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Z-Day #1
A Place Outside the Wild
Eight years after Z-Day, the surviving remnants of mankind face the unknown. The fences and walls kept the ravenous undead at bay until they wasted away. A once overwhelming foe has turned feeble and weak, and a world gone wild seems ripe for reclamation.
The scars of the long war run deep. And hope is a dangerous thing when the real enemy might just be the survivors themselves.
"A Place Outside The Wild" is a full-length, self-contained novel 626 pages in length.
The scars of the long war run deep. And hope is a dangerous thing when the real enemy might just be the survivors themselves.
"A Place Outside The Wild" is a full-length, self-contained novel 626 pages in length.
626 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2016
382 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Humphreys
11 books512 followersDaniel Humphreys is the author of the Z-Day series of post-apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers and the Paxton Locke urban fantasy series. His first novel, "A Place Outside the Wild", was a 2017 Dragon Award finalist for Best Apocalyptic novel.
Dan loves sci-fi movies, target shooting, and tinkering with computers. He has spent his entire career in corporate IT and suffers from elevated blood pressure due to a lifelong love of the Arizona Cardinals. Daniel lives in Indiana with his wife and family.
He Tweets @NerdKing52 and blogs @ www.daniel-humphreys.net.
Dan loves sci-fi movies, target shooting, and tinkering with computers. He has spent his entire career in corporate IT and suffers from elevated blood pressure due to a lifelong love of the Arizona Cardinals. Daniel lives in Indiana with his wife and family.
He Tweets @NerdKing52 and blogs @ www.daniel-humphreys.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
dnfed
November 3, 2025DNFing this one through no fault of its own. Made it to about 20% and came to terms with the fact that I was dealing with a rebuilding stage zombpoc (something I have no interest in) featuring multiple characters and I couldn't be bothered to remember who was who. It seemed pretty decently written and the pacing appeared to be pretty solid.
No rating because DNF.
No rating because DNF.
February 22, 2021
I definitely understand why this book was a finalist for Best Apocalyptic Novel! If I was a judge it would be my first choice 'cause damn... this was so bloody good.
September 15, 2017
The author of this book came into one of my Goodreads groups to promote it, and – happily – I asked for a copy. (Thank you!) I liked the idea of a culture aware of zombies having been caught up in a zombie apocalypse; the book takes place eight years after the z-poc, in a community of survivors who have rebuilt something that has begun to resemble civilization.
It never really bothered me that characters in, say, The Walking Dead had never heard of the walking dead before things fell apart, never saw a Caesar Romero movie or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – hey, if I can suspend disbelief enough to the ambulatory dead I can stretch it that much further. So I was surprised at how pleasant it was that these people used the "Z" word and knew pretty much right away that only a head shot would end them. And while I enjoy the beginning of the story as much as the next z-poc fan, I have always been fascinated by attempts at recovery, as pre-apocalypse supplies grow scarce. I may be one of the only people on earth who was interested in what's commonly called The Walking Dead's "Farmer Rick" phase at the jail, as crops were planted and pigs penned (poor pigs) and routines began to develop.
This book makes me wonder why more people don't take advantage of something like what AMC calls the most popular show on TV, and build on it. All the areas in which the show is lacking are addressed in the book. People remember the past, and struggle with addictions; people work together and slack off; most importantly for this story's realism in my eyes, the military actually lasts longer than a snowball in hell and winds up playing an important role in recovery efforts, rather than curling up and dying and/or doing as much damage as the zombies.
What is wonderful about the setting of this book is the acknowledgement that these people have gone through hell, hell is still just outside their walls, and while they're starting to try to rebuild it's still always with them. "Streams of normalcy interrupted by memories of loss." When a handful of the 198 survivors decide to seek oblivion rather than continue to live with all the varieties of hell that make up the new world, it makes sense – as well as those survivors who turn out to be scumbags eager to profit by others' desire for oblivion.
I'm not sure about the plausibility of "Two hundred thousand square feet" of drug store supplies still sitting untouched in its warehouse after eight years – but I think the point is that the speed of the events of the Apocalypse was such that no one ever got to it. I wish that had been made more evident.
The writing was absolutely enjoyable. Writing is more than putting a noun and a verb and whatever other parts of speech together in a sentence that makes sense; that's important, lord knows, but more vital to a story for it to be really enjoyable is the story-telling. Anyone can tell a story – but for it to be a story that anyone else wants to read there has to be an ability to present characters who are believable and (hopefully) likeable (or at least people a reader is willing to spend a few hours with), moving through a believable setting, with a past and a present and a future.
"… Weighed more than the two of them combined. Not much of it was fat — his build was more wall than pear."
And it's terrific that not only the author but the characters know their zombie lore (one of my very favorite lines: ).
I loved the character building throughout. From the IT tech introduced at the beginning of the book, whose POV we see through for most of it, to the kids who remember the pre-apocalyptic world only dimly if at all, they feel real. Setting was well done – I believed in the compound these survivors have fortified and made liveable over the past few years, and all the details of its security. If the world actually does go pear-shaped, one could do worse than to use this book as inspiration.
And to repeat what I said in my message to the author, the zombies in A Place Outside The Wild make the ones in The Walking Dead look like fuzzy little puppies. They were genuinely frightening.
"Charlie Mike…. Continue mission."
It never really bothered me that characters in, say, The Walking Dead had never heard of the walking dead before things fell apart, never saw a Caesar Romero movie or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – hey, if I can suspend disbelief enough to the ambulatory dead I can stretch it that much further. So I was surprised at how pleasant it was that these people used the "Z" word and knew pretty much right away that only a head shot would end them. And while I enjoy the beginning of the story as much as the next z-poc fan, I have always been fascinated by attempts at recovery, as pre-apocalypse supplies grow scarce. I may be one of the only people on earth who was interested in what's commonly called The Walking Dead's "Farmer Rick" phase at the jail, as crops were planted and pigs penned (poor pigs) and routines began to develop.
This book makes me wonder why more people don't take advantage of something like what AMC calls the most popular show on TV, and build on it. All the areas in which the show is lacking are addressed in the book. People remember the past, and struggle with addictions; people work together and slack off; most importantly for this story's realism in my eyes, the military actually lasts longer than a snowball in hell and winds up playing an important role in recovery efforts, rather than curling up and dying and/or doing as much damage as the zombies.
What is wonderful about the setting of this book is the acknowledgement that these people have gone through hell, hell is still just outside their walls, and while they're starting to try to rebuild it's still always with them. "Streams of normalcy interrupted by memories of loss." When a handful of the 198 survivors decide to seek oblivion rather than continue to live with all the varieties of hell that make up the new world, it makes sense – as well as those survivors who turn out to be scumbags eager to profit by others' desire for oblivion.
I'm not sure about the plausibility of "Two hundred thousand square feet" of drug store supplies still sitting untouched in its warehouse after eight years – but I think the point is that the speed of the events of the Apocalypse was such that no one ever got to it. I wish that had been made more evident.
The writing was absolutely enjoyable. Writing is more than putting a noun and a verb and whatever other parts of speech together in a sentence that makes sense; that's important, lord knows, but more vital to a story for it to be really enjoyable is the story-telling. Anyone can tell a story – but for it to be a story that anyone else wants to read there has to be an ability to present characters who are believable and (hopefully) likeable (or at least people a reader is willing to spend a few hours with), moving through a believable setting, with a past and a present and a future.
"… Weighed more than the two of them combined. Not much of it was fat — his build was more wall than pear."
And it's terrific that not only the author but the characters know their zombie lore (one of my very favorite lines: ).
I loved the character building throughout. From the IT tech introduced at the beginning of the book, whose POV we see through for most of it, to the kids who remember the pre-apocalyptic world only dimly if at all, they feel real. Setting was well done – I believed in the compound these survivors have fortified and made liveable over the past few years, and all the details of its security. If the world actually does go pear-shaped, one could do worse than to use this book as inspiration.
And to repeat what I said in my message to the author, the zombies in A Place Outside The Wild make the ones in The Walking Dead look like fuzzy little puppies. They were genuinely frightening.
"Charlie Mike…. Continue mission."
October 28, 2016
This is the way the world ends, with humans turning into zombies and hungering for the flesh of the survivors.
But... what happens next? You see, eight years after the world came to a shuddering halt, here we have survivors. More than that, the zombie threat has been fading away. Humanity has survived. So what is the next step? That's the starting point for Daniel Humphreys' humdinger of a tale set in an America many years after the plague that ravaged the globe.
A walled community has more or less come to terms with how to deal with the zombie threat - and faces threats from within its own walls as the need to bind together for day-to-day survival starts to drift into the kinds of things that people do when they start to become too bored, or when they start to snap under the constant strain. The community may just be becoming its own worst enemy.
Humphreys rattles through the action sequences here, and depicts the detail of the world of the survivors. There's something of a wealth of detail when it comes to military hardware - you'll find detailed descriptions of the guns on show for starters, and their loadout in terms of bullets, choice for penetration, types of scopes and so on. Whether that sways you for or against, be aware there's plenty of that. A lot is in context though of these hardened fighters and the tools they use to stay alive.
As the tale unfolds, the threats within the community come face-to-face with the re-emergence of the surviving US military presence, and perhaps, just perhaps, a solution to the zombie threat. But things are never that easy, as the zombie threat might not be fading away as much as people thought it was...
Humphreys has a good writing style - I think he crams in a few too many characters and definitely two or three too many subplots that could have been trimmed to give the book a better pace, but this is a good, solid read, and offers a refreshing new twist to the traditional zombie apocalypse tale. Well worth getting your teeth stuck into.
But... what happens next? You see, eight years after the world came to a shuddering halt, here we have survivors. More than that, the zombie threat has been fading away. Humanity has survived. So what is the next step? That's the starting point for Daniel Humphreys' humdinger of a tale set in an America many years after the plague that ravaged the globe.
A walled community has more or less come to terms with how to deal with the zombie threat - and faces threats from within its own walls as the need to bind together for day-to-day survival starts to drift into the kinds of things that people do when they start to become too bored, or when they start to snap under the constant strain. The community may just be becoming its own worst enemy.
Humphreys rattles through the action sequences here, and depicts the detail of the world of the survivors. There's something of a wealth of detail when it comes to military hardware - you'll find detailed descriptions of the guns on show for starters, and their loadout in terms of bullets, choice for penetration, types of scopes and so on. Whether that sways you for or against, be aware there's plenty of that. A lot is in context though of these hardened fighters and the tools they use to stay alive.
As the tale unfolds, the threats within the community come face-to-face with the re-emergence of the surviving US military presence, and perhaps, just perhaps, a solution to the zombie threat. But things are never that easy, as the zombie threat might not be fading away as much as people thought it was...
Humphreys has a good writing style - I think he crams in a few too many characters and definitely two or three too many subplots that could have been trimmed to give the book a better pace, but this is a good, solid read, and offers a refreshing new twist to the traditional zombie apocalypse tale. Well worth getting your teeth stuck into.
October 16, 2016
Biters, cannibals, infected, zoms.
He was eight years late for work, but Miles doubted there was anyone left to mind.
Z-Day when a terrible virus wiped out most of the population and turned them into zombies, has come and gone and now we are getting on for a decade down the line and those who survived are trying to rebuild what they can on salvage and self-sufficiency.
The vast majority of the book is not really that much of a zombie apocalypse book, it is much more a part of the Mad Max style post-apocalyptic genre, full of intense and intricate detail on exactly how people have set up their society and how it works. Yes, there are zombies and the odd zombie attacks, but mostly it is about people living in a post-civilisation world and the problems are more survival in a world without modern technology rather than fighting zombies - and the real enemies are not the zombies, but other people. Most of the story is about how the community has to deal with salvage gathering, theft, murder, drug dealers and disobedient children.
But the part that is zombie apocalypse, is pure hair-raising action and enough zombies to sate the appetite of any die-hard aficionado.
"In the small, still moments, we create our own demons.”
This book is well written, very well written, the language flows in the smooth way that makes reading effortless pleasure. The characters are complex and fully developed into believable and interesting people. The scene setting is in depth and the rationale for the existence of the zombies as it slowly unfolds to the reader, is one of the most intriguing I have come across.
So what is not to like? For me, it all boiled down to pace and the two things that got in the way of the story being told without really adding anything much to it in the process.
Firstly the amount of detail. The extreme in depth descriptions of how the community has set up comes over more like a survivalists handbook at times. The inevitable veneration and back slapping of military types took up a good few too many pages as well, hearing how tough they were and the kind of military hardware they had tucked away.
Secondly , the back stories - Stephen King summed it up: “The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.” The issue was not having the back story of one or two major characters laid out, it was having it for many of the characters, when it was often ultimately irrelevant to the story or their role in it. The plot would have progressed with greater zip if we had not heard about their childhood encounters or teenage romances. Even in the depths of a tense scene we get a multi-page discussion about how someone who is dead when they find her, might have died in a building years previously.
“Custom-made short-barreled 300 Blackout upper with an EOTech holographic sight. Troy free-float rail with a Surefire tactical light, AAC compact suppressor, and a MagPul vertical grip and adjustable stock."
Too much of the book, in my opinion, was taken up with telling us these irrelevancies about the past or going to town on the way the survivors now lived, with a few peaks of Something Actually Happening in between.
If the book had been perhaps a third - or even a half - as long, with all the extraneous detail edited away, it could have been up there with some of the finest zombie fiction. It is still a very good book and if you enjoy well founded and deeply described post-apocalyptic novels, with complex and interesting characters, this one will definitely appeal.
He was eight years late for work, but Miles doubted there was anyone left to mind.
Z-Day when a terrible virus wiped out most of the population and turned them into zombies, has come and gone and now we are getting on for a decade down the line and those who survived are trying to rebuild what they can on salvage and self-sufficiency.
The vast majority of the book is not really that much of a zombie apocalypse book, it is much more a part of the Mad Max style post-apocalyptic genre, full of intense and intricate detail on exactly how people have set up their society and how it works. Yes, there are zombies and the odd zombie attacks, but mostly it is about people living in a post-civilisation world and the problems are more survival in a world without modern technology rather than fighting zombies - and the real enemies are not the zombies, but other people. Most of the story is about how the community has to deal with salvage gathering, theft, murder, drug dealers and disobedient children.
But the part that is zombie apocalypse, is pure hair-raising action and enough zombies to sate the appetite of any die-hard aficionado.
"In the small, still moments, we create our own demons.”
This book is well written, very well written, the language flows in the smooth way that makes reading effortless pleasure. The characters are complex and fully developed into believable and interesting people. The scene setting is in depth and the rationale for the existence of the zombies as it slowly unfolds to the reader, is one of the most intriguing I have come across.
So what is not to like? For me, it all boiled down to pace and the two things that got in the way of the story being told without really adding anything much to it in the process.
Firstly the amount of detail. The extreme in depth descriptions of how the community has set up comes over more like a survivalists handbook at times. The inevitable veneration and back slapping of military types took up a good few too many pages as well, hearing how tough they were and the kind of military hardware they had tucked away.
Secondly , the back stories - Stephen King summed it up: “The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.” The issue was not having the back story of one or two major characters laid out, it was having it for many of the characters, when it was often ultimately irrelevant to the story or their role in it. The plot would have progressed with greater zip if we had not heard about their childhood encounters or teenage romances. Even in the depths of a tense scene we get a multi-page discussion about how someone who is dead when they find her, might have died in a building years previously.
“Custom-made short-barreled 300 Blackout upper with an EOTech holographic sight. Troy free-float rail with a Surefire tactical light, AAC compact suppressor, and a MagPul vertical grip and adjustable stock."
Too much of the book, in my opinion, was taken up with telling us these irrelevancies about the past or going to town on the way the survivors now lived, with a few peaks of Something Actually Happening in between.
If the book had been perhaps a third - or even a half - as long, with all the extraneous detail edited away, it could have been up there with some of the finest zombie fiction. It is still a very good book and if you enjoy well founded and deeply described post-apocalyptic novels, with complex and interesting characters, this one will definitely appeal.
October 1, 2018
The paperback is HUGE so I was kind of huffing when I got it from the library but it actually has big fonts (almost reader glasses less). Whew!
The story itself was okay. A village of survivors trying to survive. I don't know why there wouldn't be mandatory work details because it seemed at least half of the village just sat on their butts and the other half complained about it.
I don't know if I'm being sensitive but I didn't like that the lead council member was a busy-body, hysterical woman. I've been coming across that a lot lately. Writers can mix it up a little. There are guys that are idiots too.
The ending was strange to me in that I don't know how they can shore up everything with the massive destruction and the lack of supplies but they'll probably figure it out.
My library bought this per my recommendation. I'll see if they will order book #2 (if it even exists). 3-1/2 stars
The story itself was okay. A village of survivors trying to survive. I don't know why there wouldn't be mandatory work details because it seemed at least half of the village just sat on their butts and the other half complained about it.
I don't know if I'm being sensitive but I didn't like that the lead council member was a busy-body, hysterical woman. I've been coming across that a lot lately. Writers can mix it up a little. There are guys that are idiots too.
The ending was strange to me in that I don't know how they can shore up everything with the massive destruction and the lack of supplies but they'll probably figure it out.
My library bought this per my recommendation. I'll see if they will order book #2 (if it even exists). 3-1/2 stars
September 11, 2020
Everything you could ever want from a Zombie read. It's like the author took all of my favorite elements from FEED, World War Z and The Walking Dead. It feels at once familiar and yet takes enough left and right turns to keep things fresh.
I think the most important aspect is that this is never bleak. There's a sense of " we keep trying" to everything that happens and for a book about a Zombie apocalypse that's a feat.
I have already started on book two. I'm so happy I found this and cannot wait to devour the rest of the series.
I think the most important aspect is that this is never bleak. There's a sense of " we keep trying" to everything that happens and for a book about a Zombie apocalypse that's a feat.
I have already started on book two. I'm so happy I found this and cannot wait to devour the rest of the series.
September 27, 2020
The Short version:
Probably one of the best bits of zombie fiction I've experienced in a while. Go read it.
The long version:
Yes, I know what you are thinking to yourself here: "Merciful heavens, not another self-published zombie book." And I get it. Trust me. I thought the same things as I downloaded the sample for this book.
I was halfway through the sample when I bought the book.
This might be one of the best zombie books I've read. True, that's not the highest bar in the world (and if you've read some of the self-published zombie books out there, you know exactly what I am talking about), but A Place Outside the Wild clears that bar with room to spare. The characters are good and react in a way you would expect people to react (as compared to how a person in a horror movie would react), and the tension builds nicely until fecal matter hits the rotary propeller.
Not quite good enough for a 5-star rating, but a solid 4 star book.
Probably one of the best bits of zombie fiction I've experienced in a while. Go read it.
The long version:
Yes, I know what you are thinking to yourself here: "Merciful heavens, not another self-published zombie book." And I get it. Trust me. I thought the same things as I downloaded the sample for this book.
I was halfway through the sample when I bought the book.
This might be one of the best zombie books I've read. True, that's not the highest bar in the world (and if you've read some of the self-published zombie books out there, you know exactly what I am talking about), but A Place Outside the Wild clears that bar with room to spare. The characters are good and react in a way you would expect people to react (as compared to how a person in a horror movie would react), and the tension builds nicely until fecal matter hits the rotary propeller.
Not quite good enough for a 5-star rating, but a solid 4 star book.
September 17, 2016
Excellent zombie tale. You will not be disappointed in this book.
October 18, 2017
When zombies ravage cities and threaten to wipe mankind from the face of the earth, survivors band together to build a walled enclosure where they form a community. Some take on the dangerous job of scavenging for supplies outside their walls, others man the walls as sentries--watchful for trouble, some farm to provide food, and others find their place caring for members of their small piece of civilization. Can they outlast the zombie hordes?
It's that time of year: autumn leaves, pumpkin spice, and zombies! I'm going to stop saying that I don't normally read zombie fiction; after the twelfth time or so, I'm probably not believable. I've decided I like zombie stories if they're the upbeat mankind working together and watching after one another kind.
Also, this book and its sequel are on SALE at Amazon for just .99 each. Just in time for Halloween reading.
December 10, 2023
2.5 STARS
There's a good story here, but it's bogged down by so much unnecessary filler. There's way too many info dumps about guns and ammo, and then about random IT stuff, it really made the story drag and I found myself not that eager to get back to reading. A good editor could have whittled this down by a third and made a much tighter story.
There's a lot of characters, too many for me to keep track of, particularly when it came to the military characters, they all blended together.
The last 25% of the book finally stopped dragging, there was a lot going on and it kept me engaged.
The reveal of how the zombies came about was pretty far-fetched, but we're talking about zombies here so...
There's a good story here, but it's bogged down by so much unnecessary filler. There's way too many info dumps about guns and ammo, and then about random IT stuff, it really made the story drag and I found myself not that eager to get back to reading. A good editor could have whittled this down by a third and made a much tighter story.
There's a lot of characters, too many for me to keep track of, particularly when it came to the military characters, they all blended together.
The last 25% of the book finally stopped dragging, there was a lot going on and it kept me engaged.
The reveal of how the zombies came about was pretty far-fetched, but we're talking about zombies here so...
January 2, 2018
BRAVO!! The best a zombie book I have read in a long time! Real people turned survivor and heroes! The military did not come in and save the day. I was so engrossed into this story that when the helicopter pilot put on the speakers to distract zombies I actually played the music while reading. ..well written I even cried a little at the end!
September 15, 2016
Admittedly, I'm a bit biased as I served as a beta read for the author, who I don't know personally. My feedback to him was that it's as good as anything Stephen King has put out, and I'll stand by that. He develops the characters well; the villains are truly villainous, and the heroes are heroic. It’s a tale of zombies at loose in a destroyed world and a community of people trying to restore the world to order. They have the same problems as the old world; murder, drug use, and the like. Into this world comes a Marine LAV mounted patrol carrying a squad of SEALs on a secret mission. What I like about the book is the author’s desire to get it right, specific to the use of the military; both SEALS and the Marines in realistic ways. I told him when I read the book that he got it about 99% right and with my help, I’m a retired LTC, who spent a few years in the Marines; I hope he closed in on that last one %. I’m an author myself, and I do lots of reading and reviewing, and I believe Daniel’s book is one of the best that I’ve reviewed. It’s a long read, and I was surprised how it approached the territory of an impossible to put down read. Give it a chance and you won’t be disappointed.
August 1, 2017
World War Z meets Rot & Ruin
As a fan of zombies, I’ve recently begun to feel burnout from the glut of zombie entertainment in recent years. I’d heard good things about A Place Outside The Wild, author Daniel Humphreys’ debut novel, however, so when I had a little bit of down time I decided to check it out.
And despite this book’s size (it comes in at 628 pages!) I blew through it in only two days. Dan’s world building is logical, detailed, and interesting. And in a time where doing something new and interesting with zombies equals making them fast (or rage Zombies), he manages to bring something new to the table.
The book is reminiscent of both Max Brooks’ World War Z, and Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series, and that’s a good thing. Fans of those works should definitely give this one a try.
5 stars for an enjoyable read, and for breathing some new life (or perhaps undeath!) into an overdone genre.
As a fan of zombies, I’ve recently begun to feel burnout from the glut of zombie entertainment in recent years. I’d heard good things about A Place Outside The Wild, author Daniel Humphreys’ debut novel, however, so when I had a little bit of down time I decided to check it out.
And despite this book’s size (it comes in at 628 pages!) I blew through it in only two days. Dan’s world building is logical, detailed, and interesting. And in a time where doing something new and interesting with zombies equals making them fast (or rage Zombies), he manages to bring something new to the table.
The book is reminiscent of both Max Brooks’ World War Z, and Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series, and that’s a good thing. Fans of those works should definitely give this one a try.
5 stars for an enjoyable read, and for breathing some new life (or perhaps undeath!) into an overdone genre.
December 20, 2019
Major plot holes!
It started out great, then came the action. Without giving spoilers, electronic locks still have power after 8 years? One of the characters still has his employee ID after 8 years to unlock the door?? Too stupid
It started out great, then came the action. Without giving spoilers, electronic locks still have power after 8 years? One of the characters still has his employee ID after 8 years to unlock the door?? Too stupid
May 2, 2022
Finally got around to actually reading and it is a chore to read.
Many useless subplots, too many boring-useless characters with no backstory. I kept forgetting who was who because they were so bland.
Also switching between storylines in-chapter was a terrible idea.
Many useless subplots, too many boring-useless characters with no backstory. I kept forgetting who was who because they were so bland.
Also switching between storylines in-chapter was a terrible idea.
October 20, 2016
Enjoyable read. Highly recommended
Well written and follows a great plot line. Looking forward to another book from this author. Can't wait for more.
Well written and follows a great plot line. Looking forward to another book from this author. Can't wait for more.
October 10, 2020
dnf
Chapter 7 huge plot twist made me quit immediately. if you know something vastly important you tell people
Chapter 7 huge plot twist made me quit immediately. if you know something vastly important you tell people
November 16, 2017
Detailed worldbuilding (for epic fantasy) and limits of the science (for hard science fiction) can, in the hands of a skilled and careful storyteller, be a wonderful tool for creating and enhancing narrative tension. Heinlein does this masterfully with the space suit in Have Space Suit—Will Travel. Why do I mention this in a review about a zombie book? Because I’ve been saying for years that zombie fiction should focus more on the difficulty of survival itself, turning a zombie yarn into as much survival fiction as horror. That view is totally vindicated by A Place Outside the Wild, a zombie apocalypse book that uses such a focus to great effect.
The hero of our story is Miles, an IT guy working three jobs to get by when the zombie apocalypse hits. The setup is simple. What gets labeled the “Brazilian flu” sweeps the globe. Which means it passes like the flu. (Thank you! I’ve also been harping that without some sort of airborne virus, you might have zombies, but you won’t have an apocalypse.) About 10% of humanity is immune and about 10% die outright. The rest went into a coma after about 72 hours and woke up sometime later as zombies. And that was that. “Mankind went from zero to Mad Max in just shy of a freaking month.”
The smart move on Humphreys’ part is that, after that initial introduction, the story leaps forward eight years. And, for all that the zombies initially look very familiar, eight years down the line things start to get weird.
You wouldn’t think there would be much left to worry about eight years in. “No matter how infernal the engine behind its reanimation, at some point [human flesh] gives out.” And if you’re going to starve to death, you probably would have done it before year eight. Miles is living with a community of survivors on his uncle’s farm. Fences keep them safe from zombies, and with the help of biodiesel they have managed to keep enough heavy farm equipment running to lift themselves a notch above bare subsistence farming. That and scavenging runs have led to a rudimentary market.
Of course the first business is a bar. Hey, this is Indiana. They had plenty of pain to numb before the zombie apocalypse. More disconcerting, someone in the community is cooking meth. Miles is the sheriff (there is a limited demand for IT guys post-apocalypse) and his job gets much busier when he has to investigate not just the meth ring but also a murder. On top of that, the community is about to make its first contact with the outside world in years, and the zombies are starting to act in ways that zombies are not supposed to act.
And at the end of the day, it may only be an IT guy who can save everyone. (Look, this is fiction.)
It is a good setup, if not an extraordinarily inventive one. Humphreys shows craft in balancing his storylines. But the real craft is in his attention to detail. He takes great care with the details of guns, farming, and scavenging—all of it in service of cranking up the narrative tension. The big external threats are compounded by internal complications from everyone from ne’er-do-wells cooking meth, to community politicians who in our world would be turning an HOA into their private fiefdom, to the shirkers who show up in every commune.
Simply put, opportunists will always try to use external threats to their advantage. Miles, being one of the good guys, wants both food production and weapons storage as decentralized as possible. “It’s hard for a knight to lord over a peasant when the peasant can shoot him out of the saddle with a longbow.”
Miles isn’t Rambo so much as the sort of person who, when faced with hardship, reacts by shrugging and saying, “I have to.” (Which is really more farmer than IT guy, to be honest.) Miles is the main focus, but Humphreys uses several different POVs, giving us several heroes to root for. They face enough threats—internal and external—to keep themselves busy.
A Place Outside the Wild was a finalist for a Dragon Award last year, and deservedly so. I could say a lot more, because Humphreys does some really interesting things with the canon, but I don’t want to spoil anything. This is a story that features ordinary men and women acting heroically, some killer action scenes, and a great twist on zombies and the trigger for the apocalypse. It’s a story that takes its subject matter very seriously in a way that makes it a much better story. And it is a story about facing adversity with perseverance and hope. Did I mention the title of the sequel?
Disclosure: Humphreys sent me a review copy of A Place Outside the Wild.
The hero of our story is Miles, an IT guy working three jobs to get by when the zombie apocalypse hits. The setup is simple. What gets labeled the “Brazilian flu” sweeps the globe. Which means it passes like the flu. (Thank you! I’ve also been harping that without some sort of airborne virus, you might have zombies, but you won’t have an apocalypse.) About 10% of humanity is immune and about 10% die outright. The rest went into a coma after about 72 hours and woke up sometime later as zombies. And that was that. “Mankind went from zero to Mad Max in just shy of a freaking month.”
The smart move on Humphreys’ part is that, after that initial introduction, the story leaps forward eight years. And, for all that the zombies initially look very familiar, eight years down the line things start to get weird.
You wouldn’t think there would be much left to worry about eight years in. “No matter how infernal the engine behind its reanimation, at some point [human flesh] gives out.” And if you’re going to starve to death, you probably would have done it before year eight. Miles is living with a community of survivors on his uncle’s farm. Fences keep them safe from zombies, and with the help of biodiesel they have managed to keep enough heavy farm equipment running to lift themselves a notch above bare subsistence farming. That and scavenging runs have led to a rudimentary market.
Of course the first business is a bar. Hey, this is Indiana. They had plenty of pain to numb before the zombie apocalypse. More disconcerting, someone in the community is cooking meth. Miles is the sheriff (there is a limited demand for IT guys post-apocalypse) and his job gets much busier when he has to investigate not just the meth ring but also a murder. On top of that, the community is about to make its first contact with the outside world in years, and the zombies are starting to act in ways that zombies are not supposed to act.
And at the end of the day, it may only be an IT guy who can save everyone. (Look, this is fiction.)
It is a good setup, if not an extraordinarily inventive one. Humphreys shows craft in balancing his storylines. But the real craft is in his attention to detail. He takes great care with the details of guns, farming, and scavenging—all of it in service of cranking up the narrative tension. The big external threats are compounded by internal complications from everyone from ne’er-do-wells cooking meth, to community politicians who in our world would be turning an HOA into their private fiefdom, to the shirkers who show up in every commune.
Simply put, opportunists will always try to use external threats to their advantage. Miles, being one of the good guys, wants both food production and weapons storage as decentralized as possible. “It’s hard for a knight to lord over a peasant when the peasant can shoot him out of the saddle with a longbow.”
Miles isn’t Rambo so much as the sort of person who, when faced with hardship, reacts by shrugging and saying, “I have to.” (Which is really more farmer than IT guy, to be honest.) Miles is the main focus, but Humphreys uses several different POVs, giving us several heroes to root for. They face enough threats—internal and external—to keep themselves busy.
A Place Outside the Wild was a finalist for a Dragon Award last year, and deservedly so. I could say a lot more, because Humphreys does some really interesting things with the canon, but I don’t want to spoil anything. This is a story that features ordinary men and women acting heroically, some killer action scenes, and a great twist on zombies and the trigger for the apocalypse. It’s a story that takes its subject matter very seriously in a way that makes it a much better story. And it is a story about facing adversity with perseverance and hope. Did I mention the title of the sequel?
Disclosure: Humphreys sent me a review copy of A Place Outside the Wild.
June 13, 2017
When I made my Dragon Award nominations last week I promised a forthcoming book review for A Place Outside the Wild by Daniel Humphreys. Here that review is. As I've noted recently, I have not had the chance to read much fiction this year. I'm trying to catch up on that, and I've finally made some progress. I have several reviews forthcoming over the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out.
Full disclosure: Dan and I "attended" the same online writing class from Larry Correia, and we've participated in the same closed Facebook group that resulted from that class. He's also provided an excellent blurb for my upcoming novel, Post Traumatic Stress. With that said, these are my honest opinions on the book.
Let me also say this at the outset: this is a zombie book, and I'm not a particularly huge zombie fan. I like them OK. Sometimes. I'm definitely not big into the zombie craze that seems to have hit over the last decade or so. I love Shaun of the Dead. I kinda sorta enjoyed the "28 Days" movies. I've watched exactly one episode of The Walking Dead. It didn't do anything for me.
I don't particularly have anything against zombies. I just generally find them boring.
Also, I strongly dislike "science" zombies. I could write an entire post about this topic, but it largely boils down to the fact that most zombie writers aren't scientists and they get it all wrong.
This book is about science zombies.
With all of that said, I didn't like this book. I loved it. Dan had a steep hill to climb. He charged up it like a platoon of Marines, killed the defenders at the top, planted his flag, and did a little dance. I recommended this book for the Dragon Award in horror, and for good reason.
Dan has a humorous writing style that caught me from the beginning. The actual story, however, took just a little bit to warm up. But once it did, I didn't want to put the book down. I really enjoyed all of the characters, and reading about their struggles trying to cope with the new world around them. In particular, I enjoyed Pete the amputee sniper and Larry, the protagonist's father-in-law. And I enjoyed the way he wrote the children, which are difficult to get correct as a writer.
Another nice thing for a zombie book: this isn't actually an action story. There is action in it, and it's great. But it's actually more of a drama - a really good drama.
I may, however, have sweated just a tad from my eyeballs when the Marines showed up to save the day playing Guns N' Roses. But we'll never speak of that again.
Last, but not least, Dan provides an explanation for the science zombies that I can actually get behind. As I noted before, most zombie writers aren't scientists. Well, Dan isn't, either... but he's an IT guy. And I'll just say that that does give him the right background to understand what he's talking about here - at least enough to get me over the suspension of disbelief. Well done, Mr. Humphreys.
This is a first novel, and it does show a bit of roughness from that. But the strengths of the story easily outweigh that. It's an easy five out of five stars, and I'm very much looking forward to reading both the forthcoming sequel and his current new release, Fade. If you like Zombies, check this one out. Hell, even if you don't like zombies, check this one out. It's that good.
Full disclosure: Dan and I "attended" the same online writing class from Larry Correia, and we've participated in the same closed Facebook group that resulted from that class. He's also provided an excellent blurb for my upcoming novel, Post Traumatic Stress. With that said, these are my honest opinions on the book.
Let me also say this at the outset: this is a zombie book, and I'm not a particularly huge zombie fan. I like them OK. Sometimes. I'm definitely not big into the zombie craze that seems to have hit over the last decade or so. I love Shaun of the Dead. I kinda sorta enjoyed the "28 Days" movies. I've watched exactly one episode of The Walking Dead. It didn't do anything for me.
I don't particularly have anything against zombies. I just generally find them boring.
Also, I strongly dislike "science" zombies. I could write an entire post about this topic, but it largely boils down to the fact that most zombie writers aren't scientists and they get it all wrong.
This book is about science zombies.
With all of that said, I didn't like this book. I loved it. Dan had a steep hill to climb. He charged up it like a platoon of Marines, killed the defenders at the top, planted his flag, and did a little dance. I recommended this book for the Dragon Award in horror, and for good reason.
Dan has a humorous writing style that caught me from the beginning. The actual story, however, took just a little bit to warm up. But once it did, I didn't want to put the book down. I really enjoyed all of the characters, and reading about their struggles trying to cope with the new world around them. In particular, I enjoyed Pete the amputee sniper and Larry, the protagonist's father-in-law. And I enjoyed the way he wrote the children, which are difficult to get correct as a writer.
Another nice thing for a zombie book: this isn't actually an action story. There is action in it, and it's great. But it's actually more of a drama - a really good drama.
I may, however, have sweated just a tad from my eyeballs when the Marines showed up to save the day playing Guns N' Roses. But we'll never speak of that again.
Last, but not least, Dan provides an explanation for the science zombies that I can actually get behind. As I noted before, most zombie writers aren't scientists. Well, Dan isn't, either... but he's an IT guy. And I'll just say that that does give him the right background to understand what he's talking about here - at least enough to get me over the suspension of disbelief. Well done, Mr. Humphreys.
This is a first novel, and it does show a bit of roughness from that. But the strengths of the story easily outweigh that. It's an easy five out of five stars, and I'm very much looking forward to reading both the forthcoming sequel and his current new release, Fade. If you like Zombies, check this one out. Hell, even if you don't like zombies, check this one out. It's that good.
August 28, 2019
3+ stars. Before you get too carried away with my rating (without the chance for 1/2 star ratings, I still think 3 stars is a darn good rating, 4 is very very good and only the rarest of rare books gets a 5), please note the following:
- I read a lot of zombie books. They became my go-to genre of choice some 2+ years ago and I haven't looked back. I think they're just close enough to both sci-fi and naturally horror to be typically a great place to start when selecting your next read. They also give authors the chance to bring out the best and/or worst in their characters with an antagonist that pushes all the buttons you could ask for.
- Even so, I look for something unique in each new book I read. I think 'Z-Day 1' offers that but it takes a LONG time to get to it. Truly, the first 1/2 if not 2/3's of this book dragged considerably in some spots and even resembles more of an apocalyptic survival tale WITHOUT needing the zombies (survive the winter, construct the camp, scavenge for medicines, etc.). This isn't necessarily bad in this case as Humphreys obviously wanted to set up the characters, a great majority of whom have well-rounded and (un)sympathetic personalities. He also takes the time - thank the gods for this - to move beyond just a one-man perspective / show and create parallel story-lines that fit extremely well together, if not being always entirely believable (how could Pete have not reported his 'discovery' earlier? Ridiculous...). I'm thinking that he took as long as he needed simply to set up the next two books in the trilogy and - hopefully - that we'll be rewarded accordingly.
- I'm also not going to go too bonkers over the first CHAPTER in a story that is quite obviously going to take at least 3 books to play out. Which - again - is fine ... but good golly, let's make sure we get the next two right, ok? If it winds up being a 'Dean Koontz / Frankenstein' follow-up bomb, well, I'll flush it faster than those leftovers I just found in the back of the fridge. The fact that this first book was extremely affordable and the next two are available via Kindle Unlimited also earns a nod of thanks and kudos from the peanut gallery!
Having said all that, to be sure, I'll publicly state that "Z-Day 1" is definitely in the top half of the z-books I've read so far. No, not the best but still above that precarious line that separates the classics from the trash. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and if that isn't enough of a good note to end this review on, well, c'est la vie mon ami(e)!
- I read a lot of zombie books. They became my go-to genre of choice some 2+ years ago and I haven't looked back. I think they're just close enough to both sci-fi and naturally horror to be typically a great place to start when selecting your next read. They also give authors the chance to bring out the best and/or worst in their characters with an antagonist that pushes all the buttons you could ask for.
- Even so, I look for something unique in each new book I read. I think 'Z-Day 1' offers that but it takes a LONG time to get to it. Truly, the first 1/2 if not 2/3's of this book dragged considerably in some spots and even resembles more of an apocalyptic survival tale WITHOUT needing the zombies (survive the winter, construct the camp, scavenge for medicines, etc.). This isn't necessarily bad in this case as Humphreys obviously wanted to set up the characters, a great majority of whom have well-rounded and (un)sympathetic personalities. He also takes the time - thank the gods for this - to move beyond just a one-man perspective / show and create parallel story-lines that fit extremely well together, if not being always entirely believable (how could Pete have not reported his 'discovery' earlier? Ridiculous...). I'm thinking that he took as long as he needed simply to set up the next two books in the trilogy and - hopefully - that we'll be rewarded accordingly.
- I'm also not going to go too bonkers over the first CHAPTER in a story that is quite obviously going to take at least 3 books to play out. Which - again - is fine ... but good golly, let's make sure we get the next two right, ok? If it winds up being a 'Dean Koontz / Frankenstein' follow-up bomb, well, I'll flush it faster than those leftovers I just found in the back of the fridge. The fact that this first book was extremely affordable and the next two are available via Kindle Unlimited also earns a nod of thanks and kudos from the peanut gallery!
Having said all that, to be sure, I'll publicly state that "Z-Day 1" is definitely in the top half of the z-books I've read so far. No, not the best but still above that precarious line that separates the classics from the trash. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and if that isn't enough of a good note to end this review on, well, c'est la vie mon ami(e)!
July 11, 2017
I was extremely skeptical going into this book. I do not enjoy zombie stories at all, and this is clearly a zombie story. This sat in my kindle list for a few months without being touched, until I read the author's other book. That one was solid enough that I figured I'd give him a try here, so I sighed and started reading my least favorite genre.
This book is actually quite enjoyable. Take the zombie apocalypse, skip 8 years ahead, and then tell the story of humanity learning to deal with the psychological and cultural impact of having survived. This is a story of rebuilding and rediscovering, of humanity and their desperate need for belonging and security. Zombies just happen to be in the book. That's how I like my stories, exploration of human nature first, monsters second.
Not to say that this book lacks action: the action scenes are great. The author knows how to take you real quick from comfortable to gripping your chair with your fingernails, in a way that reminded me of the movie Signs. The last 10% of the book is such a frantic rush of nonstop burning action that you'd better hope you've got time set aside to read through it all, because you won't want to stop. And the action scenes are choreographed very well.
Characters grow quite a bit and are likable, villains are not cliched or vague, the setting is fleshed out and breathes with life, and the plot advances at a steady pace. Tension is maintained right up to the last sentence in the book, with no trailing off.
This book means that there are now two authors in the world I can stomach who write zombie books. This was well done and didn't spend the whole time just dwelling on "Hey look, gory zombies! I'm trendy!" The author actually put a lot of time into thinking it through and making his take on this genre unique and interesting enough that it felt new, and I was eager to learn more. Despite hating this genre, I can confidently recommend this book to anyone who loves a good action story which takes a real hard look at what it means to be human.
This book is actually quite enjoyable. Take the zombie apocalypse, skip 8 years ahead, and then tell the story of humanity learning to deal with the psychological and cultural impact of having survived. This is a story of rebuilding and rediscovering, of humanity and their desperate need for belonging and security. Zombies just happen to be in the book. That's how I like my stories, exploration of human nature first, monsters second.
Not to say that this book lacks action: the action scenes are great. The author knows how to take you real quick from comfortable to gripping your chair with your fingernails, in a way that reminded me of the movie Signs. The last 10% of the book is such a frantic rush of nonstop burning action that you'd better hope you've got time set aside to read through it all, because you won't want to stop. And the action scenes are choreographed very well.
Characters grow quite a bit and are likable, villains are not cliched or vague, the setting is fleshed out and breathes with life, and the plot advances at a steady pace. Tension is maintained right up to the last sentence in the book, with no trailing off.
This book means that there are now two authors in the world I can stomach who write zombie books. This was well done and didn't spend the whole time just dwelling on "Hey look, gory zombies! I'm trendy!" The author actually put a lot of time into thinking it through and making his take on this genre unique and interesting enough that it felt new, and I was eager to learn more. Despite hating this genre, I can confidently recommend this book to anyone who loves a good action story which takes a real hard look at what it means to be human.
February 7, 2022
This book was hard to read. I started it 3 times before I was able to complete it. Why? It's definitely not because of the story, I'm a fan of zombie movies after all. Let's just say I'm not particularly fond of how it was written.
I consider I have a very good level of English, but dang, there were parts I read and even though I understood the words, knew their meanings, I couldn't for the live of me make sense of the idea in my mind, I was unable to imagine what I was reading. I would say that I suffered because of the language up until the end. Probably it's just me but it lessened my enjoyment and I was about to drop it multiple times.
Regarding the story, it's a new idea I hadn't thought of. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the other 2 books, I would like to know how the story ends, maybe in in the not so distant future, you never know.
I consider I have a very good level of English, but dang, there were parts I read and even though I understood the words, knew their meanings, I couldn't for the live of me make sense of the idea in my mind, I was unable to imagine what I was reading. I would say that I suffered because of the language up until the end. Probably it's just me but it lessened my enjoyment and I was about to drop it multiple times.
Regarding the story, it's a new idea I hadn't thought of. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the other 2 books, I would like to know how the story ends, maybe in in the not so distant future, you never know.
April 7, 2020
A good read and nice take on Zombie fiction.
I liked this book a lot. It has a nice mixture of drama and action in it. The characters are fun to follow and feel realistic. It is a nice take on the Zombie genre and gives it a more realistic and less SciFi feel.
I am normally not a huge Zombie genre fan but decided to give this book a chance and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I was a quick moving book and had really good action sequences and when it hit the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down.
This is definitely a series that I will continue reading and see how the main characters and their community handles the next situation.
I liked this book a lot. It has a nice mixture of drama and action in it. The characters are fun to follow and feel realistic. It is a nice take on the Zombie genre and gives it a more realistic and less SciFi feel.
I am normally not a huge Zombie genre fan but decided to give this book a chance and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I was a quick moving book and had really good action sequences and when it hit the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down.
This is definitely a series that I will continue reading and see how the main characters and their community handles the next situation.
March 18, 2021
A very well written, refreshing spin on the tried and true zombie apocalypse. Exceptionally talented editing too, which is sorely lacking in the world of Kindle books, and very much appreciated. Where one star falls off this review is the sheer absurdities of what these zombies can do. Brilliant, problem-solving capabilities in a body that has been dead for 8 years? The ability to create spears as weapons of war? Really? I found these "advanced" zombies hard to believe in and took away a star for what I perceived as sheer ridiculousness of characters. Otherwise, I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to what book 2 brings...
May 10, 2017
The book briefly shows the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse then moves forward in time to show a community of several hundred people finding ways to survive. Several stories intertwine leading to a series of fights, a battle for survival and hints about the nature and origin of these "zombies" (which will apparently be addressed in later books in the series).
A first novel for the writer which shows a lot of polish and talent, enjoyed it a lot. Look forward to seeing where the story goes.
A first novel for the writer which shows a lot of polish and talent, enjoyed it a lot. Look forward to seeing where the story goes.
November 26, 2017
Better than the Walking Dead
If you think you know what the zombie apocalypse stories,are like, you're probably right. And this is a typical one. It's not your whiskey pecan ice cream zombie apocalypse, this is just plain old chocolate. But it's a darn fine one, goes down smooth, great flavour, and leaves you wantng more. No pointless nihilistic chalky aftertaste, either.
Great read. Off to buy the sequel!
If you think you know what the zombie apocalypse stories,are like, you're probably right. And this is a typical one. It's not your whiskey pecan ice cream zombie apocalypse, this is just plain old chocolate. But it's a darn fine one, goes down smooth, great flavour, and leaves you wantng more. No pointless nihilistic chalky aftertaste, either.
Great read. Off to buy the sequel!
February 28, 2018
Great Story!
I have indulged in quite a few post-apocalyptic books, not to mention post-apocalyptic zombie books in my time but this book (and series) is by far the best.
Solid story with a solid plot and an excellent array of characters brought it all together for me.
Looking forward to more from Mr. Humphries!
E
I have indulged in quite a few post-apocalyptic books, not to mention post-apocalyptic zombie books in my time but this book (and series) is by far the best.
Solid story with a solid plot and an excellent array of characters brought it all together for me.
Looking forward to more from Mr. Humphries!
E
January 17, 2023
A Better Zombie Book
It’s hard to separate the Trash from the Entertainment
So many reviews are 5 star for utter garbage
Is this book a 5 star classic? I’d say no
Is every basura book out there rated 4 or 5?
That seems to be the case
Is this a fun believable zombie book? Yes it is
Good enough to buy $$$ and I’m on kindle unlimited
It’s hard to separate the Trash from the Entertainment
So many reviews are 5 star for utter garbage
Is this book a 5 star classic? I’d say no
Is every basura book out there rated 4 or 5?
That seems to be the case
Is this a fun believable zombie book? Yes it is
Good enough to buy $$$ and I’m on kindle unlimited
October 23, 2025
I expected "Z Day Book 1" to be a typical zombie apocalypse story but it surprised me. The book was interesting with a lot of action. I liked the good characters, some more than others. As in all apocalyptic stories, there were people that were selfish, greedy, obnoxious, lazy and even a criminal psychopath.
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