What do you think?
Rate this book
DIGGER #1
Texocalypse Now
Michael Bunker (Pennsylvania) and Nick Cole (The Old Man and the Wasteland) bring you a gritty tale of survival in the Post Apocalyptic Weird West Texas Badlands where towns have become abandoned wastelands and “Hordes,” packs of feral, cannibalistic humans made so by a diet pill Slenderex, devour anything and anyone they can find in search of protein. A band of children, led by a boy barely a man, will stand against a rising tide of humans gone feral, greedy precious metal pirates and psychotic roving biker gangs to make a home for themselves atop a hidden valley. But when a member of the 88, a Man in Black simply known as Mayhem arrives in the badlands, Ellis and his small “family” of orphans and lost children will have to go underground into a mysterious system of tunnels to fight back and survive. Lord of the Flies meets Mad Max beneath the Apocalypse Weird.
- GenresPost ApocalypticZombies
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2015
1 person is currently reading
43 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 16, 2015
TN is a difficult book to rate. Michael Bunker and Nick Cole show improvement in what has already been great storytelling and prose in their earlier works. The story begins with a horrific event, but then slows down (way down at times). We are introduced to a wide cast of characters, but I didn't really feel connected to them until about 60% in. There were some parts before that where I thought, great scene, but I had just as many if not more reactions to scenes where I put the book down to read something else.
The scene I enjoyed most in the first third was between Jim and Mr. Vo. I really enjoyed Jim and his backstory as a Vietnam veteran, and then how he was able to trick Mr. Vo into admitting the truth about his past. Aside from the end, this was my favorite scene. Unfortunately, the interest I gained through Jim's pov wavered as I read Ellis's early chapters (summarized in the line "And that made Utah the perfect place for Ellis to go, sit, and think.).
Ellis is a twenty two year old taking care of a valley that has strong foreshadowing of falling under an attack from brigands, zombies, or whatever. All he has to do is blow the bridge, though, and they'll be safe. I felt like it took too long in his pov to get to action that made me want to read, but when it did, I was thrilled and was impressed with the emotional reaction it left me with.
Another pov, Mayhem, aka The Man in Black, who was a mixture of great description and a bit of over the top EVIL. An example of the over the top was Chapter 16 at the end of Episode Two. He walks into a saloon and, as may be common in the apocalypse, talks to himself. "Eighty-eight bottles of beer on the wall!" he sand, and then broke into a fit of giggles and sputters. "Tim to make some more mischief," he roared and choked, sputtering on his own insane laughter and rage. "Time to make us some fun." I get that this is Apocalypse Weird, but that scene didn't leave me afraid of what mischief would happen. I kept reading, though, and I'm glad because the book really improves as it goes. Mayhem encounters The Baron around the 60% mark, and the way he acted while outnumbered by this biker gang showed me that Mayhem was to be feared. His smile was a leer. A threat wrapped in a dare. was a great summary. This whole scene shined with superb prose. The best example was the way Mayhem tamed The Baron's horse. The Baron's horse did not like anyone. Even the Baron. accentuates two paragraphs of how The Baron witnesses Mayhem tame his horse, and the fear that Mayhem produces in him. Then, where Chapter 16's description of Mayhem came off as almost unbelievable, the description of him in the bar in this scene felt more natural, producing the kind of intimidation I think the earlier chapter had meant to create.
Ellis improved as well as the story went on. I enjoyed the romantic conflict between him and Delores. (I went back and began rereading TN to see how this was foreshadowed and enjoyed the early chapters more the second time through. That could be a sign that I wasn't in the right state of mind, or had a fully alert mind, or it could be that the emotional interest I developed at the end made the earlier chapters more interesting on the reread.) Back to my thoughts on him and Delores, I enjoyed the fresh dynamic of the age difference between them illustrating how five years of living in the apocalypse could affect teenagers' maturity and how two people could develop feelings for each other after having started their relationship in a kind of father-daughter mindset. The end has a strong emotional reaction, but it could have been better had I been more interested in the characters in the first half of the book. Again, I can't say whether this is my fault as a busy person fitting reading into my spare moments or what. I can only give my honest experience.
One last character I really enjoyed was Digiberto Reyes Navarro, aka Reyes Badfinger. His backstory broke my heart. I'll let you discover why.
All in all, while Texocalypse Now had sections where I wished to have been more interested, there were scenes that really stood out as quality storytelling. I am eager to see what the next installment will do now that I'm engaged with these characters and their attempts to survive Apocalypse Weird.
The scene I enjoyed most in the first third was between Jim and Mr. Vo. I really enjoyed Jim and his backstory as a Vietnam veteran, and then how he was able to trick Mr. Vo into admitting the truth about his past. Aside from the end, this was my favorite scene. Unfortunately, the interest I gained through Jim's pov wavered as I read Ellis's early chapters (summarized in the line "And that made Utah the perfect place for Ellis to go, sit, and think.).
Ellis is a twenty two year old taking care of a valley that has strong foreshadowing of falling under an attack from brigands, zombies, or whatever. All he has to do is blow the bridge, though, and they'll be safe. I felt like it took too long in his pov to get to action that made me want to read, but when it did, I was thrilled and was impressed with the emotional reaction it left me with.
Another pov, Mayhem, aka The Man in Black, who was a mixture of great description and a bit of over the top EVIL. An example of the over the top was Chapter 16 at the end of Episode Two. He walks into a saloon and, as may be common in the apocalypse, talks to himself. "Eighty-eight bottles of beer on the wall!" he sand, and then broke into a fit of giggles and sputters. "Tim to make some more mischief," he roared and choked, sputtering on his own insane laughter and rage. "Time to make us some fun." I get that this is Apocalypse Weird, but that scene didn't leave me afraid of what mischief would happen. I kept reading, though, and I'm glad because the book really improves as it goes. Mayhem encounters The Baron around the 60% mark, and the way he acted while outnumbered by this biker gang showed me that Mayhem was to be feared. His smile was a leer. A threat wrapped in a dare. was a great summary. This whole scene shined with superb prose. The best example was the way Mayhem tamed The Baron's horse. The Baron's horse did not like anyone. Even the Baron. accentuates two paragraphs of how The Baron witnesses Mayhem tame his horse, and the fear that Mayhem produces in him. Then, where Chapter 16's description of Mayhem came off as almost unbelievable, the description of him in the bar in this scene felt more natural, producing the kind of intimidation I think the earlier chapter had meant to create.
Ellis improved as well as the story went on. I enjoyed the romantic conflict between him and Delores. (I went back and began rereading TN to see how this was foreshadowed and enjoyed the early chapters more the second time through. That could be a sign that I wasn't in the right state of mind, or had a fully alert mind, or it could be that the emotional interest I developed at the end made the earlier chapters more interesting on the reread.) Back to my thoughts on him and Delores, I enjoyed the fresh dynamic of the age difference between them illustrating how five years of living in the apocalypse could affect teenagers' maturity and how two people could develop feelings for each other after having started their relationship in a kind of father-daughter mindset. The end has a strong emotional reaction, but it could have been better had I been more interested in the characters in the first half of the book. Again, I can't say whether this is my fault as a busy person fitting reading into my spare moments or what. I can only give my honest experience.
One last character I really enjoyed was Digiberto Reyes Navarro, aka Reyes Badfinger. His backstory broke my heart. I'll let you discover why.
All in all, while Texocalypse Now had sections where I wished to have been more interested, there were scenes that really stood out as quality storytelling. I am eager to see what the next installment will do now that I'm engaged with these characters and their attempts to survive Apocalypse Weird.
February 11, 2015
I received an advance copy of this book from Michael Bunker.
I was not familiar with the Alpocalypse Weird universe, but came to this book having read Michael Bunker. Huge fan of Wick & Pennsylvania.
That said, I did enjoy the book, but not as much as those others. The story is fun and entertaining, the characters interesting, and the landscape is well described, but I just felt that not enough of the story concluded. That said, once I started reading, I had a hard time stopping. Just wish there was more of a conclusion for some of the characters introduced.
As far as my introduction to the Alpocalypse Weird series, it did create an interesting world that has made me think about reading some of the other books in the series. If you are familiar with the AW series, I have trouble believing that you would be disappointed with this story.
I was not familiar with the Alpocalypse Weird universe, but came to this book having read Michael Bunker. Huge fan of Wick & Pennsylvania.
That said, I did enjoy the book, but not as much as those others. The story is fun and entertaining, the characters interesting, and the landscape is well described, but I just felt that not enough of the story concluded. That said, once I started reading, I had a hard time stopping. Just wish there was more of a conclusion for some of the characters introduced.
As far as my introduction to the Alpocalypse Weird series, it did create an interesting world that has made me think about reading some of the other books in the series. If you are familiar with the AW series, I have trouble believing that you would be disappointed with this story.
February 27, 2015
Combining a character-focused post-apocalyptic survival narrative with hints of a wider, potentially supernatural, story, Bunker and Cole have created a novel that works as both an individual work and an entry point to other story arcs set in the same world.
Following ‘the Blindness’ five years previously, civilisation has fallen apart. The Texas Badlands are wastelands prey to feral cannibals and criminal gangs. As the last clusters of sanity fall, a group of children, led by Ellis, attempt to build a life in a hidden valley. Although hostile terrain and inadequate resources already drag them towards a slow death from malnutrition, will the arrival of a man who worships destruction deny them even that little life?
This novel is set in the shared universe of Wonderment Media’s Apocalypse Weird plot. However, Bunker and Cole – for the most part – avoid both heavy duplication of information and relying on the reader having read other the other story lines. The plot arc of the book benefits from a similar self-sufficiency, resulting in a story that – while it does raise questions about the wider world and future events – can be enjoyed as a stand-alone work.
Unfortunately, the chapter that least displays this is the first. Called chapter one but functioning as a prologue, it tells the reader that the apocalypse is happening and has something to do with not being able to see, and that it is terrible, but provides little explanation of why it is apocalyptic. In addition, what little information it does provide that adds to the reader’s understanding of later events could easily have been provided within those scenes. As Cole’s own Wasteland Saga demonstrates, post-apocalyptic narratives do not need to open with the apocalypse, so the first chapter both feels unnecessary and gives an overly negative impression of the quality of the writing.
Once past this hiccup, Bunker and Cole flow into a series of fast-paced, interlocking narratives. Saving the majority of the page time for Ellis and his band of orphaned children, they use interludes showing both other characters and times to provide new perspectives and a sense of dramatic irony. This gives the reader a sense of the wider picture without diluting the mundane horror of the children’s day-to-day struggle by exposing them immediately to bigger threats.
Ellis is a well-realised main protagonist. Barely in his twenties himself, he displays a self-doubt entirely fitting for someone whose comfortable childhood was swallowed by disaster, combined with the forcefulness needed to have survived.
The other children are equally well-written, balancing varying amounts of immaturity and precocious grit entirely plausible for their ages and characters.
But it is in the antagonists, that Bunker and Cole truly lift this above the average post-apocalyptic survival tale. The characters of Mayhem and the Horde are the inhumanity-as-a-choice and inhumanity-as-no-choice of monster movies, but between the pioneer ethic of those seeking to just survive and these horrors are graduations of characters: metal gatherers who steal and kill but will trade when it is a better option; biker gangs who ravage not from true choice but from inadequate socialisation.
The copy I received contained a number of errors in formatting and ebook structure. While I would usually put this down to it being an advance review copy, there is a section in the book where what might appear an error is a deliberate effect. I therefore suggest readers check any anomalies rather than assuming it is only a glitch.
Overall – once past the first chapter – I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers or dystopian fiction.
I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
Following ‘the Blindness’ five years previously, civilisation has fallen apart. The Texas Badlands are wastelands prey to feral cannibals and criminal gangs. As the last clusters of sanity fall, a group of children, led by Ellis, attempt to build a life in a hidden valley. Although hostile terrain and inadequate resources already drag them towards a slow death from malnutrition, will the arrival of a man who worships destruction deny them even that little life?
This novel is set in the shared universe of Wonderment Media’s Apocalypse Weird plot. However, Bunker and Cole – for the most part – avoid both heavy duplication of information and relying on the reader having read other the other story lines. The plot arc of the book benefits from a similar self-sufficiency, resulting in a story that – while it does raise questions about the wider world and future events – can be enjoyed as a stand-alone work.
Unfortunately, the chapter that least displays this is the first. Called chapter one but functioning as a prologue, it tells the reader that the apocalypse is happening and has something to do with not being able to see, and that it is terrible, but provides little explanation of why it is apocalyptic. In addition, what little information it does provide that adds to the reader’s understanding of later events could easily have been provided within those scenes. As Cole’s own Wasteland Saga demonstrates, post-apocalyptic narratives do not need to open with the apocalypse, so the first chapter both feels unnecessary and gives an overly negative impression of the quality of the writing.
Once past this hiccup, Bunker and Cole flow into a series of fast-paced, interlocking narratives. Saving the majority of the page time for Ellis and his band of orphaned children, they use interludes showing both other characters and times to provide new perspectives and a sense of dramatic irony. This gives the reader a sense of the wider picture without diluting the mundane horror of the children’s day-to-day struggle by exposing them immediately to bigger threats.
Ellis is a well-realised main protagonist. Barely in his twenties himself, he displays a self-doubt entirely fitting for someone whose comfortable childhood was swallowed by disaster, combined with the forcefulness needed to have survived.
The other children are equally well-written, balancing varying amounts of immaturity and precocious grit entirely plausible for their ages and characters.
But it is in the antagonists, that Bunker and Cole truly lift this above the average post-apocalyptic survival tale. The characters of Mayhem and the Horde are the inhumanity-as-a-choice and inhumanity-as-no-choice of monster movies, but between the pioneer ethic of those seeking to just survive and these horrors are graduations of characters: metal gatherers who steal and kill but will trade when it is a better option; biker gangs who ravage not from true choice but from inadequate socialisation.
The copy I received contained a number of errors in formatting and ebook structure. While I would usually put this down to it being an advance review copy, there is a section in the book where what might appear an error is a deliberate effect. I therefore suggest readers check any anomalies rather than assuming it is only a glitch.
Overall – once past the first chapter – I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers or dystopian fiction.
I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
February 22, 2015
There have been some early comparisons between the Apocalypse Weird series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most of us are familiar with how Marvel is expanding their comic books with tales on the Silver Screen in the form of Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. While that familiarity may not be present in the Apocalypse Weird series, the analogy is appropriate nonetheless, especially when it comes to the Nick Cole/Michael Bunker novel, Texocalypse Now. And that familiarity will come in time if the quality of the stories in AW continues like it does in this novel.
A huge part of constructing the Marvel movies is telling an engaging story while advancing potential threads that can branch off into different plotlines for future movies. For example, Captain America’s shield was seen in Tony Stark’s lab in Iron Man 2 and Thanos was seen in a post-credits scene of The Avengers – both of which helped to set up future stories and villains.
I don’t think many would say The Avengers didn’t deliver as a stand-alone movie, yet it laid the groundwork for potentially dozens of future movies. That’s because Marvel went in with a plan and made sure certain threads were maintained and manicured throughout the editing process.
The same is true of Texocalypse Now. After The Red King, it serves as one of the next in a wave of AW stories to be released in February, and by being in that wave, it needs to serve two functions – be a wicked-awesome story (check), and further the overall mythology of AW (check).
We’ll get back to the overall mythos in a bit, but let’s take a look at what Cole and Bunker did here.
It’s an apocalypse story, so we need at least one apocalyptic event, and the authors take care of that with the Blindness -- a moment when the entire world went dark, causing madness in most people. Combine that with zombie hordes who scour the earth after taking the weight-loss drug, Slenderex, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster and Mad Max-type scenarios.
In the wake of this, a family comes together. Not one of blood, but of circumstance, that has a bond forged by violence. To save themselves, they turn to a series of tunnels under the ground -- tunnels put there years before for a different purpose (which is a fascinating side story that deserves a book of its own). As the book progresses, the action ramps up, powered by an evil figure: Mayhem.
Even as all of this happens, Cole and Bunker make sure to plant seeds for future installments of Apocalypse Weird books. Not all of those seeds are blatantly obvious, but just like in the Marvel Universe, they are important and play a key role in the proceedings.
Texocalypse Now stands perfectly on its own and is an exciting, powerful book. But, when you look at it as part of the AW series, it works
tremendously well and will be an important book to read for anyone interested in the Apocalypse Weird novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cole-Bunker collaboration and hope to see more from the two in the future.
A huge part of constructing the Marvel movies is telling an engaging story while advancing potential threads that can branch off into different plotlines for future movies. For example, Captain America’s shield was seen in Tony Stark’s lab in Iron Man 2 and Thanos was seen in a post-credits scene of The Avengers – both of which helped to set up future stories and villains.
I don’t think many would say The Avengers didn’t deliver as a stand-alone movie, yet it laid the groundwork for potentially dozens of future movies. That’s because Marvel went in with a plan and made sure certain threads were maintained and manicured throughout the editing process.
The same is true of Texocalypse Now. After The Red King, it serves as one of the next in a wave of AW stories to be released in February, and by being in that wave, it needs to serve two functions – be a wicked-awesome story (check), and further the overall mythology of AW (check).
We’ll get back to the overall mythos in a bit, but let’s take a look at what Cole and Bunker did here.
It’s an apocalypse story, so we need at least one apocalyptic event, and the authors take care of that with the Blindness -- a moment when the entire world went dark, causing madness in most people. Combine that with zombie hordes who scour the earth after taking the weight-loss drug, Slenderex, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster and Mad Max-type scenarios.
In the wake of this, a family comes together. Not one of blood, but of circumstance, that has a bond forged by violence. To save themselves, they turn to a series of tunnels under the ground -- tunnels put there years before for a different purpose (which is a fascinating side story that deserves a book of its own). As the book progresses, the action ramps up, powered by an evil figure: Mayhem.
Even as all of this happens, Cole and Bunker make sure to plant seeds for future installments of Apocalypse Weird books. Not all of those seeds are blatantly obvious, but just like in the Marvel Universe, they are important and play a key role in the proceedings.
Texocalypse Now stands perfectly on its own and is an exciting, powerful book. But, when you look at it as part of the AW series, it works
tremendously well and will be an important book to read for anyone interested in the Apocalypse Weird novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cole-Bunker collaboration and hope to see more from the two in the future.
March 13, 2015
Though I often read books to learn things (and those books are usually nonfiction), my primary reason to read is to be entertained. Having gotten my degree in English Education, I’ve read lots and lots of classics (Dickens, Faulkner, Hemingway, and all their friends), and what are considered important works of contemporary fiction such as The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and The Sportswriter by Richard Ford. But when I want to have fun and live an adventure through writing that takes me someplace else, nothing beats speculative fiction. Science Fiction and Fantasy are my true passions, and when you find a writer you really love, it becomes an obsession to read everything they write.
But now something new has emerged on the scene, and it’s not just about the author. Apocalypse Weird is the brainchild of Wonderment Media, a newly formed company that is using multiple authors to tell a story so vast in scope that it will no doubt be around for years. The feedback on the books released February 23 has been overwhelmingly positive, which is fantastic news for people like me, who love to live adventures (albeit these are life and death adventures!) in the pages of fun, fast-paced stories in a world that isn’t ours. Of course the scary thing is, you never know, right? The apocalypse HAS been talked about and prophesized for centuries.
Intrigued yet? A great primer for Apocalypse Weird is The Red King by Nick Cole. It’s free on Amazon, and with free, you can’t go wrong. I strongly suggest that you read it first. Once finished with it, you can try any of the Apocalypse Weird books that are for sale at your favorite online bookseller. My first foray after The Red King happened to be Texocalypse Now, which is co-written by Michael Bunker (you know, the king of Amish science fiction who wrote the hit novel Pennsylvania Omnibus) and Nick Cole (The Wasteland Saga and Soda Pop Soldier – must reads).
With Texocalypse Now we are introduced to new characters, both good and bad. There are precious metal pirates, bikers, and kids just trying to survive the crazy world they’ve suddenly found themselves a part of. Oh, and the tunnels. There are miles and miles of tunnels underneath a section of Texas. This is an intriguing part of the story itself, and yes, we find out the origins, but Texocalypse Now, I think, has barely scraped the surface…or should I say, “Underworld,” of these passages.
Texocalypse Now is listed in the top left corner of the cover as DIGGER 1.0. As a fan, I’m expectant that someday in the future, we’ll be seeing DIGGER 2.0, and perhaps 3.0. This is fun stuff, and if you are a fan of end-of-the-world fiction, how can you NOT hit the Buy Now button?
But now something new has emerged on the scene, and it’s not just about the author. Apocalypse Weird is the brainchild of Wonderment Media, a newly formed company that is using multiple authors to tell a story so vast in scope that it will no doubt be around for years. The feedback on the books released February 23 has been overwhelmingly positive, which is fantastic news for people like me, who love to live adventures (albeit these are life and death adventures!) in the pages of fun, fast-paced stories in a world that isn’t ours. Of course the scary thing is, you never know, right? The apocalypse HAS been talked about and prophesized for centuries.
Intrigued yet? A great primer for Apocalypse Weird is The Red King by Nick Cole. It’s free on Amazon, and with free, you can’t go wrong. I strongly suggest that you read it first. Once finished with it, you can try any of the Apocalypse Weird books that are for sale at your favorite online bookseller. My first foray after The Red King happened to be Texocalypse Now, which is co-written by Michael Bunker (you know, the king of Amish science fiction who wrote the hit novel Pennsylvania Omnibus) and Nick Cole (The Wasteland Saga and Soda Pop Soldier – must reads).
With Texocalypse Now we are introduced to new characters, both good and bad. There are precious metal pirates, bikers, and kids just trying to survive the crazy world they’ve suddenly found themselves a part of. Oh, and the tunnels. There are miles and miles of tunnels underneath a section of Texas. This is an intriguing part of the story itself, and yes, we find out the origins, but Texocalypse Now, I think, has barely scraped the surface…or should I say, “Underworld,” of these passages.
Texocalypse Now is listed in the top left corner of the cover as DIGGER 1.0. As a fan, I’m expectant that someday in the future, we’ll be seeing DIGGER 2.0, and perhaps 3.0. This is fun stuff, and if you are a fan of end-of-the-world fiction, how can you NOT hit the Buy Now button?
March 20, 2015
This is the first book I've read in the Apocalypse Weird series and not even halfway through, I was completely hooked and had purchased all the other titles. I tend to be a bit picky about my post-apocalyptic, dystopian, zombie fiction. I'm married to what I would call a "Romero zombie purist." He has RULES about what makes good zombies and those spill over into any apocalyptic scenario. While I like that we know how the horde started, I doubt that he would. So if you're one of those who must have unintelligent, shambling zombies that no one knows the origins of, this book is not for you.
I thought this book was well written, developed quickly without leaving a bunch of loose ends and definitely left me wanting more. I want to know more about all the characters and their backgrounds. The first page I found when I searched for Apocalypse Weird equated this collaborative series to Marvel meets digital publishing (1). I think that's an apt description because, like comic books, this is quick to draw you in and feed you enough to make you want the next "issue," even if it's a seemingly unrelated story line. Although in writing that, I feel a bit like a Slenderex zombie myself... Thank you Michael Bunker and Nick Cole for giving me my newest literary addiction.
(1) What is this Apocalypse Weird That Everyone is Talking About?
March 10, 2015
This book continues the post-apocalyptic tale begun in The Red King, with most of the scenes taking place about five years after the day the world changed. Instead of the zombie epidemic that plagues California, Texas and many other parts of the world were hit by a period of total darkness followed by chaos and anarchy. The world is mostly a very unfriendly place, with various types of scavengers and predators attacking anyone trying to establish a somewhat normal life.
Ellis and his new family have found an enclave that is relatively well hidden and protected, and they are managing to live a fairly peaceful life on their farm. The reader learns of various dangers facing the little group. Will they manage to hold on despite appearing to have the odds stacked against them?
I received an advance reading copy of Texocalypse. Like The Red King, Texocalypyse generally lets the facts unfold as a resident of the story world would see them, which means that the reader is left with many unanswered questions. We do have a better understanding now than at the end of The Red King, but I am left eager to read the next in the series to learn more about this apocalypse and its aftermath!
Ellis and his new family have found an enclave that is relatively well hidden and protected, and they are managing to live a fairly peaceful life on their farm. The reader learns of various dangers facing the little group. Will they manage to hold on despite appearing to have the odds stacked against them?
I received an advance reading copy of Texocalypse. Like The Red King, Texocalypyse generally lets the facts unfold as a resident of the story world would see them, which means that the reader is left with many unanswered questions. We do have a better understanding now than at the end of The Red King, but I am left eager to read the next in the series to learn more about this apocalypse and its aftermath!
February 22, 2015
Absolutely brilliant stuff from Michael Bunker & his brother in arms Nick Cole!
It’s as if they have taken all the best bits of their own amazing bodies of work (Pennsylvania Omnibus from Michael, The Wasteland Saga from Nick) and added the cream of Stephen Kings best work (The Stand & The Dark Tower), Mad Max, Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti Western and lots of WEIRD, then mixed in a caldron with whiskey, oil, dust, fire & sweat.
After now finishing the first two books of this series - The Red King (by Nick Cole) and Texocalypse Now, I am 100% certain that AW is gonna be so cool. Four wonderful Apocalypse Weird books have also just been released from Jennifer Ellis, Chris Pourteau, E.E. Giorgi and Nick Cole (again), so this inter-linking world of multiple stories is literally growing as you read this review.
Texocalypse Now is more than perfect and MUST be read by all fans of Sc-fi / horror / end-world scenarios. This 1st book contains the beginnings of sooo many threads, which we all know the Bunker 'n' Cole will follow down in Books 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
It’s as if they have taken all the best bits of their own amazing bodies of work (Pennsylvania Omnibus from Michael, The Wasteland Saga from Nick) and added the cream of Stephen Kings best work (The Stand & The Dark Tower), Mad Max, Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti Western and lots of WEIRD, then mixed in a caldron with whiskey, oil, dust, fire & sweat.
After now finishing the first two books of this series - The Red King (by Nick Cole) and Texocalypse Now, I am 100% certain that AW is gonna be so cool. Four wonderful Apocalypse Weird books have also just been released from Jennifer Ellis, Chris Pourteau, E.E. Giorgi and Nick Cole (again), so this inter-linking world of multiple stories is literally growing as you read this review.
Texocalypse Now is more than perfect and MUST be read by all fans of Sc-fi / horror / end-world scenarios. This 1st book contains the beginnings of sooo many threads, which we all know the Bunker 'n' Cole will follow down in Books 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
February 19, 2015
ARC'd this and, well, it's really simple folks...the book is great. My second pleasurable experience in the Apocalypse Weird realm, the first with Nick Cole's The Red King and now this excellent collaborative effort.
Admittedly, you could read the premise of this story and have the same thought I did...how in the world is this gonna work? Hordes gone mad for protein as a result of ingesting diet pills? Huh? Bunker has finally lost it out there off off-grid! BUT, simply not the case. It works, it's compelling, entertaining, by golly it's even enlightening and all together believable in it's own outlandish way.
These gents spin a crafty tale here, one well worth the read. Can't wait for the next book!
Admittedly, you could read the premise of this story and have the same thought I did...how in the world is this gonna work? Hordes gone mad for protein as a result of ingesting diet pills? Huh? Bunker has finally lost it out there off off-grid! BUT, simply not the case. It works, it's compelling, entertaining, by golly it's even enlightening and all together believable in it's own outlandish way.
These gents spin a crafty tale here, one well worth the read. Can't wait for the next book!
February 21, 2015
This book is keeping true to what is expected of Apocalypse Weird. End of the world (from many different causes), shady characters and new mysteries popping up constantly.
It feels more like an introduction to the Digger saga, because you get to know the different characters or the current situation through flashbacks (some very interesting), but in the end nothing much happens in terms of plot. Despite that it's still a great book (written in an interesting way as well) and has me very excited for whatever comes next.
So far Apocalypse Weird hasn't been a disappointment and I doubt it ever will.
It feels more like an introduction to the Digger saga, because you get to know the different characters or the current situation through flashbacks (some very interesting), but in the end nothing much happens in terms of plot. Despite that it's still a great book (written in an interesting way as well) and has me very excited for whatever comes next.
So far Apocalypse Weird hasn't been a disappointment and I doubt it ever will.
February 7, 2015
I keep being surprised by Michael Bunker. I should know by now, and I guess, I do cause I keep getting and reading his books.
Texocalypse Now is really awesome. And as a collaboration this novel is seamless, but I can still see Michaels hand in it when the story mentions the land and farm. When reading The Red King the first story released in the AW series I couldn't figure out how it would work. With the edition of this book I begin to see through the mist, as to how it can work and I'm looking forward to the AW series and to book 2 in Texocalpse.
Texocalypse Now is really awesome. And as a collaboration this novel is seamless, but I can still see Michaels hand in it when the story mentions the land and farm. When reading The Red King the first story released in the AW series I couldn't figure out how it would work. With the edition of this book I begin to see through the mist, as to how it can work and I'm looking forward to the AW series and to book 2 in Texocalpse.
February 17, 2015
I received this book as an advance read copy. Thanks Michael. I love Michael Bunker book and I loved the part of this book I assume he wrote about "the family" (it had so many elements of the way he lives in real life) I found it easy to read, very interesting and enjoyable. The rest of the story (I assume) was not written by Michael and I found uninteresting. Sometime I plowed through, skimmed the page, or just skipped it all together. Sorry.
I look forward to reading more of Michael's books and hope he sticks to writing them himself.
I look forward to reading more of Michael's books and hope he sticks to writing them himself.
February 19, 2015
Simply said, this was one of those books that leave you wanting more! The story neatly captured my interest in the first few pages and I found myself swept briskly to the end of the book. Packed with action, very "real" characters, and gracefully interwoven stories...this is a book I'm pleased to recommend.
Note: I received an ARC of this book because I'm on Michael Bunker's mailing list and that's a good list to be on.
February 10, 2015
This is the second Apocalypse Weird book I have read as an advanced reader and I am loving this new world the authors have created. Excellent character development, I'm wholeheartedly identifying with some of them. Lots of action and enough twists to keep you hopping. Well thought out and gripping story.
I did not want to stop reading and didn't until I finished. And I did not want to stop reading, then.
I did not want to stop reading and didn't until I finished. And I did not want to stop reading, then.
February 17, 2015
Ok so....Mad Max, The Stand and The Walking Dead walk into a bar.
Need I say more? Michael Bunker and Nick Cole continue to blow my mind with their writing. Seamlessly telling you several different stories at the same time and tying them all in at the end. But then, they leave you with a cliffhanger that just keeps you begging for more. There is no telling where this world is going, but I bet it is going to get weird...
Need I say more? Michael Bunker and Nick Cole continue to blow my mind with their writing. Seamlessly telling you several different stories at the same time and tying them all in at the end. But then, they leave you with a cliffhanger that just keeps you begging for more. There is no telling where this world is going, but I bet it is going to get weird...
December 10, 2016
If it weren't for the unfinished ending, this would have been a better overall book. The apocalypse happens, the world goes to hell, hordes of gangs aiming to create mayhem, deadly flu viruses running around, and small pockets of groups trying to survive. Good story and interesting characters. The ending finished just before what should have been the book's climax.
April 8, 2015
Two of my favorite indie writers joined their writing skills to produce a wonderful book.
The idea to write many books in the same world by different authors is so interesting that I cannot wait to read the others.
The idea to write many books in the same world by different authors is so interesting that I cannot wait to read the others.
February 22, 2015
Hold on to your hat, this is an awesome book. It starts out slow while they clue you into their world. Then it picks you up by the seat of the pants and takes you for a grand ride. Looking forward to the rest of the series. It is a bang bang, shoot 'em up adventure with some great plot twists.
August 13, 2015
Texocalypse Now is another excellent story in the Apocalypse Weird universe. Well written, great character development, and fast paced action make this story both a great read, and a great beginning to the Digger series. Well done, and left me anxious for more!
July 22, 2015
Nick Cole and Michael Bunker! What could be better?
This is a post apocalypse story that has an awesome twist and a Texas size villain!
This is a post apocalypse story that has an awesome twist and a Texas size villain!
February 23, 2015
Fun Exciting Tense
March 23, 2015
Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!
October 16, 2015
Good story
I really enjoy Nick's writing style. The only problem I have is his writing is so good I find myself at the end way to soon!!
I really enjoy Nick's writing style. The only problem I have is his writing is so good I find myself at the end way to soon!!
May 2, 2016
Holy smokes, this book was splendid. Why isn't everybody talking about the Apocalypse Weird series? This is some of the best post-apocalyptic fiction out there!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews