Failure

by Jay Wilburn

Across the earth, zombies rise to devour the flesh of mankind.

An organ transplant patient fights his body as well as the undead to keep his family safe.

An MHP Pocket Book featuring themes

83 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2023

About the author

Jay Wilburn is a full-time writer of horror and speculative fiction. His Dead Song Legend series follows music collectors during the zombie apocalypse. The Great Interruption follows and apocalypse of a different sort. He has coauthored The Enemy Held Near and A Yard Full of Bones with Armand Rosamilia. Follow his many dark thoughts at JayWilburn.com, his YouTube channel Captain Three Kidneys, and @AmongTheZombies on Twitter.

Reviews

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Failure is an intense dystopian read that is centered around Roman and his family. Roman has a health condition and without treatment he knows he won’t be around long. So, he is doing all that he can now to make sure that his family is safe.

For such a short read, I was not expecting this book to have such an impact on me. Wilburn immediately drops the reader into some chaos, and it only gets worse from there as we follow Roman and his family through a very bleak world full of the undead. As the reader, you experience the dread, the urgency to get moving, and just how pressing time is for Roman. We see Roman struggling, not only with his condition but also himself. He carries a lot of self-doubt and questions himself quite a bit. The caring nature of his character is so clear in this book. Roman is my favorite character. He is brave, has a lot of heart and, despite his issues, he just keeps fighting.

For me, this is a very moving story. It pulls you in immediately and holds tight until the very end where the gut punch comes in. Excellent execution, especially for a short story. Wilburn was a treasure to the indie community, and I am glad that we can still share and read his wonderful work. Don’t miss out on this one.

[Michael Allen Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it first seems like a typical zombie apocalypse story, you might think I've read this before, but just wait. The psychology of a man who knows he's going to die and wants desperately to make sure he leaves safety as a gift to his family is heart-wrenching. Wilburn pulled it off wonderfully here, and knowing about the author's own tragic passing really strikes a special chord when reading this story. A perfect way to utilize the classic ticking clock tool in fiction.

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought me to tears. A zompoc story but the story is so much more than that.
Everything I've read from Wilburn has been amazing and this is no exception. I didn't know him, but I knew the fight he was fighting and this story is 100% him.

[Christina Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Failure is an intense apocalyptic story about a man’s quest to keep his family alive when the unthinkable becomes their reality. Although only a short 83 pages long, Wilburn takes no time setting up the situation and creating the urgency his characters face right from the start.

I was so captivated by the story that I read it in one sitting in about an hour. My heart raced with the family as they encountered challenges along their chosen path. I was truly invested in those characters and the wild ride is something I will never forget!

Jay Wilburn was absolutely one of the greats at his craft and a wonderful human being. Like the rest of the horror community I miss him greatly! Go get your copy of this pocketbook from Madness Heart Press!!

[Cris Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific short adventure in a post-apocalyptic zombie-filled world. Jay was so good with this kind of story.