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Kaiju Winter #1
Kaiju Winter
Im Yellowstone Park bricht ein Supervulkan aus, der Nordamerika ins Chaos stürzt und den Rest der Welt in Panik versetzt.
Doch was aus der Asche steigt, ist noch viel schrecklicher als der Vulkanausbruch selbst:
KAIJU!
Doch was aus der Asche steigt, ist noch viel schrecklicher als der Vulkanausbruch selbst:
KAIJU!
333 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2014
39 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Jake Bible
157 books366 followersJake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror, sci/fi, thriller, and adventure tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.
Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.
Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.
Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.
Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 31, 2016
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2016/07/...
The premise of Kaiju Winter is fairly straightforward; Yellowstone is about to erupt. Seeing as it is a super volcano, everyone in the immediate area and most of the United States population for that matter is getting the hell out of Dodge. So even though the volcano has been building up closer to the point of eruption for weeks, a little town that is still within spitting distance of it is just now evacuating for some reason. This is where our craziness begins.
There is a psychotic FBI agent who has abandoned his post to track someone to the town. And the word “psychotic” can be used with its dictionary definition here; this guy was probably the kid in school that kept dead animals in his locker. You obviously have the person hiding from this guy to add to our character list and the rest of the cast is filled out by the town sheriff, a convict who is being transported, a volcanologist, a U.S. soldier, the president of the United States, and a few yahoos who think the super volcano is the biblical End of Times. Everyone else is a nameless townie who becomes quick cannon fodder once the real threat shows up, the monsters.
Now, there are really two ways to do a monster story (usually in movie format). You can do it the Eastern way (i.e. Godzilla, Gamera, etc.) where there is one or two monsters that usually end up fighting are the stars of the show. We will call this first type of film a Kaiju movie, given the word’s Eastern origins. Then you have the Western way (a la King Kong) with a singular giant monster or a swarm of smaller monsters that man must fight against. This is just a Giant Monster film. Kaiju Winter is not a Kaiju story; there are multiple types of kaiju in the book with literal swarms of most of them.
One of the gripes with this book is that the monsters are not given very much description. Like, one of the monster species can fly and is pretty much just described as a “flying monster”. Well, what does it really look like? Are we talking Tweety Bird on steroids or a pterodactyl? Most of the monsters in the book are given just a barebones description that lets you fill in the blanks with your imagination more than anything else. The other issue was the impossible size of some of the monsters. Yes, most giant monster movies feature an animal that is too large to really exist and we just roll with it. But whereas Godzilla or King Kong on a few hundred feet tall some of the monsters in Kaiju Winter are thousands of feet tall. The descriptions given make it sound like some of these things have their heads sticking out into the stratosphere when they stand up straight.
The other thing was that the human characters had virtually no important interactions with the monsters. That is not to say the monsters are not a threat to the characters, they certainly are, but they were more like something that was just in the way than a true antagonistic force. Ultimately it is the U.S. military that actually gets stuff done as far as ending the threat goes; these characters are just the people who happened to be in the area and lived (mostly). For a book with “kaiju” in the title, Kaiju Winter just does not get the job done.
The premise of Kaiju Winter is fairly straightforward; Yellowstone is about to erupt. Seeing as it is a super volcano, everyone in the immediate area and most of the United States population for that matter is getting the hell out of Dodge. So even though the volcano has been building up closer to the point of eruption for weeks, a little town that is still within spitting distance of it is just now evacuating for some reason. This is where our craziness begins.
There is a psychotic FBI agent who has abandoned his post to track someone to the town. And the word “psychotic” can be used with its dictionary definition here; this guy was probably the kid in school that kept dead animals in his locker. You obviously have the person hiding from this guy to add to our character list and the rest of the cast is filled out by the town sheriff, a convict who is being transported, a volcanologist, a U.S. soldier, the president of the United States, and a few yahoos who think the super volcano is the biblical End of Times. Everyone else is a nameless townie who becomes quick cannon fodder once the real threat shows up, the monsters.
Now, there are really two ways to do a monster story (usually in movie format). You can do it the Eastern way (i.e. Godzilla, Gamera, etc.) where there is one or two monsters that usually end up fighting are the stars of the show. We will call this first type of film a Kaiju movie, given the word’s Eastern origins. Then you have the Western way (a la King Kong) with a singular giant monster or a swarm of smaller monsters that man must fight against. This is just a Giant Monster film. Kaiju Winter is not a Kaiju story; there are multiple types of kaiju in the book with literal swarms of most of them.
One of the gripes with this book is that the monsters are not given very much description. Like, one of the monster species can fly and is pretty much just described as a “flying monster”. Well, what does it really look like? Are we talking Tweety Bird on steroids or a pterodactyl? Most of the monsters in the book are given just a barebones description that lets you fill in the blanks with your imagination more than anything else. The other issue was the impossible size of some of the monsters. Yes, most giant monster movies feature an animal that is too large to really exist and we just roll with it. But whereas Godzilla or King Kong on a few hundred feet tall some of the monsters in Kaiju Winter are thousands of feet tall. The descriptions given make it sound like some of these things have their heads sticking out into the stratosphere when they stand up straight.
The other thing was that the human characters had virtually no important interactions with the monsters. That is not to say the monsters are not a threat to the characters, they certainly are, but they were more like something that was just in the way than a true antagonistic force. Ultimately it is the U.S. military that actually gets stuff done as far as ending the threat goes; these characters are just the people who happened to be in the area and lived (mostly). For a book with “kaiju” in the title, Kaiju Winter just does not get the job done.
February 2, 2018
Great read! I like the characters Jake Bible creates, they all have unique voices. And the plot, over the top! He has a way of making the unreal seem terrifyingly real. This book is full of atmosphere and mystery, it just pulls you in. If you are looking for a story about titanic abominations decimating the earth, look no further! I wanted more of a resolution to this story but I'm excited to read the next book in the series.
March 23, 2021
I loved this book! Now off to read the next book in series!
Read
May 30, 2018Couldn't finish. I like a LOT of Bible's work, but not this one.
July 25, 2014
Remember those ridiculously wonderful films spewed by Roger Corman and his cohorts? I don’t mean the films based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe—those had decent production values, known stars, and real scripts. No, I mean the black & white quickies of the Fifties and Sixties that were shot more on the fly than from an actual script. They were about monsters, disasters and the end of the world, but they were also about bank robbers, escaped prisoners, self-important politicos, maniacs on the loose, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and rebellious teens. In many ways, “Kaiju Winter” reminds me of a Cormanesque quick-flick: there are monsters vomiting from a vast pit, an erupting super volcano and portents of the end of the world as we know it, but there’s also an escaped prisoner, self-important politicos, a maniac on the loose, an outlaw militia gang, and a rebellious teen…if there were any bank robbers, they were probably one of the smears on the highway after the huge beasts went stomping through.
I’ve avoided using the Japanese word “kaiju” relative to the monsters contained in this book, and not without reason. Though this novel was inspired by the author’s obvious love of the kaiju genre (at one point, some of the author’s avatars have a protracted debate about why these new guys are nothing like Godzilla) it ignores some very important conventions that make Japanese monster films quite unlike their Western counterparts. In a kaiju film, the monsters are the true stars, more individual and dynamic than the human actors, but here there are too many monsters—none stand out, none have personalities, and none have names. Think of any Kaiju film and names come flying at you—Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, Rodan, Barugon, King Gidorah, Biollante, etc. In “Kaiju Winter,” we’re presented with flying monsters, walking monsters, crawling monsters, stomping monsters, gas-guzzling monsters, french-kissing monsters, and the impossibly huge monster that never quite makes it out of the pit before the cliffhanging end, but as far as being named individuals with discernable personalities we might as well be looking at the crowd in Times Square on New Years Eve. So, as a “kaiju novel” it does pose problems for me; on the other hand, as a fast-paced action-packed adrenalin-fueled butt-kicking novel chockfull of monsters and desperate characters in search of an exit it succeeds nicely. Very nicely indeed.
The other issue I have with the novel is the narrative voice, which is third person present tense. I realize it is a modern story-telling device, very trendy, very popular, but not one I am at all enamored of. Readers totally unwilling to overlook the problems that such a narrative technique engenders might do well to give the book a pass. However, I am more than willing to set aside my literary biases when faced with superb story-telling skills, intense characterization, machine-gun dialogue and well-written scenarios. For all of Jake Bible’s literary flaws (he is obsessed with one-liners, jokes of dubious value, and over-the-top profanity and gory action) he is an excellent scenarist with the ability to suspend the readers’ disbelief to an unbelievable degree.
The ending of the novel is excessively abrupt, like hitting the brakes, deploying the chute and firing all retro-rockets on a hurtling jet-sled, and despite the author’s claims, it is indeed a cliffhanger ending. He does everything but flash a to-be-continued sign at the end. That being said, however, I’m very much a fan of the old movie serials, especially those produced by Republic Studios, which was known as “the thrill factory,” so I don’t necessarily see this as a detriment, and like the serials of old very much an incentive to return and see how things come out. Besides, many of the personal plotlines that started the book are wound up by the end, so perhaps it’s appropriate to set the next stage of the kaiju invasion (named or not, they are marvelous monsters) against a new set of personal plotlines…maybe in the next book the bank robbers will make it in time for the party.
I’ve avoided using the Japanese word “kaiju” relative to the monsters contained in this book, and not without reason. Though this novel was inspired by the author’s obvious love of the kaiju genre (at one point, some of the author’s avatars have a protracted debate about why these new guys are nothing like Godzilla) it ignores some very important conventions that make Japanese monster films quite unlike their Western counterparts. In a kaiju film, the monsters are the true stars, more individual and dynamic than the human actors, but here there are too many monsters—none stand out, none have personalities, and none have names. Think of any Kaiju film and names come flying at you—Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, Rodan, Barugon, King Gidorah, Biollante, etc. In “Kaiju Winter,” we’re presented with flying monsters, walking monsters, crawling monsters, stomping monsters, gas-guzzling monsters, french-kissing monsters, and the impossibly huge monster that never quite makes it out of the pit before the cliffhanging end, but as far as being named individuals with discernable personalities we might as well be looking at the crowd in Times Square on New Years Eve. So, as a “kaiju novel” it does pose problems for me; on the other hand, as a fast-paced action-packed adrenalin-fueled butt-kicking novel chockfull of monsters and desperate characters in search of an exit it succeeds nicely. Very nicely indeed.
The other issue I have with the novel is the narrative voice, which is third person present tense. I realize it is a modern story-telling device, very trendy, very popular, but not one I am at all enamored of. Readers totally unwilling to overlook the problems that such a narrative technique engenders might do well to give the book a pass. However, I am more than willing to set aside my literary biases when faced with superb story-telling skills, intense characterization, machine-gun dialogue and well-written scenarios. For all of Jake Bible’s literary flaws (he is obsessed with one-liners, jokes of dubious value, and over-the-top profanity and gory action) he is an excellent scenarist with the ability to suspend the readers’ disbelief to an unbelievable degree.
The ending of the novel is excessively abrupt, like hitting the brakes, deploying the chute and firing all retro-rockets on a hurtling jet-sled, and despite the author’s claims, it is indeed a cliffhanger ending. He does everything but flash a to-be-continued sign at the end. That being said, however, I’m very much a fan of the old movie serials, especially those produced by Republic Studios, which was known as “the thrill factory,” so I don’t necessarily see this as a detriment, and like the serials of old very much an incentive to return and see how things come out. Besides, many of the personal plotlines that started the book are wound up by the end, so perhaps it’s appropriate to set the next stage of the kaiju invasion (named or not, they are marvelous monsters) against a new set of personal plotlines…maybe in the next book the bank robbers will make it in time for the party.
August 3, 2016
Insane characters. Destruction on an epic level. Rednecks. It was a quick and fun read.
December 20, 2020
Supervulkan, Monster...der Weltuntergang könnte nicht brutaler sein!
Der Titel hat mich sehr neugierig gemacht und da mich Dystopien und Weltuntergangsszenarien makaberer Weise faszinieren, kam ich um das Buch nicht drumherum. Die Schreibweise und der Erzählstil sind anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber man gewöhnt sich schnell daran und ist schnell mitten in der Handlung. Durch die dann aufkommende Spannung mit ihren Wendungen, Überraschungen und ausgiebiger Action, ist man zusätzlich noch ans Buch gefesselt. Die Handlung ist einfach, aber sehr genial umgesetzt und ausgebaut worden. Vieles mag nicht ganz realistisch sein, aber es ist ja nun mal das Recht der künstlerischen Freiheit. Noch dazu geht es hier nicht nur um das bevorstehende Ende der Welt an sich, auch auf das Zwischenmenschliche wird eingegangen, was die Protagonisten gleichgesetzt mit Vulkan und Monstern in den Vordergrund setzt. Die Charaktere sind auf ihre Art und Weise sympathisch, selbst den Häftling kann man sich nicht mehr so schnell aus der Gruppe wegdenken.
Die aufkommenden Theorien bezüglich der aufgetauchten Monstern, was genau sage ich hier nicht wegen der möglichen Spoilergefahr, finde ich genial und faszinierend. Da kann sich die Menschheit warm anziehen. Und dann kam auch noch der dicke Cliffhanger am Ende, der wieder alles ändert und das letzte bisschen Hoffnung zu nichte machen droht...
Das Buch ist wirklich rasant, voller schwarzem Humor, super Protagonisten und viel, viel Action, Spannung und Gemetzel. Wirklich ein lohnende Zeitvertreib.
Der Titel hat mich sehr neugierig gemacht und da mich Dystopien und Weltuntergangsszenarien makaberer Weise faszinieren, kam ich um das Buch nicht drumherum. Die Schreibweise und der Erzählstil sind anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber man gewöhnt sich schnell daran und ist schnell mitten in der Handlung. Durch die dann aufkommende Spannung mit ihren Wendungen, Überraschungen und ausgiebiger Action, ist man zusätzlich noch ans Buch gefesselt. Die Handlung ist einfach, aber sehr genial umgesetzt und ausgebaut worden. Vieles mag nicht ganz realistisch sein, aber es ist ja nun mal das Recht der künstlerischen Freiheit. Noch dazu geht es hier nicht nur um das bevorstehende Ende der Welt an sich, auch auf das Zwischenmenschliche wird eingegangen, was die Protagonisten gleichgesetzt mit Vulkan und Monstern in den Vordergrund setzt. Die Charaktere sind auf ihre Art und Weise sympathisch, selbst den Häftling kann man sich nicht mehr so schnell aus der Gruppe wegdenken.
Die aufkommenden Theorien bezüglich der aufgetauchten Monstern, was genau sage ich hier nicht wegen der möglichen Spoilergefahr, finde ich genial und faszinierend. Da kann sich die Menschheit warm anziehen. Und dann kam auch noch der dicke Cliffhanger am Ende, der wieder alles ändert und das letzte bisschen Hoffnung zu nichte machen droht...
Das Buch ist wirklich rasant, voller schwarzem Humor, super Protagonisten und viel, viel Action, Spannung und Gemetzel. Wirklich ein lohnende Zeitvertreib.
June 25, 2024
I reached 37% of "Kaiju Winter" before I had to give up. Everything about this novel feels generic. The characters are essentially just names without any real development or personality, with the possible exception of Linder. Even the creatures, up to the point where I stopped, lack any meaningful description; we only know they're gigantic. The majority of the text is comprised of dialogue. You might hope these dialogues would be clever or engaging, but they're rather childish, and all characters seem to speak in the same voice. Considering the intriguing premise, it's disappointing that it fell so flat for me. Unfortunately, this one is a big no from me.
November 25, 2019
The book started out in a regular direction, characters with family issues, super volcano ready to blow, some gov't involvement thrown in. But then took a nice turn into the Kaiju story and different levels of monsters feeding one one another. What I did not expect was after the apparent end of the adventure they discover this was probably the beginning of a fight with the Kaijus. I look forward to book #2.
December 8, 2024
I really like Jake Bible. This was a fun book but I really like his Mega series better. I love his characters in his more recent writing. This book is filled with of massive monsters with some great twists. Especially love the ones that guzzle diesel like its water. Now its off to find the other books in the series as I am fully invested.
January 17, 2018
I liked the book. It was really fun and lots of excitement. The story line needs to develop a little more but this is the first novel of four so there is much to look at. I would like to note that this is a Kaiju novel but not about one particular Kaiju. Cant wait for the next installment
April 15, 2018
A GREAT TALE OF HUGE THINGAMAJIGS IT IS.....
Hello, this story was great. You know what made it great for me. Well, I'll tell ya. 2 characters out of the whole story changed it from a 4 to 5. I wonder if anyone can guess who they were? Thanks.
Hello, this story was great. You know what made it great for me. Well, I'll tell ya. 2 characters out of the whole story changed it from a 4 to 5. I wonder if anyone can guess who they were? Thanks.
April 26, 2019
Unbelievable
This book contains it all. Volcano, crazy FBI people, angry grandma, GI Joe aka marines, navy seals, over inflated president, out wearded scientists, and monsters. I loved it. The only thing missing is zombies and ET.
This book contains it all. Volcano, crazy FBI people, angry grandma, GI Joe aka marines, navy seals, over inflated president, out wearded scientists, and monsters. I loved it. The only thing missing is zombies and ET.
August 25, 2017
Too much foul language made this book a turn off for me.
July 31, 2018
A Sy-Fy Saturday movie in print. Lots of fun and perfect for the summer
February 6, 2019
A bit mixed about this book. It couldn't really hold my interest yet i found myself engaged in some of the passages because the dialogue and action was fun and over the top.
February 8, 2020
I was hoping for something more. I love Godzilla and monster movies but it didn’t translate to the written word.
December 27, 2022
I was expecting this to be okay, kind of dumb, but it turned out to be really engaging and a fun read!
February 17, 2017
Pretty darn good read.
It's got a good concept. I enjoyed the book. Wasn't quite as good as Nemesis, but still good. Reading second book now.
It's got a good concept. I enjoyed the book. Wasn't quite as good as Nemesis, but still good. Reading second book now.
August 28, 2016
This summer has been the summer of kaiju novels. Outside of my more academic stuff that I read and write, I find these novels a nice little breath of fresh air. Something to breeze through when I don't feel like wasting time in-front of a screen. Despite enjoying them, I still am on the hunt for that one kaiju novel that simply outshines the rest. Unfortunately, Kaiju Winter isn't that book.
Kaiju Winter is a book that falls just south of being average. It is straight-forward to the point of fault. There aren't any surprises or twists. And despite the author's interjection after the book, there isn't any big cliffhangers. Characters are predictable, the action is laid out simply, and it ends more or less how it began.
Despite it being just average on almost all regards, it does do one thing incredibly effectively and that is pacing. It is extremely well paced and the action; even though predictable, is really fluid and crisp. Even when they cut away to a different scene entirely, it still is very fluid and doesn't feel jarring.
Overall, I'd say 2.5 out of 5. Average action, average character but pretty great pacing. In terms of monster novels, it is a notch above the rest.
Kaiju Winter is a book that falls just south of being average. It is straight-forward to the point of fault. There aren't any surprises or twists. And despite the author's interjection after the book, there isn't any big cliffhangers. Characters are predictable, the action is laid out simply, and it ends more or less how it began.
Despite it being just average on almost all regards, it does do one thing incredibly effectively and that is pacing. It is extremely well paced and the action; even though predictable, is really fluid and crisp. Even when they cut away to a different scene entirely, it still is very fluid and doesn't feel jarring.
Overall, I'd say 2.5 out of 5. Average action, average character but pretty great pacing. In terms of monster novels, it is a notch above the rest.
March 19, 2016
If you don't take this book too seriously, it is an absolute joy to read. I'm not sure this is what the author intended, but I loved it for all the same reasons I loved Deep Blue Sea, it was worthy of ScyFy channel movie status. There is very little science involved or thought given to the "why" of things. Instead, the focus is on the human reaction, following the interconnected stories of a handful of people in this impossible situation. I'll be picking up the next book in the series, and not just because I love stories about giant monsters. This series promises to be a lot of fun and has clearly had a lot of energy put into it.
July 14, 2015
"Kaiju Winter" by Jake Bible is an entertaining, larger-than-life romp under the feet of kaiju with all the chaotic fun that entails.
The story moves at a good pace, slowing down only for some hilarious exposition, delivered via snarky dialogue between characters. The peril is larger than life (as one might expect) and while not crystal clear at points, consistently entertains throughout.
I was surprised by a number of plot twists and found all of them fun to read, although one or two did strain credibility - but when you're reading about monsters over a thousand feet tall, what do you expect?
Good, clean thriller-esque fun.
The story moves at a good pace, slowing down only for some hilarious exposition, delivered via snarky dialogue between characters. The peril is larger than life (as one might expect) and while not crystal clear at points, consistently entertains throughout.
I was surprised by a number of plot twists and found all of them fun to read, although one or two did strain credibility - but when you're reading about monsters over a thousand feet tall, what do you expect?
Good, clean thriller-esque fun.
September 30, 2015
Intense!
Great characters, intense storyline and as always your sense of humor is the cherry on top.
The story flows quickly and smoothly. The characters are believable and lovable. The villains are insane! Goo monsters and flying pancakes?! I'm invested, and need to know what happens. Are we all just snacks for hibernating behemoths?? More, please.
Great characters, intense storyline and as always your sense of humor is the cherry on top.
The story flows quickly and smoothly. The characters are believable and lovable. The villains are insane! Goo monsters and flying pancakes?! I'm invested, and need to know what happens. Are we all just snacks for hibernating behemoths?? More, please.
July 21, 2015
Kaiju Winter is the opening act to a series that I admit I got into because of Godzilla and Pacific Rim, both of those movies and books dealt with large monsters tearing up cities and so on. But like the recent Godzilla film this book brings a human element into the mix and makes us care for the characters and the mystery that then unfolds. I interested is what comes next in the series.
May 12, 2015
I loved how this book started off, but the last act was disappointing to me, feeling both a little contrived and a little cliched, not to mention there isn't any resolution at all. I still over all enjoyed this crazy tale of hellish Kaiju.
February 3, 2016
It was definitely enjoyable for what it was - a fun adventure romp, not particularly deep of character or substance, but fun. Would have loved clearer definition of the beasts, but that's probably yet to come in the series.
April 2, 2017
Very weird.
Things are definitely not what they first appear to be in this story.
It is very thrilling, though it does start off quite slowly. Great cast of characters and an intense storyline, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.
Things are definitely not what they first appear to be in this story.
It is very thrilling, though it does start off quite slowly. Great cast of characters and an intense storyline, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.
August 4, 2014
Overall a good story. Better then i expected.
February 2, 2015
Couldn't put the book down
A great read. I literally couldn't put this book down. I can't wait to see where this series is going.
A great read. I literally couldn't put this book down. I can't wait to see where this series is going.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews