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Necroville #0.5
The Dead Woods
THE PAID ACTORS AT THE NECROVILLE SURVIVAL EXPERIENCE ARE VERY GOOD AT PRETENDING TO BE ZOMBIES. TOO GOOD…
When Will and his friends decide to spend one last night together after graduating university, none of them realise the danger that lurks in plain sight. At first they’re having fun, caught up in the thrill of running through the forest, firing Nerf guns at under-paid zombies-actors. Then that all changes when darkness falls.
It quickly becomes apparent that the actors are very good at what they do. Too good. Armed with only an arsenal of Nerf guns, the group quickly figure out that they’ll need more than just foam bullets and sandwiches to get them through the night.
Necroville is the critically acclaimed comedy zombie story that founded the Necroville series. If you like Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead then you’ll love Daniel Parsons’s hilarious horror.
When Will and his friends decide to spend one last night together after graduating university, none of them realise the danger that lurks in plain sight. At first they’re having fun, caught up in the thrill of running through the forest, firing Nerf guns at under-paid zombies-actors. Then that all changes when darkness falls.
It quickly becomes apparent that the actors are very good at what they do. Too good. Armed with only an arsenal of Nerf guns, the group quickly figure out that they’ll need more than just foam bullets and sandwiches to get them through the night.
Necroville is the critically acclaimed comedy zombie story that founded the Necroville series. If you like Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead then you’ll love Daniel Parsons’s hilarious horror.
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First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 3, 2019
The Dead Woods by Daniel Parsons and narrated by Dave Bulmer is an interesting short story about a group of friends going to shoot at a place that has actors as zombies in the woods and people have fake guns to tag the with. Part of the group is a bit high so it takes them a while to notice that some of the actors are too good! Lol! Cute story! Narration was fair!
September 19, 2019
A group of youngsters go out on a mock zombie survival activity and find themselves surrounded by actual zombies. Most people die and there's lots of exploding body parts and grotesque scenes with little reason or purpose behind them. There's no background as to why the local residents have turned into zombies - if you're looking for something clever like that then I would seriously advise looking in the direction of Mira Grant and her excellent Newsflesh series. There's very little character background or development - now I accept that in a story so short this is difficult to do, but I have read enough superb shorts recently to know that it is indeed possible. Characters do random things for either stupid reasons or no reason at all... or if there is a reason then we are not given much of a clue as to what it is. And to finish off, there is no real conclusion either; instead it just ends.
It should come as little surprise that this really didn't impress me which is a disappointment as I quite enjoyed his entry in the anthology Ragged Heroes. But whilst I can see similarities in the sense of humour, what came across as cleverly parodist there simply comes across as childish and silly here. There is an extract of The Last Crawl here as well, but I gave up at that point. Having enjoyed Parson's work previously, I am prepared to give Blott a go, but I think I will refrain from continuing with this particular series.
It should come as little surprise that this really didn't impress me which is a disappointment as I quite enjoyed his entry in the anthology Ragged Heroes. But whilst I can see similarities in the sense of humour, what came across as cleverly parodist there simply comes across as childish and silly here. There is an extract of The Last Crawl here as well, but I gave up at that point. Having enjoyed Parson's work previously, I am prepared to give Blott a go, but I think I will refrain from continuing with this particular series.
May 18, 2016
On the verge of going their separate ways after finishing university, a group of friends go to Necroville: Village of the Dead, a zombie survival experience. They get more than they bargained for. Each of the group reacts differently to the situation they find themselves in, but ultimately put any differences aside to try and get through the 'experience' alive.
There's plenty of student banter and the characters are well written and work well together. There's blood, guts and gore a-plenty here and great depictions of both zombies and the methods used to overcome them.
As a short story (only 30 something pages) it felt a little rushed and I think it would work well as a full length novel. If you like zombies in your fiction, you'll enjoy this!
There's plenty of student banter and the characters are well written and work well together. There's blood, guts and gore a-plenty here and great depictions of both zombies and the methods used to overcome them.
As a short story (only 30 something pages) it felt a little rushed and I think it would work well as a full length novel. If you like zombies in your fiction, you'll enjoy this!
July 5, 2017
To celebrate the end of University, a group of friends decide to take part in a real life zombie survival game where zombie actors try to catch those taking part. However when one of the group are bitten they start to suspect that these zombies might be for real.
Decent short zombie story but just too short to be rated any higher. Had this been about 200 pages with each scene fleshed out (pardon the pun), and a bigger group of people, it would have the potential to be a really good story.
Decent short zombie story but just too short to be rated any higher. Had this been about 200 pages with each scene fleshed out (pardon the pun), and a bigger group of people, it would have the potential to be a really good story.
November 5, 2016
Short but fun story.
A great idea to have it set up as a zombie experience turned real, I especially enjoyed the imaginative use of the available equipment!
It would be great if this story could have been expanded as it was over all too soon.
A great idea to have it set up as a zombie experience turned real, I especially enjoyed the imaginative use of the available equipment!
It would be great if this story could have been expanded as it was over all too soon.
March 24, 2017
At the end of their university experience, four friends decide to do an all night zombie run. Armed with Nerf guns and running from 40 actors in zombie makeup, they set off for one last night of fun and bonding. But when it looks like some of the actors are a little too in character the small group realizes their night of fun has turned into a night of terror.
I got this novelette for free because I signed up for updates from the author's homepage (www.danielparsonsbooks.com). It was a speedy read, especially on the Kindle app on my phone. The page count on here says 80 pages, but it felt a little shorter. However, that could be because it was an edge-of-your-seat thriller once the zombies appeared. Once that happened, I blazed through this to find out what would happen to Will and his friends. There were some definite moments where I hit the elliptical a little harder because I felt like I was running beside Will.
Because this is a novelette there wasn't a lot of time for exposition, but Mr. Parsons did a great job filtering in information wherever possible. The writing was tight and dynamic, which is part of the reason it felt like it went so fast. According to his Twitter, he's planning a novel along similar(ish) lines. I can't wait to read it!
A quick, thrilling read that will really get your heart pumping.
I got this novelette for free because I signed up for updates from the author's homepage (www.danielparsonsbooks.com). It was a speedy read, especially on the Kindle app on my phone. The page count on here says 80 pages, but it felt a little shorter. However, that could be because it was an edge-of-your-seat thriller once the zombies appeared. Once that happened, I blazed through this to find out what would happen to Will and his friends. There were some definite moments where I hit the elliptical a little harder because I felt like I was running beside Will.
Because this is a novelette there wasn't a lot of time for exposition, but Mr. Parsons did a great job filtering in information wherever possible. The writing was tight and dynamic, which is part of the reason it felt like it went so fast. According to his Twitter, he's planning a novel along similar(ish) lines. I can't wait to read it!
A quick, thrilling read that will really get your heart pumping.
April 9, 2017
Un libro cortito que tardé en leer por dos motivos: 1 está en inglés y aún no me acostumbro a leer en este idioma lo sigo rechazando por el tema de haber tenido que leer muchas veces obligada en inglés (Trauma? dónde?) en 2do lugar porque esta semana he estado con bronquitis y estuve más siendo un zombi que una persona y me costó ponerme a leer, pero vamos al tema que nos interesa Necroville
Con una premisa interesante de un grupo de cuatro chicos que deciden celebrar su graduación de la universidad de manera especial y para reforzar su amistad, se apuntan para participar en un juego de rol zombi... todo bien ¿qué puede salir mal? T-O-D-O
Al ser una historia corta se desarrolla muy rápido y en un pestañar tenemos una horda de zombis y nuestros protagonistas en shock pensando que todo sigue siendo parte de su juego de rol, pero no señores, no es así.
Quizás le ha faltado un poco más de tripas y sangre, y por eso no llegó a las 5 estrellas, pero la verdad es que me ha gustado bastante y la recomiendo para lectura de una tarde.
Con una premisa interesante de un grupo de cuatro chicos que deciden celebrar su graduación de la universidad de manera especial y para reforzar su amistad, se apuntan para participar en un juego de rol zombi... todo bien ¿qué puede salir mal? T-O-D-O
Al ser una historia corta se desarrolla muy rápido y en un pestañar tenemos una horda de zombis y nuestros protagonistas en shock pensando que todo sigue siendo parte de su juego de rol, pero no señores, no es así.
Quizás le ha faltado un poco más de tripas y sangre, y por eso no llegó a las 5 estrellas, pero la verdad es que me ha gustado bastante y la recomiendo para lectura de una tarde.
October 3, 2018
This book was re-released with the new title, once known as Necroville. This is a good introduction into the Necroville series. A group of college students sign up for a zombie survival experience and they got that and a whole lot more. Armed with nerf guns, they are sent out for a 16 hour survival with zombie actors, but when one zombie doesn’t go down with a nerf shot to the head like he’s supposed to, all hell breaks loose. The group will have to find their way out of this night to truly survive.
A little bit of humor, and a whole lot of gore – sets up the series and the author’s style of writing. It was a fun quick novella and an entertaining and scary read.
Reviewed by Cyrene
A little bit of humor, and a whole lot of gore – sets up the series and the author’s style of writing. It was a fun quick novella and an entertaining and scary read.
Reviewed by Cyrene
October 23, 2017
Necroville was supposed to be a zombie simulation park, but something has gone terribly wrong. A group of friends celebrating the end of college start playing a zombie apocalypse theme park. They start off shooting zombie actors with Nerf darts, until they reach a group that don't play dead. You can't play dead when you are a reanimated corpse out for fresh blood.
May 21, 2017
The beginning wasn't too bad, towards the end it became too unlikely, even for a zombie apocalypse.
December 20, 2020
How would you react if your group outing of fake zombie killing turned into the real thing? This book gives you a chance to think about it. Perfectly short, with extremely interesting characters who have very realistic traits.
Definitely recommend!
Definitely recommend!
June 4, 2017
2.5*
I thought it was okay. Pacing was fine. Only two typos that I noticed. Halfway through I was set for 2 stars, but it got better as you read. I should probably read more from Daniel.
I thought it was okay. Pacing was fine. Only two typos that I noticed. Halfway through I was set for 2 stars, but it got better as you read. I should probably read more from Daniel.
September 28, 2022
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
I have definitely read this long short story before! Sigh ....... another of my books that seems to have gone "poof!!" into the night. All fixed now. 🤷♀️
I have definitely read this long short story before! Sigh ....... another of my books that seems to have gone "poof!!" into the night. All fixed now. 🤷♀️
December 21, 2023
Quick prequel (ish) To the necroville series he is writing. Fast paced zombies outbreak following a group of college friends. I like zombies so thought it'd be a fun read, and it was.
July 3, 2017
WOW! What a story! This novella packs in a great deal of action that kept me nervously turning pages until 4am. The characters and world are well developed. I love a good zombie tale and this is one. So, why not go get your copy.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and knew it deserved an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and knew it deserved an honest review.
March 1, 2017
One heck of a short story ride! I loved the speed and gore of this story. Great job at grabbing my attention from page 1 until the end!
February 19, 2017
Cute & humourous. Although everyone dies ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2017
A fun zombie short that really entertained me. I liked the concept of the Necroville zombie attraction, and I wish it was real, because I honestly wanna go there. I think the author did a great job of making the reader somewhat emotionally attached to the characters (especially Theo and Will) in such a little amount of pages, and this made one of the scenes in particular actually pretty moving. The ending of this story leaves a lot of room for guessing and theorising, and I love that. This is a great little zombie story that you should definitely give a go. It's not long, so it won't be wasting your time. If you're a fan of general zombie fiction, you'll probably enjoy it. :)
December 19, 2019
I listened to the free audio-version of the book in exchange for an honest review. It was an entertaining romp, nothing terribly deep or fulfilling, but it wasn't bad. The characters manage to avoid being stereotypes and there's some decent characterization despite the short scope of the story. The reader was good at their job. The falsetto was slightly grating at first, but honestly, that's more an aspect of falsetto than anything else.
December 24, 2019
Various publishing dates (2015 as Necroville, reissued 2017 as the prequel to the series, and again 2016, I think - as well as this kindle date... )
An amusing comedy introduction: four new graduates have one last adventure - at a zombie/combat themepark, with paint guns and actor extras. Unfortunately the expedition coincides with an actual zombie outbreak... with predictable outcomes
Short with a lengthy extract from the next book.
An amusing comedy introduction: four new graduates have one last adventure - at a zombie/combat themepark, with paint guns and actor extras. Unfortunately the expedition coincides with an actual zombie outbreak... with predictable outcomes
Short with a lengthy extract from the next book.
March 12, 2016
Necroville: Village of the Dead.
The ink on their diplomas still wet, the group of college graduates sign up for “the ultimate zombie experience”.
It may be more of an experience than they expect.
Humor, great characters, and twists converge in Necroville. Daniel Parsons crafted an excellent zombie short story, each word part of the horrifying mosaic.
The ink on their diplomas still wet, the group of college graduates sign up for “the ultimate zombie experience”.
It may be more of an experience than they expect.
Humor, great characters, and twists converge in Necroville. Daniel Parsons crafted an excellent zombie short story, each word part of the horrifying mosaic.
May 6, 2017
Should have title something like Necroville Novelette, not that I personally mind but most people don't read the page count, which I didn't because got a free copy from one of my sites so really what did that matter. Interesting little story nonetheless. Pretend Zombies and not so pretend zombies and a whole lot of trouble.
Necroville 1
Last Crawl 2
Necroville 1
Last Crawl 2
February 7, 2017
A quick read filled with excitement!
This was an interesting read. It was more exciting than I had expected and more unpredictable. If you love zombies, you'll want to read this short!
This was an interesting read. It was more exciting than I had expected and more unpredictable. If you love zombies, you'll want to read this short!
December 20, 2019
This is a good short story to get you into the mood for the zombie apocalypse. Will and his 3 friends meet for a last get together after graduating from university to play in a simulated zombie attack. All too soon it becomes very real.
December 12, 2019
This was a hilarious tale of excitement and danger, with a funny twist at the end!
May 22, 2020
I did enjoy this book! A good bit of fun for an end of the world zombie apocalypse! I will look for more by this writer!
April 7, 2017
A great book with excellent, fast-paced writing that really brings the characters to life (if you'll excuse the turn of phrase with a zombie book!). Basing it in a zombie experience park was an inspired choice, and so many scenes send chills down the back (not least the chipper lorry!!), but I can't wait to read what happens in the rest of the series! Highly recommended to all zombie fiction lovers!
NB I got this book free, but this is a wholly honest and unbiased review
NB I got this book free, but this is a wholly honest and unbiased review
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews