Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

LuckSon

Rate this book
As far as LuckSon is aware, he is the last man alive in the year 2050. A terrible man-made plague called the Dark Death has killed everyone or turned them into Slow Muties: menacing zombie like monsters determined to kill any survivors of the pandemic who are left whole. He has spent the past five years on his own trying to survive with little hope that things would improve. That is, until now.

While hiding in a small house in a town outside of what used to be Nashville, Tennessee, he encounters a young woman in his dreams. They soon discover that she lives forty years earlier in the Pre-Pandemic world, sharing a house with an older gun-toting, Bible thumping, American Indian woman named Mrs. Whitting. Using a magical Native American artifact known as a Dream Walker as well as LuckSon’s knowledge and research of what happens in the future, the three of them embark on a seemingly impossible journey to try and stop the Dark Death from wiping out all of Humanity.

Their journey will take them through nightmares and time as they try to track down the source of the Dark Death and prevent the pandemic. Fighting slow muties, other villains, and time itself, they hope to change the future and save the world of men from utter destruction.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2016

2 people are currently reading
182 people want to read

About the author

Daniel A. Nanto

6 books19 followers
Daniel Nanto is the author of a new series called the Dream Walker Novels. He was born in Murray, Utah, and has lived in several different states over his forty some odd years, including Utah, Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, and Quebec. He spent his teenage years driving like a crazy fiend on the back streets of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and doing his best to kill himself out of sheer stupidity. Fortunately, he survived those years.

He now works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as the Director of Application Development and Integration for their non-clinical applications. In his free time, he enjoys teaching religious classes to high school and college age students, and reading urban fiction.

Daniel is married to an amazing woman and has four beautiful children with another on the way. His latest hobby is writing novels. The Yosei is his latest book - a Japanese urban fantasy that takes place in San Francisco.

For more information please see Daniel's Amazon Author page at:

https://www.amazon.com/author/danieln...

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
13 (52%)
4 stars
9 (36%)
3 stars
3 (12%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Valicity Elaine.
Author 37 books704 followers
May 24, 2016
If you want to read something unique, I think it would be a severe injustice to the literary realm if I didn’t suggest LuckSon to you.

When I read the blurb I thought it seemed a little bit repetitive. It reminded me of the Will Smith movie, I Am Legend, where Will Smith is living alone for years, fighting the zombie-like creatures as he searches for a cure to the disease—created by humans from a failed cure to cancer—that’s destroyed over half of humanity. Very similar yet different on many different levels.

The idea of the dreams and how LuckSon meets the other characters is definitely interesting. The Biblical references are sometimes odd but appropriate, given the unique cast of characters. Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve ever met such an oddly diverse group ever before. I think part of it was Nanto’s writing but also part of it was the fact that we had a group of people who didn’t really know each other but found themselves lumped together in this story. It was definitely a wild ride, jumping from character to character, but I thought it was cool to meet someone new and find out their relation to everyone else.

Now, I think it would be a good time to start talking about what I didn’t like in this story. The concept and the characters were cool but I think the writing felt stiff. The way the story was written sometimes felt like all the actions were a long list. Bob looked there, then he thought this, then he fanned himself because it was so hot outside.

There was a handful of grammatical errors but I didn’t mind that too much—considering how much I enjoyed the story and cast. But I did think the narration was bland. For such an adventurous and exciting story, I would have liked a few more adjectives, I wanted to see more facial expressions and read the right details at the right time. I think the best way I could put it is ‘show don’t tell’. Instead of telling me a character is angry, let me see the hard lines of their furrowed brow or hear them heave a frustrated sigh.

One of the most irritating parts of the story were the parts that were supposed to be exciting. When we started getting into the ‘muties’ I was ready for those heart-pounding scenes or exhilarating chases but it didn’t really happen. There were some close calls but they weren’t written that way.

Here is an excerpt for an example.

“Slow muties were like big lumbering humans without brains. They wandered around eating whatever they could catch or scavenge. They were deadly if they caught you.”

We’re talking about deadly, zombie-like monsters! You cannot describe them as lumbering humans without brains! That’s not deadly or scary or even very exciting.

Maybe I was just expecting more.

I also thought it was intriguing to have the number of characters involved in this story but jumping from their perspective as frequently as I did was sometimes a little disruptive to the flow of the story.

Other than the complaints I listed, I do think this is a one-of-a-kind story and I would recommend it to other readers to see for themselves if it’s their cup-of-tea. Despite my rating, I think this is a solid book—minus a few kinks—and I believe it is a book that many will find interesting if they’re willing to give it a chance.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for P.J. McDermott.
Author 11 books25 followers
September 18, 2016
This book pulled me in right from the start. Mr. Nanto is a talented storyteller and has constructed an intriguing world of dreams, and an apocalyptic future where the hero is basically the last man standing. The characters are engaging and easily relatable, from the cute Stacy who survives in the “real” world due to intervention by the hero, LuckSon, in the dream world. The third important character, Mrs. Whitting, is a gun-toting, part Native American, elderly dream walker. All three are well rounded and interesting.

The story comes in three parts and moves along at a good pace. Mostly, this is an easy and enjoyable read except towards the end when the author tackles the quandaries of time travel. The final solution was a little difficult for me to swallow, a little too pat, and I felt the happy ending a bit rushed and contrived.

From a technical perspective, the writing contains some errors in point of view (head-hopping), and there is a deal of unnecessary adverbs and repetition. I also felt that including the viewpoint of the leader added little and could be easily omitted without harm. There is no doubt the manuscript would benefit from a good copy editor, but all of these things do not detract from the quality of the story which shines through regardless.

Recommended for those interested in supernatural, magic, adventure and a good yarn.
2 reviews5 followers
June 6, 2016
This book completely captivated me! The characters are so real, Daniel is so good at character development, you get a feel for a character quickly and can relate to them. Loved the story line! Loved the characters! Loved the glimpses from the zombie leaders mind. Loved Mrs. Witting's t-shirts! Did I mention I loved the character development! Loved the sweet romance, reminded my of falling in love with my husband of 25 years. Loved the ending! I wanted to start over the minute I finished. Can't wait for the next books!!!
On a more personal note, this book got me through an emotionally traumatic time in my life. I started 5 other books and they didn't take my mind off my heartache. Luckson helped me escape reality long enough to return and attack my problems with a Luckson determination. His sense of survival was contagious. Thanks Daniel Nanto.
3 reviews
June 28, 2016
I have a confession to make... I am a serial book beginner. I'll gladly spend hours in book stores. Reading backs of books, the little blurbs in the inside front cover; truth be told they kind of give me a high as I picture the potential adventure I'm holding in my hands. Yet the same thing always seems to happen; after hours of deliberation, I take home my little prize, sit down when I have some time, aaand... never end up finishing that darn book.

Well, reading Daniel Nanto's "Luckson" finally broke my shameful streak. It's a book original and fast-paced enough for me to finish easily. Every page had enough twists and turns, up through the end which left me wanting to read more. As a university science student, I especially enjoyed the theme of pride as it related to scientific research. It reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle", where man's curiosity and pride in his intelligence blinds him to their consequences.

"Luckson" was thoroughly enjoyable to read, and the narration through the perspective of unique characters was a fun way to analyze the events as they unfold. I would recommend "Luckson" to anyone looking for a fun read this summer.
Profile Image for Shh I am Reading Leticia.
300 reviews27 followers
October 31, 2023
Dream-walking is such an interesting topic for me. I am very interested in the power of dreams, and this book did not disappoint.
LuckSon was the last man on Earth, so being able to dream-walk in the past or present would definitely help. I also enjoyed each of the characters, especially Mrs. Whitting. She was determined to be unlikable until she isn't, and then she's the best character. The take on the zombies or "muties" was awesome as well. We think of them as brainless, but in this story, they hunted and stayed together like a pack of wolves. It was interesting for sure.

My only issue was there was a lot of unnecessary information in the story and could have been whittled down a smidgen. But other than that, excellent story.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. My review is entirely voluntary.
1 review
May 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. I am not one who usually goes for zombie stories but this one gives an interesting explanation as to how zombies might come about. A pandemic and a disease to end all disease...a GOOD story. I felt like the story had a little bit of legend, science-fiction, action and not too much of any of them. The concept of dreamwalking is a cool one and it was well thought out and explained and woven into the story so that it didn't distract from it. I liked each of the characters, especially gun-toting Mrs. Whitting who seems like she has a really interesting back story. I would love to hear more about her.
60 reviews18 followers
August 2, 2016
Received the book last night in the mail....thank you Daniel for the complimentary copy. I dove into the story and couldn't put it down until I finished it just a few minutes ago. Thank you, thank you! I haven't read anything recently that has engaged me so completely. The story was brilliant! Fun! Unique in every way. I absolutely love the Native American mysticism element mixed in with time travel and zombies. I am dying right now to read more!
Profile Image for Andretta Schellinger.
Author 4 books45 followers
May 23, 2016
I really enjoy the time travel loop that can happen. I also really enjoy the ending and the characters. what I do not enjoy is the length. honestly the story could be half the length and still have the impact. there is a lot of telling versus showing in this story.
Profile Image for Tanya.
7 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2016
Loved the book. It is an easy read and kept me in suspense the entire time! The ending was definitely a surprise twist!
2 reviews
Read
August 25, 2024
Khóa Học Corel: Biến Ý Tưởng Thành Thiết Kế Chuyên Nghiệp

Bạn đam mê thiết kế nhưng chưa biết bắt đầu từ đâu? Khoá học thiết kế Corel tại VnSkills Academy chính là lựa chọn hoàn hảo để biến ý tưởng của bạn thành những thiết kế chuyên nghiệp, ấn tượng. Tìm hiểu ngay để không bỏ lỡ cơ hội phát triển bản thân!

I. Tại sao nên học Corel tại VnSkills Academy?
CorelDraw là gì?
CorelDraw là một trong những phần mềm thiết kế đồ họa vector phổ biến nhất hiện nay. Với giao diện thân thiện, dễ sử dụng, CorelDraw cho phép bạn tạo ra các thiết kế từ cơ bản đến phức tạp một cách dễ dàng. Từ logo, nhận diện thương hiệu, đến các ấn phẩm truyền thông, tất cả đều có thể thực hiện với CorelDraw.

Lợi ích khi học CorelDraw
Học CorelDraw không chỉ giúp bạn nắm vững các kỹ thuật thiết kế đồ họa mà còn mở ra nhiều cơ hội nghề nghiệp hấp dẫn. Kỹ năng sử dụng CorelDraw là một điểm mạnh trong hồ sơ của bạn, giúp bạn dễ dàng ứng tuyển vào các vị trí như thiết kế đồ họa, quảng cáo, hay thậm chí là làm freelancer.

Tại sao chọn VnSkills Academy?
VnSkills Academy tự hào sở hữu đội ngũ giảng viên giàu kinh nghiệm, luôn cập nhật các xu hướng thiết kế mới nhất. Khóa học Corel tại đây được thiết kế linh hoạt, phù hợp với nhu cầu học tập của từng học viên, giúp bạn dễ dàng tiếp cận và nắm bắt kiến thức.

II. Nội dung khóa học Corel tại VnSkills Academy
Giới thiệu khóa học
Khóa học Corel chất lượng tại VnSkills Academy được thiết kế nhằm cung cấp cho học viên những kỹ năng cần thiết để trở thành một nhà thiết kế chuyên nghiệp. Từ các kỹ thuật cơ bản đến các kỹ năng nâng cao, khóa học sẽ giúp bạn tự tin trong việc tạo ra những sản phẩm đồ họa ấn tượng.

Các chủ đề chính trong khóa học

Làm quen với giao diện và công cụ của CorelDraw
Bắt đầu với việc làm quen với giao diện của CorelDraw, bạn sẽ được hướng dẫn cách sử dụng các công cụ cơ bản như công cụ vẽ, công cụ chỉnh sửa, và các tính năng tùy chỉnh. Đây là bước đầu tiên nhưng cực kỳ quan trọng, giúp bạn nắm vững các nền tảng để thực hiện các dự án phức tạp hơn sau này.

Thiết kế logo và nhận diện thương hiệu
Thiết kế logo là một trong những ứng dụng quan trọng nhất của CorelDraw. Trong khóa học, bạn sẽ học cách áp dụng các nguyên tắc thiết kế logo, từ việc phác thảo ý tưởng đến khi hoàn thiện sản phẩm cuối cùng. Thực hành thiết kế logo cho một doanh nghiệp cụ thể sẽ giúp bạn hiểu rõ hơn về quá trình sáng tạo này.

Thiết kế quảng cáo và ấn phẩm truyền thông
Không chỉ dừng lại ở logo, bạn còn được hướng dẫn cách tạo ra các ấn phẩm quảng cáo như banner, poster, và các tài liệu truyền thông khác. Khóa học sẽ cập nhật cho bạn những xu hướng thiết kế hiện đại nhất, giúp sản phẩm của bạn luôn nổi bật và thu hút.

Thiết kế bao bì sản phẩm
Bao bì sản phẩm đóng vai trò quan trọng trong việc tiếp cận khách hàng. Bạn sẽ học cách thiết kế bao bì từ việc lên ý tưởng đến khi hoàn thiện, đảm bảo bao bì không chỉ đẹp mắt mà còn phản ánh đúng giá trị sản phẩm. Thực hành thiết kế bao bì cho một sản phẩm thực tế sẽ giúp bạn nắm bắt được quy trình từ đầu đến cuối.

Phương pháp học tập tại VnSkills Academy
VnSkills Academy luôn khuyến khích học viên học đi đôi với hành. Mỗi bài giảng lý thuyết đều đi kèm với các bài tập thực hành để bạn có thể áp dụng ngay những gì vừa học. Ngoài ra, bạn còn nhận được sự hỗ trợ từ giảng viên và cộng đồng học viên, giúp giải quyết mọi thắc mắc trong quá trình học tập.

III. Kết quả đạt được sau khóa học Corel
Khả năng làm việc chuyên nghiệp
Sau khi hoàn thành khóa học, bạn sẽ có khả năng tạo ra những thiết kế đồ họa chất lượng cao, phù hợp với nhu cầu thị trường. Bạn không chỉ nắm vững các kỹ thuật thiết kế mà còn biết cách ứng dụng chúng vào thực tế, từ đó tự tin làm việc trong các dự án chuyên nghiệp.

Cơ hội nghề nghiệp sau khóa học
Với kỹ năng thành thạo CorelDraw, bạn có thể dễ dàng tìm kiếm các cơ hội nghề nghiệp tại các công ty thiết kế, quảng cáo, hoặc trở thành một freelancer chuyên nghiệp. Kỹ năng này cũng giúp bạn nâng cao giá trị bản thân và mở ra nhiều cơ hội phát triển trong tương lai.

IV. Học viên nói gì về khóa học Corel tại VnSkills Academy?
Chia sẻ từ học viên cũ
Nhiều học viên sau khi hoàn thành khóa học tại VnSkills Academy đã đạt được những thành tựu đáng kể trong sự nghiệp. Họ chia sẻ rằng khóa học không chỉ cung cấp kiến thức mà còn truyền cảm hứng và động lực để họ theo đuổi đam mê thiết kế.

Những dự án tiêu biểu từ học viên
Học viên tại VnSkills Academy đã thực hiện nhiều dự án thiết kế ấn tượng, từ logo, bao bì sản phẩm đến các ấn phẩm truyền thông. Những dự án này không chỉ thể hiện sự sáng tạo mà còn chứng minh kỹ năng mà họ đã học được trong khóa học.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
Author 1 book57 followers
July 24, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://www.thelifeofesther.com/book-r...

Let me start out with the things I (surprisingly) liked about this book. It was not what I expected it to be, and I was so grateful for that. I was fully prepared for a head on zombie apocalypse The Walking Dead sort of thing. But, seeing as the goal of this book was to STOP the 'every sickness every plague' virus called the Dark Death that caused the epidemic, there was barely any zombie killing.

I have, however, categorized this book into the paranormal thriller category, as it is more of that than SciFi for me. I also would not place it in the fiction category. It is a book that is hard to place, because there IS magic involved, ancient, Native American magic. But then it's about zombies. I was totally torn as to where I might have placed this book on a shelf.

That aside, I must say that the overall story is pretty good. It isn't something that I would normally choose to read for pleasure, but I have to admit that I did find myself captivated at times. At times. Most of the time, however, I was distracted by the abundance of typos (to instead of too, dour instead of door....and so on), grammatical errors (basically, I'm fairly sure Nanto does not know that commas exist) and all of the exclamation points and question marks!!! ALSO THE CAPS!!! WHO PUTS THAT INTO A BOOK??!?!?!?! Aaaaanyways. I am definitely of the opinion that Nanto either needs to read and re-read and re-re-read the book and correct those mistakes, or hire a professional editor to help him out. At about halfway through the book, I almost flat-out put it down, solely because of the mistakes.

All in all however, it was a pretty good read. The story was good, the writing itself was good. I did like that the story was told from several different points of view. However, the author should have been a little bit more careful with that. In one chapter he switches POV without even the slightest transition, leaving me confused. Also, he did one chapter from the POV of the 'slow muties', and I thought it was a little misplaced, though I can see how he felt that it was valuable to the story. The characters are perfectly likeable. I'm not much of a gun person, so I can't say I can relate to Sheshebens Whitting much, but she is a spunky old lady and adds spice to the story.

So, those are my two cents. I would have simply given the book a lot more love and affection before putting it out there.
Profile Image for A.M.H. Johnson.
Author 3 books19 followers
September 26, 2016
LuckSon is an interesting twist on the modern Zombie craze where the two heroes are able to manipulate the projected events of the destroyed future by communicating through dreams, separated by 50 years of turmoil.

LuckSon is a young man trying to survive in the zombified future. The last man alive. In his scavenging he comes across a cute yellow house, where 50 years before Ms. Whitting, a gun-toting American Indian and owner of the house, brought on a renter, Stacy. Stacy is a local college student and diner waitress in the current time, and after a few nights living with Ms. Whitting, she begins having dreams of LuckSon, and through these dreams he's able to give her information to change the future and prevent the Zombie (Slow Mutie) apocolypse. Through this information, Stacy and Ms. Whitting work to stop the apocolypse: Stacy with her sweet disposition and good heart, and Ms. Whitting with her liberal use of a pistol and sharp tongue. (Ms. Whitting was easily my favorite character.)

Being a zombie book, which is so popular now, it's bound to have some cliches. And in some places, it can get repetitive. However, the quality of the writing was good enough to hold my attention, even though I avidly avoid zombies in any media. And the relationships between the characters actually made me care for them in the book. So, if your a fan of The Walking Dead and Doctor Who, this is definitely your book. If you crave good quality writing and good characters in a book that's as compelling as it is easy to follow, then this is your book. Nanto definitely knows how to weave an interesting tale that will keep the reader hooked until the end.

I was given a free copy for an honest review.
229 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2016
This first book from Nanto grabs you quickly . It was a page-turner all the way to the end. Unique viewpoints from minor characters provides more clues but still keeps you guessing. Can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Gina Salamon.
Author 8 books57 followers
September 30, 2016
An enjoyable read and pleasantly NOT what I expected. The characters were believable and real, and LuckSon, in particular, pulled t my heart strings.

An admirable first effort for this author, and I look forward to more.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews