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Nightfall
Joe Chase and Ned Bowden are damaged men. They each bear scars from surviving the world they were born in. Deep scars, both physical and emotional. When fate offers its first kind act by bringing the two together, suddenly their scars don't seem so bad, and their lives don't feel so empty. Yet that kindness comes at a price. Just as Joe and Ned begin to experience true happiness for the very first time, the world turns on them again. But this time it turns on everyone.
234 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2018
7 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
John Inman
42 books442 followersA Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over forty novels, John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality. If you would like to know more about John, check out his website at----
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 20, 2018
This story was utterly sweet, sensual, emotional, intense and intimate.
The story is about Ned and Joe are neighbors and have unspoken deep feelings for each other. At the same time they get, very carefully, closer and closer… the world is acting strange.
When the sky turns dark and the temperature’s dropping ugly, most of the people turn dark and ugly too. It becomes the ‘Survival of the fittest’
Joe will protect Ned at all costs.
Ned so fragile, precious and sweet funny… Joe lonely and very protectively hovering over Ned.
I was holding my breath.. it was so fragile. Ned has a history of abuse and is very vulnerable.
“There had been a vacant spot inside him all along, it seemed—a spot that needed caulking; a spot that Joe had never known was there. Had never imagined was there. Until Ned came along.”
The parts where Ned and Joe are together and exploring each other were excellent. The journey they went through was good and original and sometimes angsty.
It was not really my kind of thing. Some parts I scrolled through… I know others will love those parts. I was more fixated on the moments they explored each other. The way of writing was really wonderful.
The love they feel for each other and their lovemaking is sweet and delicate.
Those parts did something with my heart.
Read and Reviewed for Open Skye Book Reviews
The story is about Ned and Joe are neighbors and have unspoken deep feelings for each other. At the same time they get, very carefully, closer and closer… the world is acting strange.
When the sky turns dark and the temperature’s dropping ugly, most of the people turn dark and ugly too. It becomes the ‘Survival of the fittest’
Joe will protect Ned at all costs.
Ned so fragile, precious and sweet funny… Joe lonely and very protectively hovering over Ned.
I was holding my breath.. it was so fragile. Ned has a history of abuse and is very vulnerable.
“There had been a vacant spot inside him all along, it seemed—a spot that needed caulking; a spot that Joe had never known was there. Had never imagined was there. Until Ned came along.”
The parts where Ned and Joe are together and exploring each other were excellent. The journey they went through was good and original and sometimes angsty.
It was not really my kind of thing. Some parts I scrolled through… I know others will love those parts. I was more fixated on the moments they explored each other. The way of writing was really wonderful.
The love they feel for each other and their lovemaking is sweet and delicate.
Those parts did something with my heart.
Read and Reviewed for Open Skye Book Reviews
September 6, 2021
"Nightfall" is the name of the classic Isaac Asimov short story about the coming of darkness to a world lit by sunlight at all times. In John Inman's "Nightfall" a catastrophic solar storm brings darkness to the world, and we see the resulting events through the eyes of two San Diego men - Joe and Ned.
Joe and Ned live next door to each other in a San Diego apartment building; Joe works at the famed San Diego zoo and Ned works at a deli. They have been friends for a while, with each man hoping for something more than mere friendship. When a solar storm occurs, first turning the suns blood red and eventually cloaking the world in darkness, the two men cling together to survive and quickly fall in love.
I like the premise of this story, but its implementation just does not work for me. This is like watching a suspense movie with the two MCs on the run from the unknown terror ... and then they stop in the alley to talk about their relationship. In this case, Joe and Ned know little about what is happening in the world (no media, no phones) and while there are fires, gunshots and helicopters circling in the skies, they stop everything to explore their relationship ... time and time again. There is little in-depth character development of the two MCs (nor any secondary characters) and I do not feel a strong chemistry between the two so it ia difficult to suspend disbelief and fully buy into their actions and decisions.
Also, the pace and flow of the story are very uneven. Joe and Ned seem to go from one plan to another ... ... frankly, it all is very exhausting to read. And the ending offers little real resolution, in my opinion.
I cannot recommend "Nightfall" and give it 2.5 stars. As always, I am aware that other readers may not share my reservations about the story.
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Joe and Ned live next door to each other in a San Diego apartment building; Joe works at the famed San Diego zoo and Ned works at a deli. They have been friends for a while, with each man hoping for something more than mere friendship. When a solar storm occurs, first turning the suns blood red and eventually cloaking the world in darkness, the two men cling together to survive and quickly fall in love.
I like the premise of this story, but its implementation just does not work for me. This is like watching a suspense movie with the two MCs on the run from the unknown terror ... and then they stop in the alley to talk about their relationship. In this case, Joe and Ned know little about what is happening in the world (no media, no phones) and while there are fires, gunshots and helicopters circling in the skies, they stop everything to explore their relationship ... time and time again. There is little in-depth character development of the two MCs (nor any secondary characters) and I do not feel a strong chemistry between the two so it ia difficult to suspend disbelief and fully buy into their actions and decisions.
Also, the pace and flow of the story are very uneven. Joe and Ned seem to go from one plan to another ... ... frankly, it all is very exhausting to read. And the ending offers little real resolution, in my opinion.
I cannot recommend "Nightfall" and give it 2.5 stars. As always, I am aware that other readers may not share my reservations about the story.
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
November 8, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
From the start, Nightfall has a tension about it, one that rolls throughout the entire book and the world it presents isn’t a pretty one. The novel has an excellent sense of place and the sinister descriptions of navigating without light in a city gripped by violence and terror are excellently executed. Ned and Joe are a very sweet couple, one that seems somewhat out of place among the chaotic and the crazy, but they become an ocean of calm for readers whenever everything else is out of control. They aren’t as fully dimensional as I normally prefer my main characters, but we’re certainly told enough about them to make their romance and their love both believable and relatable. I will say the word “juices” was used with far too much frequency and I’ll leave it to your imagine to decide in what situations that word might pop up and become rather off-putting.
As good as the description of this world-crippling event is, I do have some issues with how things unfold. First off, San Diego goes from cultured city to a Mad Max kind of insane within three days. Really? Now don’t get me wrong. People are nuts and I fully believe a cataclysmic event could destabilize society and reduce us all to savagery. But it’s gonna take more than three days. Looting and rioting I can imagine, but this book suggests that homicide becomes commonplace within 72 hours. It’s excessive. The other issue I have with the book concerns animals, of which there are many. The author does a good job of showing how animals will change their personalities during the midst of crisis, but we end up with a lot of dead birds and violent dog attacks. So if you’re an animal person, like me, or someone who has a fear of an animal attack, Nightfall comes with some serious trigger warnings. Everything in Nightfall reads as just a shade too much, a bit gratuitous, and that’s coming from someone that really doesn’t mind violence in my books as a general rule.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
From the start, Nightfall has a tension about it, one that rolls throughout the entire book and the world it presents isn’t a pretty one. The novel has an excellent sense of place and the sinister descriptions of navigating without light in a city gripped by violence and terror are excellently executed. Ned and Joe are a very sweet couple, one that seems somewhat out of place among the chaotic and the crazy, but they become an ocean of calm for readers whenever everything else is out of control. They aren’t as fully dimensional as I normally prefer my main characters, but we’re certainly told enough about them to make their romance and their love both believable and relatable. I will say the word “juices” was used with far too much frequency and I’ll leave it to your imagine to decide in what situations that word might pop up and become rather off-putting.
As good as the description of this world-crippling event is, I do have some issues with how things unfold. First off, San Diego goes from cultured city to a Mad Max kind of insane within three days. Really? Now don’t get me wrong. People are nuts and I fully believe a cataclysmic event could destabilize society and reduce us all to savagery. But it’s gonna take more than three days. Looting and rioting I can imagine, but this book suggests that homicide becomes commonplace within 72 hours. It’s excessive. The other issue I have with the book concerns animals, of which there are many. The author does a good job of showing how animals will change their personalities during the midst of crisis, but we end up with a lot of dead birds and violent dog attacks. So if you’re an animal person, like me, or someone who has a fear of an animal attack, Nightfall comes with some serious trigger warnings. Everything in Nightfall reads as just a shade too much, a bit gratuitous, and that’s coming from someone that really doesn’t mind violence in my books as a general rule.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
June 18, 2023
I've always loved John Inmans books and this is near the top of my favourites...Imagine living in a world of dark, the sun gone, perpetual darkness and everyone around going crazy with it, including the animals....Joe and Ned come together pretty quickly but they need each other as the skies darken and they have to fight to survive the world....This is done really well and you get to follow along with Joe and Ned and hope they can get through the rough horrible dark days and come out the otherside together....A great read that I know i'll be re-reading x
October 2, 2018
The idea of the sun dying or, like in this case, a severe solar storm interfering with heat and light coming to Earth and plunging everything into darkness and freezing cold, is super scary. Looking at the cover and the title of this book, I expected a dystopian story about people fighting for survival in a postapocalyptic world. And there was some of that, but interestingly, it was just the setting, the background for the human drama playing out as two friends redefine their relationship in circumstances that neither of them could have predicted. While the science and the bigger picture of violence erupting as modern technology and society break down was well done and mostly quite realistic, the real fascination, for me, came from Joe and Ned and their reactions as external and internal dynamics changed between them.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 1, 2018
“Love, love changes everything...How you live and how you die... Days are longer, words mean more...Pain is deeper than before. Love will turn your world around and that world will last forever...Love will never, never let you be the same.” ~ Songwriters: Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Charles Hart, Don Black
How people react to a crisis measures their strength of character. When the rest of the world has seemingly lost all reason, Joe and Ned, of 'Nightfall' by John Inman, find a way to make sense of the madness, without losing themselves or each other; their determination is driven by their newfound love and happiness.
Due to a brutal attack when he was in high school, Ned has lived in fear of someone finding out that he is gay. He is so frightened that he has avoided any kind of relationship, that is, until Joe came along. Joe is his bright, shining light of joy, in an otherwise bleak existence. Joe's nurturing and kindness makes Ned's heart beat faster and, although he wants to tell Joe how he feels, he's too afraid to do so for fear of losing his friendship or worse. Ned has never felt this way about anyone and it's almost too much for him to hope that Joe feels the same way. Joe makes him brave in ways that he hasn't been for years. In any case, Ned decides that he will wait until Joe makes the first move.
Being shifted from one foster home to another taught Joe at an early age that he can't trust people to care about him. Consequently, he has lived a solitary life, depending only on himself. He has created a decent life for himself, with a good job at a zoo and an acceptable place to live. The best part of where he lives is his next-door neighbor, Ned, who is one of the dearest, kindest people Joe has ever known. There's a purity about Ned that takes Joe's breath away. Joe can't help but love Ned and comes to the realization that being alone isn't so great anymore. Soon, he wants to be with Ned all the time. Being just friends isn't enough either. Joe wants so much more.
As the world's weather begins to change for the worse, Ned and Joe become even closer. Worried that Ned will be frightened by the unusual events, Joe hovers more than usual. When the situation continues to deteriorate, Joe insists that Ned stay with him instead of being alone. Ned is so touched with Joe's concern that he falls even deeper in love with him. In the midst of impending doom, Joe professes his feelings to Ned who tells Joe that he feels the same way. Now that they are together, nothing is going to dim their hope that the current crisis will be resolved and they will have a long, happy life together.
'Nightfall' is a study of human nature in crisis and how much difference love and hope make in your outlook. While others give up and give in to the fear and uncertainty, Joe and Ned have faith that somehow things will work out because no other conclusion is acceptable. With this conviction, they continue on, as normally as possible, in hopes that a better tomorrow will come. John has managed to combine one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read, with a dark doomsday sort of tale. Thanks, John, for a story that I will be considering for a long time to come.
How people react to a crisis measures their strength of character. When the rest of the world has seemingly lost all reason, Joe and Ned, of 'Nightfall' by John Inman, find a way to make sense of the madness, without losing themselves or each other; their determination is driven by their newfound love and happiness.
Due to a brutal attack when he was in high school, Ned has lived in fear of someone finding out that he is gay. He is so frightened that he has avoided any kind of relationship, that is, until Joe came along. Joe is his bright, shining light of joy, in an otherwise bleak existence. Joe's nurturing and kindness makes Ned's heart beat faster and, although he wants to tell Joe how he feels, he's too afraid to do so for fear of losing his friendship or worse. Ned has never felt this way about anyone and it's almost too much for him to hope that Joe feels the same way. Joe makes him brave in ways that he hasn't been for years. In any case, Ned decides that he will wait until Joe makes the first move.
Being shifted from one foster home to another taught Joe at an early age that he can't trust people to care about him. Consequently, he has lived a solitary life, depending only on himself. He has created a decent life for himself, with a good job at a zoo and an acceptable place to live. The best part of where he lives is his next-door neighbor, Ned, who is one of the dearest, kindest people Joe has ever known. There's a purity about Ned that takes Joe's breath away. Joe can't help but love Ned and comes to the realization that being alone isn't so great anymore. Soon, he wants to be with Ned all the time. Being just friends isn't enough either. Joe wants so much more.
As the world's weather begins to change for the worse, Ned and Joe become even closer. Worried that Ned will be frightened by the unusual events, Joe hovers more than usual. When the situation continues to deteriorate, Joe insists that Ned stay with him instead of being alone. Ned is so touched with Joe's concern that he falls even deeper in love with him. In the midst of impending doom, Joe professes his feelings to Ned who tells Joe that he feels the same way. Now that they are together, nothing is going to dim their hope that the current crisis will be resolved and they will have a long, happy life together.
'Nightfall' is a study of human nature in crisis and how much difference love and hope make in your outlook. While others give up and give in to the fear and uncertainty, Joe and Ned have faith that somehow things will work out because no other conclusion is acceptable. With this conviction, they continue on, as normally as possible, in hopes that a better tomorrow will come. John has managed to combine one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read, with a dark doomsday sort of tale. Thanks, John, for a story that I will be considering for a long time to come.
October 12, 2018
John Inman is the writer I want to be when I grow up. There's something about this man's ability that snatches me up in the first couple of paragraphs of his stories. He is a natural born storyteller with this unique ability to craft some of the most beautiful prose that describes both the glorious and terrible things.
This story was no different.
Ned and Joe are two San Diego men, neighbors, who really like each other.
Like......*twirls hair and snaps bubble gum*...a lot, a lot. Their mutual admiration is enhanced during a cataclysmic solar storm that turns the world blood red.
As the world begins to fall apart, literally, and human nature kicks into survival mode - it's dangerous just to walk outside the front door of Joe's Apartment. How will these two survive?
Okay - I am not a swooner. I hate swooning. I especially hate it when I've had a shot too many of Johnny Walker and ...well, you get the idea. But Joe and Ned had me all up in my feels. So that's awesome. To a point. When Ned's internal monologue droned on and on about Joe, I was like, "WE know!"
Otherwise, this story kicks ass. Because of John Fucking Inman - that's why.
This story was no different.
Ned and Joe are two San Diego men, neighbors, who really like each other.
Like......*twirls hair and snaps bubble gum*...a lot, a lot. Their mutual admiration is enhanced during a cataclysmic solar storm that turns the world blood red.
As the world begins to fall apart, literally, and human nature kicks into survival mode - it's dangerous just to walk outside the front door of Joe's Apartment. How will these two survive?
Okay - I am not a swooner. I hate swooning. I especially hate it when I've had a shot too many of Johnny Walker and ...well, you get the idea. But Joe and Ned had me all up in my feels. So that's awesome. To a point. When Ned's internal monologue droned on and on about Joe, I was like, "WE know!"
Otherwise, this story kicks ass. Because of John Fucking Inman - that's why.
October 6, 2018
Yet another masterpiece from John Inman! The sci-fi elements are so realistic, and the romantic elements are so, so sweet! Easily my favorite book of the year! As per, 5 stars just ain't enough!
December 19, 2018
Nightfall
By John Inman
Dreamspinner Press, 2018
Four stars
This whole book is a dewy-eyed romance inside an apocalyptic dystopia (see how smart that makes me sound?). The surprise, however, is that the apocalypse is merely a tool in the aid of the romance. It is a window into the darker parts of the human mind/heart/soul, against which the evolving love of Ned and Joe creates an intense, bright and shiny contrast.
Ned Bowden is a damaged boy, suffering from a lifetime of shame and worse. He has sought shelter in San Diego, where he is a fry-cook in a delicatessen owned, with some charming incongruity, by a Chinese family named Wong (a Chinese restaurant would be a lot more work). Joe Chase, a wee bit older than Ned, has been a loner and emotionally isolated all his life, due to a childhood in foster care. His haven is as a groundskeeper at the San Diego Zoo. (As a side note, I visited this zoo just a month ago, for the first time in fifty(!) years. It is one of the most beautiful zoos in the world, and an important global research center for both rare plants and animals. It becomes a major setting in the story.)
These two lonely, shy men happen to meet in the modest apartment complex they both inhabit. At first, I was rolling my eyes over the coy restraint these two handsome, virile twenty-somethings exhibited toward each other. However, I thought about it, and realized that neither one has ever been loved – or had any kind of intimacy with another person. In spite of their adulthood, they are innocents, emotionally and physically. I was that way once, and I realized that Inman has put his finger on something that romance writers rarely bother with: we all start somewhere.
The oddest part of this book is the almost secondary importance of the terrifying, blood-red darkness that envelopes the earth. Inman goes into some detail about what causes this, and its effects on the world. I admit I wondered if his science is sound, but I guess sci-fi doesn’t need to be scientific so much as plausible, and I was convinced enough to be completely creeped out and on edge as I read this. Inman builds suspense and anxiety with a pro’s flair. I suppose this whole book is also an all-too apt metaphor for the upside-down world we’re living in right now.
At the end, I wanted to know more about the aftermath. Inman wraps things up nicely, and this is where the whole political metaphor becomes more apparent (at least to me). But I had questions that could have been answered, and would have made for a somewhat more richly satisfying conclusion that went beyond the romance and fed the reader’s inner sci-fi geek. It sort of reminded me of the ending of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” which scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, and yet which ends in an oddly inconclusive way. Let me know what you think.
By John Inman
Dreamspinner Press, 2018
Four stars
This whole book is a dewy-eyed romance inside an apocalyptic dystopia (see how smart that makes me sound?). The surprise, however, is that the apocalypse is merely a tool in the aid of the romance. It is a window into the darker parts of the human mind/heart/soul, against which the evolving love of Ned and Joe creates an intense, bright and shiny contrast.
Ned Bowden is a damaged boy, suffering from a lifetime of shame and worse. He has sought shelter in San Diego, where he is a fry-cook in a delicatessen owned, with some charming incongruity, by a Chinese family named Wong (a Chinese restaurant would be a lot more work). Joe Chase, a wee bit older than Ned, has been a loner and emotionally isolated all his life, due to a childhood in foster care. His haven is as a groundskeeper at the San Diego Zoo. (As a side note, I visited this zoo just a month ago, for the first time in fifty(!) years. It is one of the most beautiful zoos in the world, and an important global research center for both rare plants and animals. It becomes a major setting in the story.)
These two lonely, shy men happen to meet in the modest apartment complex they both inhabit. At first, I was rolling my eyes over the coy restraint these two handsome, virile twenty-somethings exhibited toward each other. However, I thought about it, and realized that neither one has ever been loved – or had any kind of intimacy with another person. In spite of their adulthood, they are innocents, emotionally and physically. I was that way once, and I realized that Inman has put his finger on something that romance writers rarely bother with: we all start somewhere.
The oddest part of this book is the almost secondary importance of the terrifying, blood-red darkness that envelopes the earth. Inman goes into some detail about what causes this, and its effects on the world. I admit I wondered if his science is sound, but I guess sci-fi doesn’t need to be scientific so much as plausible, and I was convinced enough to be completely creeped out and on edge as I read this. Inman builds suspense and anxiety with a pro’s flair. I suppose this whole book is also an all-too apt metaphor for the upside-down world we’re living in right now.
At the end, I wanted to know more about the aftermath. Inman wraps things up nicely, and this is where the whole political metaphor becomes more apparent (at least to me). But I had questions that could have been answered, and would have made for a somewhat more richly satisfying conclusion that went beyond the romance and fed the reader’s inner sci-fi geek. It sort of reminded me of the ending of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” which scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, and yet which ends in an oddly inconclusive way. Let me know what you think.
May 19, 2025
2.5 - Nice Premise & Story, But Focused More on a Simplistic Romance.
This was a tough one, because I enjoyed the read, but there were still things I didn't like or understand.
I liked John Inman's premise of within an apocalypse, love blooms. Not unusual, such as in times of war, that people's inhibitions are lowered and act due to feeling what's to lose. Also realistic to me was how in crises other kinds of horrid human behavior came out, as if they were given license, which seems to mirror the last 5 or so years in the US. So that part worked, as did other parts of the sci-fi and the setting of San Diego. I've visited and felt like I was back there. But I was disappointed that the SF took more of a back seat to the romance.
That's because that part didn't work for me as much, as well as the characterization of the MCs. Part of this was that, especially at the start, I felt the language and thinking was a bit simplistic. There were also a lot of metaphors and analogies, almost like the author was trying a bit too hard; and it didn't always flow smoothly, making me pause in my reading.
I wasn't sure if some of it was meant to reflect a mental aftereffect of the one of the MC's head injury at 16. But both guys seemed to talk and think that way. It felt like they were teenagers, not late twenty-somethings. I liked them and felt sorry for the trauma they'd had in each of their pasts, but I'm not sure it would have stymied their maturity that much. Which led to an unrealistic slow burn. Explanations were made for wanting the other person to make the first move, but that kept going on too long for late twenty-year olds. And then once the barriers were down, they stop in the middle of an urgent situation to get their cuddle on? Didn't seem realistic, even for smitten, or horny guys.
And the ending was a bit simplistic as well, but nice.
This was a tough one, because I enjoyed the read, but there were still things I didn't like or understand.
I liked John Inman's premise of within an apocalypse, love blooms. Not unusual, such as in times of war, that people's inhibitions are lowered and act due to feeling what's to lose. Also realistic to me was how in crises other kinds of horrid human behavior came out, as if they were given license, which seems to mirror the last 5 or so years in the US. So that part worked, as did other parts of the sci-fi and the setting of San Diego. I've visited and felt like I was back there. But I was disappointed that the SF took more of a back seat to the romance.
That's because that part didn't work for me as much, as well as the characterization of the MCs. Part of this was that, especially at the start, I felt the language and thinking was a bit simplistic. There were also a lot of metaphors and analogies, almost like the author was trying a bit too hard; and it didn't always flow smoothly, making me pause in my reading.
I wasn't sure if some of it was meant to reflect a mental aftereffect of the one of the MC's head injury at 16. But both guys seemed to talk and think that way. It felt like they were teenagers, not late twenty-somethings. I liked them and felt sorry for the trauma they'd had in each of their pasts, but I'm not sure it would have stymied their maturity that much. Which led to an unrealistic slow burn. Explanations were made for wanting the other person to make the first move, but that kept going on too long for late twenty-year olds. And then once the barriers were down, they stop in the middle of an urgent situation to get their cuddle on? Didn't seem realistic, even for smitten, or horny guys.
And the ending was a bit simplistic as well, but nice.
June 3, 2022
My favorite! MM with Apocalyptic theme!
I always enjoy John Inman‘s books. He is a dependable author with consistent writing and wonderful stories.
I especially enjoy the stories that have a murder mystery/horror theme.
Joe and Ned are best friends who both have deeper feelings that neither one has admitted.
When nature descends a catastrophic darkness across the planet and most human beings seem to turn towards evil, Joe and Ned turn towards each other and work together to survive the total darkness.
An apocalyptic style story that spans about five or six days, I enjoyed Joe and Ned and their budding love, I enjoyed hearing about Joe’s job at the San Diego zoo and loved Ned’s boss Mr. Wong and his son Bobby.
John Inman is a favorite author.
I always enjoy John Inman‘s books. He is a dependable author with consistent writing and wonderful stories.
I especially enjoy the stories that have a murder mystery/horror theme.
Joe and Ned are best friends who both have deeper feelings that neither one has admitted.
When nature descends a catastrophic darkness across the planet and most human beings seem to turn towards evil, Joe and Ned turn towards each other and work together to survive the total darkness.
An apocalyptic style story that spans about five or six days, I enjoyed Joe and Ned and their budding love, I enjoyed hearing about Joe’s job at the San Diego zoo and loved Ned’s boss Mr. Wong and his son Bobby.
John Inman is a favorite author.
October 24, 2018
What happens when the lights go out!
When everything starts going wrong, why wouldnt Ned and Joe check the news asap!!!!!
I did want to know more about the haze than we got in the little snippets.
I did find the move from friends to lovers bit dragged on a bit long where neither of them wanted to be the first to make a move.
The descent into anarchy was worryingly quick - I did wonder if the haze was something more sinister, like a zombie type thing but it was just humans being horrid. Though Joe and Ned did have a few tstl moments - kissing in the street with falling birds and blood on pavement, under the pepper tree etc. Have to agree with Ned when he was angry about Joe wanting them to head towards the fighting.
I did find them more like late teens than nearly 30’s. It is their story but I would have like more of the actual disaster as well.
When everything starts going wrong, why wouldnt Ned and Joe check the news asap!!!!!
I did want to know more about the haze than we got in the little snippets.
I did find the move from friends to lovers bit dragged on a bit long where neither of them wanted to be the first to make a move.
The descent into anarchy was worryingly quick - I did wonder if the haze was something more sinister, like a zombie type thing but it was just humans being horrid. Though Joe and Ned did have a few tstl moments - kissing in the street with falling birds and blood on pavement, under the pepper tree etc. Have to agree with Ned when he was angry about Joe wanting them to head towards the fighting.
I did find them more like late teens than nearly 30’s. It is their story but I would have like more of the actual disaster as well.
October 28, 2018
Another great one by John Inman. Loved the characters and story although this one didn't grab me as much as Willow Man or Boys on the Mountain.
July 10, 2021
Wonderful story of two lost men and very suspenseful. John Inman continues to be one of my favorite writers!!
January 15, 2019
gotta love these love-stricken boys xD
October 31, 2018
Be it fate, destiny, or just chance that brought Joe Chase and Ned Bowden together as neighbors quickly turning to friendship. Each bear scars, physical and emotional, that keep them from admitting to each other that what they feel is deeper than friendship. Having finally taken that first step towards more they find the world has another hurdle to overcome: first the redness came then the darkness and with the dark comes a new evil. Will Joe and Ned find happiness or has fate and the world have other plans?
HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!! Frankly, the world John Inman creates in Nightfall could use Batman, the entire Justice League, and Marvel's Avengers combined, not that there would be anything they could do to change the predicament this story faces but they could go a long way in fighting the evilness that the dark brings out. I'll admit, this story may or may not really fit the "paranormal-ity" that embodies Halloween-time but the publisher has labeled it science fiction and I love a good sci-fi tale every October so I can't think of a better time to delve into Nightfall.
I won't really reveal too much of the plot but I will say this, it reminded me very pleasantly of the classic television show, The Twilight Zone. The amazingly scary John Inman has created a situation that may never happen(fingers crossed because otherwise I would be hunkering down in my basement if I ever woke to this) but at the same time, it is not completely outside the realm of thinkable possibility. Frankly, I don't know what had me on the edge-of-my-seat, nail-biting, creeped-out, and a hundred other cliches more: the idea of complete darkness or how quickly the evil within man comes out?
As for Joe and Ned, how can you not love them? They both have their scars but they also have each other and its probably the only thing keeping them sane. Some might question the realism of how they can find moments of romance in such horrible conditions but not me. If we can't find solace with our loved ones in times of darkness than what is the point of life? What is the point of fighting to survive? John Inman has created characters that, okay may not be your garden-variety-everyday-next-door-neighbor but they are very real and very human and put them in a situation that is definitely not everyday but watching them fight to survive is certainly scary but I also found to be uplifting. Nightfall is a case of someone opening Pandora's Box, letting all the evils of the universe out and Joe and Ned represent the one thing left at the bottom of the Box: Hope.
HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!! Frankly, the world John Inman creates in Nightfall could use Batman, the entire Justice League, and Marvel's Avengers combined, not that there would be anything they could do to change the predicament this story faces but they could go a long way in fighting the evilness that the dark brings out. I'll admit, this story may or may not really fit the "paranormal-ity" that embodies Halloween-time but the publisher has labeled it science fiction and I love a good sci-fi tale every October so I can't think of a better time to delve into Nightfall.
I won't really reveal too much of the plot but I will say this, it reminded me very pleasantly of the classic television show, The Twilight Zone. The amazingly scary John Inman has created a situation that may never happen(fingers crossed because otherwise I would be hunkering down in my basement if I ever woke to this) but at the same time, it is not completely outside the realm of thinkable possibility. Frankly, I don't know what had me on the edge-of-my-seat, nail-biting, creeped-out, and a hundred other cliches more: the idea of complete darkness or how quickly the evil within man comes out?
As for Joe and Ned, how can you not love them? They both have their scars but they also have each other and its probably the only thing keeping them sane. Some might question the realism of how they can find moments of romance in such horrible conditions but not me. If we can't find solace with our loved ones in times of darkness than what is the point of life? What is the point of fighting to survive? John Inman has created characters that, okay may not be your garden-variety-everyday-next-door-neighbor but they are very real and very human and put them in a situation that is definitely not everyday but watching them fight to survive is certainly scary but I also found to be uplifting. Nightfall is a case of someone opening Pandora's Box, letting all the evils of the universe out and Joe and Ned represent the one thing left at the bottom of the Box: Hope.
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September 17, 2018(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)
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