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Apocalypse
A biotech company develops a phone that’s implanted in human flesh. After SkinTech releases the DermaPhone 2, half the people on Earth who get the upgrade become homicidal maniacs. The world descends into chaos. There is murder on the streets in every city, and no one trusts anyone anymore. Even the people who don’t become homicidal are viewed as either potential mass murderers or unidentified serial killers by everyone else. When survivors take refuge at a compound on Lake Tahoe, they encounter something worse than the DermaPhone maniacs running amok in the outside world.
- GenresHorror
409 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2020
7 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 30, 2021
By now we know what we are getting from Brian Bowyer, with his straight to the point, balls to the wall, take no prisoners approach to storytelling. Apocalypse is a novel of pure unadulterated debauchery mixed with pure depravity. You will either be offended, or take it in stride to see what’s next. Are you going to stick around for the finale, or run away with your tail between your legs?
Apocalypse may be Bowyers most complete, in-depth work of art to date. At least I know it is for me having only read a handful. We have the Bowyer style “matter of fact” direct prose that gives the story a smooth fast paced flow, not letting up until a mind blowing exhausting finale leaving you breathless but asking for more.
We have a new spin on technology, and the horrors within. Something so common, yet taken for granted. Our very own cell phones. Except, these are Dermaphones. No more need for pockets. These are imbedded into your arm for convenience. Go the proper route to get yours and you should be fine. Decide to hit the black market, and you’re risking your life.
Normally Apocalypse refers to the end of the world. An Alien invasion. A Nuclear explosion wiping out mankind. The Earth imploding.
Here however, Bowyer is taking a different approach. Apocalypse here refers to the collapse of civilization.
We follow different groups, or duos of characters, who all are somehow affected by this technology and the end of civilization as we know it. The book is really made up of mini stories within. Mixed with strange relationships, psychotic thoughts and outbursts, questionable actions.
Some characters give off a "Natural Born Killers" feel, while others have a toxic relationship from the beginning. And then there is Amber, the one you feel the most empathy for.
The story then takes a monster like twist as we get to the final 100 pages or so, and people realize they may not just be fighting each other, but maybe themselves, and maybe something else too.
So many brutal killings in the last part of the book, blood seemed to be dripping off the pages.
And quite honestly there is so much liquor use, Bowyer should be getting some sort of alcohol endorsement.
This is a complete ride and a journey. Only the strongest survive. Well, those making the right decisions. It helps to have eyes in the back of your head.
Apocalypse may be Bowyers most complete, in-depth work of art to date. At least I know it is for me having only read a handful. We have the Bowyer style “matter of fact” direct prose that gives the story a smooth fast paced flow, not letting up until a mind blowing exhausting finale leaving you breathless but asking for more.
We have a new spin on technology, and the horrors within. Something so common, yet taken for granted. Our very own cell phones. Except, these are Dermaphones. No more need for pockets. These are imbedded into your arm for convenience. Go the proper route to get yours and you should be fine. Decide to hit the black market, and you’re risking your life.
Normally Apocalypse refers to the end of the world. An Alien invasion. A Nuclear explosion wiping out mankind. The Earth imploding.
Here however, Bowyer is taking a different approach. Apocalypse here refers to the collapse of civilization.
We follow different groups, or duos of characters, who all are somehow affected by this technology and the end of civilization as we know it. The book is really made up of mini stories within. Mixed with strange relationships, psychotic thoughts and outbursts, questionable actions.
Some characters give off a "Natural Born Killers" feel, while others have a toxic relationship from the beginning. And then there is Amber, the one you feel the most empathy for.
The story then takes a monster like twist as we get to the final 100 pages or so, and people realize they may not just be fighting each other, but maybe themselves, and maybe something else too.
So many brutal killings in the last part of the book, blood seemed to be dripping off the pages.
And quite honestly there is so much liquor use, Bowyer should be getting some sort of alcohol endorsement.
This is a complete ride and a journey. Only the strongest survive. Well, those making the right decisions. It helps to have eyes in the back of your head.
April 18, 2023
I finished Apocalypse by Brian Bowyer and loved it! It's a dark, edgy ride through the minds of some sick individuals...just the way we horror fans like it!
May 19, 2020
In the age of technology, there is new technology came into existence which is a phone that’s implanted in a human flash, a modern skin tech.
So the story starts with Miranda, who wants to upgrade her phone which is implanted in her forearms. After standing in the queue that was long and after waiting for hours and hours she went to his boyfriend for a solution for the same.
Her boyfriend Will had few contacts in the black market suggested and got her a new derma phone. It was risky but Will assured her that there will be no issues, to which she agrees then installs it.
After installation, there were chances that the skin could get infected if not properly installed and it was clear that there might be chances of infection in Miranda's implantation. But after that, it was not just an injection that she should be worried about it, its something unexplainable and literally life-threatening.
So what will happen if she gets infected? is this new security so that people don't buy a phone from the black market for its something else that killing others?
Then another story continues, the story of Amber, who was adopted at the age of 2 by a retired school teacher Carlus.
As she was sexually molested from her childhood by her adoptive father which she wasn't aware of until a certain age when she realized that she was getting raped and after years she felt nothing about it. The trauma she faced in her childhood had become her worst nightmare. Apart from that she, herself was weird. like killing her pet cat at age 4 or getting suspended from school because of punching other kids.
her story is different filled with pain and weirdness.
Will she be able to move on from her childhood memories? Will she be able to find the solution to her own problem?
The next story continues, Verna, who saves a girl from a stranger man. But being broke and looking for a place Verna invites her at her apartment to stay until she could support herself. The girl agrees and they go back to Verna's place. Even though Verna is happy that she saves a girl from a strange man, ends up killing her and cutting her body. Why?
So the book continues with these stories, the story of Miranda, Amber, and Verna who are facing different types of problems or psychopathic outbursts. Also, the book is filled with horror, action, technology, emotional trauma, murders, mystery, psychopathic behaviors.
So what happens next? How does the story ends?
My Take:
Apocalypse is the first book I'm reading written by author Brian Bowyer and I m just impressed by the writing skills that the author has shown in this book.
Starting from the start the story started as normally as any other book but as I reached 2nd chapter within a moment, my mind was just startled and the book captured my full attention.
Even the book contains some strange things but as I read further and further I actually quite like reading this book.
The book contains three most gripping and strange stories that are written in a very detailed and descriptive manner keeping everything balanced.
The author Brian Bowyer has defined the main characters differ from each other and each story had a different craziness and horror stuff. The book is written in easy to understand language and very imaginative which is very creative.
The storyline is gripping and artistic in a strange way. The balance of innocence, weirdness, confusion, excitement are written perfectly. Once you start reading I am sure you won't be able to stop until you have finished reading.
The book contains tech horror, sexual abuse, craziness, weird, psychological behavior, and in case you are wondering this is too much to read? I assure you this is the most gripping story that you will ever read and even you will like it once you start reading.
Overall a fascinating and creepy book that will keep you interested so read now.
So the story starts with Miranda, who wants to upgrade her phone which is implanted in her forearms. After standing in the queue that was long and after waiting for hours and hours she went to his boyfriend for a solution for the same.
Her boyfriend Will had few contacts in the black market suggested and got her a new derma phone. It was risky but Will assured her that there will be no issues, to which she agrees then installs it.
After installation, there were chances that the skin could get infected if not properly installed and it was clear that there might be chances of infection in Miranda's implantation. But after that, it was not just an injection that she should be worried about it, its something unexplainable and literally life-threatening.
So what will happen if she gets infected? is this new security so that people don't buy a phone from the black market for its something else that killing others?
Then another story continues, the story of Amber, who was adopted at the age of 2 by a retired school teacher Carlus.
As she was sexually molested from her childhood by her adoptive father which she wasn't aware of until a certain age when she realized that she was getting raped and after years she felt nothing about it. The trauma she faced in her childhood had become her worst nightmare. Apart from that she, herself was weird. like killing her pet cat at age 4 or getting suspended from school because of punching other kids.
her story is different filled with pain and weirdness.
Will she be able to move on from her childhood memories? Will she be able to find the solution to her own problem?
The next story continues, Verna, who saves a girl from a stranger man. But being broke and looking for a place Verna invites her at her apartment to stay until she could support herself. The girl agrees and they go back to Verna's place. Even though Verna is happy that she saves a girl from a strange man, ends up killing her and cutting her body. Why?
So the book continues with these stories, the story of Miranda, Amber, and Verna who are facing different types of problems or psychopathic outbursts. Also, the book is filled with horror, action, technology, emotional trauma, murders, mystery, psychopathic behaviors.
So what happens next? How does the story ends?
My Take:
Apocalypse is the first book I'm reading written by author Brian Bowyer and I m just impressed by the writing skills that the author has shown in this book.
Starting from the start the story started as normally as any other book but as I reached 2nd chapter within a moment, my mind was just startled and the book captured my full attention.
Even the book contains some strange things but as I read further and further I actually quite like reading this book.
The book contains three most gripping and strange stories that are written in a very detailed and descriptive manner keeping everything balanced.
The author Brian Bowyer has defined the main characters differ from each other and each story had a different craziness and horror stuff. The book is written in easy to understand language and very imaginative which is very creative.
The storyline is gripping and artistic in a strange way. The balance of innocence, weirdness, confusion, excitement are written perfectly. Once you start reading I am sure you won't be able to stop until you have finished reading.
The book contains tech horror, sexual abuse, craziness, weird, psychological behavior, and in case you are wondering this is too much to read? I assure you this is the most gripping story that you will ever read and even you will like it once you start reading.
Overall a fascinating and creepy book that will keep you interested so read now.
February 6, 2024
I am going to rate 55 out of 100 due to the finale.
In this we follow several groups\characters that meet up for a finale that the backover hints. You've got Miranda & Will a young couple of 16 years old, You've got Amber of 12, Verna 42, Joseph, and Gwyneth and her father. All of the stories will lead to the finale that the book cover talks but for that to happen we need to go through 350 pages. The book ha 410. So it was a bit odd. So what's this tale about you may ask, and it's about death. It's about a apocalypse where people who have their phone on their arms (a new think of the future) starts dying or becoming assassins - hearing voices and such.
So far so good? Yes.
The characters are non-likable at most , distasteful, awful bunch at the least. All have some major psychological problems and they are already either killers, cannibals or truly crazy ones. Apart from 2 characters I think they are all crazy and hard to root - and one of them dies. I am not going to spoil much but one of the most wicked is Amber a 12 year old that has been killing animals since she was a child, raped since she was 7 and killer well since she was 11 I think. She enjoys sex and drinks more than your average drunkard. Too be honest that's a constant of all of this characters, there is not one that is not a drunk.
So, as you can see this book is not to root for your characters. This book is for the spatterpunk fanatics who want something evil. IF you have enjoyed Tim Curran you will feel right at home. This reminds me alot of The Devil Next Door from him BUT far off.
So, as I've said 350 pages is their stories, how they end up meeting, the backstory of some characters, their depravity acts and such. Sex exists but is not graphic. Rape as well, not even the killing.. Yes there are some heads cut, some children killed but all said rarely showed.
So why my rating you may ask? The Ending is crappy.
So, I am going to have to spoil a bit so be warned (I will not dwell much afterwards)
- Well as I've said the vast majority of the tale is seeing the evil that man do (Iron Maiden reference) and how deprave we are. Some due to external factors, some born that way. When they go the same place they find some stairs and some monsters that start killing them off one by one until two are left alive and they just leave... So, I was thinking, well so much killers together you've got a battle royale but no. It's just monsters, some characters are just killed off screen, characters that we've been following since the start and it's just boring, badly done. I can't forgive and it feels lazy. YEs the characters shouldn't all die in a blaze of glory but killing 50% of them -" and that happen" it's just bad...
In this we follow several groups\characters that meet up for a finale that the backover hints. You've got Miranda & Will a young couple of 16 years old, You've got Amber of 12, Verna 42, Joseph, and Gwyneth and her father. All of the stories will lead to the finale that the book cover talks but for that to happen we need to go through 350 pages. The book ha 410. So it was a bit odd. So what's this tale about you may ask, and it's about death. It's about a apocalypse where people who have their phone on their arms (a new think of the future) starts dying or becoming assassins - hearing voices and such.
So far so good? Yes.
The characters are non-likable at most , distasteful, awful bunch at the least. All have some major psychological problems and they are already either killers, cannibals or truly crazy ones. Apart from 2 characters I think they are all crazy and hard to root - and one of them dies. I am not going to spoil much but one of the most wicked is Amber a 12 year old that has been killing animals since she was a child, raped since she was 7 and killer well since she was 11 I think. She enjoys sex and drinks more than your average drunkard. Too be honest that's a constant of all of this characters, there is not one that is not a drunk.
So, as you can see this book is not to root for your characters. This book is for the spatterpunk fanatics who want something evil. IF you have enjoyed Tim Curran you will feel right at home. This reminds me alot of The Devil Next Door from him BUT far off.
So, as I've said 350 pages is their stories, how they end up meeting, the backstory of some characters, their depravity acts and such. Sex exists but is not graphic. Rape as well, not even the killing.. Yes there are some heads cut, some children killed but all said rarely showed.
So why my rating you may ask? The Ending is crappy.
So, I am going to have to spoil a bit so be warned (I will not dwell much afterwards)
- Well as I've said the vast majority of the tale is seeing the evil that man do (Iron Maiden reference) and how deprave we are. Some due to external factors, some born that way. When they go the same place they find some stairs and some monsters that start killing them off one by one until two are left alive and they just leave... So, I was thinking, well so much killers together you've got a battle royale but no. It's just monsters, some characters are just killed off screen, characters that we've been following since the start and it's just boring, badly done. I can't forgive and it feels lazy. YEs the characters shouldn't all die in a blaze of glory but killing 50% of them -" and that happen" it's just bad...
May 28, 2020
***Trigger warning to this book. For people who suffered sexual abuse..... Be brave. But it is worth it all the way.*** ( It was a very good book)
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This is another book that I have read by this author. It was something that once again I was able to understand and continue reading. The author has the characters be different from one another. Something I am happy about. Not to second guess about them. He spells it about who they are in the book. Like in his last book it had short stories that kept me onto the edge of my seat! His writing never EVER DISAPPOINTS me. The story of amber is what caught my eye the most. Someone adopted at age 2 by a retired teacher. Her story was so gut-wrenching it was scary. Especially on how she was being molested by her adopted father, and nothing came to her mind about it until later on. Sometimes it is hard to move on from something like that. Being a victim of molestation when I was a teenager it was hard to move on, but it was later on in life. But would she be able to move on? Verna was also someone who was interesting. Saving a girl from a man. But what was like WTF.....even though she did such a heroic act yet......she cuts up the girl's body and kills her. There was pain, horror, and grief shown in different ways.
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This is another book that I have read by this author. It was something that once again I was able to understand and continue reading. The author has the characters be different from one another. Something I am happy about. Not to second guess about them. He spells it about who they are in the book. Like in his last book it had short stories that kept me onto the edge of my seat! His writing never EVER DISAPPOINTS me. The story of amber is what caught my eye the most. Someone adopted at age 2 by a retired teacher. Her story was so gut-wrenching it was scary. Especially on how she was being molested by her adopted father, and nothing came to her mind about it until later on. Sometimes it is hard to move on from something like that. Being a victim of molestation when I was a teenager it was hard to move on, but it was later on in life. But would she be able to move on? Verna was also someone who was interesting. Saving a girl from a man. But what was like WTF.....even though she did such a heroic act yet......she cuts up the girl's body and kills her. There was pain, horror, and grief shown in different ways.
January 18, 2023
This was a finish in one go book for me. The reader gets pulled into the story and then gets a slap in the face before getting too comfortable. I really liked the different characters and perspectives, it works well. The book turned out to be very compelling and impressive. I loved the plot. Excellent writing too.
April 7, 2020
If there was such a thing as B movies for Books this would be it.
When the world falls apart thanks to a new dermaphone upgrade we follow the lives of a few groups of people with no connection as they try to survive.
The Author does a really good job of intertwining the stories of these people together whilst at the same time painting a world of utter murderous destruction.
The ending takes on a very weird twist which was lost on me but I can imagine many would enjoy.
A very easy read that leaves a lot to the imagination.
Give this one a read
When the world falls apart thanks to a new dermaphone upgrade we follow the lives of a few groups of people with no connection as they try to survive.
The Author does a really good job of intertwining the stories of these people together whilst at the same time painting a world of utter murderous destruction.
The ending takes on a very weird twist which was lost on me but I can imagine many would enjoy.
A very easy read that leaves a lot to the imagination.
Give this one a read
May 23, 2021
Disgusting
This book is offensive on so many levels. Not offensive in a I-don’t-agree-with-you kind of way either. It is poorly written on every level.
This book is offensive on so many levels. Not offensive in a I-don’t-agree-with-you kind of way either. It is poorly written on every level.
January 13, 2022
"..whenever a person calls themselves a poet, an angel stabs itself in the eye."
February 17, 2025
An epic apocalyptic ride of the macabre! I tore through this booo! Hard to put down, just like all of Bowyers other work! His books have a way of staying with you!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews