What do you think?
Rate this book
Mountain Man #1
Mountain Man
A man must survive the zombie apocalypse armed with only a shotgun, a Samurai bat, and the will to live among the unliving in this horror series debut.
It’s been two years since civilization ended in an unstoppable wave of chaos and blood. Now, former house painter Augustus “Gus” Berry lives a day-to-day existence of waking up, getting drunk, and preparing for the inevitable moment when “they” will come up the side of his mountain and penetrate his fortress.
Living on the outskirts of Annapolis, Gus goes scavenging for whatever supplies remain in the undead suburbia below. Every time he descends the mountain could be his last.
But when Gus encounters another survivor, he soon realizes the zombie horde may not be the greatest threat he faces . . .
It’s been two years since civilization ended in an unstoppable wave of chaos and blood. Now, former house painter Augustus “Gus” Berry lives a day-to-day existence of waking up, getting drunk, and preparing for the inevitable moment when “they” will come up the side of his mountain and penetrate his fortress.
Living on the outskirts of Annapolis, Gus goes scavenging for whatever supplies remain in the undead suburbia below. Every time he descends the mountain could be his last.
But when Gus encounters another survivor, he soon realizes the zombie horde may not be the greatest threat he faces . . .
214 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2011
661 people are currently reading
3717 people want to read
About the author
Keith C. Blackmore
38 books909 followersBooks are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
December 6, 2025
Set in Canada, we meet Augustus Berry (Gus), who lives alone in a cabin in the mountains, where he spends most of his time inebriated. We find out soon enough that he is hiding out from the zombies, or 'gimps' as he calls them, who lurk in the town below. Gus seems to be pretty self-sufficient in that he has solar panels for some limited power and extensive supplies.
Gus has to venture out regularly to the town to restock, where he risks running into zombies and other survivors. I did have a chuckle at Gus as he seemed obsessed with storing up toilet paper. Given the book was first published in 2011, and then we all know what happened in our own subsequent Covid pandemic, the author definitely foresaw the future on that one!
Then we are introduced to Joseph Tenner, a psychopath and serial killer. He stumbles across three survivors, most notably Scott, whom Tenner shoots and leaves for dead. Scott's friends—Lea and Teddy—meet a dark and grisly end. Gus saves an injured Scott whilst on one of his supply runs and takes him back to the cabin to heal.
The circumstances surrounding Roxanne's introduction later in the story and her plot were a little contrived and a bit cringy. In this part of the story it does suffer from 'men writing women', unfortunately.
There is lots of talk throughout of, shall we say, toilet habits. I think I could see what the Author was trying to do here, though: show what would happen when humans' most basic everyday necessities are taken away and how we would cope without the ability to use what we take for granted the most, like a flushing toilet—but sometimes it did get a bit too much. Plus Gus is an alcoholic, so there are also copious references to alcohol. The book would have been greatly improved by cutting out some of this repetition.
I love to dip my toe into these zombie survival books every now and again; I don't know why, as they've been done to death, but they're just a timeless classic of horror and monster lore. This one always pops up as recommended in the genre, so I thought I'd give it a go.
It was a little rough around the edges, but there is a good basis of a zombie survival story here: a man living in solitude, his fight for survival, a dark antagonist character, plus, of course, zombies. It kept me engaged and intrigued enough that I'll move on to book 2 to find out what happens next.
You could read it as a standalone if you don't wish to carry on because it does have an ending of sorts, but as it is part of a series, not everything is wrapped up neatly.
Gus has to venture out regularly to the town to restock, where he risks running into zombies and other survivors. I did have a chuckle at Gus as he seemed obsessed with storing up toilet paper. Given the book was first published in 2011, and then we all know what happened in our own subsequent Covid pandemic, the author definitely foresaw the future on that one!
Then we are introduced to Joseph Tenner, a psychopath and serial killer. He stumbles across three survivors, most notably Scott, whom Tenner shoots and leaves for dead. Scott's friends—Lea and Teddy—meet a dark and grisly end. Gus saves an injured Scott whilst on one of his supply runs and takes him back to the cabin to heal.
The circumstances surrounding Roxanne's introduction later in the story and her plot were a little contrived and a bit cringy. In this part of the story it does suffer from 'men writing women', unfortunately.
There is lots of talk throughout of, shall we say, toilet habits. I think I could see what the Author was trying to do here, though: show what would happen when humans' most basic everyday necessities are taken away and how we would cope without the ability to use what we take for granted the most, like a flushing toilet—but sometimes it did get a bit too much. Plus Gus is an alcoholic, so there are also copious references to alcohol. The book would have been greatly improved by cutting out some of this repetition.
I love to dip my toe into these zombie survival books every now and again; I don't know why, as they've been done to death, but they're just a timeless classic of horror and monster lore. This one always pops up as recommended in the genre, so I thought I'd give it a go.
It was a little rough around the edges, but there is a good basis of a zombie survival story here: a man living in solitude, his fight for survival, a dark antagonist character, plus, of course, zombies. It kept me engaged and intrigued enough that I'll move on to book 2 to find out what happens next.
You could read it as a standalone if you don't wish to carry on because it does have an ending of sorts, but as it is part of a series, not everything is wrapped up neatly.
April 25, 2021
This wasn't a bad book. It was predictable and followed the zombie genre like I expected, but there was something about it that felt like it was trying WAY TOO HARD.
Sure, your average apocalyptic scenario is going to be gritty and will attempt to be realistic, but do we need a mention of defecating multiple times in every single chapter? We deal with bodily functions every day in our current world -- it's a part of life -- but they don't dominate our every conversation. Even the Pandemic Toilet Paper Scare of 2020 didn't have us all talking about shitting (the author's words, not mine) every time we spoke with a friend.
Also, are men really so desperate for sex that they'll fall in love with any female who shows them attention? All I have to do is wear a tight sweatshirt, arch my back to make my "points" clear, and *BAM* guys of the apocalypse will be dying to give me their fortress and all their hard hunted possessions? Gritty Gus was so easily manipulated by a vagina, it was pathetic.
Also, the narrator of the Audible version did a commendable job of reading all that (literal) shit talk with a straight face, but for all that is holy, will someone please teach Mr. Bray how Canadians pronounce "toque"? Oddly enough, it rhymes with "poop", the major theme of the book. You'd think it would be a gimme.
I own the next two books in the series already, so I'll get around to them to find out what happens with Gus, Scott and the gangs of stragglers trying to survive in Canada during a near-future zombie apocalypse. But am I excited about them? Time will tell.
Sure, your average apocalyptic scenario is going to be gritty and will attempt to be realistic, but do we need a mention of defecating multiple times in every single chapter? We deal with bodily functions every day in our current world -- it's a part of life -- but they don't dominate our every conversation. Even the Pandemic Toilet Paper Scare of 2020 didn't have us all talking about shitting (the author's words, not mine) every time we spoke with a friend.
Also, are men really so desperate for sex that they'll fall in love with any female who shows them attention? All I have to do is wear a tight sweatshirt, arch my back to make my "points" clear, and *BAM* guys of the apocalypse will be dying to give me their fortress and all their hard hunted possessions? Gritty Gus was so easily manipulated by a vagina, it was pathetic.
Also, the narrator of the Audible version did a commendable job of reading all that (literal) shit talk with a straight face, but for all that is holy, will someone please teach Mr. Bray how Canadians pronounce "toque"? Oddly enough, it rhymes with "poop", the major theme of the book. You'd think it would be a gimme.
I own the next two books in the series already, so I'll get around to them to find out what happens with Gus, Scott and the gangs of stragglers trying to survive in Canada during a near-future zombie apocalypse. But am I excited about them? Time will tell.
April 6, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars
I was completely entertained by this audiobook. I am giving it 4 stars based completely on the entertainment value of the story. I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead and love a good zombie story. I stumbled upon the short prequel to this series on audible as a freebie,The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story, and really enjoyed it so I decided to jump right into this book.
Gus has it pretty good during this apocalyptic time. He has a house in the mountains that is really almost a fortress. The house he lives in would be the perfect place to find when the world falls apart. He has electricity from the solar panels on the house. He has a well with a working pump. He even has an extensive video collection as well as a quite a few books.
Gus is very focused on making sure he has enough supplies to get through the winter. Every few days or so, he heads into town in his van to look for supplies. Apparently, there has not been a huge rush on alcohol once the zombies came around because he has not had any trouble finding enough booze to spend many evenings passed out drunk.
This story was really episodic in the way that it was told. There would be an immediate problem that needed to be dealt with and it would be addressed. I kind of liked the way this story was told because I tended to listen to this audiobook in short bursts. This story was really just a story survival during the zombie apocalypse with a lot of drinking and swearing.
I listened to the audible audiobook and thought that the narrator did a wonderful job with the story. Each character had his own voice and the narration kept me very focused on the story.
I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a zombie story. This book has everything you would need in a zombie story - action, humor, likable characters, toilet paper, and enough booze to make a fraternity happy. There is a lot of cussing in this story that may bother some readers. I found it to be a rather enjoyable novel. I would probably suggest to anyone who isn't sure about this series to try the prequel, The Hospital, before jumping into this story just to get a feel for the storytelling and the world.
4 Stars
I was completely entertained by this audiobook. I am giving it 4 stars based completely on the entertainment value of the story. I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead and love a good zombie story. I stumbled upon the short prequel to this series on audible as a freebie,The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story, and really enjoyed it so I decided to jump right into this book.
Gus has it pretty good during this apocalyptic time. He has a house in the mountains that is really almost a fortress. The house he lives in would be the perfect place to find when the world falls apart. He has electricity from the solar panels on the house. He has a well with a working pump. He even has an extensive video collection as well as a quite a few books.
Gus is very focused on making sure he has enough supplies to get through the winter. Every few days or so, he heads into town in his van to look for supplies. Apparently, there has not been a huge rush on alcohol once the zombies came around because he has not had any trouble finding enough booze to spend many evenings passed out drunk.
This story was really episodic in the way that it was told. There would be an immediate problem that needed to be dealt with and it would be addressed. I kind of liked the way this story was told because I tended to listen to this audiobook in short bursts. This story was really just a story survival during the zombie apocalypse with a lot of drinking and swearing.
I listened to the audible audiobook and thought that the narrator did a wonderful job with the story. Each character had his own voice and the narration kept me very focused on the story.
I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a zombie story. This book has everything you would need in a zombie story - action, humor, likable characters, toilet paper, and enough booze to make a fraternity happy. There is a lot of cussing in this story that may bother some readers. I found it to be a rather enjoyable novel. I would probably suggest to anyone who isn't sure about this series to try the prequel, The Hospital, before jumping into this story just to get a feel for the storytelling and the world.
January 10, 2016
#8 - Top Ten Reads of 2015 at timothycward.com
I didn't realize when I picked up Mountain Man that it would be exactly the kind of zombie book I was looking for. One of my favorite aspects to zombie stories is the survival nature and how the apocalypse allows those who can make it past the first wave to go out and collect supplies. There is enough in here about scavenging houses and building a fortress to whet my whistle, and in perfect pacing, we get new characters to add to the one I already enjoyed. I don't want to spoil anything about these characters, so I'll just say I loved it from start to finish and am loving the sequel just as much.
I'm listening to the superb audiobook edition of books 1-3, produced by Podium Publishing and narrated by R.C. Bray, (one of my favorite narrators). Strongly recommend picking up this audiobook for 1 credit on Audible. It's been one of my best uses of an Audible credit since...actually, it may be my best in buck per hours of awesome.
Reviewed Mountain Man Omnibus edition (Books 1-3) at timothycward.com
I didn't realize when I picked up Mountain Man that it would be exactly the kind of zombie book I was looking for. One of my favorite aspects to zombie stories is the survival nature and how the apocalypse allows those who can make it past the first wave to go out and collect supplies. There is enough in here about scavenging houses and building a fortress to whet my whistle, and in perfect pacing, we get new characters to add to the one I already enjoyed. I don't want to spoil anything about these characters, so I'll just say I loved it from start to finish and am loving the sequel just as much.
I'm listening to the superb audiobook edition of books 1-3, produced by Podium Publishing and narrated by R.C. Bray, (one of my favorite narrators). Strongly recommend picking up this audiobook for 1 credit on Audible. It's been one of my best uses of an Audible credit since...actually, it may be my best in buck per hours of awesome.
Reviewed Mountain Man Omnibus edition (Books 1-3) at timothycward.com
August 17, 2025
3.75 stars ...
Need to go back and read the two prequel novels and one novella.
Maybe that will help. 🤷♂️
Need to go back and read the two prequel novels and one novella.
Maybe that will help. 🤷♂️
October 15, 2015
This one was painful...
I'll tell you why, and I'm not going to use a spoiler tag because spoiling this book for you would be doing you a favor. Here's a pretty accurate timeline used in this book:
Get up in the morning.
Drink rum.
Go scavenging for supplies.
Fight a few zombies.
Go back home.
Take a few celebratory shots of Captain Morgan's.
Get drunk and play Scrabble.
Go to bed.
Repeat 10x.
The end.
Some really, really stupid things that drove me crazy while reading:
1. There's a billboard with a semi driven through it...in nearly every scene written during scavenging events.
2. Yellow grass. Yellow grass. We get it...the fucking grass is yellow. Did I mention there's yellow grass?
3. In this "zombie" book, there are more references to alcohol than zombies. Drinking at home. Leaving the house for supplies...one of which is ALWAYS alcohol. "Hey...we made it home alive. Let's take a few shots!" "Oh, look...a fucking bird...LET'S GET DRUNK!"
4. Toilet paper. Obviously at the very top of everyones apocalypse list. Top two items scavenged; alcohol and toilet paper. Nevermind the real survival shit. We need toilet paper.
5. He takes a dildo from someones house and he hasn't seen a woman in over two years? Seriously? Does he have some sick fetish we don't know about? Nope. Instead, he uses it on a woman he's only known for a day and a half. "Oh, I almost forgot...uh...what's your name again? Ah, nevermind. Picked this up while foraging for rum and shit paper. Bend over!" Fucking retarded.
This is a rinse/repeat book with no thought put into it whatsoever. You're told at the beginning of the book that a character wants revenge on a killer who took the lives of "two people he knows", but he makes ZERO effort to get said revenge. Instead, in the last few chapters, he THEN leaves to look for the "bad guy" and then the book ends.
I can't imagine sitting through another carbon copy of this book where the only difference is the town name.
Holy shit, this book drove me nuts.
I'll tell you why, and I'm not going to use a spoiler tag because spoiling this book for you would be doing you a favor. Here's a pretty accurate timeline used in this book:
Get up in the morning.
Drink rum.
Go scavenging for supplies.
Fight a few zombies.
Go back home.
Take a few celebratory shots of Captain Morgan's.
Get drunk and play Scrabble.
Go to bed.
Repeat 10x.
The end.
Some really, really stupid things that drove me crazy while reading:
1. There's a billboard with a semi driven through it...in nearly every scene written during scavenging events.
2. Yellow grass. Yellow grass. We get it...the fucking grass is yellow. Did I mention there's yellow grass?
3. In this "zombie" book, there are more references to alcohol than zombies. Drinking at home. Leaving the house for supplies...one of which is ALWAYS alcohol. "Hey...we made it home alive. Let's take a few shots!" "Oh, look...a fucking bird...LET'S GET DRUNK!"
4. Toilet paper. Obviously at the very top of everyones apocalypse list. Top two items scavenged; alcohol and toilet paper. Nevermind the real survival shit. We need toilet paper.
5. He takes a dildo from someones house and he hasn't seen a woman in over two years? Seriously? Does he have some sick fetish we don't know about? Nope. Instead, he uses it on a woman he's only known for a day and a half. "Oh, I almost forgot...uh...what's your name again? Ah, nevermind. Picked this up while foraging for rum and shit paper. Bend over!" Fucking retarded.
This is a rinse/repeat book with no thought put into it whatsoever. You're told at the beginning of the book that a character wants revenge on a killer who took the lives of "two people he knows", but he makes ZERO effort to get said revenge. Instead, in the last few chapters, he THEN leaves to look for the "bad guy" and then the book ends.
I can't imagine sitting through another carbon copy of this book where the only difference is the town name.
Holy shit, this book drove me nuts.
January 18, 2015
Okay, I'm done with zombies for a good while now. With the exception of "the Walking Dead" series, possibly.
"Mountain Man" was an absolutely mediocre, testosterone filled take on the post zombie apocalyptic world, adding nothing of interest. The main character Gus has barricaded himself in a house on a hillside outside a small town and lived alone there for two years, since the world zombified. He drinks and hoards supplies.
During one of Gus's hoarding sessions, he saves Scott, who was left for dead by a serial killer. They now drink, hoard, are occasionally literally scared shitless, and kill zombies together. Until one day a woman enters the picture and changes everything. I could not care less. There were some attempts at making Scott and Gus less cardboard manly and more appealing, but I wasn't convinced. This left me cold.
"Mountain Man" was an absolutely mediocre, testosterone filled take on the post zombie apocalyptic world, adding nothing of interest. The main character Gus has barricaded himself in a house on a hillside outside a small town and lived alone there for two years, since the world zombified. He drinks and hoards supplies.
During one of Gus's hoarding sessions, he saves Scott, who was left for dead by a serial killer. They now drink, hoard, are occasionally literally scared shitless, and kill zombies together. Until one day a woman enters the picture and changes everything. I could not care less. There were some attempts at making Scott and Gus less cardboard manly and more appealing, but I wasn't convinced. This left me cold.
June 2, 2023
after listening to one of the prequels I was hesitant to go further because, meh, but wow I absolutely loved this story. Gus is great but Scott is amazing and I hope to hear much more of him in the 2nd book.
I have always loved dystopian, it's so interesting knowing how truly fucked up humans can be and this was no exception!
I have always loved dystopian, it's so interesting knowing how truly fucked up humans can be and this was no exception!
March 8, 2021
I enjoy a good zombie story...especially one that steps away from the typical characters/plots. The main character in this series is just an average guy. He's not a survivalist...not really prepared...and not a stand-out in any way really. Gus Berry was a house painter before the zombies came. He was a fat, lower middle class white guy. And content with that. Then the world went to hell....and Gus learned quickly how to survive. Now he is a less fat, average white guy who survives by scavenging, drinking and sheer dumb luck.
This is what might happen to an average joe spending two years or more by himself, isolated up on a hill above a city filled with zombies who want to eat him. He's a bit off his head.....too much into the bottle....and doing the best he can do. He found a house that fits his needs and made it safe.....he finds what he needs to survive....and has learned a few lessons on what to avoid. He makes mistakes...lots of them. He's obsessed with finding toilet paper (after events in 2020, I fully sympathize!) and drinks to celebrate each and every time he arrives back home after a scavenging trip.
This story is not for those who have issues with a man being a man. He has no filter -- when you are alone after the end of the world, who needs a filter? Gus focuses a lot on his booze supply, self-medicates frequently with alcohol, cusses with abandon, celebrates when he finds toilet paper to wipe his ass, scratches his balls whenever the hell he wants, and is just happy to finish the day alive. He drinks so much he vomits.....shits his pants a couple times....talks to his buddies Captain Morgan and Uncle Jack like a castaway making friends with a soccer ball....and survives. This isn't a pretty story.....it's the freaking zombie apocalypse. Dead people want to attack and eat him. He's alone. Society is gone. The plot is gritty, gross in places, and unapologetically male. If any of that might offend...pass this story by. Not every story is for every reader.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Narrated by R.C. Bray, the audio is a bit over 8 hours long. Bray does an outstanding job of narrating! He really brought Gus to life and did an excellent job of voice acting. Definitely adding Bray to my list of favorite narrators. Outstanding!
Just going to stress this fact -- this book is NOT for anyone who doesn't want to hear about bodily functions, drinking, guy stuff, guy junk, sex and violence. All of the above is in this story....unfiltered and real. It's the zombie apocalypse....and Blackmore sanitizes nothing.
Enjoyed it! Moving on to the second book....gotta find out what happens to Gus next!
This is what might happen to an average joe spending two years or more by himself, isolated up on a hill above a city filled with zombies who want to eat him. He's a bit off his head.....too much into the bottle....and doing the best he can do. He found a house that fits his needs and made it safe.....he finds what he needs to survive....and has learned a few lessons on what to avoid. He makes mistakes...lots of them. He's obsessed with finding toilet paper (after events in 2020, I fully sympathize!) and drinks to celebrate each and every time he arrives back home after a scavenging trip.
This story is not for those who have issues with a man being a man. He has no filter -- when you are alone after the end of the world, who needs a filter? Gus focuses a lot on his booze supply, self-medicates frequently with alcohol, cusses with abandon, celebrates when he finds toilet paper to wipe his ass, scratches his balls whenever the hell he wants, and is just happy to finish the day alive. He drinks so much he vomits.....shits his pants a couple times....talks to his buddies Captain Morgan and Uncle Jack like a castaway making friends with a soccer ball....and survives. This isn't a pretty story.....it's the freaking zombie apocalypse. Dead people want to attack and eat him. He's alone. Society is gone. The plot is gritty, gross in places, and unapologetically male. If any of that might offend...pass this story by. Not every story is for every reader.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Narrated by R.C. Bray, the audio is a bit over 8 hours long. Bray does an outstanding job of narrating! He really brought Gus to life and did an excellent job of voice acting. Definitely adding Bray to my list of favorite narrators. Outstanding!
Just going to stress this fact -- this book is NOT for anyone who doesn't want to hear about bodily functions, drinking, guy stuff, guy junk, sex and violence. All of the above is in this story....unfiltered and real. It's the zombie apocalypse....and Blackmore sanitizes nothing.
Enjoyed it! Moving on to the second book....gotta find out what happens to Gus next!
June 29, 2014
If you can't do original, do predictable, but do it well. That seems to make sense, particularly when it comes to the overdone to death (pun possibly intended) zombie genre. So instead of throwing some sort of a game changing plot device at the readers, Blackmore just does a solid survivor story. And does it well. At first it took a while to get going (solo alcoholism and solo scavenging are only so much fun to read about), but then it picked up nicely and turned into a very compelling character driven story with plenty of zombie action for fans. The main thing about these type of stories is how much the author makes you care, it's why The Walking Dead works so excellently in every form. And so here, the reader comes to care. It's very manly (it's in the title, so should be expected), but testosterone here doesn't overwhelm, although it looked like it might. Basically in the near future of late 2020s the world goes to zombies for reasons unknown and zombies are not even the most dangerous things out there, the remaining humans are quite frightening as well. Alas, there is plenty of booze, old movies and books to pass the time. Simple life...until it isn't. This is part one of trilogy. Not my normal preference, but this works nicely as a stand alone that leaves the reader wanting to know more. At least it isn't a series. Trilogies are much more manageable. Entertaining well written book. Recommended.
March 6, 2012
This is one of those rare books that keeps the reader guessing at what will happen next with a knot in your stomach. That is the feeling you have while reading it and the same feeling remains when you finish the last page. Although it is a story in itself, and a great one, you just know that there MUST be a sequel. Other than being open ended, it reminds me of I am Legend in many ways, but this is a modernized and Canadiafied version with a punch. It hits you in the gut and then twists your entrails. Be sure to have a stiff drink on the nightstand when you delve into this zombiefest of fear and seemingly hopeless survival in a world of the undead. If all the zombie apocalypse books written these days were as good as this one, I never would have felt the need to write my own. It seems that Mr. Blackmore and I are creating parallel worlds, even using the same names for some of our characters and many of the same survival tactics and tools, but on opposite ends of the same continent. How could I not simply love this story?
David P. Forsyth
David P. Forsyth
December 1, 2014
Loved the hell out of this book!
I'm a big fan of zombie and post apocalyptic type stories anyway and this was for me an interesting twist on a genre that has really (let's face it) been beaten to death.
I think a part of me really liked the main character in the book as well as his mountain house that he has built in to a fortress. There were some other items in the book that resonated with me as well, namely: (semi spoilers ahead)
- someone shits themselves. I think that might be the first time I have read that and this makes sense to me as the first thing I think I would do if faced with an undead hoard would be to shit myself as quickly as possible.
- firemen gear. Again, new one to me and it made a lot of sense, the heavy jacket boots and gloves would be great in post apocalyptic zombie world!
- main character is a hopeless alcoholic. Well wouldn't you be one too???
Plus pretty good writing, lot of "shoot em up" zombie battles and some plot twists along the way. Solid horror read for any fan of the genre and a lot of fun!
I already bought the sequel and started it last night, can't wait to get back to it and see what happens.
I'm a big fan of zombie and post apocalyptic type stories anyway and this was for me an interesting twist on a genre that has really (let's face it) been beaten to death.
I think a part of me really liked the main character in the book as well as his mountain house that he has built in to a fortress. There were some other items in the book that resonated with me as well, namely: (semi spoilers ahead)
- someone shits themselves. I think that might be the first time I have read that and this makes sense to me as the first thing I think I would do if faced with an undead hoard would be to shit myself as quickly as possible.
- firemen gear. Again, new one to me and it made a lot of sense, the heavy jacket boots and gloves would be great in post apocalyptic zombie world!
- main character is a hopeless alcoholic. Well wouldn't you be one too???
Plus pretty good writing, lot of "shoot em up" zombie battles and some plot twists along the way. Solid horror read for any fan of the genre and a lot of fun!
I already bought the sequel and started it last night, can't wait to get back to it and see what happens.
November 25, 2021
Not really a review exactly, more like, "This is a summary of my review" sort of thing. I'm all about the feels when it comes to reading so sometimes I don't even know why I like something, I just know that I do. This is one of those times...
I listened to the prequel of this series when it was free on audible (might still be free) and really liked it. The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story was creepy and chilling and exactly the sort of zombie apocalypse book I like to read...survivors scavenging about.
Anyway, the narrator R.C Bray did a great job and the hour long short story made me buy the next part, Mountain Man as soon as I'd finished it.
I did like Mountain Man. I liked the characters and the scene setting and the dialogue but the action scenes were a bit much to take in. Might have been better reading it but listening to it just went too fast to catch it all. It was a bit like the difference between watching a ninja fight scene and having someone write down all the moves for you at the speed the take place. It just all moves too fast to take in. "He put this arm there and that leg here and the knife cut over there while he spun back to here and grabbed this other thing which he used to smack that other guy on that bit....." Too much for me to take in when the narrator has quite a fast reading pace. I just couldn't visualize it fast enough.
Good story though and very well told. I really like Gus the lead character but I think this next one is about Gus' friend Scott so I'll see how that goes. I like Scott well enough but I like Gus more.
I may come back and re-do this when I collect my thoughts. Maybe.
I listened to the prequel of this series when it was free on audible (might still be free) and really liked it. The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story was creepy and chilling and exactly the sort of zombie apocalypse book I like to read...survivors scavenging about.
Anyway, the narrator R.C Bray did a great job and the hour long short story made me buy the next part, Mountain Man as soon as I'd finished it.
I did like Mountain Man. I liked the characters and the scene setting and the dialogue but the action scenes were a bit much to take in. Might have been better reading it but listening to it just went too fast to catch it all. It was a bit like the difference between watching a ninja fight scene and having someone write down all the moves for you at the speed the take place. It just all moves too fast to take in. "He put this arm there and that leg here and the knife cut over there while he spun back to here and grabbed this other thing which he used to smack that other guy on that bit....." Too much for me to take in when the narrator has quite a fast reading pace. I just couldn't visualize it fast enough.
Good story though and very well told. I really like Gus the lead character but I think this next one is about Gus' friend Scott so I'll see how that goes. I like Scott well enough but I like Gus more.
I may come back and re-do this when I collect my thoughts. Maybe.
June 5, 2017
Two hours into the audiobook and still no sign of a story. Protagonist gets drunk, scratches his balls, scavenges for supplies, passes out drunk. This repeats. Bad guy is a walking stereotype. Finally had enough when it looked like bad guy was about to rape the first female character we meet (after shooting both her male companions, one of whom thinks of nothing other than eventually getting to have sex with her, himself). Garbage waste of time. Returned.
May 29, 2023
I was going to adjust the stars on this review from 2021, then thought naaaaah.
This was the adventures of Gus, a solitary man, living after a zombie apocalypse.
This started out as the kind of entertainment I was looking for. But then, the protagonist just made me shake my head too many times, and there were several implausible things going on in the author’s created world. At first I forgave things like siphoning gas out of cars that had been sitting for two years and driving away. No one would find useable gas after that long anywhere, but driving trucks is more fun in zombie world, so I let it go.
But then, things started annoying me. A person canNOT drink hard liquor to an astounding degree of excess every day without some adverse effects, including getting you killed. Even a manly man like Gus. Also, the mountain man seemed to have some arrested development problems (due to being drunk? Solitude?Testosterone?) The constant high school locker room chat, bodily function jokes, and “man” scratching was making me cringe, and I wished I could reach through the pages and add Gold Bond powder to his list of necessities for when he went scavenging. This is the polar OPPOSITE of chick-lit, which I don’t like either, so I can’t be accused of favoring one over the other.
I’ve been told I need to read the prequel in order to lighten up and understand how Gus ended up in this state of mind. That’s pretty good advice, it seems I did begin with the wrong book!
I know it’s escapism and meant for entertainment, not serious reading. It reminded me of the thrill Walking Dead used to provide every Sunday night. And (I admit it) I was entertained. So three stars for that! I’m also giving the behavior a pass because I jumped in the middle of a series instead of beginning where I should have.
This was the adventures of Gus, a solitary man, living after a zombie apocalypse.
This started out as the kind of entertainment I was looking for. But then, the protagonist just made me shake my head too many times, and there were several implausible things going on in the author’s created world. At first I forgave things like siphoning gas out of cars that had been sitting for two years and driving away. No one would find useable gas after that long anywhere, but driving trucks is more fun in zombie world, so I let it go.
But then, things started annoying me. A person canNOT drink hard liquor to an astounding degree of excess every day without some adverse effects, including getting you killed. Even a manly man like Gus. Also, the mountain man seemed to have some arrested development problems (due to being drunk? Solitude?Testosterone?) The constant high school locker room chat, bodily function jokes, and “man” scratching was making me cringe, and I wished I could reach through the pages and add Gold Bond powder to his list of necessities for when he went scavenging. This is the polar OPPOSITE of chick-lit, which I don’t like either, so I can’t be accused of favoring one over the other.
I’ve been told I need to read the prequel in order to lighten up and understand how Gus ended up in this state of mind. That’s pretty good advice, it seems I did begin with the wrong book!
I know it’s escapism and meant for entertainment, not serious reading. It reminded me of the thrill Walking Dead used to provide every Sunday night. And (I admit it) I was entertained. So three stars for that! I’m also giving the behavior a pass because I jumped in the middle of a series instead of beginning where I should have.
March 14, 2012
Keith Blackmore is one of those indie writers Big Publishing let slip through their fingers. This guy can write. The characters are well-developed and very unique; I really grew to care about them. As a unique zombie book, this story focuses more on the human condition than on the zombies themselves. Don't worry; there's more than enough crowded, stinking masses of the undead to go around. And plenty of guns. This is still a zombie novel, after all.
With "Mountain Man" Blackmore masterfully weaves survival, brutality, friendship, fear, hope and deception together into a very engaging and entertaining yarn. This book is part of a series, so the abrupt ending is really just a pause before the next book. I know I'm looking forward to it.
This book is as well-edited as it is well-written. No glaring errors and typos to distract from the story. The formatting and cover art are fantastic. It's a quality release all-around.
So if you like zombie and/or post-apocalyptic fiction then I think you'll enjoy "Mountain Man". I really think this book takes the zombie fiction genre to the next level.
With "Mountain Man" Blackmore masterfully weaves survival, brutality, friendship, fear, hope and deception together into a very engaging and entertaining yarn. This book is part of a series, so the abrupt ending is really just a pause before the next book. I know I'm looking forward to it.
This book is as well-edited as it is well-written. No glaring errors and typos to distract from the story. The formatting and cover art are fantastic. It's a quality release all-around.
So if you like zombie and/or post-apocalyptic fiction then I think you'll enjoy "Mountain Man". I really think this book takes the zombie fiction genre to the next level.
July 20, 2015
Nothing new here. Major flaw in the use of gasoline, and how it never expires in this world. I would overlook it if the characters and story were well written. Every chapter includes dialog about getting drunk and/or taking a dump, seriously (toilet paper is called "anal gold"). I gave up at the 90% mark.
April 29, 2024
Keith C. Blackmore is so much fun to read. After thoroughly enjoying The Majestic 311, I felt compelled to pick up the first in his Mountain Man Zombie series, and it was just as much fun as I had hoped.
Set in Nova Scotia, very close to the border of New Brunswick, where I taught for many years at Mt. Allison, Mountain Man has all the trappings of your good, old fashioned Zombie apocalypse with some fun Canadian flourishes that make it the perfect Zombie experience for a Maritimer. Needs, sort of an Eastern Canadian version of 7-11, makes a fun appearance, our characters often use hockey gear as body armour, it's hard not to imagine former doughnut man, Scott, working in a Tim Horton's (or Robin's), and Gus's constant race to horde as much as possible before the coming of the snow, all feels very Canadian.
But even if the Canadiana doesn't scratch any itches, the fact that Blackmore adds so much beyond Zombie's to his Zombie riddled North should. There's a serial killer taking out all the stray living folks he runs into, an Alamo level battle that makes our Mountain Man the Mountain Man of the title, a truly terrifying break in the action when one of our characters fears he's been infected while hundreds of Zombies mill about the place in which he's hastily taken refuge, and the compound on the mountain almost offers a place of normalcy unmatched in any Zombie tale I've seen or read.
Good enough to keep going in the series? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Set in Nova Scotia, very close to the border of New Brunswick, where I taught for many years at Mt. Allison, Mountain Man has all the trappings of your good, old fashioned Zombie apocalypse with some fun Canadian flourishes that make it the perfect Zombie experience for a Maritimer. Needs, sort of an Eastern Canadian version of 7-11, makes a fun appearance, our characters often use hockey gear as body armour, it's hard not to imagine former doughnut man, Scott, working in a Tim Horton's (or Robin's), and Gus's constant race to horde as much as possible before the coming of the snow, all feels very Canadian.
But even if the Canadiana doesn't scratch any itches, the fact that Blackmore adds so much beyond Zombie's to his Zombie riddled North should. There's a serial killer taking out all the stray living folks he runs into, an Alamo level battle that makes our Mountain Man the Mountain Man of the title, a truly terrifying break in the action when one of our characters fears he's been infected while hundreds of Zombies mill about the place in which he's hastily taken refuge, and the compound on the mountain almost offers a place of normalcy unmatched in any Zombie tale I've seen or read.
Good enough to keep going in the series? Abso-fucking-lutely.
November 10, 2018
I'm glad I started this series late, because I read the prequel first, which gave me a greater appreciation to what the main character, Gus, had to go through. Author Blackmore's writing is very clean and his descriptions and vivid details are some of the best I have read. I did find the writing in the prequel to be at a slightly higher level, which I suspect naturally came from more experience since book one was written first and the prequel years later. The narrative is nicely balanced between scenes of brutal violence and more calm, personal introspection from Gus. Although this zombie series does not break new ground, it is still one of the best out there. I look forward to reading the next book soon!
August 22, 2013
Loved it!
So what would you do if you came across the perfect hideout for the zombie apocalypse? Solar power and hot water even. Stock it up. Sure. Try to make it more secure. Sure. But who, if anyone, could you trust to bring back to it? Or how long could you live there alone, without going crazy?
And add to that mix a good bit of zombie action, and you have the perfect zombie apocalypse book.
The writing is very good, and the pages practically turned themselves. It's been a while since I breezed through a book as quickly as this one. I didn't want to set it down.
Enjoy!
So what would you do if you came across the perfect hideout for the zombie apocalypse? Solar power and hot water even. Stock it up. Sure. Try to make it more secure. Sure. But who, if anyone, could you trust to bring back to it? Or how long could you live there alone, without going crazy?
And add to that mix a good bit of zombie action, and you have the perfect zombie apocalypse book.
The writing is very good, and the pages practically turned themselves. It's been a while since I breezed through a book as quickly as this one. I didn't want to set it down.
Enjoy!
September 26, 2022
This book was written in 2011. Almost ten years before the "Virus that shall not be named" Keith Blackmore had the astonishing power to know that toilet paper was going to be the most important commodity left on the planet. Clearly he should be worshiped as some kind of Demi-God! It took a pandemic for the rest of us mere mortals to realize how important TP is to our very existence!
Oh yeah, and he wrote a kickass Zombie book. You should read it.
All Hail Keith Blackmore and his Wisdom of the TP!!!
Oh yeah, and he wrote a kickass Zombie book. You should read it.
All Hail Keith Blackmore and his Wisdom of the TP!!!
August 28, 2016
3.5 stars. I was expecting mediocrity from "just another zombie story" and that's really all this was but it was damn good at what it was. It could have easily been a chapter from one of the high points of The Walking Dead. Nothing new here but everything it did it did right.
June 12, 2016
stupendo!! oenso di nn aver mai letto sino ad ora un libro del genere dove ironia insieme ad ansia e terrore si intrecciano creando nel lettore una vera dipendenza..... di libri Horror zombie ne avrò letti a centinaia , questi si posiziona in in cima!!!
February 26, 2012
Originally posted on The Aussie Zombie http://theaussiezombie.blogspot.com
Imagine it – you’re stuck in a mountain cabin, the world is over-run by zombies and you’ve got nothing for company but movies, books and a massive stockpile of alcohol. Yeah I admit it; I’d be taking up the offer of some company in a bottle. So Gus’ reaction is completely human, and understandable. Alcohol is his friend, his escape and his sleeping pill.
Set sometime after 2026, in a world devastated by the zombapocalypse with humans few and far between, Gus awakes with a killer hangover most mornings and is systematically clearing the nearby city of anything useful to stock up his mountain retreat. As he moves through the city, encountering zombie after zombie he avoids signs of other humans in the area and focuses on his own survival and comfort.
Mountain Man is either non-stop action or heavily focused on character building, both of which are done very well and are perfectly balanced. As a character Gus is flawed, but those flawed parts of his personality are completely understandable given the circumstances of isolation and stress under which he has lived for so long. After finding a seriously injured man named Scott on one of his foraging runs, his character develops further and in fact shows that of a shy, insecure man who is really very kind at heart despite outward appearances and is desperate to block out the horror and fear he suffers every time he leaves his oasis on the mountain.
I particularly enjoyed the uniqueness of this story – Gus is not your typical zombie-killing hero, but his determination and loyalty are extremely admirable qualities. The horror of the undead, the uncertainty of daily living and the friendship that Gus forges with Scott under the most stressful of circumstances are all very well written.
With a serial killer, mysterious disappearing bodies and an action-packed ending, I have an awesome feeling book two is going to be even better!
If you like zombies, off-the-wall characters and a good balanced story, I highly recommend Mountain Man – this one will be sticking with me for a long time.
Imagine it – you’re stuck in a mountain cabin, the world is over-run by zombies and you’ve got nothing for company but movies, books and a massive stockpile of alcohol. Yeah I admit it; I’d be taking up the offer of some company in a bottle. So Gus’ reaction is completely human, and understandable. Alcohol is his friend, his escape and his sleeping pill.
Set sometime after 2026, in a world devastated by the zombapocalypse with humans few and far between, Gus awakes with a killer hangover most mornings and is systematically clearing the nearby city of anything useful to stock up his mountain retreat. As he moves through the city, encountering zombie after zombie he avoids signs of other humans in the area and focuses on his own survival and comfort.
Mountain Man is either non-stop action or heavily focused on character building, both of which are done very well and are perfectly balanced. As a character Gus is flawed, but those flawed parts of his personality are completely understandable given the circumstances of isolation and stress under which he has lived for so long. After finding a seriously injured man named Scott on one of his foraging runs, his character develops further and in fact shows that of a shy, insecure man who is really very kind at heart despite outward appearances and is desperate to block out the horror and fear he suffers every time he leaves his oasis on the mountain.
I particularly enjoyed the uniqueness of this story – Gus is not your typical zombie-killing hero, but his determination and loyalty are extremely admirable qualities. The horror of the undead, the uncertainty of daily living and the friendship that Gus forges with Scott under the most stressful of circumstances are all very well written.
With a serial killer, mysterious disappearing bodies and an action-packed ending, I have an awesome feeling book two is going to be even better!
If you like zombies, off-the-wall characters and a good balanced story, I highly recommend Mountain Man – this one will be sticking with me for a long time.
October 29, 2019
I originally read (and rated) this before I was aware that Mountain Man was to have a sequel/second part/third part. The concerns mentioned in the first review were addressed in knowing that there was going to be a continuation to the story. (The author was nice enough to email and address my concern over the ending- a nice guy!)
This book is a well-written, engaging story that’s a cut above your typical zombie story. I really came to care about the characters of Scott and Gus and was anxious to read the rest of the story.
My original review:
4 Stars
** spoiler alert ** Good book until the end. Events got a bit predictable. This book has an ending that leaves you hanging. I think I would have been okay with that if the author stated that there was going to be a sequel. As it is, I don't know if I wasted my time or not. Somewhat frustrating.
This book is a well-written, engaging story that’s a cut above your typical zombie story. I really came to care about the characters of Scott and Gus and was anxious to read the rest of the story.
My original review:
4 Stars
** spoiler alert ** Good book until the end. Events got a bit predictable. This book has an ending that leaves you hanging. I think I would have been okay with that if the author stated that there was going to be a sequel. As it is, I don't know if I wasted my time or not. Somewhat frustrating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2013
Highly recommended story of post-apocalyptic zombie survival that is well-written with engaging, likeable characters, and horrific and terrifying scenes at the same time. Gus is our likeable hero, fortunate enough (depending on your viewpoint here) to have survived the initial outbreak, he finds a modernly-equipped cabin on the side of the mountain and fortifies it against any zombies that might come shambling up the road. His days are spent driving the Beast around the dead town Annapolis, searching for supplies in abandoned houses and stores. His nights are spent sterilizing his memories with excessive amounts of alcohol. And Gus has been doing this for two years. The book really kicks off when Gus runs into survivors.
I really enjoyed this book and read it as part of a group-read on this website. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and read it as part of a group-read on this website. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 7, 2015
I think Gus could've scratched his balls a few more times in the beginning of the book. No really, just one more scratch. If you can get past the repetitious scratching without wondering if Gus has VD in the apocalypse or wondering how often the author might be scratching their own junk, you're in for a very entertaining post apocalyptic zombie story, I couldn't wait to read the next books in the series(which also have a fair amount of scratching, but more evenly spaced out to be a normal occurrence).
June 11, 2018
Painfully misogynistic, laggy, stilted, no character development, zero believability. The protagonist scratches his junk on every other page; throw in an absolute ton of binge drinking and that's 75% of the plot. Also *love* when a post-apocalyptic novel starts with the (drunk and by every account inept) protagonist somehow having stumbled onto an isolated easily defendable house fully powered by solar. It's like writing about a man on a deserted island who finds a waterproof satellite phone powered by sand.
October 23, 2020
Moutain Man is an interesting post-ap zombie book in many ways: rhythmic narration, ordinary middle aged heroes, realistic PTSD medicine (booze). What a pity that the story did not pass into the hands of a good publisher, who could have corrected some logical dumplings and some technical approximations.
But it is a very pleasant book to read, I will read the following with pleasure.
But it is a very pleasant book to read, I will read the following with pleasure.
November 2, 2018
Excellent zombie novel. Plot is cliche, but well executed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews