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Darkened
PLEASE NOTE: DARKENED was originally published as DEADWORLD in 2011.
"Bryan Smith's DEADWORLD is a full-throttle pedal-to-the-metal ride straight into the heart of the apocalypse. Deeply disturbing and absolutely riveting. Highly recommended."--Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE KING OF PLAGUES and PATIENT ZERO
Horror writer Bryan Smith, author of Depraved, The Killing Kind, and The Freakshow unleashes an epic work of apocalyptic horror. In DARKENED, a full-length novel of approximately 90,000 words, an infinitude of alternate realities exist side by side. From the dawn of time, each of these alternate realities has been beyond the reach of the others.
UNTIL NOW.
The wall separating earth and another of the realities crumbles. The fabric of existence itself unravels. Soon an army of winged creatures tears its way into our world, laying waste to the entire planet. But this is only the beginning of the human race’s nightmare. A strange rot begins to infect our world, causing inorganic matter to decay at an accelerated rate. Gleaming modern skyscrapers fall to ruin in a matter of weeks. Cars become rusted hulks.
Two other creatures from the alien realm, each far more powerful than the winged warriors who decimated the planet, have also slipped into our world. One exists only to kill and destroy. The other is its ancient enemy and has come to earth in a final attempt to vanquish The Dark One.
Some of the surviving humans find themselves used as helpless puppets by the opposing forces. They are pawns in a larger game destined to end in a final showdown that will determine the ultimate fate of the world.
Emily Sinclair, a Nashville singer-songwriter, is no puppet. She survives through a combination of guts and sheer luck. She and Jake Dunham soon find themselves caring for an orphaned little girl named Abby. But there is more to Abby than meets the eye.
Warren Hatcher is Emily’s ex. On the day the world dies, he and his current girlfriend, Amanda, begin a journey south to reach her family. But things go awry and Warren is soon propelled in another direction--back to his former hometown of Nashville.
Jeff Wheeler is an ordinary man, a mechanic who also lives in Nashville. Something strange happens to him in the wake of the alien invasion. He is now Captain Flash Wheeler, the One True God. And he has a new purpose.
To walk down Salvation Road on Judgment Day.
"Bryan Smith's DEADWORLD is a full-throttle pedal-to-the-metal ride straight into the heart of the apocalypse. Deeply disturbing and absolutely riveting. Highly recommended."--Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE KING OF PLAGUES and PATIENT ZERO
Horror writer Bryan Smith, author of Depraved, The Killing Kind, and The Freakshow unleashes an epic work of apocalyptic horror. In DARKENED, a full-length novel of approximately 90,000 words, an infinitude of alternate realities exist side by side. From the dawn of time, each of these alternate realities has been beyond the reach of the others.
UNTIL NOW.
The wall separating earth and another of the realities crumbles. The fabric of existence itself unravels. Soon an army of winged creatures tears its way into our world, laying waste to the entire planet. But this is only the beginning of the human race’s nightmare. A strange rot begins to infect our world, causing inorganic matter to decay at an accelerated rate. Gleaming modern skyscrapers fall to ruin in a matter of weeks. Cars become rusted hulks.
Two other creatures from the alien realm, each far more powerful than the winged warriors who decimated the planet, have also slipped into our world. One exists only to kill and destroy. The other is its ancient enemy and has come to earth in a final attempt to vanquish The Dark One.
Some of the surviving humans find themselves used as helpless puppets by the opposing forces. They are pawns in a larger game destined to end in a final showdown that will determine the ultimate fate of the world.
Emily Sinclair, a Nashville singer-songwriter, is no puppet. She survives through a combination of guts and sheer luck. She and Jake Dunham soon find themselves caring for an orphaned little girl named Abby. But there is more to Abby than meets the eye.
Warren Hatcher is Emily’s ex. On the day the world dies, he and his current girlfriend, Amanda, begin a journey south to reach her family. But things go awry and Warren is soon propelled in another direction--back to his former hometown of Nashville.
Jeff Wheeler is an ordinary man, a mechanic who also lives in Nashville. Something strange happens to him in the wake of the alien invasion. He is now Captain Flash Wheeler, the One True God. And he has a new purpose.
To walk down Salvation Road on Judgment Day.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2011
14 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Smith
103 books759 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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August 16, 2017This hardcover edition is copy 14 of 52 signed numbered editions signed by Bryan Smith.
February 20, 2017
Ever since I discovered the work of Bryan Smith with DEPRAVED in 2009 I...
http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2017...
http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2017...
March 1, 2011
I am currently reading this, about 75% through, and just loving it. Though the first edition on Kindle needs some editing, the story is awesome!!
October 6, 2012
Not bad but far from my favorite Bryan Smith book.
July 21, 2019
Това е първата книга на Смит в която усещам толкова сериозно влияние от Стивън Кинг и резултатът е леко незадоволителен. Все пак добавям една звезда за чудесната първа четвърт, в която авторът успява да нарисува един странен тридневен апокалипсис по време на който хората до последно се държат така сякаш нищо не се случва и спичат чак когато всичко отива по дяволите. Насетне Брайън не успява да разгърне картина на глобално унищожение, дали заради малкия обем, дали просто защото още е непосилна задача за него. Сцените се сгъстяват до един локален конфликт, на който авторът се опитва да придаде епични мащаби, но не успява.
Тъканта между нашия свят и нещо друго се разкъсва, а от празнините се появяват ужаси, които започват да унищожават живота на земята. Много бързо голяма част от човечеството е избита и оцелелите се сблъскват с разрастващо се скоростно разпадане на всичко направено от човешки ръце. Природата сякаш също е решила да се предаде и загине. Няколко души се опитват да открият смисъл да живеят в този загиващ свят, но не знаят, че през процепите е преминало нещо много по-зло от първоначално появилите се и бързо измрели изроди. Това нещо е садистично и има за цел единствено извратено унищожение на всички. За късмет на жалките човешки останки, при нас е дошъл и някой, който може да му се противопостави. Въпросът е, дали хората ще успеят да доживеят резултата от сблъсъка.
Тъканта между нашия свят и нещо друго се разкъсва, а от празнините се появяват ужаси, които започват да унищожават живота на земята. Много бързо голяма част от човечеството е избита и оцелелите се сблъскват с разрастващо се скоростно разпадане на всичко направено от човешки ръце. Природата сякаш също е решила да се предаде и загине. Няколко души се опитват да открият смисъл да живеят в този загиващ свят, но не знаят, че през процепите е преминало нещо много по-зло от първоначално появилите се и бързо измрели изроди. Това нещо е садистично и има за цел единствено извратено унищожение на всички. За късмет на жалките човешки останки, при нас е дошъл и някой, който може да му се противопостави. Въпросът е, дали хората ще успеят да доживеят резултата от сблъсъка.
March 12, 2013
It was alright but im really not a big fan of post apocalyptic tales. This was one of the better one's that I have read though and the ending was quite good.
January 6, 2019
Very interesting take on the apocalypse, but still not up to par with King's The Stand or McCammon's Swan Song. The premature rot and rust of everything was a nice touch. Though the rape scene was off-putting for me, it did demonstrate the pure evil and deprivation of the dark entity. Recommended
July 16, 2017
Very depressing story. It lacked the action/suspense of previous Smith books.
July 2, 2020
supposed to be a horror story n he has tentacles coming after people. fuckin' tentacles? no, not scary in the slightest, c'mon dude
March 16, 2011
From my blog Rediscovering Horror Fiction.
This is a first for me. Between the time I purchased this book last week and the time I finished it last night, Bryan Smith’s latest novel, self-published as an ebook only, has undergone a title change. Smith gives the lowdown here, but apparently someone with a similarly titled project took issue with the use of the title Deadworld, even though it is impossible to copyright a title. So the book is now called Darkened, which doesn’t matter much to the reader because by any name this book would be a rollicking good slice of pulpy apocalyptic horror.
Holes have begun appearing in the fabric of reality, and some very bad things have started coming through. Just as the President is addressing the American people on this crisis, slithery tentacles appear from nowhere, killing the Commander in Chief on live television. The strange warp holes continue to appear, some bigger than others, with the entire nation of Pakistan vanishing into a black hole. Soon, large bat-faced creatures with tentacles, leathery wings, and needle-sharp teeth dripping with poison are appearing everywhere, laying waste to the population of the entire Earth. The creatures are only the first wave of Armageddon, and what’s left of the world is soon experiencing a general decay. Plant life quickly dies out and man-made objects begin to break down and corrode at a highly accelerated rate.
The world is left with only a handful of survivors. There’s a bartender/songwriter named Emily, her co-worker Jake and the world’s creepiest bar patron Aaron. We also have a college student named Warren who has to share the apocalypse with his seriously bitchy recent ex-girlfriend Amanda (tell me that isn’t uncomfortable). And we have a cable news anchor named Zeke who, in the wake of the global disaster, hooks up with Mary Lou, a perpetually naked and bat shit insane redneck. And, of course, there is also the entity from that other world that started it all.
I couldn’t help being reminded of F. Paul Wilson’s Nightworld, which also had nightmarish Lovecraftian creatures emerging from mysterious holes in the ground, though the resemblance between the two novels ends there. I had expected more monster mayhem, but the creatures disappear from the story about half-way through, and I think humanizing the extra-dimensional entity as much as the author does near the book’s climax made it a lot less scary. Still, Smith has a winner here. He’s got a pretty horrifying scenario, and the action flows along at a breakneck pace. This one is highly recommended and for just $2.99 you have very little to risk.
From my blog Rediscovering Horror Fiction.
This is a first for me. Between the time I purchased this book last week and the time I finished it last night, Bryan Smith’s latest novel, self-published as an ebook only, has undergone a title change. Smith gives the lowdown here, but apparently someone with a similarly titled project took issue with the use of the title Deadworld, even though it is impossible to copyright a title. So the book is now called Darkened, which doesn’t matter much to the reader because by any name this book would be a rollicking good slice of pulpy apocalyptic horror.
Holes have begun appearing in the fabric of reality, and some very bad things have started coming through. Just as the President is addressing the American people on this crisis, slithery tentacles appear from nowhere, killing the Commander in Chief on live television. The strange warp holes continue to appear, some bigger than others, with the entire nation of Pakistan vanishing into a black hole. Soon, large bat-faced creatures with tentacles, leathery wings, and needle-sharp teeth dripping with poison are appearing everywhere, laying waste to the population of the entire Earth. The creatures are only the first wave of Armageddon, and what’s left of the world is soon experiencing a general decay. Plant life quickly dies out and man-made objects begin to break down and corrode at a highly accelerated rate.
The world is left with only a handful of survivors. There’s a bartender/songwriter named Emily, her co-worker Jake and the world’s creepiest bar patron Aaron. We also have a college student named Warren who has to share the apocalypse with his seriously bitchy recent ex-girlfriend Amanda (tell me that isn’t uncomfortable). And we have a cable news anchor named Zeke who, in the wake of the global disaster, hooks up with Mary Lou, a perpetually naked and bat shit insane redneck. And, of course, there is also the entity from that other world that started it all.
I couldn’t help being reminded of F. Paul Wilson’s Nightworld, which also had nightmarish Lovecraftian creatures emerging from mysterious holes in the ground, though the resemblance between the two novels ends there. I had expected more monster mayhem, but the creatures disappear from the story about half-way through, and I think humanizing the extra-dimensional entity as much as the author does near the book’s climax made it a lot less scary. Still, Smith has a winner here. He’s got a pretty horrifying scenario, and the action flows along at a breakneck pace. This one is highly recommended and for just $2.99 you have very little to risk.
From my blog Rediscovering Horror Fiction.
August 26, 2014
Because of the projects I've had going on the last several days, I couldn't give this book the full attention it deserved. Under other circumstances, this would have been one of those books I couldn't put down. Every evening when I had to do other things at the time I would normally be reading, I actually missed this book and yearned to get back to it.
The majority of the action in this novel takes place right here in Nashville. That was a big draw for me, plus I've made it a goal to check out more local authors this year. I'm glad I did - this was an awesome book. Another review mentioned _The Stand_ - it definitely has shades of that, but on a smaller scale in terms of the focus. The author gives us just enough locations and characters to provide a full cast without seeming overambitious. Clocking in at around 315 pgs (it was an ebook, that's a rough conversion to pages), it is just the right length to tell the story. There was never a lull - even the quiet moments were filled with tension or apprehension.
There were some WTF moments, definitely, because the author was not afraid to do bad, unimaginable things to good characters to add impact to the story. He doesn't hesitate to pull the rug out from under you - and it works to great effect.
There are some really awesome things about this book that I can't describe without spoilers, but trust me, they're there. All in all, a fun read, a terrifying premise, a book I'm very glad I read.
The majority of the action in this novel takes place right here in Nashville. That was a big draw for me, plus I've made it a goal to check out more local authors this year. I'm glad I did - this was an awesome book. Another review mentioned _The Stand_ - it definitely has shades of that, but on a smaller scale in terms of the focus. The author gives us just enough locations and characters to provide a full cast without seeming overambitious. Clocking in at around 315 pgs (it was an ebook, that's a rough conversion to pages), it is just the right length to tell the story. There was never a lull - even the quiet moments were filled with tension or apprehension.
There were some WTF moments, definitely, because the author was not afraid to do bad, unimaginable things to good characters to add impact to the story. He doesn't hesitate to pull the rug out from under you - and it works to great effect.
There are some really awesome things about this book that I can't describe without spoilers, but trust me, they're there. All in all, a fun read, a terrifying premise, a book I'm very glad I read.
April 19, 2016
After reading through "Slowly We Rot" and "Depraved" I think I found my favorite Bryan Smith book. Not as balls-to-the-wall out of its mind like "Depraved" or as slow as "Slowly We Rot", this book has a good balance of action, character, and deviance I've come to expect from Smith's writing. The premise is simple. A creature of darkness decides to pass into our world and insanity ensues. There is death and destruction everywhere and the world has pretty much ended. The darkness is corrupting people, machinery, and nature alike. The cast of characters go through hardship both before the events of the end of the world and afterwards. As expected, there is a lot of blood and gore, sex and violence, and insanity wrapped up into one awesome story. While not as crude or offensive (I wasn't offended but other people might find it offensive) as "Depraved", there are some disturbing scenes of violence and sexual assault, which some might find distasteful. It's not for the easily offended or those with weak constitution. Bryan Smith writes HORROR. Expect to be horrified.
November 5, 2014
This is a hard one for me, because I did devour the book and read it fast and it kept me riveted throughout despite the fact that some portions of it seemed oddly normal for the situations that were occurring. There was nothing too over the top for me to handle and honestly I kind of wish there was more in it. It was a pretty cool setting and some pretty interesting people and I wouldn't have minded this being 400 pages instead with more meat on its bones. I also gotta say that I wasn't super happy with the way it ended. It seemed unrealistic in the epilogue but even before that the 'final showdown' seemed kind of ridiculous and like perhaps if Smith would have written this later in life it'd probably be even better. However I did quite enjoy it and I'm definitely going to read more of his stuff. I got this on Amazon for 99 cents and the entertainment I got out of it was definitely worth more than that.
September 18, 2012
The agenda seemed to be to take Stephen King's The Stand and rehash it into a splatter punk version with the end of the world and good vs evil elements. Rape was explored enough times that I began to worry about the author. Sometimes the thing I love about King is also the thing that wears on me, the constant exploration of the inner motivations and experience of the character. In this book I enjoyed the characters and though they were occasionally two dimensional, still I cared about them just enough. This book gets to the action and keeps going. It holds your attention until the end, and then it makes you appreciate the other "serious" writers. I hope Mr Smith's other selections are just as fun.
January 28, 2013
As far as apocalyptic tales go, I found Darkened/Dead World to occupy the middle ground. I've read some great apocalyptic novels, most notably The Stand and Darkened isn't one of them. That's not to say it's bad. Like most books of this genre, we are introduced to a variety of people and follow them to the climax (or their grisly ends) and this process of introduction can make for a slow start. The plot is okay, the characters are okay (although we won't be keeping in touch) and in the end everything was okay. Darkened just about managed 3 stars as I love the genre and because of that I enjoyed it.
October 23, 2014
Deadworld...Darkened...same book, different names. Apparently the author had to change the name, but whatever. This is an end of the world story told with some skill and imagination, about a group of survivors headed toward a date with destiny after other-dimensional forces effectively hit the stop button on the world. If you're into these kinds of books you've probably read this story several times over. Smith adds a lot more gore, and a lot more rape. He's a very capable writer but this kind of subject matter cries for epic treatment and essentially there's just nothing new or thought-provoking here.
May 22, 2012
This is an intriguing take on the apocalyptic end of the world. A rip is torn in the fabric of time and dimension, releasing an evil that destroys the world as we know it and all human life, except for an unfortunate few.
The survivors struggle to accept and adapt to the resulting wasteland, only to be used as puppets by the entity that created it, turning them on each other and themselves. Until one man walks down Salvation Road.
A chilling story that grabs your attention from the start and holds it throughout. This is my first book by Smith and I look forward to reading more of his work.
The survivors struggle to accept and adapt to the resulting wasteland, only to be used as puppets by the entity that created it, turning them on each other and themselves. Until one man walks down Salvation Road.
A chilling story that grabs your attention from the start and holds it throughout. This is my first book by Smith and I look forward to reading more of his work.
January 20, 2012
Wow. What a book. This is the first book I've read by this author and I did like it. I am used to reading Stephen King,or Robert McCammon. Bryan Smith's writing reminds me a bit of them but he adds much more violence and sex. (I don't mind ;) ) I am going to check out his other books on amazon. I want to read more by this author and I recommend it if you like a bit of , okay a lot of violence, sex and horror.
August 26, 2015
This was a good rendition of an end of the world story. The presentation held my interest, I enjoyed the characters, and the denouement despite my trepidation about this being ANOTHER end of the world story. It was well done.
February 17, 2011
Bryan's version of "The Stand". Intense, shocking, and impossible to put down. Great, fast paced read!
April 26, 2014
I've tried reading other apocalyptic stories and they're mostly all ripoffs of The Stand but this one was better. It did remind me of Swan Song but not a copy. A good but brutal last few chapters.
April 20, 2014
Good story. Really keeps you sucked in. The final battle was all too quick though.
October 6, 2015
Was a fair post-apocalyptic story but I would have preferred more monsters
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews