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Slimbies: Carter
Carter Thompson never wanted fame.
He wanted to help people.
And he did. His miracle weight-loss injection transformed modern medicine, helped millions, and made him the celebrated face of a healthier future.
Then the reports begin. Aggression. Memory loss. Neurological collapse.
Dead patients who refuse to stay dead.
Slimbies.
After the world falls apart, Carter is put in charge of the Delaware Safe Zone, a fortified community designed to preserve what remained of humanity. But walls can only keep the monsters outside for so long. And if a few lives must be sacrificed to save everyone else... then someone has to be willing to make that choice.
With every failure, Carter pushes farther beyond the boundaries he once believed science should never cross. The people closest to him begin questioning the man they trusted, especially Ben, the boy Carter has spent years shaping into his legacy.
Carter knows history rarely remembers the cost of survival.
But it will certainly remember the person who saved the world.
Carter is a dark companion novella about ambition, control, and the terrible distance between wanting to save humanity and believing you are the only one who can.
He wanted to help people.
And he did. His miracle weight-loss injection transformed modern medicine, helped millions, and made him the celebrated face of a healthier future.
Then the reports begin. Aggression. Memory loss. Neurological collapse.
Dead patients who refuse to stay dead.
Slimbies.
After the world falls apart, Carter is put in charge of the Delaware Safe Zone, a fortified community designed to preserve what remained of humanity. But walls can only keep the monsters outside for so long. And if a few lives must be sacrificed to save everyone else... then someone has to be willing to make that choice.
With every failure, Carter pushes farther beyond the boundaries he once believed science should never cross. The people closest to him begin questioning the man they trusted, especially Ben, the boy Carter has spent years shaping into his legacy.
Carter knows history rarely remembers the cost of survival.
But it will certainly remember the person who saved the world.
Carter is a dark companion novella about ambition, control, and the terrible distance between wanting to save humanity and believing you are the only one who can.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2026
About the author
D. R. Long
13 books80 followersD. R. Long is a Delaware indie author writing quiet, strangely hilarious, haunting stories that rarely stay inside a single genre.
His work follows ordinary people through impossible situations, from apocalyptic collapse and moral horror to vampires, demons, terrible decisions, and road trips through Hell. No matter how strange the world becomes, his stories remain grounded in consequence, human connection, and the families people choose along the way.
He also runs #KU4Dogs, a reading initiative that turns Kindle Unlimited page reads into support for animal shelters and rescues through monthly donations. Readers can join in simply by reading his books through Kindle Unlimited. Learn more at:
drlongwrites.com/ku4dogs
When he isn’t writing, he can usually be found playing D&D with close friends, playing fetch with his dog, Girl, or traveling with his partner.
His work follows ordinary people through impossible situations, from apocalyptic collapse and moral horror to vampires, demons, terrible decisions, and road trips through Hell. No matter how strange the world becomes, his stories remain grounded in consequence, human connection, and the families people choose along the way.
He also runs #KU4Dogs, a reading initiative that turns Kindle Unlimited page reads into support for animal shelters and rescues through monthly donations. Readers can join in simply by reading his books through Kindle Unlimited. Learn more at:
drlongwrites.com/ku4dogs
When he isn’t writing, he can usually be found playing D&D with close friends, playing fetch with his dog, Girl, or traveling with his partner.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 25, 2026
Carter
This is another fantastic story from D.R. Long.
That was an awesome journey with Carter .
Boy genius . Great storyline . I have absolutely loved pretty much every character this authors books have brought into the reading world. You're definitely gonna love this one.
That ending.... I sure hope it isn't to long for another installment. We'll done!
This is another fantastic story from D.R. Long.
That was an awesome journey with Carter .
Boy genius . Great storyline . I have absolutely loved pretty much every character this authors books have brought into the reading world. You're definitely gonna love this one.
That ending.... I sure hope it isn't to long for another installment. We'll done!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Slimbies: Carter by D. R. Long was definitely a dark and interesting addition to the Slimbies series! I really liked getting a different perspective on the outbreak and seeing how something that was supposed to help millions of people turned into something so terrifying.
Carter Thompson started out wanting to change lives with his weight-loss injection, but when everything falls apart, he finds himself responsible for protecting the survivors in the Delaware Safe Zone. What I found most interesting was how his determination to save humanity slowly becomes something much more dangerous.
I really liked how the author explored Carter's decisions and how far someone is willing to go when they believe they're doing the right thing. His relationship with Ben added another interesting layer because you start questioning whether Carter truly wants to protect the people around him or if his need for control has taken over.
This novella isn't just about the Slimbies or surviving the apocalypse. It's about ambition, power, morality, and how easily good intentions can turn into something dark. I enjoyed the psychological side of the story and how it makes you question what you would do in the same situation.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction with morally complicated characters, suspense, and darker themes, this is definitely worth reading! I love how these companion stories give us different perspectives on the Slimbies world without feeling repetitive.
Carter Thompson started out wanting to change lives with his weight-loss injection, but when everything falls apart, he finds himself responsible for protecting the survivors in the Delaware Safe Zone. What I found most interesting was how his determination to save humanity slowly becomes something much more dangerous.
I really liked how the author explored Carter's decisions and how far someone is willing to go when they believe they're doing the right thing. His relationship with Ben added another interesting layer because you start questioning whether Carter truly wants to protect the people around him or if his need for control has taken over.
This novella isn't just about the Slimbies or surviving the apocalypse. It's about ambition, power, morality, and how easily good intentions can turn into something dark. I enjoyed the psychological side of the story and how it makes you question what you would do in the same situation.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction with morally complicated characters, suspense, and darker themes, this is definitely worth reading! I love how these companion stories give us different perspectives on the Slimbies world without feeling repetitive.
Review of advance copy received from Author
💀 ROBIN’S REVIEW: THE AUTOPSY OF SLIMBIES: CARTER
Slimbies: Carter by D. R. Long
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀
🪦 THE BODY
Oh, look.
Mr. Long has decided to give us the other side of the story.
Wonderful.
Because after reading Slimbies and Slimbies: Girl, apparently what I needed was to spend some quality time inside the head of a man whose decisions deserve their own congressional investigation.
Enter Carter.
A man who proves that being exceptionally intelligent does not necessarily mean you should be allowed to make decisions without adult supervision.
Especially when those decisions involve the rest of us.
Sir, humanity would like a refund.
🔪 FIRST INCISION
What makes this installment particularly interesting is that we already know how spectacularly wrong everything goes.
There is no mystery about whether the situation will become a disaster.
We have seen the disaster.
We have practically moved into the disaster.
What we have not fully understood is the thinking behind it.
And that is where Mr. Long gets sneaky.
Because once you start seeing things through Carter's eyes, you begin to understand how someone can convince himself that every questionable decision is perfectly reasonable.
Which is terrifying.
I prefer my villains conveniently awful.
Please stop giving them complicated personalities.
🩸 THE AUTOPSY
This one leans heavily into the psychological side of horror, and I appreciated that.
The truly disturbing part is not simply what Carter does.
It is how easily he can justify doing it.
One questionable choice becomes another.
Then another.
And before long, the line between helping people and controlling them has apparently packed its belongings and left the building.
What I found particularly effective was how Mr. Long makes you consider the difference between intelligence and wisdom.
Because Carter has plenty of one.
The other?
Well.
Let's just say I would not be putting him in charge of the neighborhood barbecue, much less anything important.
🫀 STILL HAD A PULSE
I did not expect to feel even a tiny bit of sympathy for Carter.
And yet...
There were moments.
Brief moments.
Very brief.
Do not get excited, Carter.
Understanding someone's reasoning does not mean I approve of their behavior.
But that is what makes this character interesting.
He is not written as someone who wakes up every morning wondering how to make everyone miserable.
He has his own explanations.
His own convictions.
His own increasingly questionable definition of what is acceptable.
And watching those things collide with the people around him gives the story its emotional weight.
His connection with Ben was especially interesting after reading the original novel.
Knowing what comes later makes certain moments hit very differently.
Mr. Long apparently enjoys making readers reconsider everything they thought they understood.
How thoughtful.
🦴 WHAT BROKE
My patience with Carter.
Repeatedly.
There were several moments when I wanted to reach into the book, confiscate his credentials, and tell him to go sit quietly somewhere until he learned the difference between being capable of doing something and actually needing to do it.
At 187 pages, this is a relatively quick read, and I would not have minded spending more time exploring some of the complicated relationships.
But the shorter length also keeps the focus where it belongs.
On Carter.
His choices.
His reasoning.
And my steadily increasing desire to smack him with an ethics textbook.
☠️ CAUSE OF DEATH
Slimbies: Carter adds another fascinating perspective to a series that continues to surprise me.
The first book made me question humanity.
Girl made me worry about the dog.
And now Carter has me wondering why nobody thought to install an emergency shutoff switch on this man's ego.
Mr. Long does an excellent job showing how someone can become the very thing they believe they are fighting against.
And the worst part?
You can occasionally understand why Carter thinks he is right.
That does not make him right.
It just makes the whole situation considerably more disturbing.
Five stars for another visit to a world where the monsters are not necessarily the biggest problem.
Mr. Long, I have one request.
The next time someone in your fictional universe announces they have a brilliant idea that will change humanity forever, could somebody please ask for a second opinion?
Preferably from someone with common sense.
And maybe a functioning moral compass.
Book Series:
Slimbies
Slimbies: Girl
Slimbies: Carter
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
Slimbies: Carter by D. R. Long
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀
🪦 THE BODY
Oh, look.
Mr. Long has decided to give us the other side of the story.
Wonderful.
Because after reading Slimbies and Slimbies: Girl, apparently what I needed was to spend some quality time inside the head of a man whose decisions deserve their own congressional investigation.
Enter Carter.
A man who proves that being exceptionally intelligent does not necessarily mean you should be allowed to make decisions without adult supervision.
Especially when those decisions involve the rest of us.
Sir, humanity would like a refund.
🔪 FIRST INCISION
What makes this installment particularly interesting is that we already know how spectacularly wrong everything goes.
There is no mystery about whether the situation will become a disaster.
We have seen the disaster.
We have practically moved into the disaster.
What we have not fully understood is the thinking behind it.
And that is where Mr. Long gets sneaky.
Because once you start seeing things through Carter's eyes, you begin to understand how someone can convince himself that every questionable decision is perfectly reasonable.
Which is terrifying.
I prefer my villains conveniently awful.
Please stop giving them complicated personalities.
🩸 THE AUTOPSY
This one leans heavily into the psychological side of horror, and I appreciated that.
The truly disturbing part is not simply what Carter does.
It is how easily he can justify doing it.
One questionable choice becomes another.
Then another.
And before long, the line between helping people and controlling them has apparently packed its belongings and left the building.
What I found particularly effective was how Mr. Long makes you consider the difference between intelligence and wisdom.
Because Carter has plenty of one.
The other?
Well.
Let's just say I would not be putting him in charge of the neighborhood barbecue, much less anything important.
🫀 STILL HAD A PULSE
I did not expect to feel even a tiny bit of sympathy for Carter.
And yet...
There were moments.
Brief moments.
Very brief.
Do not get excited, Carter.
Understanding someone's reasoning does not mean I approve of their behavior.
But that is what makes this character interesting.
He is not written as someone who wakes up every morning wondering how to make everyone miserable.
He has his own explanations.
His own convictions.
His own increasingly questionable definition of what is acceptable.
And watching those things collide with the people around him gives the story its emotional weight.
His connection with Ben was especially interesting after reading the original novel.
Knowing what comes later makes certain moments hit very differently.
Mr. Long apparently enjoys making readers reconsider everything they thought they understood.
How thoughtful.
🦴 WHAT BROKE
My patience with Carter.
Repeatedly.
There were several moments when I wanted to reach into the book, confiscate his credentials, and tell him to go sit quietly somewhere until he learned the difference between being capable of doing something and actually needing to do it.
At 187 pages, this is a relatively quick read, and I would not have minded spending more time exploring some of the complicated relationships.
But the shorter length also keeps the focus where it belongs.
On Carter.
His choices.
His reasoning.
And my steadily increasing desire to smack him with an ethics textbook.
☠️ CAUSE OF DEATH
Slimbies: Carter adds another fascinating perspective to a series that continues to surprise me.
The first book made me question humanity.
Girl made me worry about the dog.
And now Carter has me wondering why nobody thought to install an emergency shutoff switch on this man's ego.
Mr. Long does an excellent job showing how someone can become the very thing they believe they are fighting against.
And the worst part?
You can occasionally understand why Carter thinks he is right.
That does not make him right.
It just makes the whole situation considerably more disturbing.
Five stars for another visit to a world where the monsters are not necessarily the biggest problem.
Mr. Long, I have one request.
The next time someone in your fictional universe announces they have a brilliant idea that will change humanity forever, could somebody please ask for a second opinion?
Preferably from someone with common sense.
And maybe a functioning moral compass.
Book Series:
Slimbies
Slimbies: Girl
Slimbies: Carter
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
October 30, 2026
An interesting backstory, but I struggled with the timeline
I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
Having recently read Slimbies, I was interested to see how D. R. Long would approach Carter's story, particularly as I'd already formed a fairly strong opinion of him!
What surprised me was that I actually found myself liking Carter in the early chapters. Rather than the character I'd come to know in Slimbies, he initially came across as an intelligent man trying to deal with an impossible situation and make the best decisions he could. I appreciated seeing this different side of him and understanding more about how he came to be the person we eventually meet.
For me, though, the timeline was difficult to follow. The story moves through different periods of Carter's life, and I sometimes struggled to work out exactly when events were happening and how the characters' ages and relationships fitted together.
Having read Slimbies first, I also found myself questioning certain aspects of Ben and May's histories. I had expectations about their relationships with Carter based on the earlier book, and some of those connections were introduced later or developed differently than I'd anticipated.
I think my biggest stumbling block was Carter's transformation. I could see the direction his character was heading, but I didn't always feel that the changes in his behaviour were sufficiently developed to make the journey convincing.
There were some interesting insights into Carter's motivations, and I appreciated the opportunity to see events from his perspective. However, I spent quite a bit of time trying to reconcile the chronology and relationships with what I already knew, which pulled me out of the story.
Overall, an interesting companion to Slimbies that gave me a different perspective on a character I'd previously disliked, but one that didn't quite come together for me.
I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
Having recently read Slimbies, I was interested to see how D. R. Long would approach Carter's story, particularly as I'd already formed a fairly strong opinion of him!
What surprised me was that I actually found myself liking Carter in the early chapters. Rather than the character I'd come to know in Slimbies, he initially came across as an intelligent man trying to deal with an impossible situation and make the best decisions he could. I appreciated seeing this different side of him and understanding more about how he came to be the person we eventually meet.
For me, though, the timeline was difficult to follow. The story moves through different periods of Carter's life, and I sometimes struggled to work out exactly when events were happening and how the characters' ages and relationships fitted together.
Having read Slimbies first, I also found myself questioning certain aspects of Ben and May's histories. I had expectations about their relationships with Carter based on the earlier book, and some of those connections were introduced later or developed differently than I'd anticipated.
I think my biggest stumbling block was Carter's transformation. I could see the direction his character was heading, but I didn't always feel that the changes in his behaviour were sufficiently developed to make the journey convincing.
There were some interesting insights into Carter's motivations, and I appreciated the opportunity to see events from his perspective. However, I spent quite a bit of time trying to reconcile the chronology and relationships with what I already knew, which pulled me out of the story.
Overall, an interesting companion to Slimbies that gave me a different perspective on a character I'd previously disliked, but one that didn't quite come together for me.
October 23, 2026
Carter was always a little thin as a villain in Slimbies. Some of that was because the story had to be told through Ben’s eyes. To Ben, Carter was the man who hurt him, controlled him, and turned his life into an experiment. There wasn’t much room for nuance there. Some of it was also because Slimbies was early writing for me, and I wasn’t yet the writer I am now.
A lot of time passed between writing Slimbies and writing Carter. I started writing Slimbies in 2019 and worked on many other projects over the following years. In that time, I grew as a writer, and Carter kept growing in my head. I don't know if that version of me could have written this book... Writing his side of the story gave me the opportunity to turn him into the villain I now believe he always should have been. His humanity doesn’t redeem him or excuse his actions. It shows how completely he believed every terrible choice he made was necessary. Plus, it was fun getting to live inside the head of a villain for a while.
That’s what I like most about the Carter in this book. He didn’t become a monster because he wanted to hurt people. He became one decision at a time, always believing he was helping, always finding a reason why the next sacrifice had to be made by someone else. Under the right circumstances, with enough fear, power, and certainty, I think almost any of us could begin making those same choices.
I’m proud of what Carter became in this book. Not as a person, obviously. He’s still a piece of shit. But as a character, he finally feels whole.
A lot of time passed between writing Slimbies and writing Carter. I started writing Slimbies in 2019 and worked on many other projects over the following years. In that time, I grew as a writer, and Carter kept growing in my head. I don't know if that version of me could have written this book... Writing his side of the story gave me the opportunity to turn him into the villain I now believe he always should have been. His humanity doesn’t redeem him or excuse his actions. It shows how completely he believed every terrible choice he made was necessary. Plus, it was fun getting to live inside the head of a villain for a while.
That’s what I like most about the Carter in this book. He didn’t become a monster because he wanted to hurt people. He became one decision at a time, always believing he was helping, always finding a reason why the next sacrifice had to be made by someone else. Under the right circumstances, with enough fear, power, and certainty, I think almost any of us could begin making those same choices.
I’m proud of what Carter became in this book. Not as a person, obviously. He’s still a piece of shit. But as a character, he finally feels whole.
October 23, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slimbies: Carter
Author D.R Long
Publication date October 23, 2026
Thank you, D.R. Long, for sharing this story with me!
I found myself getting a little lost with the frequent shifts between past and present, which made parts of the story confusing to follow.
Carter Thompson wanted to help people, and his miracle weight-loss injection changed modern medicine. But when disturbing side effects emerge and the dead begin returning as Slimbies, the world descends into chaos.
Now in charge of the Delaware Safe Zone, Carter is determined to save humanity, but his ambition and questionable choices push him further beyond the boundaries of science and morality. Even Ben, the boy he has groomed as his legacy, begins to question the man Carter has become.
This is a dark story about ambition, control, and how far someone will go when they believe they’re the only one who can save the world.
My recommendation: Read Slimbies before Carter. I think the background will help you better understand the characters and follow the story.
Slimbies: Carter
Author D.R Long
Publication date October 23, 2026
Thank you, D.R. Long, for sharing this story with me!
I found myself getting a little lost with the frequent shifts between past and present, which made parts of the story confusing to follow.
Carter Thompson wanted to help people, and his miracle weight-loss injection changed modern medicine. But when disturbing side effects emerge and the dead begin returning as Slimbies, the world descends into chaos.
Now in charge of the Delaware Safe Zone, Carter is determined to save humanity, but his ambition and questionable choices push him further beyond the boundaries of science and morality. Even Ben, the boy he has groomed as his legacy, begins to question the man Carter has become.
This is a dark story about ambition, control, and how far someone will go when they believe they’re the only one who can save the world.
My recommendation: Read Slimbies before Carter. I think the background will help you better understand the characters and follow the story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Carter’s side of the story unfortunately made me feel empathy for him (but only a little). And opened up a whole other discussion for me…
As someone who was also told they were “special” at a young age because of how quickly I picked up and understood the material, it showed the internal struggle we have. Carter just wanted to help people, he didn’t see himself as extraordinary, or understand why people looked and spoke to him the way they did, he just wanted to do good.
I still think Carter’s ending is deserved, even though I did resonate with a lot of his thought process in the beginning (that’s a lot of info to dump on a 15 year old). I think I’m mostly mad because Carter had redeemable qualities, and could have done the right thing at any point but was too stubborn to give up on the project.
Thank you to the author for the early copy! All thoughts are my own, and I cannot wait to read more from them.
As someone who was also told they were “special” at a young age because of how quickly I picked up and understood the material, it showed the internal struggle we have. Carter just wanted to help people, he didn’t see himself as extraordinary, or understand why people looked and spoke to him the way they did, he just wanted to do good.
I still think Carter’s ending is deserved, even though I did resonate with a lot of his thought process in the beginning (that’s a lot of info to dump on a 15 year old). I think I’m mostly mad because Carter had redeemable qualities, and could have done the right thing at any point but was too stubborn to give up on the project.
Thank you to the author for the early copy! All thoughts are my own, and I cannot wait to read more from them.
Review of advance copy
I swear they just keep getting better. The world has gone crazy. People are dying. People are becoming undead. Why? Because we are all just trying to stave away obesity. Sickness. Diabetes. A shot we take once a week can help. Until it doesn't.
Dr. Carter Thompson, the genius behind it all. The story of how Slimbies came to be. You want to feel sorry for him. But you will also get angry at how surreal it all is. Big Pharma, not paying attention. Big Pharma, thinking they know better. Big Pharma, picking and choosing who they want to help.
Just know this one thing. Karma always wins (loses?) In the end.
Dr. Carter Thompson, the genius behind it all. The story of how Slimbies came to be. You want to feel sorry for him. But you will also get angry at how surreal it all is. Big Pharma, not paying attention. Big Pharma, thinking they know better. Big Pharma, picking and choosing who they want to help.
Just know this one thing. Karma always wins (loses?) In the end.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really like Long's books, but Slimbies was my least favorite of the ones I've read. I had problems with the pacing and the antagonist, Carter. This novella does solve most of the problems I had with Carter, and it was interesting to find out more about this man. The story about how he became the antagonist was interesting, and the author writes him very realistically. His motives feels believable. I still like A World We Never Knew better than Slimbies, but Carter was a nice companion novella. I received a free copy of this story and write this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2026
Carter spent his young life learning everything he could. When asked what do you want to do with your life, he usually said help people. When the opportunity came for him to graduate early his parents were beyond excited,especially if there was a free ride through college included. Imagine helping develop a medication that helps change the lives of so many. Sometimes you can do everything right and have the best intentions, but in the end things and people can change.
October 23, 2026
This book was so good. I recommend it to everyone.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews