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Dead Bastards: Zombies hit Glasgow: How will the zombies survive?
What fans are saying about Dead Bastards - My last zombie books were The Walking Dead graphic novels then I ran across this gem. Zombie expert Kenny was my favorite but all of the characters were well-written. I've read a lot of zombie fiction but Dead Bastards stands out from the rest. There's some good humour and witty dialogue. I really liked Emma too, I thought she was a good, strong female character. I recommend this book to any zombie enthusiast!! About the book - The Walking Dead has happened for real! “Somebody attacked Archie and that somebody had to be a zombie because last time I checked, the dead didn’t wake up, stinking of putrefying flesh and try and bloody eat you. Not even in Glasgow.” And so begins Emma and Scott’s battle for survival against the things they dub dead bastards. Teaming up with self-proclaimed zombie expert Kenny, who works in Glasgow’s last video store, macho man Mustafa from the newsagents and mystery man Doyle they face a battle to survive the flesh eating hordes rampaging through Scotland. Now they have just one aim – don't get bitten. "It’s no the Walking Dead – it’s the Walking Deid."- Review.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2012
8 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lee Thomson
21 books24 followersJennifer Lee Thomson is an award-winning Scottish crime writer who has been scribbling away all her life. She also writes non-fiction as Jennifer Thomson and fiction as Jenny Thomson. She's owned by a giant rescue dog called Harley.
Her latest book is crime thriller Vile City - Volume 1 in her Detective in a Coma series is out now from Diamond Books -
Meet DI Waddell: overworked and now his best pal who's in a coma is talking to him (and only him). Can he find missing Shelley before it's too late?
OTHER BOOKS
How kirsty Gets Her Kicks (Shotgun Honey)
The Nancy Kerr and Tommy McIntyre mysteries-
Hell To Pay (Crime Files Book 1), Throwaways and Don't Come for Me.
Her latest book is crime thriller Vile City - Volume 1 in her Detective in a Coma series is out now from Diamond Books -
Meet DI Waddell: overworked and now his best pal who's in a coma is talking to him (and only him). Can he find missing Shelley before it's too late?
OTHER BOOKS
How kirsty Gets Her Kicks (Shotgun Honey)
The Nancy Kerr and Tommy McIntyre mysteries-
Hell To Pay (Crime Files Book 1), Throwaways and Don't Come for Me.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 18, 2013
I have to confess, before I get in too deep, that I'm probably too squeamish to be a zombie fan, or even a zombie.
But I staggered across this book and the synopsis sold it to me.
Surely a novel about zombies, written by someone who obviously had a tongue in a cheek and someone's funny bone to scratch their back, couldn't be too scary, could it? Could it?
Even though I'm not your typical zombie reader, I like to consider I can view most subjects objectively and enjoy a well-written book...once I get past the cover.
Jennifer Thomson writes with a ghoulish, dry-as-congealed-blood humour. There's guts galore, but in Emma - the frontline defence against the zombies - Thomson's heroine balances it with a feisty irony. She may not have much to laugh at, but I had to imagine Emma as having at least a hint of a smile as she attempted what most men didn't have the guts for - to fight back.
Emma's dialogue and thoughts are razor-sharp. There were times, I admit, when I didn't allow my imagination to linger over the scenes of cannibalism - I read, I digested and moved on.
If you read the novel's synopsis you will get a measure of the author's wit and style. Both continue through the novel, never dropping and never disappointing. But of course, ghoulish humour can only take one so far. Beating zombies is serious business and once the real battle commences, there's little to laugh about.
As I reached the two-third point, I did wonder how on earth it could all end. Thankfully the author had worked that out in her planning and the execution was perfect. I have to admit that it caught me off guard in the best possible way. I don't know how other zombie novels finish, but this was expertly handled.
Will I read another zombie novel? Perhaps. Will it be as good as this one? Doubtful.
But I staggered across this book and the synopsis sold it to me.
Surely a novel about zombies, written by someone who obviously had a tongue in a cheek and someone's funny bone to scratch their back, couldn't be too scary, could it? Could it?
Even though I'm not your typical zombie reader, I like to consider I can view most subjects objectively and enjoy a well-written book...once I get past the cover.
Jennifer Thomson writes with a ghoulish, dry-as-congealed-blood humour. There's guts galore, but in Emma - the frontline defence against the zombies - Thomson's heroine balances it with a feisty irony. She may not have much to laugh at, but I had to imagine Emma as having at least a hint of a smile as she attempted what most men didn't have the guts for - to fight back.
Emma's dialogue and thoughts are razor-sharp. There were times, I admit, when I didn't allow my imagination to linger over the scenes of cannibalism - I read, I digested and moved on.
If you read the novel's synopsis you will get a measure of the author's wit and style. Both continue through the novel, never dropping and never disappointing. But of course, ghoulish humour can only take one so far. Beating zombies is serious business and once the real battle commences, there's little to laugh about.
As I reached the two-third point, I did wonder how on earth it could all end. Thankfully the author had worked that out in her planning and the execution was perfect. I have to admit that it caught me off guard in the best possible way. I don't know how other zombie novels finish, but this was expertly handled.
Will I read another zombie novel? Perhaps. Will it be as good as this one? Doubtful.
September 8, 2013
'Dead Bastards' is the story of Emma, her boyfriend Scott and the small group of friends they pick up as they attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse.
There was a good sense of realism to this book; the characters were believable and their actions made sense, and everything in the story was solidly put together. The added worry that Emma may be pregnant added another level to the horror. The whole thing played out very well, with some surprises and an ending I wouldn't have predicted.
There's also some good humour and witty dialogue. It's set in Scotland so I appreciated the Scottish sayings, etc. I really liked Emma too, I thought she was a good, strong female character.
I enjoyed this book and it was a fairly quick and easy read. I would recommend it to fans of zombie books and horror fans in general.
There was a good sense of realism to this book; the characters were believable and their actions made sense, and everything in the story was solidly put together. The added worry that Emma may be pregnant added another level to the horror. The whole thing played out very well, with some surprises and an ending I wouldn't have predicted.
There's also some good humour and witty dialogue. It's set in Scotland so I appreciated the Scottish sayings, etc. I really liked Emma too, I thought she was a good, strong female character.
I enjoyed this book and it was a fairly quick and easy read. I would recommend it to fans of zombie books and horror fans in general.
May 13, 2017
It starts with the already dead Charles Kennedy attacking Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons, while Emma and Scott cheer him on from their flat in Glasgow-until they realise that zombies are involved. It comes to their door in the form of Archie, Scott's useless friend who is always looking for a free meal. Now Archie wants to feed on Emma and Scott. It is then up to the couple to save Mustafa from the newsagent and Kenny from the video shop and find a way to get to Largs and a boat to safety.
There was a lot to like in this book. Firstly it had plenty zombies, which is a good start for a zombie novel. There were enough zombie attacks to keep fans of the undead interested and the scenes had some investive things like zombie Big Issue sellers and female zombie perverts groping men. It was set in Scotland, featuring places I know well like the St Enoch shopping centre, Glasgow itself and Largs etc. It makes a change to read about zombies in a familiar environment instead of imagining them in a strange American city!
There was the typical Scottish humour that I know and love. In what other novel would you get one of our heroes having to stop the car in the dangerous city centre because his stomach had gone funny and he needed an emergency toilet stop?
"It wasn't his fault the zombie apocalypse followed curry night."
That was one of my favourite scenes in the book-Kenny's dodgy stomach and Mustafa's over friendly zombie. I had a few good sniggers at that. The way the characters spoke and acted were so familiar to me. I have known lazy wasters like Archie, sexist guys like Mustafa, nutters like Doyle (though not suicide bombers thankfully), nerds like Kenny. I'm familiar with Big Issue sellers, seeing the ferry from Largs(though I have never visited Millport), living without access to guns...it was fun to have this as the setting.
"As dread crawled down my back like the hands of a groping pervert on a Glasgow bus..."
For those of you who are worried about not understanding the Scottish slang, fear not because the author has put a guide at the front of the book to help you out. To be honest, you can guess what is meant from what is happening in the scene at the time but the guide is helpful for anyone who needs it.
Having the character of Doyle the suicide bomber who was on his way to blow up Glasgow Airport when the zombies attacked was always going to be contraversial. He is a white Glasgow born man who turns to Jihad but decides that his new mission is to kill dead bastards instead. His interactions with the other characters explore his motives and change of heart, and while some readers might be offended by this character, I found it an interesting addition to the plot. Mustafa in particular hates Doyle and his terrorist ideals which I thought was refreshing. It was nice that the suicide bomber wannabe was not a British-Asian muslim or similar steriotype. The other thing I liked was the side story of the missing people which was interesting.
My only real niggles are small-the baby story didn't interest me but lets be honest, I hate kids so that was not really a big problem. However the rape storyline was totally silly and added nothing to the plot. We basically meet two underage girls sneaking out to a party, getting chased by zombies and being 'saved' by rapists instead. A few pages later, we don't see them again. So it looked like they were there in the story just to be raped and although the rapes are not described, I feel as if it was there for some kind of entertainment and I wasn't impressed by it.
I liked the mix of characters, the plot and the way the story moves forward at all times, mixed in with humour and zombie action. While the book is not as polished as the usual published horror writer's books, the story is still interesting enough to keep you reading. It might not win any prizes but it was entertaining which is more important to me. I recommend it to zombie fans as a light fun read.
There was a lot to like in this book. Firstly it had plenty zombies, which is a good start for a zombie novel. There were enough zombie attacks to keep fans of the undead interested and the scenes had some investive things like zombie Big Issue sellers and female zombie perverts groping men. It was set in Scotland, featuring places I know well like the St Enoch shopping centre, Glasgow itself and Largs etc. It makes a change to read about zombies in a familiar environment instead of imagining them in a strange American city!
There was the typical Scottish humour that I know and love. In what other novel would you get one of our heroes having to stop the car in the dangerous city centre because his stomach had gone funny and he needed an emergency toilet stop?
"It wasn't his fault the zombie apocalypse followed curry night."
That was one of my favourite scenes in the book-Kenny's dodgy stomach and Mustafa's over friendly zombie. I had a few good sniggers at that. The way the characters spoke and acted were so familiar to me. I have known lazy wasters like Archie, sexist guys like Mustafa, nutters like Doyle (though not suicide bombers thankfully), nerds like Kenny. I'm familiar with Big Issue sellers, seeing the ferry from Largs(though I have never visited Millport), living without access to guns...it was fun to have this as the setting.
"As dread crawled down my back like the hands of a groping pervert on a Glasgow bus..."
For those of you who are worried about not understanding the Scottish slang, fear not because the author has put a guide at the front of the book to help you out. To be honest, you can guess what is meant from what is happening in the scene at the time but the guide is helpful for anyone who needs it.
Having the character of Doyle the suicide bomber who was on his way to blow up Glasgow Airport when the zombies attacked was always going to be contraversial. He is a white Glasgow born man who turns to Jihad but decides that his new mission is to kill dead bastards instead. His interactions with the other characters explore his motives and change of heart, and while some readers might be offended by this character, I found it an interesting addition to the plot. Mustafa in particular hates Doyle and his terrorist ideals which I thought was refreshing. It was nice that the suicide bomber wannabe was not a British-Asian muslim or similar steriotype. The other thing I liked was the side story of the missing people which was interesting.
My only real niggles are small-the baby story didn't interest me but lets be honest, I hate kids so that was not really a big problem. However the rape storyline was totally silly and added nothing to the plot. We basically meet two underage girls sneaking out to a party, getting chased by zombies and being 'saved' by rapists instead. A few pages later, we don't see them again. So it looked like they were there in the story just to be raped and although the rapes are not described, I feel as if it was there for some kind of entertainment and I wasn't impressed by it.
I liked the mix of characters, the plot and the way the story moves forward at all times, mixed in with humour and zombie action. While the book is not as polished as the usual published horror writer's books, the story is still interesting enough to keep you reading. It might not win any prizes but it was entertaining which is more important to me. I recommend it to zombie fans as a light fun read.
June 25, 2017
Great fun, especially if you're into The Walking Dead and general zombie mayhem. I particularly loved this because of its Scottish flavour - the zombie apocalypse in Glasgow. Excellent! There's even a glossary of Scottish slang terms that made me chuckle.
If you love the genre, this is well worth picking up. A treat from start to finish.
If you love the genre, this is well worth picking up. A treat from start to finish.
July 22, 2013
This book was well written, but I didn't really care for it personally. I know people who have read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, which is great, but it just isn't for me.
The problem with Zombies nowadays is that it's been done. All the films and books are pretty much the same old thing. They go through the same clichés and it's getting a little bit boring now. I personally love zombies so it's not that. I very much enjoyed the older zombie films and I do enjoy books when they separate themselves from the bunch and try to be a little bit different. This one, for me, doesn't really stand out in a crowd.
It's OK to pass on a train journey and I decided to start it on the journey home from my holiday in Scotland.
The book sets out with my pet hate. It dates itself. It really dates itself, several times before we reach the 3% mark. Now, some people see this as making a story more believable but to me it limits the life span. The fact that it names a prime minister and mentions political events it just puts it into the past for me and it's just something I hate to see. As you may have noticed in past reviews, my dislike of this is a running theme with mentions of social media and things.
As with a lot of zombie media we have the first victim of the infection, the best friend, followed by the discovery that mobile phones, landlines and internet are all down. Then there's the mad dash to check on friends and family.. it's just a bit same-y.
The further you get in this book the more obvious it gets and I don't really like that, it's not my thing. I like twists and turns and an author who likes to play your emotions. There's nothing really horrific about something that's already been done.
I wouldn't personally recommend it but if it's something that jumps out at you, it's pretty well written, a fair amount of typos but not unreadable and nothing that noticeable really it's just things like stupidity rather than stupidly and Doyle's rather Doyle. Again, not that big a deal.
The problem with Zombies nowadays is that it's been done. All the films and books are pretty much the same old thing. They go through the same clichés and it's getting a little bit boring now. I personally love zombies so it's not that. I very much enjoyed the older zombie films and I do enjoy books when they separate themselves from the bunch and try to be a little bit different. This one, for me, doesn't really stand out in a crowd.
It's OK to pass on a train journey and I decided to start it on the journey home from my holiday in Scotland.
The book sets out with my pet hate. It dates itself. It really dates itself, several times before we reach the 3% mark. Now, some people see this as making a story more believable but to me it limits the life span. The fact that it names a prime minister and mentions political events it just puts it into the past for me and it's just something I hate to see. As you may have noticed in past reviews, my dislike of this is a running theme with mentions of social media and things.
As with a lot of zombie media we have the first victim of the infection, the best friend, followed by the discovery that mobile phones, landlines and internet are all down. Then there's the mad dash to check on friends and family.. it's just a bit same-y.
The further you get in this book the more obvious it gets and I don't really like that, it's not my thing. I like twists and turns and an author who likes to play your emotions. There's nothing really horrific about something that's already been done.
I wouldn't personally recommend it but if it's something that jumps out at you, it's pretty well written, a fair amount of typos but not unreadable and nothing that noticeable really it's just things like stupidity rather than stupidly and Doyle's rather Doyle. Again, not that big a deal.
August 9, 2018
Dead as a Bastard can be
Without giving any spoilers is going to be difficult, suffice it to say I really
Enjoyed the book. Read it in 3 goes. Liked the characters and the inherent humour
a slightly different take on the zombie world but in the end I really enjoyed it.
So if like me you enjoy the gore and mayhem you've come to the right place.
David Embleton,
author of the Last Man Standing series on kindle.
Without giving any spoilers is going to be difficult, suffice it to say I really
Enjoyed the book. Read it in 3 goes. Liked the characters and the inherent humour
a slightly different take on the zombie world but in the end I really enjoyed it.
So if like me you enjoy the gore and mayhem you've come to the right place.
David Embleton,
author of the Last Man Standing series on kindle.
March 12, 2014
I liked the concept and the style of the writing but it was too light hearted with where it ended up and would have preferred either a different ending or a darker delivery of the story. Well worth reading if you enjoy a good Zombie apocalypse book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews