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Apocalypse
The good Tom survived the apocalypse. The bad Earth's vending machines chose violence.
As a software developer from Texas, Tom thought he understood broken code. But when mysterious obelisks transform Earth into a glitch-riddled dungeon crawler, he discovers that debugging the apocalypse won’t be as easy as turning it off and back on again. Their lifeline? Vending machines turned miniature storefronts. These mechanical saviors dispensed everything from swords to shampoo—until they started dispensing death.
Armed with terrible luck, a knack for accidental heroics, and an ever-growing hatred for the System Admins, Tom must uncover the source of the corruption before humanity's last lifeline delivers its final blow. Between monster-filled wastelands and terrifying dungeons, survival is starting to feel like a bad DLC.
Debugging the end of the world was not in the patch notes.
As a software developer from Texas, Tom thought he understood broken code. But when mysterious obelisks transform Earth into a glitch-riddled dungeon crawler, he discovers that debugging the apocalypse won’t be as easy as turning it off and back on again. Their lifeline? Vending machines turned miniature storefronts. These mechanical saviors dispensed everything from swords to shampoo—until they started dispensing death.
Armed with terrible luck, a knack for accidental heroics, and an ever-growing hatred for the System Admins, Tom must uncover the source of the corruption before humanity's last lifeline delivers its final blow. Between monster-filled wastelands and terrifying dungeons, survival is starting to feel like a bad DLC.
Debugging the end of the world was not in the patch notes.
388 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2025
45 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 26, 2025
It seemed like a pretty good premise, but it just didn't work for me. It was a lot of dick jokes. I understand trying to capture the feel of friends sitting down to play a TTRPG, but then the author wants to be serious and have people die, and the two didn't mesh well in my opinion. This is maybe the only LitRPG I have read that I thought could use less LitRPG. Tons of items and monster stats just slow the book way down in spots.
November 3, 2025
OMG, that was so much fun! I super enjoyed listening to this one. It was a crazy good rollercoaster adventure ride. The story was pretty solid, humorous, and fun! It got all the elements I want in an awesome LitRPG story. The characters were all interesting, charming, and distinct. James is my fave.
Steve Campbell has done a brilliant performance! Definitely, he made my listening experience so much better.
Let's go Book 2!
Steve Campbell has done a brilliant performance! Definitely, he made my listening experience so much better.
Let's go Book 2!
October 7, 2025
“The good news: Tom survived the apocalypse. The bad news: Earth's vending machines chose violence.”
If that first line doesn’t hook you, check your sense of humor — it might be unplugged.
This book takes the absurdity of a post-apocalyptic world and filters it through the weary sarcasm of a software developer who suddenly finds himself patching reality instead of code. The premise is hilarious and genius: mysterious obelisks turn Earth into a broken video game, vending machines start spitting out weapons and death, and humanity’s only hope is a guy whose main skill is debugging. The band of misfits become family ...the kind you don't want to see or acknowledge you know at the family reunion
What I love most is the balance — it’s equal parts satire and survival, with plenty of gamer in-jokes that never feel forced. The tone is dry, fast, and clever, like Shaun of the Dead met Walking Dead in a tech support chatroom, pissing off everybody in LOTR.
Tom isn’t your typical apocalypse hero — he’s awkward, unlucky, and accidentally competent. But that’s what makes him perfect. You can feel the exhaustion of someone who’s seen too many error messages, only this time the “bugs” are literal monsters.
Even in blurb form, the worldbuilding shines: vending machines as both saviors and threats? That’s pure brilliance. It’s darkly funny and weirdly believable in a world where AI already writes code and vending machines take credit cards.
Final verdict:
A sharp, self-aware, and refreshingly original take on the apocalypse. Expect humor, horror, and high-level sarcasm in equal measure. And so many dickshots you might be sterile for the rest of your life!!!!😱
If that first line doesn’t hook you, check your sense of humor — it might be unplugged.
This book takes the absurdity of a post-apocalyptic world and filters it through the weary sarcasm of a software developer who suddenly finds himself patching reality instead of code. The premise is hilarious and genius: mysterious obelisks turn Earth into a broken video game, vending machines start spitting out weapons and death, and humanity’s only hope is a guy whose main skill is debugging. The band of misfits become family ...the kind you don't want to see or acknowledge you know at the family reunion
What I love most is the balance — it’s equal parts satire and survival, with plenty of gamer in-jokes that never feel forced. The tone is dry, fast, and clever, like Shaun of the Dead met Walking Dead in a tech support chatroom, pissing off everybody in LOTR.
Tom isn’t your typical apocalypse hero — he’s awkward, unlucky, and accidentally competent. But that’s what makes him perfect. You can feel the exhaustion of someone who’s seen too many error messages, only this time the “bugs” are literal monsters.
Even in blurb form, the worldbuilding shines: vending machines as both saviors and threats? That’s pure brilliance. It’s darkly funny and weirdly believable in a world where AI already writes code and vending machines take credit cards.
Final verdict:
A sharp, self-aware, and refreshingly original take on the apocalypse. Expect humor, horror, and high-level sarcasm in equal measure. And so many dickshots you might be sterile for the rest of your life!!!!😱
October 17, 2025
Colorful Characters
All the main characters have deep flavor. That you can tell will develop wonderfully. So when one dies during the last fight it’s wrenching.
Can’t wait for the next book.
All the main characters have deep flavor. That you can tell will develop wonderfully. So when one dies during the last fight it’s wrenching.
Can’t wait for the next book.
October 1, 2025
Vending well
A great new series with amazing different catch, I love how this vending idea brings a new aspect into the post-apocalyptic system invasion trope. The characters are a nice mix of action & interest with a large supporting team and a well thought out and constructed world build.
A great new series with amazing different catch, I love how this vending idea brings a new aspect into the post-apocalyptic system invasion trope. The characters are a nice mix of action & interest with a large supporting team and a well thought out and constructed world build.
October 4, 2025
I had such a blast with Apocalypse Grand System Vending. From the opening chapters, it pulled me right in with its mix of end-of-the-world mayhem, clever system mechanics, and characters who actually feel like real people trying to make sense of it all.
The writing is smooth and easy to follow, and the pacing keeps things moving without ever feeling rushed. One minute you’re laughing at some perfectly timed bit of banter, and the next you’re gripping the page because things have gone completely sideways.
The characters make the story shine. Tom and his crew are the kind of people you’d want beside you in an apocalypse. Their teamwork and humor made me care about every fight and every setback.
The idea behind the story is just brilliant. I loved how something as ordinary as a vending machine became central to survival, and the creativity behind that kept surprising me. It’s one of those books that’s easy to sink into because it balances tension with fun so well.
All in all, this book is pure class. It’s exciting, funny, and full of heart. I can’t wait to see where the story (and these characters) go next.
The writing is smooth and easy to follow, and the pacing keeps things moving without ever feeling rushed. One minute you’re laughing at some perfectly timed bit of banter, and the next you’re gripping the page because things have gone completely sideways.
The characters make the story shine. Tom and his crew are the kind of people you’d want beside you in an apocalypse. Their teamwork and humor made me care about every fight and every setback.
The idea behind the story is just brilliant. I loved how something as ordinary as a vending machine became central to survival, and the creativity behind that kept surprising me. It’s one of those books that’s easy to sink into because it balances tension with fun so well.
All in all, this book is pure class. It’s exciting, funny, and full of heart. I can’t wait to see where the story (and these characters) go next.
November 16, 2025
*no real hook to the story*
It seems like a regular system apocalypse and I actually liked the the vending machine gimmick. What really made me drop the book, was the side characters. The MC has a buddy that sounds like a wise cracking cartoon character from the 90s. It was annoying and childish. It really rubbed me the wrong way. What was really annoying was the fact that pretty much every character somehow can perform perfect horizontal slash with the swords or perfect head shots. Mind you, these characters seem to be waving around the weapons with no safety in mind. The rest of the people seem to have no survival instincts. As they are spending the time to worry about legal ramifications during an apocalypse. Really badly written.
It seems like a regular system apocalypse and I actually liked the the vending machine gimmick. What really made me drop the book, was the side characters. The MC has a buddy that sounds like a wise cracking cartoon character from the 90s. It was annoying and childish. It really rubbed me the wrong way. What was really annoying was the fact that pretty much every character somehow can perform perfect horizontal slash with the swords or perfect head shots. Mind you, these characters seem to be waving around the weapons with no safety in mind. The rest of the people seem to have no survival instincts. As they are spending the time to worry about legal ramifications during an apocalypse. Really badly written.
December 11, 2025
I can't believe how much fun I had with this book and how much I liked the MC.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this new series, but when I started listening, I couldn't stop. This story is a colorful tale of humans becoming heroes organically and authentically, set amid a LitRPG genre with vending machines that help you level up (a familiar concept from gaming).
This was such a fun book filled with friendship, obstacles, vehicles, fantasy and spells thrown together to survive in what becomes the new world.
This has easily become one of the stories on my annual reread list. I cannot wait for your next book.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this new series, but when I started listening, I couldn't stop. This story is a colorful tale of humans becoming heroes organically and authentically, set amid a LitRPG genre with vending machines that help you level up (a familiar concept from gaming).
This was such a fun book filled with friendship, obstacles, vehicles, fantasy and spells thrown together to survive in what becomes the new world.
This has easily become one of the stories on my annual reread list. I cannot wait for your next book.
October 25, 2025
LitRPG books should work for me, but the issue is that the vast majority of them are written by men for men. In some cases it's egregious (every female character is either hot and sleeps with the MC for no reason or she's fat/ugly and thus is the story's villain). In some cases, like this book, it's not anywhere near that bad.
The writing wasn't bad at all, but there were so so so many dick jokes. I made it about 20% in, and I was at the point that I was facepalming every time I read the word 'dick' yet again. This just felt like a story by bros, for bros. As I'm not a bro, I DNFed it.
The writing wasn't bad at all, but there were so so so many dick jokes. I made it about 20% in, and I was at the point that I was facepalming every time I read the word 'dick' yet again. This just felt like a story by bros, for bros. As I'm not a bro, I DNFed it.
December 31, 2025
Don't buy this book for your Christian grandma, but if you like action comedies or know someone who does, this book is a great buy. An adventure story that really feels like the characters are dropped into a video game. There is action, comedy, and a good reprieve of a reflective main character. The book explores themes of friendship, community, adaptability/survival, and collaboration. Ryan Maxwell did a great job, especially considering this is his first published work. Look forward to see where this trilogy leads!
November 24, 2025
Loved the book, yes there is crude language used a lot but it fits how you picture the characters. In a setting like this you will have people that are going to just toss out all the rules of polite society and just do whatever and say whatever they want. I found the book full of humor but also makes you want to keep reading to see what happens next. Cant wait to see what else the series has to offer! My only complaint is I have to wait for the continuation of the series!
November 5, 2025
This was a non-stop adventure! I loved the fun cast of characters, the banter, the action, and especially the humor. This reminds me of some of the first LitRPG's out there, great system development! Can't wait for book 2!
November 24, 2025
Awesome read. The vending machine idea is pretty neat. To take something we walk by daily with barely a thought to become so imperative with our survival, pretty wicked! Can’t wait to read the next entry of the series.
November 25, 2025
I wanted to like this book, but in the end it was not too be. it has a lot philosophy about how people will deal with an apocalypses, it not well reasoned or researched and it feels like it shoving platitudes down my throat. I did enjoy the first half of the book.
November 15, 2025
Narrator on voice using that voice for the system - too annoying.
Also, the MCs are idiots. So sick of idiot MCs.
Also, the MCs are idiots. So sick of idiot MCs.
December 12, 2025
A rather interesting premise severely hampered by an over reliance of middle school memes and the most annoying side character I've ever seen.
November 17, 2025
Note to self: nope, annoying and not working for me. Time to hop off.
The peppy system voice the narrator uses is... a bit.
I don't know if James is supposed to be humor relief, but I want him to be eating by goblins right now.
The peppy system voice the narrator uses is... a bit.
I don't know if James is supposed to be humor relief, but I want him to be eating by goblins right now.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews