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How do you go on living when you’re already dead?

The world has ended, yet a few places still cling to life, dragging out their final, dwindling moments until the last second. The United Kingdom is one of those places still left alive, but it is only a matter of time before it too is wiped from the face of the earth.

The Tar is coming, covering every inch of the globe. There is no escape.

It means the clock is ticking for Finn, who needs to find the monster that murdered his sister. The world might be over, but vengeance never dies.

By bestselling author, Iain Rob Wright, comes an apocalypse like no other. Follow a broken brother's vengeance as he seeks to kill a man who is already dead.

Title contains the new horror novella Tar by Iain Rob Wright, followed by an Author Showcase featuring short stories from several writers.

102 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

188 people are currently reading
368 people want to read

About the author

Iain Rob Wright

158 books1,822 followers
One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

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5 stars
160 (30%)
4 stars
174 (33%)
3 stars
135 (26%)
2 stars
38 (7%)
1 star
11 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl .
2,411 reviews80 followers
January 25, 2020
"Tar" was a short apocalyptic novella of one man's need for revenge as the last days of Earth were upon humanity. Or was it his need for redemption?
As with most end of the world settings, it was more than a tad depressing with the breakdown of society and humans reverting to animalistic behaviour. Man's inhumanity to man often being the feature of these tales. There was something more to this story though; bad people are capable of remarkably good deeds, the supposedly good are more than capable of base despicable acts and that evil will always remain inherently evil.
I don't know quite how I feel about Australia being the one who screwed the pooch on the world's end in this tale, but it certainly made for an amusing read for this Aussie.
I was a little disappointed in this offering from Iain Rob Wright in that only 50% of the book was the titular "Tar", with the balance being a collection of horror short stories from various authors.
The short stories were uneven in quality but there were a couple that were quite entertaining.
Profile Image for Andrew Lennon.
Author 81 books278 followers
September 18, 2016
Another great tale from Iain Rob Wright. This was a lot shorter than most of his works, quick readers could probably do it in one sitting.
I don't want to say much about the story as I don't like to give anything away. What I will say it that the ending took me by complete surprise!

It was also a pleasant surprise to find a handful of short stories in the back of the book from other authors as well. Some new names and some well known, such as Matt Shaw and Michael Bray.
All of these stories are very, very good. From the new names as well as the old.
Profile Image for WendyB .
665 reviews
February 15, 2017
Interesting end of the world story. It's brief but there is still some nice character development.
Profile Image for Alicia Huxtable.
1,910 reviews60 followers
March 12, 2021
Interesting and enjoyable. Definately not what I expected from this author.....again. Every book has thrown my expectations out the window. I find his books enjoyable and this one was no different.
Profile Image for Ozsaur.
1,029 reviews
December 3, 2017
How in the world did this novella deserve five stars? Maybe it was the little ray of hope in the midst of despair. Maybe it was the depth of characterization compressed into such a small space. Maybe it was the creative form of the apocalypse.

Nah, it was the way the story squeezed my heart right at the end.
22 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2020
Great horror story/stories!

Tar is a great horror story that keeps you going to the end. The short stories from other authors are great little nuggets that have you thinking, they reminded me of Tales of the Unexpected! Recommend this totally!
Profile Image for Kasia.
404 reviews329 followers
September 25, 2016
Finn, a brother on a suicidal revenge run to find the guy who killed his sister, an abandoned child, an abused dog and a brave woman. An unlikely group that forms a pack that dives into the last reaches of humanity. Witty and feisty, this story packs a punch while diving into the last of what’s left until tar eats everything on the planet. What do you choose as your last moment?

Iain is quite the master at manipulating mundane things into horror stories. An ooze like goo comes out of a failed science experiment and digest everything in its path… it consumers and makes all organic beings become a part of itself. There is no escape, just dwindling time and what is left of humanity that’s scrabbling to adjust to its own doom.

Tar is fun while being light on science explanation and focusing more on the human bond and how it causes us to reevaluate our last moments as an alien matter devours everything in it’s way; some spend it on revenge and puppy saving while others on power and collecting the most precious thing left, booze and flesh while an otherworldly substance consumes all.

This was surprisingly intelligent for its length and had plenty of wit while it packed a heck of an ending.

- Kasia S.
Profile Image for Thomas Hobbs.
914 reviews8 followers
September 4, 2016
Tar a success

This was a very good short story. It kept me in suspense and sad it was as short as it was. The other short stories were just as good. Didn't realize when I bought this book it was a collection of short stories.
Profile Image for Bookworm.
602 reviews32 followers
July 18, 2020
C

A revenge story during an apocalypse. Six countries form a scientific union experimenting in the Australian central outback on new technology. Unfortunately they create an ever-expanding blob/tar monster thing that absorbs everything it touches.

As his genitalia turned to thick sludge, Shepherd became nauseous. His body burned as his organs ceased operating—or disappeared completely.

It expands across the globe, the only safe haven being the sky, air travel. Finn and his family live in Ireland; Finn was a soldier for the IRA but returns home after hearing of his sister's death. This launches a revenge mission as Finn travels to England to get revenge on his sister's killer.

It was a great concept to have a revenge story running during an apocalypse. This is the very end of Earth's cycle as the tar has absorbed everything except the southern parts of the UK. The disaster is only briefly touched on as the focus is completely on Finn. On his adventure he finds some really dark things happening as the apocalypse brings out the true colours of humanity. There is pillaging and rampaging, everyone is looting anything they can find and blackmailing each other.

"The last job I did for my boss killed a girl about your age, Minty. Her name was Jenny. I tried to save her, but it made no difference. I see her face every time I close my eyes.” He started to cry.

Finn struggles with his own past actions and constantly questions his own morals throughout the book. We see how he is reminded of his work as a soldier in the world and does minor acts of good to try and convince himself he is better.

The action scenes are very brief and quickly resolved. There are 3 other side characters that come with Finn, but they seem to only have the purpose of developing the main character more. They were useless by the end of the book, I'm not sure how much they actually contributed to the story.

It was a hopeless tale that only took a day to read on my phone. Not sure I would recommend it but I have the rest of IRW's bibliography to go through so there has to be something good. :)
Profile Image for William Bitner Jr..
601 reviews34 followers
January 7, 2017
Just finished reading “Tar” by Iain Rob Wright. I know I sound like a recording when it comes to Iain’s books, but what can I say, he writes some fantastic stuff. This was a great Post-Apocalyptic/Horror/Thriller Novella. Novella being the only problem with this book, it ended way too soon. Something that Iain does so well is a story within a story within a story. The Tar is coming and the world is ending, but Finn, an ex IRA member, has to find the low life piece of crap who killed his sister and avenge her death. Along the way he meets some interesting characters, human and canine alike and has time to recollect on his past. Will he find the killer and end his life before the end of the world? It’s worth you time to read this gem and find out. Another great non stop, action packed adventure by Iain Rob Wright.

Synopsis: (from the back cover): How do you go on living when you’re already dead?

The world has ended, yet a few places still cling to life, dragging out their final, dwindling moments until the last second. The United Kingdom is one of those places still left alive, but it is only a matter of time before it too is wiped from the face of the earth.

The Tar is coming, covering every inch of the globe. There is no escape.

It means the clock is ticking for Finn, who needs to find the monster that murdered his sister. The world might be over, but vengeance never dies
Profile Image for Hailey Friesen.
15 reviews
April 21, 2021
It was a good book. I really enjoyed it, and I quite liked Finn's character development throughout the story. Interesting to take an end-0f-the-world setting and to drive a character to revenge, even though he knows everyone will die soon anyways. And to even turn him into a reluctant hero. Really great.
Now, I think I would've rated this higher if I hadn't put it down midway through because I got ahold of another book I was dying to read. I had thought I was just under halfway through this book at the time and while I was enjoying it, I also wasn't sure where it could possibly go from there because we were at the ending conflict and I didn't think it would take another 100 ish pages. Then when I picked it back up, I still didn't see how it could possibly continue from where I was at. As it turns out, I was right at the end, and the last half of the ebook was a Writer's Gallery featuring short works of other authors. I haven't read that whole section yet, but it was interesting and I appreciate that he was showcasing some other authors as well, I just didn't know that going into it and I would've just finished the last little bit of Tar I had left instead of putting it down for awhile.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,298 reviews9 followers
May 19, 2020
😊

Tar is coming. Tar will end the world and the last place surviving is the UK.
Vengeance is on the mind of Finley after learning his sister was brutally used and murdered. Knowing that everyone is going to die anyway he is still hell bent on making the man responsible pay regardless. Finley makes his mother a promise that before all their demise he will gain his vengeance. Once a Irish Separatist he has the skills to carry out his plan. On the road he meets several people that he tries to shake but for one reason or another he just can't. One said person is a boy named Minty. Minty was locked in a room starving and the boy just kept tagging along and when he learnt of Finleys murderous mission he made Finley promise he wouldn't kill his sister's murderer, Dom. But why would this strange little boy ask such a thing from him?

Really enjoyed this story, typical Iain Rob Wright. Flowed well with plenty action and mind games galore. Nice wee twist near the end that I just wasn't expecting.

Bonus material from various other authors too that I will be looking more into as not a bad story in the collection especially when I thought I was only getting one 🙌.
Profile Image for Aiden | bookrot.bby.
51 reviews
August 6, 2025
The world has ended, yet a few places still cling to life, dragging out their final moments until the last dwindling seconds. The United Kingdom is one of those places, but it is only a matter of time before it too is wiped from the face of the Earth, The Tar is coming… that means that time is running out for ex Irish Separatist, Finley, to find the monster that brutally killed his sister and left her on her family home front doorstep, naked and broken.

A few solid bursts of tension and a steady dribble of action kept things moving, even if the pacing felt a little slow at times. The emotional payoff at the end worked well, offering a satisfying and emotional close to the journey. That said, the core concept - a mysterious black tar consuming the world - felt a bit odd and under-explained. It was hard to fully connect with the threat when its nature wasn’t clearly grounded, maybe that’s just me and my brain though. Still, there’s enough suspense and heart here to keep fans of apocalyptic horror intrigued - it was my first apocalyptic read. I’m not sure how quick I’ll be to start reading any other books in this apocalyptic set, but we’ll see!
Profile Image for Carolyn Injoy.
1,240 reviews146 followers
September 4, 2018
Tar: An apocalyptic horror novella by Iain Rob Wright is a compelling story about the development of an expensive science facility in Australia. It was called the Oceanic Science Collider, OSC.

After the experiment was halted, Shepherd said: "We'll assess things and see where we stand, but there is no reason to lose heart. No scientist ever walked a straight path to discovery. Humanity's destiny has always been a meandering zig-zag. Each obstacle in the road gives us a tiny glimpse at the mysteries of our world--and how to overcome them." I gave it four stars because I found it intriguing. It was a well-written story.

Finn returned home to discover that his sister, Marie had been beaten to death. He was ready for vengeance.

I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
1 review
Want to read
January 21, 2020
Came across this by chance having been self-indulgently Google-ing my own name - Iain Tarr - I've been after something different to read other than the Waterstones recommended and best selling. Would anyone be able to give an idea as to this authors style of writing? I pass most of my read books onto a friend with dyslexia and a short attention span, if it doesn't flow or a chapter isn't a page turner I will receive a mouthful of abuse, and they'll think that I've been mocking their reading ability. My friend is 42 and has only been diagnosed with dyslexia in the last 4 years, it's been hard for them as this has held them back throughout their adult life and so many opportunities have been lost. Sorry for details, my friend enjoys Dan Brown having said he enjoys the page turning chapter endings and the writing is not condescending.
Profile Image for Kim.
2,736 reviews14 followers
September 20, 2017
Setting: London, UK. Former IRA 'soldier' Finn leaves Ireland and travels to his family home in London in the aftermath of his sister's murder. Finn is set on revenge, to find and kill the person who murdered his sister, but, at the same time, the end of the world is nigh. The UK is the last bastion of civilization as a creeping tide of a tar-like substance, originating in Australia, has consumed the rest of the world - people, animals, buildings, oceans. Partly reminiscent of Nevil Shute's 'On the Beach', this is a grim but well-written tale of revenge set against a background of the ultimate apocalypse - 9/10.
Profile Image for Mark Woods.
Author 15 books26 followers
February 5, 2020
It’s a no, ta for me.

I’m a pretty big fan of Iain Rob Wright and have easily enjoyed over 2/3 of the stuff of his that I have read, but this one was just not for me.
It failed to entice me and I really struggled to get through it. There really was not much redeeming about this.
It is a bleak, post-apocalyptic tale that I guess is supposed to be like The Road, but seeing as I didn’t like that book either it is probably little wonder I didn’t enjoy this.
It’s a no, ta from me I’m afraid.
4 reviews
April 20, 2020
Interesting

I recently discovered Ian Wright. So far I've found his stories have held my interest during this covid-19 2020 quarantine. After reading Seasick, I decided to read all his books. Getting the order right was the only really irritating thing so far. I've been pleased with the editing because so many Kindle Unlimited books have tons of typos and structral errors that stop me dead in my tracks. Tar did not. Tar was an unexpected delight. I was expecting zombies and got World Ending Grey Sludge. I loved it! Good concept... good plot...loved the twist! Good job!
Profile Image for Julie Powell.
Author 72 books324 followers
February 10, 2021
I was given this book and though it was unlike other stories by this author, in some ways, it was thought-provoking and brimmng with meaning.

It was the end of everything, scientists had finally destroyed the world, but this story was about far more - redemption in an unusual way.

This tale blurred the lines between good and evil and highlighted those grey areas...I don't want to spoil it for others. Humans are complicated and this story explores this.

It's not an easy subject, however, I still think it worth reading, so to force thoughts otherwise lost.

Recommended.
Profile Image for Ami.
2,407 reviews14 followers
July 20, 2018
As with every other Iain Rob Wright tale, Tar is gripping, terrifying, well-written and, in this case, entirely too possible. I enjoyed it very much. I also found that even though Tar is a novella, the characters are well-rounded and pulled on my emotions. I have a lot of sympathy and empathy for the three primary players.
117 reviews2 followers
June 9, 2019
Everybody dies

I love this author. This is a short novella. Just the right amount of character development. It doesn't bog down. Stays interesting. This is the 3rd book I've read by this author. Now I'm about to read another one. Lain Robert Wright has reminded me I enjoy reading great horror books. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Profile Image for Kay.
1,722 reviews18 followers
August 4, 2019
Iain Rob Wright at his best. Yes the tar is enveloping the world, destroying everything in it's path but this isn't about the tar. This is about Finn seeking to gain revenge before the end of the world, the world being parts of England, Wales and Ireland, as the rest is now tar. About the people he interacts with on this journey. A highly satisfactory novella.

Ray Smillie
Profile Image for Deedra.
3,932 reviews40 followers
November 16, 2019
Audible:This was a good story.I enjoyed it for as much as it could be enjoyed.It's the end of the world but there are still a few people trying to do something good. Nigel Peever was an excellent narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 
58 reviews4 followers
March 9, 2020
Great shorty.....

Tar was a different read for me. Not quite as horror filled as the title suggests, but a good story none the less. To be quite frank I was in tears at the very end. I won't give anything away but I think it is worth the time.
The other shorts afterwards were icing on the cake.
Profile Image for Andre.
272 reviews13 followers
April 11, 2020
Even though the concept is very intriguing, the fact that the world is on a collision course with its final destiny does make it very hard to feel any sympathy for characters that are simply not going to make it. Michael Stipe's legendary lyrics come to mind: "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."
Profile Image for Tracy Halls.
218 reviews5 followers
April 3, 2022
brilliant with added bonus of short stories too

Really enjoyed this, something completely different and thought provoking!
Excellent characters, well written and kept you interested!
Loved the short stories from other authors included too, some are authors i regularly read but others are new to me and I will be checking out more of their work
Profile Image for Jessica.
413 reviews12 followers
June 16, 2024
I liked this! It was a good short story about the evil in the world and have it manifests during the end.

The main character was a speck of light left in the world, even if he wasn’t exactly good.

The ending left me wanting more, so I might have to go back and read the first two books in the series now.
29 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2017
Excellent

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters and it was a really good story, a bit different to the usual apocalypse style books. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
70 reviews
June 21, 2018
This guy is awesome

This guy has a great imagination it shows in his writings. I have not read a book by him that I didn’t like. Much like Stephen King and several other horror writers he’s top notch.
Profile Image for Sammie.
52 reviews
September 13, 2019
Not my favourite

Ive read quite a few of authors books n ive enjoyed them but i didnt particularly like this one, guessed the twist at the beginning of the book and although not bad for a novella feel it lacks something. Wouldn't have paid for this had i known.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews

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