,the author presents the story through the personal accounts of a small number of primary characters. The book is a pager turner, and quite funny now and then, as strange as that might seem. I'm half way through, I'm pushing to bring this to closure over the weekend. Love it thus far. Stay tuned.
August 30, 2013
I loved the book. I love vampires and zombies and was pretty amazed to see them put together into one book. I like the characters and can visualize them easily as well as wishing I could be with them or one of them through all of the action. I will definitely be buying the next in line. I have to see what happens!
I also liked that this book was nice and long. Normally a book that is good never seems long enough to me so yes I would definitely recommend for all of the zombie/Vampire readers.
I also liked that this book was nice and long. Normally a book that is good never seems long enough to me so yes I would definitely recommend for all of the zombie/Vampire readers.
February 20, 2013
I felt like I was watching an episode of Doomsday Preppers which is a show I actually like, but this book fell short for me. Can't quite put my finger on what I didn't like......At times I felt like I was reading a text book on the Zombie Apocalypse and other times it was pretty good, but the pretty good just wasn't enough. It was a short book, but took me longer to read because I kept falling asleep. Sorry, this one was a snoozer for me. Will not be reading the next book in the series.
January 4, 2015
Zombie apocalypse but with a difference. Initially narrated by a bit of a cockwomble but then narrated y a few other voices throughout and an interesting prepperesque level of detail about how to survive. Didn't love any characters, but was interested enough to carry on. A few amusing bits, a few touching bits, a few intriguing bits. Like I said, a bit different! Would consider reading the second in the series when I wanted something light & easy to read.
June 17, 2011
Not a good start. I forced myself to continue reading this for MANY days. Mr Lee seemed to research too much technical info and repeating the info over and over through the book. By the last few chapters I became interested enough to plan on reading the next installment. I had already purchased it. Nice concept though.
August 17, 2012
Honestly this is one of the silliest concepts for a novel I could imagine and... I LOVED IT. Face it, this book isn't exactly "War and Peace" but I don't think it was meant to be. What it is, is fun. The characters are super cool, to the point of absurd which is what a hero should be. Larger than life. You should get this book and anything written by Jack J Lee.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews