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Dusty's Diary #1
Dusty's Diary: One Frustrated Man's Zombie Apocalypse Story
One Frustrated Man's Zombie Apocalypse Story
I played all those cool video games. I watched all those movies. I read all those books. In most of those, the hero of the story kills all the zombies, drives a sweet car, has plenty to eat, and always seems to get laid by the end. Yeah. Whatever.
I gotta be straight with you about why I wrote this journal and it comes down to one thing, the apocalypse kinda sucks.
It doesn’t meet my expectations at all.
And I honestly have to tell you, I was looking forward to it. I mean, I really was. It’s not that I don’t like people. I do. But holy crap, I was so tired of all the crap I had to put up with back in the old days, paying a mortgage, high interest rates on my credit cards, high cholesterol, thinning hair and a thickening midsection. I was tired of dealing with jerk-off drivers during rush hour and I was tired of my ex wife yammering at me on the phone until my brain turned to jelly. I was tired of things always getting more expensive and my paycheck always staying the same. I guess from back in all of that, a zombie apocalypse looked like a pretty good future to me.
Well, here’s my story. Read it. Let me know what you think.
I played all those cool video games. I watched all those movies. I read all those books. In most of those, the hero of the story kills all the zombies, drives a sweet car, has plenty to eat, and always seems to get laid by the end. Yeah. Whatever.
I gotta be straight with you about why I wrote this journal and it comes down to one thing, the apocalypse kinda sucks.
It doesn’t meet my expectations at all.
And I honestly have to tell you, I was looking forward to it. I mean, I really was. It’s not that I don’t like people. I do. But holy crap, I was so tired of all the crap I had to put up with back in the old days, paying a mortgage, high interest rates on my credit cards, high cholesterol, thinning hair and a thickening midsection. I was tired of dealing with jerk-off drivers during rush hour and I was tired of my ex wife yammering at me on the phone until my brain turned to jelly. I was tired of things always getting more expensive and my paycheck always staying the same. I guess from back in all of that, a zombie apocalypse looked like a pretty good future to me.
Well, here’s my story. Read it. Let me know what you think.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 22, 2015
389 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Bobby Adair
72 books704 followersA bio is a weird thing to write.
Just trying to imagine presenting the highlights of ME sets off alarm bells in my head. Why would anybody want to know anything about me? What about me is remarkable enough to tell?
When I think about these questions, I recall lying on my bed back in high school, headphones muffed over my ears, heavy metal blasting through my head. As with most teens, music’s power seduced me, and as I listened, I found myself admiring the albums' cover art (yeah, I’m old enough that I used to by LP’s) and I found myself reading about the singers and guitar players and drummers in the liner notes. Why? Because those musicians had created something that was deeply personal, passionate, and wonderfully emotional, and they’d shared it with the world. They’d shared it with me.
It made me want to know them through more than just their music. So, I read.
Through the years, I found myself reading about writers I’d enjoyed, historical figures I’d admired, politicians who weren’t dipshits, and business leaders who’d built great companies. Again, why? Who the hell knows? We’re all just people. I think we find each other interesting. We like to feel connected.
And that was my answer, at least as to the WHY.
On the WHAT I can say about me, for those who feel moved by my work: I’ll give it a quick go.
I was born an Air Force brat and lived in a dozen states before I graduated high school. I’ve worked my way through a wide variety of jobs, left most on a whim, owned businesses, lived through times when I had more money than I knew what to do with, and worried my way through times when I wondered how I’d pay the rent.
Life has been boring at times, and it’s been plenty exciting, too. So far.
I’ve traveled to India, stood atop the tallest mountains around, swam with sharks, smarted-off to cops, and been arrested. I’ve tried beer and weed, but never made a thing of either one. I’ve been brushed too close by death a few times. Thankfully, doctors, EMT’s, and nurses were kind enough to put all the pieces together again. I've ridden my bike so deep into the mountains it felt like I was alone on the edge of heaven, and I've watched the red sun sinking on an evening so clear it looked like it was falling off the edge of the world.
I’ve always had a hard time being where I am, wherever that is. My daydreams forever call from just over the horizon.
I’ve been asked by a dozen bosses where I see myself in five years, and I've lied every time, always telling them what they wanted to hear. Because the only thing I knew for sure, was that I wanted to be anywhere but there.
Find out more:
http://www.bobbyadair.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BobbyAdairAu...
Just trying to imagine presenting the highlights of ME sets off alarm bells in my head. Why would anybody want to know anything about me? What about me is remarkable enough to tell?
When I think about these questions, I recall lying on my bed back in high school, headphones muffed over my ears, heavy metal blasting through my head. As with most teens, music’s power seduced me, and as I listened, I found myself admiring the albums' cover art (yeah, I’m old enough that I used to by LP’s) and I found myself reading about the singers and guitar players and drummers in the liner notes. Why? Because those musicians had created something that was deeply personal, passionate, and wonderfully emotional, and they’d shared it with the world. They’d shared it with me.
It made me want to know them through more than just their music. So, I read.
Through the years, I found myself reading about writers I’d enjoyed, historical figures I’d admired, politicians who weren’t dipshits, and business leaders who’d built great companies. Again, why? Who the hell knows? We’re all just people. I think we find each other interesting. We like to feel connected.
And that was my answer, at least as to the WHY.
On the WHAT I can say about me, for those who feel moved by my work: I’ll give it a quick go.
I was born an Air Force brat and lived in a dozen states before I graduated high school. I’ve worked my way through a wide variety of jobs, left most on a whim, owned businesses, lived through times when I had more money than I knew what to do with, and worried my way through times when I wondered how I’d pay the rent.
Life has been boring at times, and it’s been plenty exciting, too. So far.
I’ve traveled to India, stood atop the tallest mountains around, swam with sharks, smarted-off to cops, and been arrested. I’ve tried beer and weed, but never made a thing of either one. I’ve been brushed too close by death a few times. Thankfully, doctors, EMT’s, and nurses were kind enough to put all the pieces together again. I've ridden my bike so deep into the mountains it felt like I was alone on the edge of heaven, and I've watched the red sun sinking on an evening so clear it looked like it was falling off the edge of the world.
I’ve always had a hard time being where I am, wherever that is. My daydreams forever call from just over the horizon.
I’ve been asked by a dozen bosses where I see myself in five years, and I've lied every time, always telling them what they wanted to hear. Because the only thing I knew for sure, was that I wanted to be anywhere but there.
Find out more:
http://www.bobbyadair.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BobbyAdairAu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
October 24, 2022
I listened to the audio book which is a compilation of a few short stories that starts with this one.
As such I didn't know to expect how frustrated Dusty would really be until it was too late as the audio book title doesn't mention frustration at all lol
All in all it was still pretty good but the excessive complaining about politics was a bit much for me.
As such I didn't know to expect how frustrated Dusty would really be until it was too late as the audio book title doesn't mention frustration at all lol
All in all it was still pretty good but the excessive complaining about politics was a bit much for me.
August 30, 2017
This was a massive disappointment from an author that I have enjoyed reading in the past. There is nothing interesting in this short story and I wondered what the actual point of it was. It is set in the same world as The Last Survivors series and is meant to be the prequel that explains? Um, no I don't think so....
We are supposed to be reading about a man who has survived in an underground bunker, writing about his experiences. I expected him to tell his story about the breakdown of society or at least the events which led up to him choosing to hide. Instead we get him wittering on about a load of rubbish that had no relation to the story.
He starts a sentence then mentions blogging. He then feels he needs to explain what that is, in case someoneone is trying to read this thousands of years in the future and needs help to understand what he is talking about. He then goes on to explain the meaning of terrorists, dipshits, first person shooters, pornography, DIY, nudists, swingers, epiphany, Charlton Heston...Yet he fails to explain clearly what caused the virus or what the enemy actually were. Calling these things Shroomheads didn't help! That was more important to me than going into detail about the number of people on the street who were nudists and had swingers parties, but it seems that having this guy talk about sex and pornography all the time was more important than telling us about the disaster. No surprise there.
I was so bored by all the uninteresting waffle that I only made it halfway through this 70 odd page book and the time I did waste on it dragged. A massive disappointment from a good author. I suggest you could happily live without going near this book. I certainly have no intention of reading The Last Survivors based on this offering. If you want to read this author I suggest reading his excellent zombie series Slow Burn.
We are supposed to be reading about a man who has survived in an underground bunker, writing about his experiences. I expected him to tell his story about the breakdown of society or at least the events which led up to him choosing to hide. Instead we get him wittering on about a load of rubbish that had no relation to the story.
He starts a sentence then mentions blogging. He then feels he needs to explain what that is, in case someoneone is trying to read this thousands of years in the future and needs help to understand what he is talking about. He then goes on to explain the meaning of terrorists, dipshits, first person shooters, pornography, DIY, nudists, swingers, epiphany, Charlton Heston...Yet he fails to explain clearly what caused the virus or what the enemy actually were. Calling these things Shroomheads didn't help! That was more important to me than going into detail about the number of people on the street who were nudists and had swingers parties, but it seems that having this guy talk about sex and pornography all the time was more important than telling us about the disaster. No surprise there.
I was so bored by all the uninteresting waffle that I only made it halfway through this 70 odd page book and the time I did waste on it dragged. A massive disappointment from a good author. I suggest you could happily live without going near this book. I certainly have no intention of reading The Last Survivors based on this offering. If you want to read this author I suggest reading his excellent zombie series Slow Burn.
May 2, 2020
Nenormāli viegla lasāmviela par gandrīzvaizombiju tēmu. Stāsts ir par kādu cilvēku, kas dzīvo savā piemājas bunkurā, kad pasaulē izcēlusies mākslīgi radīta vīrusa sērga. Cilvēki, tā teikt, paliek par sēņgalvām un, protams, mīļākais viņu ēdiens, ir nesaslimis cilvēks.
Šitādas grāmatas ir labas, kad ir īsas - pietiek humora, pietiek nedaudz šausmu un tas viss ātri beidzas - neapnīk.
Šitādas grāmatas ir labas, kad ir īsas - pietiek humora, pietiek nedaudz šausmu un tas viss ātri beidzas - neapnīk.
June 3, 2021
If you're easily offended, you won't like this book. There is cursing and numerous sex jokes throughout the book. I found this laughable post-apocalyptic story to be unlike anything I've read. It was very original and enjoyable! 4 stars because the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. Ray Porter did an amazing job, 5* for the narrator!
August 10, 2019
I stopped at about 20% because I couldn't take it anymore. I thought it would get better, but it was getting worse. What I really didn't like and it got on my nerves was the constant explanations of certain words (because the future people reading it might not understand), I get it, but it was extremely aggravating. And Dusty's fixation on sex. I get that he missed it, but darn, I didn't need to read each time he thought about his penis or each time something reminded him of a penis.
It's as though a teenager on drugs was writing this.
It's as though a teenager on drugs was writing this.
September 6, 2017
Two years surviving in a septic tank.
Meet Dusty. A devoted husband and father of three, Dusty lives a Prepper lifestyle. Fighting daily with the neighbourhood Home Owners Association, he turns a fiberglass tube the size of an RV into a survival bunker by convincing the HOA that it was a Tornado shelter. In Texas, that's not strange. The bunker was large enough for his whole family and stocked with enough survival food to feed five people for several years. Solar panels provided power for the bunker and a huge cistern holds rainwater.
Meanwhile, a company finds a cure to fight that ugly yellow toenail fungus by genetically modifying the Cordyceps fungus and applying it from a nasal spray. Along comes some crazy terrorists who modify the Cordyceps to attack people instead of toe fungus. Before you know it, people are breaking out huge red lumps growing on their heads, turning their brains to hard mush and their heads looking like mushrooms. And now the Shroomheads like to eat people.
All that was five years ago. Two years ago, Dusty moved into his bunker and sealed the door. The bunker built for five is plenty of room for Dusty by himself. His oldest had married and moved away, his wife ran off with another man who was not a Prepper. Before long, the ex and her new boyfriend are infected and Dusty hears that his ex turned and was found eating the faces of Dusty's twin sons. His daughter also gone, it was just Dusty, alone in his bunker for the last 2 years.
Two years in his bunker, now named Bunker Stink for the smell of living, all by himself, his only contact with the outside world through a periscope he had installed in Bunker Stink. Dusty finally decides to explore a bit, leaving the bunker for the first time. Actually, Dusty is on the prowl looking for the one thing he didn't have enough of in his single life - good pornography.
Written in a distinctly Dusty style, Dusty's Diary is entertaining as a look into one man's mind in his struggle to survive. No deep delving into the theory of terrorism, or the psychology of survival, or the insights of a trained mind coming to grips with a post-apocalyptic world. None of that here. Just the ramblings of a single mind trying to live. Not a bad read. Very short. But the story has possibilities.
Meet Dusty. A devoted husband and father of three, Dusty lives a Prepper lifestyle. Fighting daily with the neighbourhood Home Owners Association, he turns a fiberglass tube the size of an RV into a survival bunker by convincing the HOA that it was a Tornado shelter. In Texas, that's not strange. The bunker was large enough for his whole family and stocked with enough survival food to feed five people for several years. Solar panels provided power for the bunker and a huge cistern holds rainwater.
Meanwhile, a company finds a cure to fight that ugly yellow toenail fungus by genetically modifying the Cordyceps fungus and applying it from a nasal spray. Along comes some crazy terrorists who modify the Cordyceps to attack people instead of toe fungus. Before you know it, people are breaking out huge red lumps growing on their heads, turning their brains to hard mush and their heads looking like mushrooms. And now the Shroomheads like to eat people.
All that was five years ago. Two years ago, Dusty moved into his bunker and sealed the door. The bunker built for five is plenty of room for Dusty by himself. His oldest had married and moved away, his wife ran off with another man who was not a Prepper. Before long, the ex and her new boyfriend are infected and Dusty hears that his ex turned and was found eating the faces of Dusty's twin sons. His daughter also gone, it was just Dusty, alone in his bunker for the last 2 years.
Two years in his bunker, now named Bunker Stink for the smell of living, all by himself, his only contact with the outside world through a periscope he had installed in Bunker Stink. Dusty finally decides to explore a bit, leaving the bunker for the first time. Actually, Dusty is on the prowl looking for the one thing he didn't have enough of in his single life - good pornography.
Written in a distinctly Dusty style, Dusty's Diary is entertaining as a look into one man's mind in his struggle to survive. No deep delving into the theory of terrorism, or the psychology of survival, or the insights of a trained mind coming to grips with a post-apocalyptic world. None of that here. Just the ramblings of a single mind trying to live. Not a bad read. Very short. But the story has possibilities.
November 30, 2022
To start with this is not serious and the language relates to someone who has been stuck alone for ages - not my time of guy but it was fun and easy listen. Ray Porter is a great narrator and really brings the story to life.
Not something that I would relisten but fun to listen on a cold UK day.
Not something that I would relisten but fun to listen on a cold UK day.
September 5, 2017
A fun, quick read. Full of dark humour, and zombie mayhem. I'm glad that I have the first book on kindle that this prequel is attached to.
September 23, 2017
So Awesome!
The perfect short read for post-apocalyptic lovers. I can't wait to read more from Bobby! I love the diary & Dusty's sarcasm. Off to find book 2 now. Even better you can read it for free in KU!
The perfect short read for post-apocalyptic lovers. I can't wait to read more from Bobby! I love the diary & Dusty's sarcasm. Off to find book 2 now. Even better you can read it for free in KU!
October 16, 2023
Maybe not totally fair, but Dusty’s redneck ramblings pretty quickly felt old and just annoying.
March 28, 2015
Since I just added Mr. Adair to my must-click list, mainly due to his popular and riveting zombie series and most recently his bio thriller series, I had to check out this newly released short. 'Dusty's Diary' is based off of a novella/novel called 'The Last Survivors' which he co-wrote about a different kind of apocalypse, a fungal type that mutated the hosts into crazed cannibals. So, I could not pass up one up, and I have to admit that even without reading the novel, I really enjoyed this diary of sorts detailing the collapse of civilization during a pandemic of epic proportions. The main character aka diary writer had me rolling with laughterand maudlin with sadness as he gave glimpses of how the epidemic got out of control, and how he survived from day to day. The only thing that really got to me however, was that this diary doesn't begin until two years after he sealed himself inside his bunker. I couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't started earlier and what he had been doing for those two years. Oh and then there is the infection itself. Almost forgot that it is a terrifying thing with such a high and easily transmissible infection method that I didn't know how the crafty Dusty survived. It is alluded to that he might have been successfully vaccinated but well that didn't take away from the well-executed tale of a lone survivor coping with the dissemination of modern civilization by Shroomheads no less! This work was altogether a fun, imaginative and yet chilling read and well, here's hoping for another installment from Dusty!
December 10, 2023
Released in 2018, it's striking how the book anticipates aspects of the COVID pandemic and the political issues we've seen lately, making it quite a prescient piece. The audiobook really shines in how it parallels real-world events. The story, set against the backdrop of a world devastated by a virus, effectively captures the feelings of isolation, uncertainty, and the shifts in society that we've all experienced during the pandemic. This connection gives the story an extra layer of depth and makes it quite absorbing.
On the downside, the story's flow can be a bit uneven. There are parts where it's full of action and moves fast, which are really engaging. But then, it slows down in other parts, dwelling on details that don't add much to the story. This back and forth in pacing might throw off listeners at times. Still, "Dusty's Diary" is definitely worth a listen, especially for its relevant and timely themes. It’s a great choice for anyone into post-apocalyptic narratives that reflect real-life events.
On the downside, the story's flow can be a bit uneven. There are parts where it's full of action and moves fast, which are really engaging. But then, it slows down in other parts, dwelling on details that don't add much to the story. This back and forth in pacing might throw off listeners at times. Still, "Dusty's Diary" is definitely worth a listen, especially for its relevant and timely themes. It’s a great choice for anyone into post-apocalyptic narratives that reflect real-life events.
August 25, 2015
Greetings,
remember the days of diaries? Before we had the big diary in the sky we call social media? I used to get one each year from my grandma as a kid. :)
The fact that this story is written as diary entries might seem a little off-putting. Perhaps in another author's hands it wouldn't have worked. This one most definitely did.
Despite our hero dealing with such a tense, serious and dangerous world, the fact that he was entering his experiences as diary entries after the fact was very interesting. It allowed him to inject his dark humour, reflections and also the ever-present wondering about when the entries might suddenly end (which we, as the reader, share).
That is all I can say without revealing more. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope for more.
Highly recommended.
remember the days of diaries? Before we had the big diary in the sky we call social media? I used to get one each year from my grandma as a kid. :)
The fact that this story is written as diary entries might seem a little off-putting. Perhaps in another author's hands it wouldn't have worked. This one most definitely did.
Despite our hero dealing with such a tense, serious and dangerous world, the fact that he was entering his experiences as diary entries after the fact was very interesting. It allowed him to inject his dark humour, reflections and also the ever-present wondering about when the entries might suddenly end (which we, as the reader, share).
That is all I can say without revealing more. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope for more.
Highly recommended.
Read
September 13, 2015Very disappointing. This is the prequel to The Last Survivors series that was meant to explain the beginnings of the apocalypse. For what explanation there was, could have been fitted in a few pages. The interaction with the infected was limited and so the large majority of the 'diary' is rambling, mostly pointless drivel about the diarist's family, and explaining swear words, sayings, items etc of the pre apocalyptic world, which in real life would be okay but for a piece of fiction is boring as watching paint dry. A 2 star rating is being generous. I love the Last Survivor series giving them 4 & 5 stars. But this is terrible.
September 20, 2017
This is a book that i'm sure was much more fun to write than it was to read. As a writer, i know how much fun it is to create a character and just let him come alive. In this case, the character is an HVAC worker who somehow survived an apocolypse created by a virus that began as a toe fungus medication. This guy is a real foul mouth and it gets old after a very few pages. The story isn't awful. No more far fetched than many other global epidemic stories. And the approach was different. But i didn't enjoy the process of reading it. There was nothing that made me want to pull for the guy. No sympathy. So why read a book about characters you don't care about?
September 9, 2021
One lonely desperately horny mans desperate journey in a post apocalyptic world to get laid or at the very least find some porn. Sure a lot more goes on and there is more to the book to that but I felt other reviews covered that stuff well enough that I could sum the book up with that. I personally found it humorous and see potential for it to be more than it currently is.
September 2, 2017
Quite enjoyable!
Read
March 19, 2021This was totally disgusting I listened to the first 2 or 3 chapters and vulgarity was ever two words and the characters was planning not well thought out or something
DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE
DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE
January 8, 2024
Dusty’s diary. book 1
Reading entertainment for the twisted! I do love this author’s work. This character he has created is one creative and deranged piece of work. Any fan of the “Slow Burn” series should enjoy this book. I’ll bet Mr. Adair had fun with this series.
I did start to get antsy about halfway through with the monologue. Of course with this being a diary I am not likely to read anything else other than an occasional grunt from the infected.
I also questioned the reasoning for the elaborate traps for the infected. Other than its entertainment value, it did not seem very efficient. With Dusty’s endless supply of guns and ammunition I would think there would be more bang for the buck using them. I also was thinking he could have barricaded and burned the school rooms they congregated in.
Finally, although the cover picture had a totally different meaning, I thought it was cute enough to be a cover for a children’s book. I used to raise fancy rodents for the pet trade, so I found them adorable. Mr. Adair and Dusty had something totally different in mind for them though.
Reading entertainment for the twisted! I do love this author’s work. This character he has created is one creative and deranged piece of work. Any fan of the “Slow Burn” series should enjoy this book. I’ll bet Mr. Adair had fun with this series.
I did start to get antsy about halfway through with the monologue. Of course with this being a diary I am not likely to read anything else other than an occasional grunt from the infected.
I also questioned the reasoning for the elaborate traps for the infected. Other than its entertainment value, it did not seem very efficient. With Dusty’s endless supply of guns and ammunition I would think there would be more bang for the buck using them. I also was thinking he could have barricaded and burned the school rooms they congregated in.
Finally, although the cover picture had a totally different meaning, I thought it was cute enough to be a cover for a children’s book. I used to raise fancy rodents for the pet trade, so I found them adorable. Mr. Adair and Dusty had something totally different in mind for them though.
July 29, 2018
We are introduced to Dusty, a man exiting his backyard bunker two years after a fungus pandemic has wiped out and/or infected nearly the entire population. The living infected has growths or large bumps on their head and body. The growths on their head resemble a mushroom cap cut in half placed on top of their head so that the immune survivors call them shrooms or shroomheads. Dusty is one of the few remaining immune. As we discover more about Dusty we find an opinionated man; a man critical of life and people before the apocalypse, contemptuous of the way we viewed and treated each other, and a man who now realizes just how good we had it. After two years Dusty also realizes that what he misses the most is companionship. He needs to find another living normal human being. What Dusty finds is totally unexpected, recognizing his needs versus wants. The story is excellent and Ray Porter brings it to life.
September 26, 2023
The most unlikable protagonist in the post apocalypse. This guy is grumpy, negative, porn obsessed and proud of his ignorance. He’s a divorced, blue collar dad of three daughters (who are now dead because…apocalypse) who grumps about his life decisions and, now that civilization is over, realizes that the talking heads who formed his political opinions were all full of shit. I was surprised at how much sense he made but how angry he was as he expressed his views. Not as surprised about his anger the time he wasted being an asshat.
Maybe if I hadn’t just read Adrian’s Undead Diary I would’ve liked Dusty more. I loved Adrian, also porn obsessed and a bit of an asshat, but more jocular, more self actualized and less angry. He’s also isolated and feels like he’s the last person alive but he’s just more likable.
I guess Bobby Adair is raising some valid points and using an Everyman to make them. So I gave him 4 stars and I finished the book. So that says something too.
Maybe if I hadn’t just read Adrian’s Undead Diary I would’ve liked Dusty more. I loved Adrian, also porn obsessed and a bit of an asshat, but more jocular, more self actualized and less angry. He’s also isolated and feels like he’s the last person alive but he’s just more likable.
I guess Bobby Adair is raising some valid points and using an Everyman to make them. So I gave him 4 stars and I finished the book. So that says something too.
August 25, 2017
Dusty has been living in a small bunker for two years. After two years with no human contact he is becoming a bit stir crazy. This is his diary of his explorations of the post-apocalyptic world.
I had never heard of Bobby Adair before. It was free on Amazon and had some decent reviews and was a quick read, in case I didn't like it, so I grabbed it and put it on my e-reader. An hour and one-half later I am finishing it up and wanting more.
The book spends a lot of its time setting up the world without a lot of action, but the author does a good job in keeping you interested with humor throughout. By the end I was happily wanting more. The book is well written and edited. It’s written in a interesting POV of being a diary entry. So everything that happens is written in the past tense. I think it works well for this book.
I had never heard of Bobby Adair before. It was free on Amazon and had some decent reviews and was a quick read, in case I didn't like it, so I grabbed it and put it on my e-reader. An hour and one-half later I am finishing it up and wanting more.
The book spends a lot of its time setting up the world without a lot of action, but the author does a good job in keeping you interested with humor throughout. By the end I was happily wanting more. The book is well written and edited. It’s written in a interesting POV of being a diary entry. So everything that happens is written in the past tense. I think it works well for this book.
January 27, 2022
This was included in Audible's plus catalog and I'm a fan of the audiobook narrator (Ray Porter) so I grabbed and listened.
The story was comprised of diary entries from (you'll never guess) a man named Dusty, who had survived for two years in a bunker while much of the rest of humanity was infected with a fungus that turned them into Zombies. Dusty has a bit of bitterness about the world that is no longer, and the book is peppered with rants about class envy and how "blue and red" aren't really that different, which is sentiment that I'm not sure has aged well (the book was written in 2015). Dusty can be a bit crude - the story involves a repeated thread of searching for masturbation material - but the gore factor is kept pretty low. I'm not sure I'll grab the next volume, but I don't hate myself for listening to it.
The story was comprised of diary entries from (you'll never guess) a man named Dusty, who had survived for two years in a bunker while much of the rest of humanity was infected with a fungus that turned them into Zombies. Dusty has a bit of bitterness about the world that is no longer, and the book is peppered with rants about class envy and how "blue and red" aren't really that different, which is sentiment that I'm not sure has aged well (the book was written in 2015). Dusty can be a bit crude - the story involves a repeated thread of searching for masturbation material - but the gore factor is kept pretty low. I'm not sure I'll grab the next volume, but I don't hate myself for listening to it.
April 13, 2020
This book reads almost like a news brief today. I was surprised at how close this fictional read is to present-day facts. Written by Dusty, a survivor who has been in hiding, buried in his backyard in a bunker he had installed years before the vaccine left so many in a “Shroomhead” state. This book was written with some laughter, tongue-in-cheek type humor, a little bit of fear and some scary moments. Bobby Adair shows amazing ability and flair with his use of descriptors. You will definitely be able to visualize a person with a “Shroomhead”, the wasteland that Earth has become and the struggle for survival.
It is a short book, a quick read that would appeal to anyone that enjoys a solid zombi-esque read. It is actually the first in a series but stands well on its own.
It is a short book, a quick read that would appeal to anyone that enjoys a solid zombi-esque read. It is actually the first in a series but stands well on its own.
October 31, 2021
This book was terrible, then funny, then odd, then good, then a complete waste of my time. Once I got over his need to explain words and simple concepts, as well as the annoying way he spoke directly to us, I became invested. That investment didn't last long, because the many plot holes were as big as potholes. Also, don't repeatedly tell us that you have three daughters, if you only talk about and remember one of their names! Kate may as well have been an only child for the amount of credit and love the other two girls get.
No real story and no resolve to any of the reader's internal questions. There may be more follow-up "novels" that would answer those questions...But the execution of this introductory book was so bad that a follow-up purchase or read is out of the question.
No real story and no resolve to any of the reader's internal questions. There may be more follow-up "novels" that would answer those questions...But the execution of this introductory book was so bad that a follow-up purchase or read is out of the question.
August 26, 2017
Well, I wasn't expecting that!
First have to warn you about the bad language, if that offends you you might give this a pass. I don't care for it myself, but once I started reading I was intrigued by the story and did my best not to let it put me off. It actually fits the story, and this character.
The story itself is gruesome, sad, and sickening. I'm giving it 4 stars because it's so well written. I just hope it doesn't haunt my dreams. The main character is not sympathetic, he doesn't want your pity. He reminds me of an old boyfriend, tough as nails and smart in the practical matters, but not a pleasant man.
First have to warn you about the bad language, if that offends you you might give this a pass. I don't care for it myself, but once I started reading I was intrigued by the story and did my best not to let it put me off. It actually fits the story, and this character.
The story itself is gruesome, sad, and sickening. I'm giving it 4 stars because it's so well written. I just hope it doesn't haunt my dreams. The main character is not sympathetic, he doesn't want your pity. He reminds me of an old boyfriend, tough as nails and smart in the practical matters, but not a pleasant man.
August 27, 2017
If Dusty' s Diary was a full-length book I'd be very tempted to give it a five-star rating. It was a very enjoyable "tongue-in-cheek Post Apocalyptic story that finds a lot of the irony in the main character, Dusty' s, experiences as he expands beyond mere survival.
He designs a device he calls a "Shroom Trap" that uses a Shot Gun Shell, a short length of Copper Tubing, and a modified Rat Trap to fire the Shot Gun Shell and kill the "Mushroom Head" (infected humans) that prey on anything alive.
There isn't much Science in this Sci-Fi novella (part 1 of 3) but there's a lot of Fun and it's worth reading.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
He designs a device he calls a "Shroom Trap" that uses a Shot Gun Shell, a short length of Copper Tubing, and a modified Rat Trap to fire the Shot Gun Shell and kill the "Mushroom Head" (infected humans) that prey on anything alive.
There isn't much Science in this Sci-Fi novella (part 1 of 3) but there's a lot of Fun and it's worth reading.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
September 21, 2017
BOOM SPLAT
I must say there is no other author that needs psychiatric help than Bobby Adair, and myself for loving his Dr's up way of writing and entertaining my sick self. I laugh, I cry, all in my head mind you, I ain't crazy! Unless you ask people that know me and wonder why I like reading post-apocalyptic books so much. I think it's just that humans have pretty much had our shot at being at the top of the food chain and now we need to ride of the flat end of the world 🌎, and give the bees a shot or sting. Love this series and very happy Bobby wrote the prequel. Don't forget to stop and smell the shrooms!!!
I must say there is no other author that needs psychiatric help than Bobby Adair, and myself for loving his Dr's up way of writing and entertaining my sick self. I laugh, I cry, all in my head mind you, I ain't crazy! Unless you ask people that know me and wonder why I like reading post-apocalyptic books so much. I think it's just that humans have pretty much had our shot at being at the top of the food chain and now we need to ride of the flat end of the world 🌎, and give the bees a shot or sting. Love this series and very happy Bobby wrote the prequel. Don't forget to stop and smell the shrooms!!!
November 1, 2017
Weird
I've read a few books, and at least two series, by this author and overall I'm usually quite impressed but not this time. Not even a little bit. I tried really hard to try to relate to the main character as someone who may not be too literate or educated, or trying to take into account his extreme amount of time spent isolated and under extreme amounts of stress from simply trying to survive but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find any way that I could relate to him. This author has many other books out there that I'd recommend in a heartbeat but this isn't one of them.
I've read a few books, and at least two series, by this author and overall I'm usually quite impressed but not this time. Not even a little bit. I tried really hard to try to relate to the main character as someone who may not be too literate or educated, or trying to take into account his extreme amount of time spent isolated and under extreme amounts of stress from simply trying to survive but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find any way that I could relate to him. This author has many other books out there that I'd recommend in a heartbeat but this isn't one of them.
October 27, 2022
I read a couple of "The Last" series books by this author and just couldn't get into the series. This Dusty series explains the initial catastrophe and the rapid change in society. It's a fun read. It's not complicated but it doesn't need to be. It's about a regular guy trying to make it one day at a time in the end of the world. I read so much stuff about the awesomest guys ever who can out shoot, out fight, out clever and out luck every situation all the time. This was kind of a refreshing change from spec ops bad ass crushing everything finding a cure and saving the world to HVAC guy trying to get fresh air.
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