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Oasis
Experience the relentless horror of a post-apocalyptic world in "Oasis," a gripping and darkly satisfying zombie novella that delves into themes of resilience, horror, and the unyielding human will to survive. In the wake of devastating solar flares, the remaining population has been transformed into flesh-craving zombies due to solar radiation, leaving only a handful of survivors unscathed.
Guided by a resilient family of civilians and a battle-hardened squad of soldiers, their desperate mission is to reach the safety of a United Nations sanctuary known as New Atlantis, nestled at the South Pole. With hordes of undead relentlessly pursuing them, their harrowing journey becomes a desperate race against time. Will they manage to reach the oasis of New Atlantis alive, or will they succumb to the ravenous undead and join their ranks?
Praise for Oasis:
“Oasis treads classic Romero-esque ground and has a suitably downbeat ending that I really enjoyed. I have to admit I do enjoy my zombie stories to be grimmer than grim and I’m glad to say this novella delivers on that score.” – The Eloquent Page.
“OASIS is sharp, brutal, spiced with humour, and a great addition to the ever-growing sub-genre of Zombie Apocalypse tales. It stands on its own and yet again showcases Joan’s great talents with words and storytelling. If you’re looking for a quick read that’ll give you thrills, terror and zombies…” – Dave de Burgh
Guided by a resilient family of civilians and a battle-hardened squad of soldiers, their desperate mission is to reach the safety of a United Nations sanctuary known as New Atlantis, nestled at the South Pole. With hordes of undead relentlessly pursuing them, their harrowing journey becomes a desperate race against time. Will they manage to reach the oasis of New Atlantis alive, or will they succumb to the ravenous undead and join their ranks?
Praise for Oasis:
“Oasis treads classic Romero-esque ground and has a suitably downbeat ending that I really enjoyed. I have to admit I do enjoy my zombie stories to be grimmer than grim and I’m glad to say this novella delivers on that score.” – The Eloquent Page.
“OASIS is sharp, brutal, spiced with humour, and a great addition to the ever-growing sub-genre of Zombie Apocalypse tales. It stands on its own and yet again showcases Joan’s great talents with words and storytelling. If you’re looking for a quick read that’ll give you thrills, terror and zombies…” – Dave de Burgh
- GenresHorror
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2012
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Joan De La Haye
56 books133 followersI write dark and twisted thrillers featuring dangerous women, cold-blooded assassins, and survivors who turn the tables—violently. If you like fiction that pushes boundaries and heroines who don’t play nice, you’re in the right place.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 23, 2023
What a great premise! Not the typical zombie scenario- really loved the change up. Also, it wasn’t in your typical locale either! So kudos to this author for really going out on a limb and creating a new thrilling story for this crowded genre. I had only one point against it in the science department otherwise I would have given it five stars - if the earth is so ravaged and all the plants have died, what’s making the oxygen for everyone to breath. No plants, no air. Picky I know. Otherwise, an intriguing fast paced read. Enjoy!
August 7, 2021
De La Haye writes a great Zombie Apocalypse and it keeps you reading, the story is hard to put down. The story's title is in itself an ironic twist, showing you the clever mind this talented writer possesses. I loved that the story started in my home city of Pretoria, I hope to read more great horror taking place in South Africa. This writer sets the bar high for horror writers in SOuth Africa and is definitely a must read
May 4, 2021
A very good short story! I really enjoyed this! Great idea, good twist which I didn't expect! I will look for more by this writer & do recommend!
October 19, 2012
2013 – The planet has been fried by solar flares turning it into a desert. The surviving population has been affected by solar radiation, turning them into Zombies. Only a handful of people remain unaffected. A family of civilians, guided by a crack army unit who has seen more action than they can handle, must make their way to the safety of a UN base at the South Pole called New Atlantis.
But can they make it to this oasis alive or will they only reach it as the undead?
I couldn’t resist though when this novella popped into my inbox. As soon as I spotted the cover I knew I was going to read it. A zombie head partially obscured by desert sand with a bullet hole in the temple; I ask you, what’s not to love?
We follow the action through the eyes of Maxine, a young women who dares to believe that the end of the world doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the human race. Maybe she’s right but perhaps not quite in the way she is expecting.
Oasis treads classic Romero-esque ground and has a suitably downbeat ending that I really enjoyed. I have to admit I do enjoy my zombie stories to be grimmer than grim and I’m glad to say this novella delivers on that score.
This story acts as the perfect introduction to the new indie publisher on the block, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on their future releases. I’ve already had a look at their website and Joan De La Haye also recently had a serial killer novel, Requiem in E Sharp, published by Fox Spirit. I reckon I’ll check that out soon as well.
But can they make it to this oasis alive or will they only reach it as the undead?
I couldn’t resist though when this novella popped into my inbox. As soon as I spotted the cover I knew I was going to read it. A zombie head partially obscured by desert sand with a bullet hole in the temple; I ask you, what’s not to love?
We follow the action through the eyes of Maxine, a young women who dares to believe that the end of the world doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the human race. Maybe she’s right but perhaps not quite in the way she is expecting.
Oasis treads classic Romero-esque ground and has a suitably downbeat ending that I really enjoyed. I have to admit I do enjoy my zombie stories to be grimmer than grim and I’m glad to say this novella delivers on that score.
This story acts as the perfect introduction to the new indie publisher on the block, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on their future releases. I’ve already had a look at their website and Joan De La Haye also recently had a serial killer novel, Requiem in E Sharp, published by Fox Spirit. I reckon I’ll check that out soon as well.
December 9, 2013
This is such a cool read.
De La Haye manages to deliver a great zombie story in just 50 pages. In those 50 pages she succeeds in making me believe in the world and setting, caring for lead character Maxine and her family, and being gripped by the events and violence that they encounter.
De La Haye's website states she's a horror author, and believe me, this story sure shows you that she deserves that title. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this novella and had to finish it in one sitting to find out where this story would lead.
Overall this is a well written and suspenseful novella that I will most certainly reread. I will also check out what other stories De La Hay has written.
De La Haye manages to deliver a great zombie story in just 50 pages. In those 50 pages she succeeds in making me believe in the world and setting, caring for lead character Maxine and her family, and being gripped by the events and violence that they encounter.
De La Haye's website states she's a horror author, and believe me, this story sure shows you that she deserves that title. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this novella and had to finish it in one sitting to find out where this story would lead.
Overall this is a well written and suspenseful novella that I will most certainly reread. I will also check out what other stories De La Hay has written.
January 6, 2013
Very refreshing to see a decent twist on the classic zombie book. Even better that the author gets to the point pretty quickly. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 8, 2018
That did not go as I expected! Boom.
November 3, 2023
This short post-apocalyptic story is extremely unusual and surprised me greatly. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.
December 15, 2023
The MC was annoying, at least for the first half of the book. In the second half, she far more interesting.
I think the ending too abrupt and finite (with no possibility of and no survival basecamp anymore).
I think the ending too abrupt and finite (with no possibility of and no survival basecamp anymore).
May 8, 2024
My only complaint was that this was a very short story. The characters were fleshed out and sometimes you get surprised by the plot. Not the typical zombie story.
January 18, 2013
Maxine and her family had decided that they will survive the end of the world in a bunker – especially built to keep the solar rays from killing them – but when a year passes, they have no other option than to leave their sanctuary. What they found on the outside is terrible though. The chances of them being the last people alive is probable and Maxine isn’t sure she can cope. However, when they hear gunshots one day, it becomes blatantly clear that perhaps they were wrong… Unfortunately, with their rescue comes something even more dreadful than the near-extinction of mankind too and if they want to survive, they will have to go to New Atlantis, which is a base situated in the South Pole. Will they get there in one piece?
Oasis by Joan de la Haye is a novella set in 2013 – South Africa. This post-apocalyptic tale gives the reader the opportunity to diverge from the norm, which coincidentally always seem to play out in the Northern Hemisphere. However, even though it’s short, Oasis is one hell of a story that any zombie lover would devour in a single sitting.
The pace of the book is fast, even though it’s evident that the story stretches on for weeks (perhaps even months) and although this is probably the only problem I found with the book, it’s mostly because I wish that this was a full-length novel instead. As soon as the reader falls in love with the characters, the novella comes to an abrupt end – and even though I’m typically one of those people who hates over-descriptiveness, I actually yearned for it for this particular story. That being said, as far as the writing goes, it’s good and I only found one little grammar error in the whole book. What’s more, I liked the zombies in this book and yes, I do know that there is still a heated on-going debate as to whether or not zombies should be fast or slow, but I quite liked how these particular zombies acted. They were predators, they stalked the living and tormented them with their sheer brutality… in my view, that’s all a zombie is. However, Joan de la Haye was able to make these particular zombies her own in some inexplicable manner. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but I must attribute the fact that Zulu – a South African military man – turning into a zombie kind of made the zombies different than your ordinary ones. It could just be me, but I think the local flavour was exactly what the book needed.
Oasis isn’t a very long book, like I already mentioned, but it does have its appeals to the zombie community. Quite frankly, I liked it. I wish it was longer, but other than that, I’d suggest this book to anyone who’s looking for a different type of zombie book. If you think you can handle that, by all means, simply click on the image and get your copy today.
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
Oasis by Joan de la Haye is a novella set in 2013 – South Africa. This post-apocalyptic tale gives the reader the opportunity to diverge from the norm, which coincidentally always seem to play out in the Northern Hemisphere. However, even though it’s short, Oasis is one hell of a story that any zombie lover would devour in a single sitting.
The pace of the book is fast, even though it’s evident that the story stretches on for weeks (perhaps even months) and although this is probably the only problem I found with the book, it’s mostly because I wish that this was a full-length novel instead. As soon as the reader falls in love with the characters, the novella comes to an abrupt end – and even though I’m typically one of those people who hates over-descriptiveness, I actually yearned for it for this particular story. That being said, as far as the writing goes, it’s good and I only found one little grammar error in the whole book. What’s more, I liked the zombies in this book and yes, I do know that there is still a heated on-going debate as to whether or not zombies should be fast or slow, but I quite liked how these particular zombies acted. They were predators, they stalked the living and tormented them with their sheer brutality… in my view, that’s all a zombie is. However, Joan de la Haye was able to make these particular zombies her own in some inexplicable manner. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but I must attribute the fact that Zulu – a South African military man – turning into a zombie kind of made the zombies different than your ordinary ones. It could just be me, but I think the local flavour was exactly what the book needed.
Oasis isn’t a very long book, like I already mentioned, but it does have its appeals to the zombie community. Quite frankly, I liked it. I wish it was longer, but other than that, I’d suggest this book to anyone who’s looking for a different type of zombie book. If you think you can handle that, by all means, simply click on the image and get your copy today.
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
January 1, 2014
It was OK, not life shattering, just OK. I picked it up because it was a quick read and one of the book blogs I frequent gave it high praises. Wasn't my cup of tea. Knowing it was a novella, I didn't expect much character depth and there wasn't any. I also found myself rolling my eyes at the romance. The ending seemed abrupt but by then I was just ready to be finished with it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews