What do you think?
Rate this book
Up From the Depths #1
Denial Measures
This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 9781310129957.
Where will you be when the world ends?
What will you do to save the lives of people you love?
When a genetically modified virus is released to eradicate the disease known as Man, survival is all that matters.
In the first book of this epic saga, follow the men of ODA-141, the Outlaws and the SEALs of Shark Platoon in this hard-hitting, real-world look at life before, during, and after an apocalyptic event.
With the world now inhabited by crazed cannibals, will their skills, training and experience be enough?
This is the way the world ended.
Where will you be when the world ends?
What will you do to save the lives of people you love?
When a genetically modified virus is released to eradicate the disease known as Man, survival is all that matters.
In the first book of this epic saga, follow the men of ODA-141, the Outlaws and the SEALs of Shark Platoon in this hard-hitting, real-world look at life before, during, and after an apocalyptic event.
With the world now inhabited by crazed cannibals, will their skills, training and experience be enough?
This is the way the world ended.
ebook
First published July 1, 2013
242 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Jackson
12 books30 followersJ.R. Jackson is a former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer. During his career, he has been deployed all over the world working with branches of the U.S. military and military units from foreign countries.
He is currently a Military Technical Advisor for several authors and an outdoor survival and disaster mitigation educator.
The Up From the Depths series is his first venture into fictional writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 23, 2014
To tell you the truth, at first this book was pretty darn confusing (to me). J.R. introduced many different characters from all over the U.S. (like King does in The Stand). But just like in the Stand the story started to come together and I ended up enjoying this first book very much.
Not too sure why the title of the series is "Up from the Depths". At first I thought it was because the story featured a Navy submarine and SEALs. But, with such a large cast of characters the Navy sailors and SEALS only played a small role in the overall story. In the book description it also mentions a Green Beret detachment and they seemed to take over the last 33% of the book.
I enjoy these military/zombie books alot. Other books along these lines are:
and
.
Up from the Depths fits right into the same path as these books (which I loved them all, mostly all 5 star reviews).
Jackson was in the Navy and he put a lot of work into the details of rank, equipment, and weapons. I was going to complain about a lack of explanations for all the terms used in the book, but the author included a glossary at the end.
If I had a knock at all, it would be that with such a large cast of characters that some of the storylines just seemed to fade away as the Green Berets took over the book. What happended to the hitman and his hostage? Or the young nerds and their zombie squad? Or the Army troops in NYC.....
The bottom line is this is a pretty good military/zombie thriller (and even more so for only $0.99). I did not see any spelling type errors, and the writing was well done.
I took a chance on Jackson and it paid off (I bought the book) and will be looking forward to the next book in the series. I picked this up at Smashwords, it is not available at Amazon (was for awhile, but no longer).
Not too sure why the title of the series is "Up from the Depths". At first I thought it was because the story featured a Navy submarine and SEALs. But, with such a large cast of characters the Navy sailors and SEALS only played a small role in the overall story. In the book description it also mentions a Green Beret detachment and they seemed to take over the last 33% of the book.
I enjoy these military/zombie books alot. Other books along these lines are:
and
.Up from the Depths fits right into the same path as these books (which I loved them all, mostly all 5 star reviews).
Jackson was in the Navy and he put a lot of work into the details of rank, equipment, and weapons. I was going to complain about a lack of explanations for all the terms used in the book, but the author included a glossary at the end.
If I had a knock at all, it would be that with such a large cast of characters that some of the storylines just seemed to fade away as the Green Berets took over the book. What happended to the hitman and his hostage? Or the young nerds and their zombie squad? Or the Army troops in NYC.....
The bottom line is this is a pretty good military/zombie thriller (and even more so for only $0.99). I did not see any spelling type errors, and the writing was well done.
I took a chance on Jackson and it paid off (I bought the book) and will be looking forward to the next book in the series. I picked this up at Smashwords, it is not available at Amazon (was for awhile, but no longer).
September 2, 2015
Sure, Up From the Depths is a zombie novel. There's the usual hordes of the dead, people trying to survive an event their unprepared for, and so on. Yeah, this is a zombie book, but it's a hell of a lot more than that.
Think of a zombie novel written by Tom Clancy. Think Day By Day Armageddon but with a cast of hundreds and action by the bucket load.
I'm not going to try to summarize the plot here, but suffice it to say that there's a lot of undead, a race to uncover just what the hell is happening, shadowy dealings, and feats of daring do to keep you fired to the page.
The writing is good - there's ample description, good word choice and it's well edited by most reasonable standards. The pacing is good with chunks of action thrown in amongst lengths of exposition a and dialogue. For the eagle eyed, there's plenty of fun little "Easter eggs" thrown in throughout.
Furthermore, Jackson is a veteran and his command of military lingo, acronyms, tactics/SOP is phenomenal. If you're like me and you roll your eyes at the typical zombie novel where a soldier talks about shooting their .22 caliber M16 rifle from the hip, you'll find the authenticity of this book a real breath of fresh air. For the uninitiated (or even the old hand in some cases), there's a beefy glossary in the back to guide you along.
The characters are many and varied though "screen time" depends on the character. Some are funny, some are serious, some are realistic, while style are a little more fantastical. None of them goes beyond the pale in terms of believability and most are very entertaining.
Now for my quibbles. First, the number of characters precludes getting to know a lot of them on a deep level. You may have to keep a pad of paper many to keep the huge cast straight.
Second, this is a series book. Dir some this might be a turn off in and of itself. Otherwise, this book is very much a set up for the rest of the stores. It's a great read, but it can feel like there is a lot of irons in the fire.
But the juice is well worth the squeeze. The series is epic in scope and extremely entertaining. Book 1 is a great set up, and fun to read on it's own, but it also presages a much larger and jaw dropping zombie series.
Think of a zombie novel written by Tom Clancy. Think Day By Day Armageddon but with a cast of hundreds and action by the bucket load.
I'm not going to try to summarize the plot here, but suffice it to say that there's a lot of undead, a race to uncover just what the hell is happening, shadowy dealings, and feats of daring do to keep you fired to the page.
The writing is good - there's ample description, good word choice and it's well edited by most reasonable standards. The pacing is good with chunks of action thrown in amongst lengths of exposition a and dialogue. For the eagle eyed, there's plenty of fun little "Easter eggs" thrown in throughout.
Furthermore, Jackson is a veteran and his command of military lingo, acronyms, tactics/SOP is phenomenal. If you're like me and you roll your eyes at the typical zombie novel where a soldier talks about shooting their .22 caliber M16 rifle from the hip, you'll find the authenticity of this book a real breath of fresh air. For the uninitiated (or even the old hand in some cases), there's a beefy glossary in the back to guide you along.
The characters are many and varied though "screen time" depends on the character. Some are funny, some are serious, some are realistic, while style are a little more fantastical. None of them goes beyond the pale in terms of believability and most are very entertaining.
Now for my quibbles. First, the number of characters precludes getting to know a lot of them on a deep level. You may have to keep a pad of paper many to keep the huge cast straight.
Second, this is a series book. Dir some this might be a turn off in and of itself. Otherwise, this book is very much a set up for the rest of the stores. It's a great read, but it can feel like there is a lot of irons in the fire.
But the juice is well worth the squeeze. The series is epic in scope and extremely entertaining. Book 1 is a great set up, and fun to read on it's own, but it also presages a much larger and jaw dropping zombie series.
January 11, 2016
I first read this book 2 years ago via Smashwords. I gave it a 5-Star review back then. This is a well written zombie thriller. I compare it very favorablely to
and
and yes, even to
.
This is not just from a military aspect, as there are characters from all over.
This is the revised edition that was edited and tweaked a bit. I liked it then and I like it now. The characters make the story flow and I like most of them. Interesting to see all the different reactions to the End of the World.
The author has released a 2nd book and a third is coming soon. I read a docx copy of the 2nd book two years and loved that one as well. That book was not published until Sep 2015, and again it was revised (from my edition) to make it an even better product. I am very much looking forward to reading more books by JR Jackson.
I know there a million zombie books out there and it seems I am on a zombie kick again, as my next couple books are all zombie related. But just because I am a zombie junkie, I have to like what I read, or why continue reading from the same author. I am in for Up from the Depths!
and
and yes, even to
.This is not just from a military aspect, as there are characters from all over.
This is the revised edition that was edited and tweaked a bit. I liked it then and I like it now. The characters make the story flow and I like most of them. Interesting to see all the different reactions to the End of the World.
The author has released a 2nd book and a third is coming soon. I read a docx copy of the 2nd book two years and loved that one as well. That book was not published until Sep 2015, and again it was revised (from my edition) to make it an even better product. I am very much looking forward to reading more books by JR Jackson.
I know there a million zombie books out there and it seems I am on a zombie kick again, as my next couple books are all zombie related. But just because I am a zombie junkie, I have to like what I read, or why continue reading from the same author. I am in for Up from the Depths!
October 20, 2017
Just.....No. It's painful. And I really wanted to like this book.
I hate to write a negative review, and it is very rare that I have to do so. But here goes.
This book has FAR too many characters, names, ranks, and roles to keep straight. You feel like you need to take notes. It also uses WAY too many acronyms. So many that there is a glossary included in the back of the book. Now who wants to keep being pulled out of the story to look up something?? Just write the entire word or phrase out for goodness sakes.
I just could not get into it, and I gave it a chance to the final page. Thinking back, it reminds me of reading a high school history book. Names, places, battles, dry dry dry........ And totally forgettable.
Also, I kept thinking I read it before and on that note kept waiting for it to get better. Or something. "Like the last time I read it....." Well I haven't read it before. I figured out it simply very closely mirrors another book in the genre, already written. Almost exactly -- except that book is engaging and entertaining (plus no glossary!). Annoying when one storyline is repurposed by another author, to say the very least
Thus -- definitely don't waste your time. Man, it's just painful.
I hate to write a negative review, and it is very rare that I have to do so. But here goes.
This book has FAR too many characters, names, ranks, and roles to keep straight. You feel like you need to take notes. It also uses WAY too many acronyms. So many that there is a glossary included in the back of the book. Now who wants to keep being pulled out of the story to look up something?? Just write the entire word or phrase out for goodness sakes.
I just could not get into it, and I gave it a chance to the final page. Thinking back, it reminds me of reading a high school history book. Names, places, battles, dry dry dry........ And totally forgettable.
Also, I kept thinking I read it before and on that note kept waiting for it to get better. Or something. "Like the last time I read it....." Well I haven't read it before. I figured out it simply very closely mirrors another book in the genre, already written. Almost exactly -- except that book is engaging and entertaining (plus no glossary!). Annoying when one storyline is repurposed by another author, to say the very least
Thus -- definitely don't waste your time. Man, it's just painful.
May 14, 2021
An enjoyable read that I will continue reading the 10-book series. Very well written, and if you are really into military tactics and weaponry, this will definitely feed your hunger. My only gripe is how everyone involved in the story is completely mystified at what is happening. Ok, so people get sick... they get angry... they start biting other people and consuming them... they die... they reanimate... Hmmm, sound familiar? Yet no one has a clue these people have become the classic zombie. Really? No one knows they are in a full-scale zombie apocalypse? With all the movies and TV shows about zombies, to think that no one has a clue what is happening is just ridiculous in my opinion. And no one even attempts the infamous head shot that will drop your zombie like a sack of potatoes. They empty a magazine into the zombie's chest, yet never consider making a head shot. Anyway, perhaps that's just a small detail I alone have noticed in an otherwise beautifully written story. Looking forward to Book 2, and I really hope everyone soon realizes the zombie apocalypse has arrived. Someone comes along and starts chowing on my friend, I am going to drop them with a head shot. Ok then...
July 15, 2018
My first time reading military/zombie fiction. First off Mr. Jackson makes it believable with his in depth research and knowledge. That being said where this is my first time I will admit as much as I enjoyed the story and it did make it a tad different, reason I cannae give it the 5 it deserves is nothing to do with the writing or the story itself, it's me. I just don't really care much if a soldier gets eaten by a zombie.
And another clever reason...which is mean...I need book 2 now.
Yes It will still draw you in as it shifts around America and the epidemic rises to a full scale undead invasion...
But the little details really he ha gone above and beyond to make it as accurate to the best of his and his helper's abilities.
And another clever reason...which is mean...I need book 2 now.
Yes It will still draw you in as it shifts around America and the epidemic rises to a full scale undead invasion...
But the little details really he ha gone above and beyond to make it as accurate to the best of his and his helper's abilities.
February 15, 2019
Too many characters, most of whom didn't get to complete their stories (I know it's a series, but some level of completion of current tasking would be nice).
Full of gun descriptions, unit descriptions, chain-of-command descriptions, and obvious awareness of military structure, weapons and tactics. Knowledge of this does not, however, fill the required skillbase to write a good story.
And that's what was missing. An actual story.
Could not invest in any character, as they were all one-dimensional and had no actual human characteristics.
The zombies were standard, and so was everything else.
I won't be reading on, as I don't care what happens next.
Full of gun descriptions, unit descriptions, chain-of-command descriptions, and obvious awareness of military structure, weapons and tactics. Knowledge of this does not, however, fill the required skillbase to write a good story.
And that's what was missing. An actual story.
Could not invest in any character, as they were all one-dimensional and had no actual human characteristics.
The zombies were standard, and so was everything else.
I won't be reading on, as I don't care what happens next.
November 3, 2022
Astounding!
I definitely recommend this book because hey, who doesn't like zombies and apocalypse? I know there are tons of books about zombies but I especially recommend this one because of how it starts off. It definitely gives off a "Fear the Walking Dead" vibe to it in telling the beginning. This book 1, tells of how it started and how fast it goes down. I love the pace of the book and how detailed the violence is.
I definitely recommend this book because hey, who doesn't like zombies and apocalypse? I know there are tons of books about zombies but I especially recommend this one because of how it starts off. It definitely gives off a "Fear the Walking Dead" vibe to it in telling the beginning. This book 1, tells of how it started and how fast it goes down. I love the pace of the book and how detailed the violence is.
June 7, 2019
Good Zombie book
It was good but how many people in the book didn't know that a dead person rising and then biting another would infect them and they would be called a zombie. Come on, People have seen movies and read books on zombies not to know what the infected was doing and they all wouldn't be that gullible. Other than that I love the arm forces.
It was good but how many people in the book didn't know that a dead person rising and then biting another would infect them and they would be called a zombie. Come on, People have seen movies and read books on zombies not to know what the infected was doing and they all wouldn't be that gullible. Other than that I love the arm forces.
May 4, 2017
Fast Paced Adventure Ride!
I thought I had read the best until I picked up this series ! Outstanding story line ! Amazing characters and military aspect is amazing ! Keep it up J.R.Jackson!
I thought I had read the best until I picked up this series ! Outstanding story line ! Amazing characters and military aspect is amazing ! Keep it up J.R.Jackson!
October 18, 2020
Zompoc vs military
Just got tab love the humanized version of the military as they meet the zombie apocalypse. Thus one flows if you know military acronyms, if you don't, read the glossary first.
Just got tab love the humanized version of the military as they meet the zombie apocalypse. Thus one flows if you know military acronyms, if you don't, read the glossary first.
November 27, 2020
A first class page turner. Lots of action. Stories in stories about zombies, this time caused intentionally by evil eco freaks. Great use of military lingo and unpredictable consequences of helpless command staff. Already started on second book in the series.
November 4, 2018
Very detailed, military-themed look at the apocalypse. First in a series, too!!
June 8, 2019
Denial Measures review
Denial Measures is the first post apocalyptic survival book in the Up From the Depths series written by author J. R. Jackson.
Denial Measures is the first post apocalyptic survival book in the Up From the Depths series written by author J. R. Jackson.
July 24, 2019
Loved it.
Loved the book so far. Didn’t like the jumping around to deferent groups at first but it settled in and was a very good book.
Loved the book so far. Didn’t like the jumping around to deferent groups at first but it settled in and was a very good book.
December 8, 2021
AFM
I loved this story. I really like zombies V military stories and the outbreak stories, loved the characters. The action was superbly done, now I'm about to start book 2
I loved this story. I really like zombies V military stories and the outbreak stories, loved the characters. The action was superbly done, now I'm about to start book 2
January 18, 2018
THIS BOOK GRABS YOU RIGHT FROM THE FIRST PAGE.
RE-READ this book due to the fact that a review wasn't left after the first reading. One very great book and one I didn't mind reading again, not whatsoever. J.R. Jackson has done one tremendous job on reviewing all information before writing this book and it definitely shows. This book and series starts out with someone thinking they can cleanse the world, then be able to come back in at a later date, to clean up any remaining people that are sick and rule as they want. But after reading this book, I'm not sure they had planned for all that is going down for the world. With pretty much every Military Installation taken out and much of humanity gone, there may be more than even a person that sick can get back control of. With millions of the human race dead or reanimated, this may be more than even they bargained for. This books deserves more than the 5 star rating, as it grabs you right from the start and keeps you going until the last page. Thank you J.R. Jackson, as this is one book you won't want to out down.
RE-READ this book due to the fact that a review wasn't left after the first reading. One very great book and one I didn't mind reading again, not whatsoever. J.R. Jackson has done one tremendous job on reviewing all information before writing this book and it definitely shows. This book and series starts out with someone thinking they can cleanse the world, then be able to come back in at a later date, to clean up any remaining people that are sick and rule as they want. But after reading this book, I'm not sure they had planned for all that is going down for the world. With pretty much every Military Installation taken out and much of humanity gone, there may be more than even a person that sick can get back control of. With millions of the human race dead or reanimated, this may be more than even they bargained for. This books deserves more than the 5 star rating, as it grabs you right from the start and keeps you going until the last page. Thank you J.R. Jackson, as this is one book you won't want to out down.
February 13, 2016
Do not buy this book!!! You will struggle to finish.
There are numerous characters with many story lines that never go anywhere. The authors use of military lingo/slang is confusing and a drag to read. Nice try, but ultimately a huge fail.
I suggest looking up the author Bobby Adair if you want an amazing zombie series. Also go read the V plague series, best zombie/apocalyptic series.
There are numerous characters with many story lines that never go anywhere. The authors use of military lingo/slang is confusing and a drag to read. Nice try, but ultimately a huge fail.
I suggest looking up the author Bobby Adair if you want an amazing zombie series. Also go read the V plague series, best zombie/apocalyptic series.
January 26, 2023
Up From the Depths: Book 1 Denial Measures
I have read UPTD many, many times. J.R. Jackson is an engaging writer who quite obviously knows his stuff. I truly enjoy reading apocalyptic fiction, and just about any military stories, particularly ones written by our veterans. I am in awe of our service members. J.R. Jackson is one of the best writers I've encountered. If he wrote it, it's good!
I have read UPTD many, many times. J.R. Jackson is an engaging writer who quite obviously knows his stuff. I truly enjoy reading apocalyptic fiction, and just about any military stories, particularly ones written by our veterans. I am in awe of our service members. J.R. Jackson is one of the best writers I've encountered. If he wrote it, it's good!
December 16, 2015
Up From the Depths:Book 1 Denial Measures by J. R. Jackson is a fast paced look at the zombie apocalypse from a military outlook. It is a realistic description of how fast the world can change and how the armed forces can react. I purchased the next book before I was halfway through. Keep them coming.
April 3, 2016
Very realistic for zombie and military fans!
As a U.S. Army veteran and an avid reader I love military reading both fiction and fact. I am a recent fan of zombieish reading. I love this series so far but question why its taking the Army so long to discover only head shots are effective.
As a U.S. Army veteran and an avid reader I love military reading both fiction and fact. I am a recent fan of zombieish reading. I love this series so far but question why its taking the Army so long to discover only head shots are effective.
January 10, 2016
Good zombie fun!
This is a grand epic, with many storylines combining to form the story.
It does have some editing problems, but to be honest I have seen worse in some top name authors books.
If you like zombie stories then grab this one. The plot is very well laid out.
This is a grand epic, with many storylines combining to form the story.
It does have some editing problems, but to be honest I have seen worse in some top name authors books.
If you like zombie stories then grab this one. The plot is very well laid out.
February 23, 2016
A FINE TALE OF THE ZULU ALPHA IT IS..
Hello, zombie stories have gotten a little stale as of late. This one, however, is a breath of fresh air. Very detailed and well written. A lot of characters, so you have to pay attention, but well worth the time. Damn fine stuff. Thanks.
Hello, zombie stories have gotten a little stale as of late. This one, however, is a breath of fresh air. Very detailed and well written. A lot of characters, so you have to pay attention, but well worth the time. Damn fine stuff. Thanks.
May 8, 2016
Good
There was too much military acronyms in the book that broke up the flow of the book for me. However the story was interesting and scary at the same time. It makes one very thankful for our brave military.
There was too much military acronyms in the book that broke up the flow of the book for me. However the story was interesting and scary at the same time. It makes one very thankful for our brave military.
March 23, 2017
Big cast. Epic scope. Extensive research used without boring anyone. Excellent action. And dead people eating the living. What more can u ask for?
October 3, 2015
Good storyline
At first hard to follow, but after I got the references and jumping around everything was great! Will continue the series.....
At first hard to follow, but after I got the references and jumping around everything was great! Will continue the series.....
March 19, 2016
Better than average. Few typos, distractions. Lots of characters. I'm on to the second book in the series
Read
August 5, 2016It was hard to get into this book because it jumped around a lot. Once I was finished it was easier to understand all the characters.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews