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Aftershock
THE MUTANT - In a secret laboratory beneath L.A.'s streets, a group of top scientists worked on the ultimate biological weapon...daring to create what humans were never meant to know...
THE MONSTER - Then the earthquake hit, its epicenter: downtown L.A., a city now filled with twisted steel and mangled flesh - and terror. Because from its sterile laboratory, something unspeakable had been freed...
THE PLAGUE - Drs. Mike McCain and lovely Casey Sterns worked feverishly to save the quake survivors mysteriously dying from a new, alien disease. But no disease could account for some of the corpses - mutilated, headless, horrible. And no medicine could stop the thing hiding in the rubble, watching, reaching out with bloodstained claws for the unsuspecting, the injured...or for you.
THE MONSTER - Then the earthquake hit, its epicenter: downtown L.A., a city now filled with twisted steel and mangled flesh - and terror. Because from its sterile laboratory, something unspeakable had been freed...
THE PLAGUE - Drs. Mike McCain and lovely Casey Sterns worked feverishly to save the quake survivors mysteriously dying from a new, alien disease. But no disease could account for some of the corpses - mutilated, headless, horrible. And no medicine could stop the thing hiding in the rubble, watching, reaching out with bloodstained claws for the unsuspecting, the injured...or for you.
- GenresHorror
248 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1987
5 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Robert W. Walker
184 books75 followersAka Geoffrey Caine, Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury, Stephen Robertson
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 26, 2009
First published back in 1987, American author Robert W. Walker released his third full length novel entitled ‘Aftershock’. Published by St. Martin’s Press, the novel sported a gloriously B-movie esque piece of pulp horror artwork, which did its utmost to illustrate the entire premise of the novel in one all-encompassing picture.
The tale begins in a secret underground laboratory located in downtown L.A. that has been set up by the wealthy Dr Leo G. Copellmier, where the two scientists Marie Vorell Robel and her husband Arthur Robel, are busy working on the ultimate biological weapon. A problem has occurred with one of the lab robots, and so Marie Robel dons her protective suit with its high-tech metallic claws, and enters the experimental plagues containment area, to investigate the problem. However, whilst Marie Robel is surrounded by the highly contagious and deadly man-made plague, L.A. is suddenly hit by a massive earthquake. Both Robel’s become infected with this horrifying new plague as does the world renowned Dr Leo Copellmier.
Amongst the ensuing rubble, Dr Michael McCain and Dr Casey Stern work desperately to set up an emergency medical aid centre, in order to help all of the thousands of victim of the gigantic quake. Whilst digging through the mounds of rubble underneath the ‘Copellmier Center for Disease Control’ (the CCDC) in search of any survivors, the two rescue ‘moles’ Raphael Alonzo Naldosa and Bjorn Amunsen encounter a horrific mutant sporting powerful metal claws. A split-second later and Amunsen has been dragged away into the depths of the rubble to be devoured.
Whilst following the work of the two hard-working doctors, local reporter Tony Quinn witnesses the heroic and selfless acts of the two rescue moles and decides to run a story on them. Upon learning of their tragic deaths, Quinn purchases a copy of the video tape that captured the moles final moments. After repeatedly studying the footage, Quinn realises that there was more than just the two moles amongst the dust filled rubble of what once was the CCDC building.
And now, after the tragedy of the massive earthquake, the streets of L.A. are all of a sudden being plagued by a new killer dubbed the ‘brainsnatcher’. Fresh corpses are being found in and around the underground sewer system, many missing their heads and spinal cords. Quinn realises that there could well be a link between the mysterious death of the mole Amunsen, the unknown viral infection that Naldosa brought back up with him, and the psychopathic killer that is now on the loose. Together with the two doctors and his friend and co-worker Jose Ortiz, Quinn hopes to track down this killer and save those around him from a horrific death. But the monstrous creation that lurks in the shadows is hungry for live victims and is ready to breed...
Walker begins the novel setting down the general premise in which the plot is to grow from. From here on the tale accelerates and accelerates and accelerates in pace, with victim after victim falling at the claws of the monstrous creation that Copellmier’s experiments spawned.
With an unashamedly over-the-top storyline cramming in as many B-movie clichéd ideas as the tale can physically support, Walker has managed to create a masterpiece of tongue-in-cheek pulp horror. There’s no getting away from the fact that this novel is nothing but gore drenched pulp horror entertainment. There’s no shame in it (well, that’s what I keep telling myself anyway). However, time and time again, Walker injects some scientific explanation in an attempt to seemingly justify the novel as slightly more than just pulp horror literary candy or perhaps just to nudge it slightly towards a more mature read. However, these brief episodes of scientific mumbo-jumbo only seem to form buffers between the barrages of rampaging mutant action.
The characters are exaggerated clichés of imaginary American B-movie stars. The developing relationship between the two doctors is as cheesy as it is cringe-worthy. But you’d expect no less from a novel such as this. It’s rich and vibrant storyline is totally complemented by the colourful and ‘mass-produced’ characters that spur the storyline along.
The tale races towards the eventual and obligatory showdown between the few remaining main characters and the monstrous killer. Walker delivers an energetic and action-packed grand finale that brings the tale to a dramatic but ultimately satisfying conclusion.
All in all, Walker’s pulp horror novel ‘Aftershock’ is a non-stop gorefest that blends together a host of B-movie plot scenarios to create this veritable homage to the genre. The cover artwork sums up the novel perfectly (although if I was to be pedantic, the monsters ‘claw’ doesn’t really reflect the one described in the novel).
The novel runs for a total of 248 pages.
Robert W. Walker is also known for his work under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Caine (Abraham Stroud series), Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury and Stephen Robertson.
The tale begins in a secret underground laboratory located in downtown L.A. that has been set up by the wealthy Dr Leo G. Copellmier, where the two scientists Marie Vorell Robel and her husband Arthur Robel, are busy working on the ultimate biological weapon. A problem has occurred with one of the lab robots, and so Marie Robel dons her protective suit with its high-tech metallic claws, and enters the experimental plagues containment area, to investigate the problem. However, whilst Marie Robel is surrounded by the highly contagious and deadly man-made plague, L.A. is suddenly hit by a massive earthquake. Both Robel’s become infected with this horrifying new plague as does the world renowned Dr Leo Copellmier.
Amongst the ensuing rubble, Dr Michael McCain and Dr Casey Stern work desperately to set up an emergency medical aid centre, in order to help all of the thousands of victim of the gigantic quake. Whilst digging through the mounds of rubble underneath the ‘Copellmier Center for Disease Control’ (the CCDC) in search of any survivors, the two rescue ‘moles’ Raphael Alonzo Naldosa and Bjorn Amunsen encounter a horrific mutant sporting powerful metal claws. A split-second later and Amunsen has been dragged away into the depths of the rubble to be devoured.
Whilst following the work of the two hard-working doctors, local reporter Tony Quinn witnesses the heroic and selfless acts of the two rescue moles and decides to run a story on them. Upon learning of their tragic deaths, Quinn purchases a copy of the video tape that captured the moles final moments. After repeatedly studying the footage, Quinn realises that there was more than just the two moles amongst the dust filled rubble of what once was the CCDC building.
And now, after the tragedy of the massive earthquake, the streets of L.A. are all of a sudden being plagued by a new killer dubbed the ‘brainsnatcher’. Fresh corpses are being found in and around the underground sewer system, many missing their heads and spinal cords. Quinn realises that there could well be a link between the mysterious death of the mole Amunsen, the unknown viral infection that Naldosa brought back up with him, and the psychopathic killer that is now on the loose. Together with the two doctors and his friend and co-worker Jose Ortiz, Quinn hopes to track down this killer and save those around him from a horrific death. But the monstrous creation that lurks in the shadows is hungry for live victims and is ready to breed...
Walker begins the novel setting down the general premise in which the plot is to grow from. From here on the tale accelerates and accelerates and accelerates in pace, with victim after victim falling at the claws of the monstrous creation that Copellmier’s experiments spawned.
With an unashamedly over-the-top storyline cramming in as many B-movie clichéd ideas as the tale can physically support, Walker has managed to create a masterpiece of tongue-in-cheek pulp horror. There’s no getting away from the fact that this novel is nothing but gore drenched pulp horror entertainment. There’s no shame in it (well, that’s what I keep telling myself anyway). However, time and time again, Walker injects some scientific explanation in an attempt to seemingly justify the novel as slightly more than just pulp horror literary candy or perhaps just to nudge it slightly towards a more mature read. However, these brief episodes of scientific mumbo-jumbo only seem to form buffers between the barrages of rampaging mutant action.
The characters are exaggerated clichés of imaginary American B-movie stars. The developing relationship between the two doctors is as cheesy as it is cringe-worthy. But you’d expect no less from a novel such as this. It’s rich and vibrant storyline is totally complemented by the colourful and ‘mass-produced’ characters that spur the storyline along.
The tale races towards the eventual and obligatory showdown between the few remaining main characters and the monstrous killer. Walker delivers an energetic and action-packed grand finale that brings the tale to a dramatic but ultimately satisfying conclusion.
All in all, Walker’s pulp horror novel ‘Aftershock’ is a non-stop gorefest that blends together a host of B-movie plot scenarios to create this veritable homage to the genre. The cover artwork sums up the novel perfectly (although if I was to be pedantic, the monsters ‘claw’ doesn’t really reflect the one described in the novel).
The novel runs for a total of 248 pages.
Robert W. Walker is also known for his work under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Caine (Abraham Stroud series), Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury and Stephen Robertson.
July 13, 2022
Earthquakes and zombies! This is a fun, over-the-top horror/disaster novel mash-up. It has a charm of its own, though I'm not sure how much of the amusing content was intended to amuse. It includes more tropes and cliches of the genre than one would think would fit between the covers. The uncredited cover artist captured the spirit perfectly. Recommended for MST3K fans.
March 21, 2020
"It leaped onto a rail that ran up the side of the stairs and caught hold. It scaled straight up along the railing, invigorated after the feeding. It moved with a lizardlike precision, reaching the landing just ahead of its prey, facing the cringing figure as the man-thing came up, his only scream cut short when the claw flew through the air and into its prey's cranium."
AFTERSHOCK delivered everything I wanted from a book about a brain-eating mutant hunting humans amid rubble remaining of Los Angeles after a terrible earthquake. Walker's writing is enjoyably straightforward and exciting.
The book throws so many elements in the mix that it seems to lose track and miss some opportunities for suspense, but it is a very short and fun read. Anyone seeking some corny B-movie action will definitely enjoy.
AFTERSHOCK delivered everything I wanted from a book about a brain-eating mutant hunting humans amid rubble remaining of Los Angeles after a terrible earthquake. Walker's writing is enjoyably straightforward and exciting.
The book throws so many elements in the mix that it seems to lose track and miss some opportunities for suspense, but it is a very short and fun read. Anyone seeking some corny B-movie action will definitely enjoy.
January 25, 2022
After I read this book, I was Shocked!
This book was fun, all the way through! It’s your cheesy B-Movie sci-fi horror story that you just gotta love!
The story has a few great protagonists in it, such as Casey, Mike, and Tony, and has a killer pov of the monster itself, which was a lot of fun!
The story is about an accident that happens after an earthquake, which set loose a monster that is coined the Brain Snatcher, due to the monster feasting on the brain.
This book blew me out of the brackish water, and I give it four stars! Definitely worth a read!
This book was fun, all the way through! It’s your cheesy B-Movie sci-fi horror story that you just gotta love!
The story has a few great protagonists in it, such as Casey, Mike, and Tony, and has a killer pov of the monster itself, which was a lot of fun!
The story is about an accident that happens after an earthquake, which set loose a monster that is coined the Brain Snatcher, due to the monster feasting on the brain.
This book blew me out of the brackish water, and I give it four stars! Definitely worth a read!
March 26, 2021
I loved this. It's pretty standard pulp paperback fiction, but it's excellent at what it does.
It's fast-paced, over the top in the right way, and cinematic.
Loads of fun.
It's fast-paced, over the top in the right way, and cinematic.
Loads of fun.
November 1, 2021
Spooktober 2021 Book 14
While some parts of Aftershock are fun and creative, it’s quickly gets repetitive right around the 1/2 way mark.
I’ll give credit to Walker for trying to be unique and mash up a bunch of different genres, but I feel like this story just doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be? Is it disaster porn? Is it creature feature? Pandemic fear? It’s all there but none of these sub genres ever really come together to form a truly cohesive work.
It’s a shame because I feel that Aftershock could have been good.
While some parts of Aftershock are fun and creative, it’s quickly gets repetitive right around the 1/2 way mark.
I’ll give credit to Walker for trying to be unique and mash up a bunch of different genres, but I feel like this story just doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be? Is it disaster porn? Is it creature feature? Pandemic fear? It’s all there but none of these sub genres ever really come together to form a truly cohesive work.
It’s a shame because I feel that Aftershock could have been good.
October 20, 2024
This is a case of the cover being more interesting than the actual book. I noticed a lot of positive reviews on here and to each their own. I’m glad others found enjoyment out of this. I found it kind of bland and not very engaging. It’s got a very B-movie like premise.
A secret government lab in LA that is developing a biological weapon underground infects a cyborg and a massive earthquake releases it to kill and infect people above ground. The cyborg must eat brains and spinal cords. Meanwhile a reporter and two scientists are trying to figure out all these mysterious deaths while dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
This premise definitely can make for a great pulpy over the top novel. Unfortunately the writing is pretty flat and workman like. It’s almost like the author’s heart wasn’t into the project. He doesn’t want to embrace the premise. Instead he wants to focus on the lab stuff dealing with the mysterious virus. There’s also a cringe worthy scenes of the two doctors falling in love.
The monster parts are really bad. The book goes into the point of view of the monster and it’s constantly complaining about it being in pain and wanting to die. It gets a bit tiring after a while. The monster attack scenes are written so bland. A mutated android eating brains and ripping out spinal cords shouldn’t be written in a ho hum manner. There’s a twist with the android monster that’s not much of a twist. It’s pretty easy to figure out.
There’s also a death of a secondary character that is mentioned in passing and I had to go back a reread to see if I missed it. Nope.
There is one good moment where these two tunnelers are trying to rescue people and accidentally release the monster. It’s one of the better written pieces in the whole book.
I have no clue why this book is so stupidly high on eBay. It’s really not that good. Perhaps the Paperbacks from Hell effect. I paid $10 for it and felt I paid $8 too much.
A secret government lab in LA that is developing a biological weapon underground infects a cyborg and a massive earthquake releases it to kill and infect people above ground. The cyborg must eat brains and spinal cords. Meanwhile a reporter and two scientists are trying to figure out all these mysterious deaths while dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
This premise definitely can make for a great pulpy over the top novel. Unfortunately the writing is pretty flat and workman like. It’s almost like the author’s heart wasn’t into the project. He doesn’t want to embrace the premise. Instead he wants to focus on the lab stuff dealing with the mysterious virus. There’s also a cringe worthy scenes of the two doctors falling in love.
The monster parts are really bad. The book goes into the point of view of the monster and it’s constantly complaining about it being in pain and wanting to die. It gets a bit tiring after a while. The monster attack scenes are written so bland. A mutated android eating brains and ripping out spinal cords shouldn’t be written in a ho hum manner. There’s a twist with the android monster that’s not much of a twist. It’s pretty easy to figure out.
There’s also a death of a secondary character that is mentioned in passing and I had to go back a reread to see if I missed it. Nope.
There is one good moment where these two tunnelers are trying to rescue people and accidentally release the monster. It’s one of the better written pieces in the whole book.
I have no clue why this book is so stupidly high on eBay. It’s really not that good. Perhaps the Paperbacks from Hell effect. I paid $10 for it and felt I paid $8 too much.
October 15, 2024
Well... it's a 2.5 star. The problem is, I just don't think this book knows what it wants to be. It starts out so well, with corrupt and ambitious scientists creating a super bug in a secret lab... lots of gore and craziness after the earthquake unleashes a mutant onto the streets... and then it turns into a medical thriller that bored the pants off of me. The ending seemed rushed; I kept wondering as the remaining page count diminished, how on earth they were going to get this all wrapped up. It's not great.
This has become rare and expensive, probably driven by the insanely cool cover, but your money is best spent on other hidden gems. I just can't recommend this book unless it's in the dollar bin.
This has become rare and expensive, probably driven by the insanely cool cover, but your money is best spent on other hidden gems. I just can't recommend this book unless it's in the dollar bin.
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February 12, 2020Full review: https://supermonsternovels.com/2020/0...
July 25, 2021
This book is hands down //// needed to be made into a movie :::
So fresh :: so good !!!
If you like something totally new that horror has not done yet :: this one is the one ::
So fresh :: so good !!!
If you like something totally new that horror has not done yet :: this one is the one ::
October 25, 2024
Disaster movie
Goopy cannibal mutants
Baseball saves the day
Goopy cannibal mutants
Baseball saves the day
November 18, 2009
An earthquake leads to a hazardous bio-chem spillage in an underground laboratory, unleashing the horror of a rampaging mutant beast that preys on the survivors of the quake as they fight for survival under the debris.
I have a hazy recollection of this book, as I read it on a camping trip many, many years ago, but I do recall enjoying it a lot. It's a pity that the book appears to have gone out of print now, but I think you can still find a few second hand editions knocking around on eBay. Worth a read if you can find a copy.
I have a hazy recollection of this book, as I read it on a camping trip many, many years ago, but I do recall enjoying it a lot. It's a pity that the book appears to have gone out of print now, but I think you can still find a few second hand editions knocking around on eBay. Worth a read if you can find a copy.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews