The End of the World as We Knew It

by Nick Cole

In the future, an artist specializing in historical records creates a piece of art based on three separate accounts of the Pandemic. What follows is a patchwork tale of survival and horror as two lovers struggle to survive the undying dead and the collapse of an America turned charnel house. Told as memos from Ground Zero, and later in the journal of a Dark Tower-like quest by train and foot across a nightmare landscape of ruined cities and raving corpses, the three accounts reveal more than just the grim realities of society’s collapse. The Notebook meets The Walking Dead in this stained glass depiction of the end of the world as we knew it.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2015

About the author

Nick Cole is a working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can often be found as a guard for King Phillip the Second of Spain in the Opera Don Carlo at Los Angeles Opera or some similar role. Nick Cole has been writing for most of his life and acting in Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Army.

Reviews

[LordTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are already aware that, when a new Nick Cole novel appears, you must pick it up and read it as fast as possible because it will be the highlight of your week. TEOTWAWKI is one of those novels. Every turned page grips you harder than the previous and pulls on your heartstrings with immense effort. Cole ventures into a new style of writing that brings together choked up, liquor sodden voice mails and heartbreaking diary entries to create a love story for the ages. If you enjoy The Walking Dead, you will LOVE this book. Who am I kidding, you don't even have to enjoy TWD to LOVE this book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was burned out on zombie stories. I have read a lot of them and lately I have found them more gross and depressing. But when I saw this book release I was eager to read it. I am a big fan of Nick Cole and I have enjoyed all his books so far. The newest one was excellent. There is an adventure journey, at times a lot of action and, at the heart of it, a love story. I was totally surprised and heart broken (in a good way) by the ending.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the first zombie story Nick Cole has written but I can assure you it was completely different from those he has penned before. Written under the umbrella of the Apocalypse Weird group of books, Cole’s Apocalypse Weird: The Red King and the follow up Apocalypse Weird: The Dark Knight were just that – weird. I say this with love because as weird as they were, they were also very good. Zombies aside, there was nothing weird about The End of the World as We Knew It. If anything, I think it was really a story of love lost in perilous times.

In the future, many years after the zombie apocalypse, historians have focused on preserving the stories of people who died during or lived through those harrowing times. They collect all records they can of what life what like then. Three of the stories that are presented explain how it occurred and what happened next.

The first record is a voice recording by a woman named Alex - a closet alcoholic who happened to be away working on the project that started the downfall of America. It’s during these couple of days that she realizes how much she loves her fiancé Jason knowing she will never get to see him again.

The second record is a journal is written by Jason beginning with the initial collapse and ending a few months later. Jason’s devastation at what has happened is apparent but more than that, he knew he loved Alex but until this happened, he didn’t realize how much and now he is going to try and find her.

The third and final record is the story Cal tells of working as a park ranger when the last zombie is killed.

I couldn’t put it down as I was totally captivated but something happened in the third record that struck me as too odd/convenient. It was the basis of the whole record and as much as I didn’t care for how it played out, I can’t imagine any other ending. Cole pulled a Stephen King Dark Tower on us. He gave an ending that you shake your head at but then realize that it couldn’t have properly ended another way. I’m comparing this to SK’s series as the second record is full of Dark Tower references. I’ll let you be the judge on the ending. I’m too conflicted over it. Regardless, it was a wonderful story and I recommend it for all zombie and apocalypse lovers.

[Timothy Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid zombie adventure that touches the heart of how an apocalypse can create distance between two people in love, but fail to stop them from searching for each other. Very well written by one of the top writers in this genre, but unfortunately I was left wishing it had been different. There is emotional investment into the characters and their search for their love, but both the way it was told and the path it took didn't quite meet my high expectations. The transcription and journal elements didn't work as well for me as they have in other books. As to the path, I can't say without spoiling the read. While I enjoyed their reflections on their failures and fears of not being fit for the other person, I didn't like that all we saw in the end was that they found each other. I felt short changed that we didn't get to see their lives together after he found her. Maybe that's because he found her as a zombie, which could show that she eventually decided not to drink away her infection and that's...good, I guess. It could also be that Nick has plans for a sequel. I liked the ending and what it showed about their love surpassing death, but even if I can't exactly explain it, I have to admit some disappointment in the balance between them searching and the abrupt end. This is still recommended, but not in my list of favorite zombie books, unfortunately.

[Greg Tymn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Old Man and the Wasteland is one of my favorite dystopian novels. Nick's writing style captured the environment and interactions in a unique and identifiable way. He firmly implanted "The show inside my head" as Vonnegut might have said. Nick produced a couple of follow-on novels to make The Old Man into a series. For me, while good, the subsequent novels never quite captured the story the way the first novel did.

Now, many years after we are all familiar with zombies, AR15's with lime green biohazard symbols, GI Joes and Barbies with one foot and half-faces, The Walking Dead, World War Z, et. al., Nick brings us a zombie novel........that's a gutsy move....or a crazy one. How in the world does one write a story with all of this predecessor momentum on the scene? Gutsy.

But, Nick split the infinitive and chose to boldly go for it. I'm certainly glad that he did. Told from the perspective of personal journals and recordings, the horror, fear, shame, guilt, anger and confusion are brought down to a personal level. Intensely personal. Acutely visual. Alex's recordings and Jason's journal sucked me into their present and imbued me with a real sense of their urgency, impulsiveness, obsessive compulsion and, at times, hopelessness.

I won't say more about the plot other than I didn't think I could be surprised at a zombie ending. But I was. Buy this book. It is worth your time. If you are an aspiring writer, this is how it is done. This novel has all the hooks.

[Ellen Gail]

Free? - ✓

Zombies? - ✓

Yes please!

[Grafton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it's another Zombie book...No, it's not just another Zombie book! Nick Cole's writing immerses the reader immediately into a the phenomenological world of his well developed characters. The End of the World as We Knew It might be titled like an REM hit, but the sound track is Blondie's Rapture. This is the tale of love, regret, separation, redemption, and heartache - that I would compare more to Camu's Plague than the average apocalyptic epidemic. It speaks to the existential struggles of the human condition, in a fun Zombie read. This story fits well with The Wasteland Trilogy or the Apocalypse Weird Series - but stands on its own merit as well. I would highly recommend Nick Cole's latest work, and every other work to this point. Enjoy!

[Stefano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Cole is one of my favourite authors, so this surprise end of summer release made me really happy. But wait a moment, oh no! It's a zombie book. Not really my cup of tea. Let's give it a try, just a few pages… and I read it till the end. Well, it's incredibly good, well written, great plot.
I must say that defining it a zombie book is reductive, it's so much more: it's about humanity, it leaves you with questions, and the answers you will find inside yourself might not be so easy to accept.
You will not be disappointed.

[Jack Biderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had done a review already, realized I had not. Nick Cole has become a favorite author, and this does not disappoint! Such love, heartache, beautifully written characters. Another of his books you won't want to be over as you realize you have reached the end. Well done!

[The Behrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely touch a book with your typical horror monsters in it ... vampires, werewolves, zombies? Unless it's approaching things from a completely unique angle, I'm just not that interested.

(And yes, I gave up on the Walking Dead somewhere in the middle of Season Three ... Sorry, folks. I'm one of THOSE guys).

I find most of these books turn into what I'd consider "fan-fiction," recapitulating all of the hours of reading (or watching) other movies or books that the author has taken in. It's nice that you like zombies, it really is, but if you want me to buy your book, come up with your own creation. Or give me a zombie story I haven't seen before.

With "The End of the World As We Knew It," author Nick Cole attempts to bring us that story.

Did it work? Sort of. I absolutely loved the first third of this novel. The writing, the pacing, the characterizations revealed through imperfect recordings. It was a blast. Then things sort of got bogged down into more familiar territory, but without any real risk or inherent danger. One of the problems with using journal entries as a means of telling a story is that the audience knows that, despite whatever circumstance our "hero" may find themselves in, they'll survive. Else, how could they be "telling" us the story?

And that's sort of where the book headed, with telling rather than showing. A lot of summaries of battles and dangers overcome that would have been much more interesting if we had lived through them rather than hearing of them second hand. (As a side note, I often wonder how anyone would ever write in such detail conversations or the intricacies of events that took place in a journal. Ain't nobody got time for that!)

Despite the way in which the story was told, what I enjoyed the most was the humanity this novel revealed. This is where Cole's writing thrives and what elevates this story from what might be considered your average zombie tale.

For you zombie horde fanatics, this is one not to miss. For the rest of you? You'll get enough out of this to make it an enjoyable journey. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[AnneHope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Cole is a talented writer. I think this has already been well established by his previous books and agreed on by his fans. This book, though, is a different feel. This book is a far-back look at a world-changing pandemic collected by a historical society and narrated by three individuals who lived through the darkness. The End of the World as We Knew It brings to us a story of devestation, indomitable hope and a gritty longing for acceptance and love. I love to read post-apocalyptic literature because of the enduring human spirit that is always found between the pages. Nick brings this endurance to us wrapped in self-reflection and filled with fear and self-disgust over the actions each of them must take to survive. It is a fragile endurance combined with a shakey thin line of hope and the need to keep searching for an elusive love. This is a love story, a horror story and a story of overcoming when there is no hope.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.The author has a talent for world building and delivering well developed characters.I liked the uniqueness of the authors take on the zombie apocalypse.I have a quite a few books on my TBR list,but I couldn't resist reading this one first.The narrators were pleasant to listen too.I recommend this book to any fan of the zombie genre.I purchased the e-book,but received an audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever zombie apocalypse tale

I really enjoyed the author's approach to telling the ZA story. It's brutal but not gory. It's a love story told years after the fact. I read it in two days. Loved it.

[Jay Meunier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic!

[Connie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking Awesome Story!

This story was so great! I could hardly tear myself away from it to do the things I needed to get done!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I was contacted recently by Mr. Cole to see if I was interested in checking out his latest book. I've read a couple of his others (the Wasteland Saga; "Soda Pop Soldier") for review via the HarperVoyager Super Reader program, as well as his introductory story to the Apocalypse Weird series, and I truly enjoy his work. So, naturally, I said yes! This is pretty much standard operating procedure for reviewers, a free copy/ebook for an honest review. It's a win-win no matter how you look at it, really. If I love it then it's money well spent by the author for publicity, and if I hate it I'm not out anything as a reader. (pretty sweet, yeah?)

On a side note, this is only my second experience with an audiobook, the only other one being Terry Brooks' "Angelfire East" well over a decade ago and not very pleasant. I started listening to this one at home as soon as Nick sent me the code, but there were just too many distractions and I kept getting lost. I figured out the best place for me to listen was in my car, as I spend a lot of time behind the wheel (45 minute drive to/from work, 8 hours every other weekend picking up/dropping off my kids...incidentally, I unlocked some kind of achievement on Audible for listening at least 2 hours uninterrupted, lol). I won't be retiring my vast music collection any time soon, but audiobooks may become a little more common after this. ;)

Needless to say I did -not- hate this book, unless you're in backwards world and 5 stars is a bad thing! While it's not quite enough to make it to my favorites list like "Soda Pop Soldier" (if you're a fan of "Ready Player One" you -have- to look up SPS), it's definitely up there. If there's one thing Nick Cole knows how to write it's post-apocalypse fiction, and with this book he's taken the zombie apocalypse story we've all come to expect and taken it in a new direction. For one thing, the zombies aren't even really secondary characters. My experience with much of the zombie genre is the "gotcha" jump scares and "i'm cornered oh noes!" standoffs, whereas this trio of interconnected stories are focused on the individual, their inner thoughts, and the struggle to maintain some kind of control in order to save their...well...soul, really, when all else is chaos. The zombies just happen to be the agent of change instead of an "other" to be beaten, to save the day/damsel in distress.

Cole really holds onto the humanity with this book. From the scared and fighting-to-not-be-broken Alex and her keep-moving-forward-because-she's-out-there fiance Jason to the absolutely fantastic twist at the end, I found myself drawn in and identifying with every character (even the ones you know you're supposed to hate) because they -are- so very real. The only stumbling block, to me at least, was the transition between stories. The premise of the book is that it's a "found footage" story, aka we're generations after the events, looking at these artifacts and trying to piece together what happened. The "historians" actually pulled me out of the story a bit too much, but I quickly fell back in when the next section started.

So yeah....whether you're a fan of the genre or looking for something new and interesting, give this book a shot. I definitely wasn't disappointed!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been meaning to read a Nick Cole book for a long time, as a fan of authors such as Hugh Howey and Ann Christy, Nick's work seems to pop up on my screen sent there by those crafty devils at Amazon who want me to part with my money, their cunning plan worked and I bought this.

Yes this is a novel about zombies but they do not take over each page, what takes over is the tale of Alex and Jason, a young couple separated by the vastness of the United States when a pandemic takes hold.

Their story is so much more than slash, run, slash, fall in love, slash some more, behead that zombie that you get with some pandemic tales. It is story that will have you rooting for the characters right up until the end, which made me shed a tear.

In the future, a historian is piecing together accounts of this terrible pandemic, the accounts make up this book. We have Alex's story, a marketing guru sent to California to work at a secret government lab. One that is cooking up something that is going to make the shit hitteth thy fan, she likes a drink, she is saddled with guilt, she has cheated on Jason but she loves him so so much but the chances are slim that she will ever see him again.

Jason had a high powered job, trapped in a skyscraper he survives by doing regrettable things, he wants to get to California, he wants to get to his girl to save her as millions of corpses lay waste to America. He finds himself on a train crossing the entire continent. The things he sees are unforgettable, cities in ruins, bodies everywhere, depair and chaos, what hope is there?

Well he still has hope as long as he believes Alex is alive he has hope. He does get to California - will he find his girl?

This story is really kinda romantic, Jason seems to let nothing get in his way to his end goal of getting to Alex. His journey is beautiful and I know zombie books don't generally get described as this but this isn't a full on zombie novel, it is a romance, a quest set in a world where the undead walk and they do not walk all over the story of these young lovers, they shamble respectfully but still bloodthirstily in the background.

A terrific read.

http://redheatherduff.blogspot.co.uk/...

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was touted as being The Notebook meets the The Walking Dead. I'll be damned it that wasn't spot on. Told in an assortment of first person narratives, The End of the World as We Knew It is part love story, part adventure and all zombie apocalypse. I was moved by the this tale of two lovers, Alex and Jason, separated by 3,000 miles and the collapse of civilization, realize just how much they love one another as they both struggle to survive the horror of undead hordes in New York and Los Angeles. We're also given an inside view as to the origins of the devastation. All of it is handled seamlessly as our protagonists strive to survive the end of the world. Truly, this novel has a lot of heart and is quite touching.

[Kevin Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book justifies my decision to read everything Nick Cole writes after I read CTRL ALT Revolt! and Soda Pop Soldier. I have since read his apocalyptic works, The Wasteland Saga the first two books of the Wyrd series, and now The End of the World as We Knew It.

Wow.

Believe it or not, this book is a love story. It's a love story set around the Zombie Apocalypse, but it's a love story nonetheless, and the payoff was outstanding.

Keep writing, Nick. I'll keep buying.

[Devlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

best zombie book since World War Z

Really enjoyed the story structure and retelling of the End of the World As We Knew it. The characters were relatable and the stories they told were epic. A great treat and I finished in one setting.

[Dario Solera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is precious. Touching, and heartbreaking at times.
There are zombies of course, but it's a story about love, redemption, and loneliness.
Perfect, deep prose.

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love story?

Who would ever think that a zombie story Would be a love story? But this one is and I loved it!

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic tale of death, zombies, and love. This story was very well written, with vibrant characters and an action packed plot. Well worth a read, along with the rest of Mr. Cole's work.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. Reminded me of World War Z.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the premise and the unique style of the book.
I probably would make it 3.5 stars if i could. At times i lost interest in the story, not sure why.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on a zombie apocolypse story. It's told through the voice memos and journals of primarily two individuals associated with the outbreak. Alex was at ground zero and shared her experiences through a few voice memos she recorded into her phone. Some of her ramblings were personal messages to her fiance, Jason. The majority of the book was dedicated to Jason's journal as he traversed the country from New York to Los Angeles in the hopes of reuniting with Alex. Given the page count devoted to his "adventures" you hope that he is successful. The last journal entry is from a 3rd party that gives clues as to the outcome of Jason and Alex's story.

This one was just ok for me. The action sequences were good, but if this is supposed to be "The Notebook" meets the "Walking Dead" then I think it fell a little flat on the emotional spectrum. Not once in Jason's journal did he explain what it was about Alex that he loved in the first place. I supposed that his action of traveling across the country might be construed as more powerful than words....but I think we could have benefited by knowing WHY their love was so special instead of just guessing.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if I liked this one. The first part was like World War Z, with the story built through a recording of a survivor. The rest of the book was more traditional. Nothing really captured my attention and held it, hence the 3-star rating.

[Toni Boughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great addition to the zombie genre, and hit a lot of the right buttons with me. I'm a fan of epistolary novels - in a sense, I think of them as similar to 'found-footage' movies, where you are on the look-out for little hints and clues to the bigger picture. And while 'The End of the World as We Knew It' will be inevitably compared to 'World War Z', it stands on its own just fine.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was the different take on the zombie story. With the popularity of the living dead recently, there has been an increase in zombie novels. Nick Cole's book offers another viewpoint from the way-too-overused trope of 'grab a gun and shoot something' that is so prevalent in other books of this genre. This novel is a little more introspective and character-driven, but still provides plenty of tension and thrills to keep you on the edge of your seat.

And I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed at the end.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with his other novels, Nick Cole wears his inspirations on his sleeve and freely acknowledges the other media which influenced this work. Part World War Z, part Dark Tower, part Fallout (video game series), Cole's strengths in offering a compelling story driven largely within a characters thoughts and their take on what's happening around them keeps this novel moving along at a brisk pace. Like Hemingway (another influence on Cole's earlier works), Cole uses minimal, but effective, dialogue and sparse exposition.
I have a few minor criticisms, particularly in the opening section (I got tired of reading "takes another drink"), and a too convenient, but necessary, ending held this back from a 5 star rating for me. Highly recommended for fans of apocalyptic fiction.

[Jams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be really honest here, although it pains me to say anything negative about a book written by Nick Cole. I loved this book. It was well written and exciting.

My only issue with it, is that is about (as the title says) the end of the world. My soft little heart can't take any more of that. :)