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Zeroland
Ten years from now the United States as we know it will cease to exist.
Since the secession of the Southern Fourteen, the Reformed United States has faced its share of crises, from ravaging wildfires to extreme desertification to toxic water supplies. Now, a man has been murdered at a research facility in the Arctic Circle and a deadly alien creature is on the loose.
Inspired by his time working in the Arctic and spurred on by our current political climate, Ryan Winters’ Zeroland follows a group of characters, each with pasts they’d prefer stay buried, doing all they can to survive in a world where life has become defined by environmental devastation. Under the eye of shadowy governmental oversight, the intertwined fates of these people—and perhaps the world—are on the line.
Since the secession of the Southern Fourteen, the Reformed United States has faced its share of crises, from ravaging wildfires to extreme desertification to toxic water supplies. Now, a man has been murdered at a research facility in the Arctic Circle and a deadly alien creature is on the loose.
Inspired by his time working in the Arctic and spurred on by our current political climate, Ryan Winters’ Zeroland follows a group of characters, each with pasts they’d prefer stay buried, doing all they can to survive in a world where life has become defined by environmental devastation. Under the eye of shadowy governmental oversight, the intertwined fates of these people—and perhaps the world—are on the line.
- GenresHorrorScience Fiction
164 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2021
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It was original and well written. The characters were my favorite part, incredibly convincing and full of depth, in particular Ursula. I loved the addition of the Native Alaskan folklore elements! I wish that had been in the blurb. Definitely something that would have caught my attention. I could have used a bit more wind up, or tension, leading into the climax. The alien conflict, for me, was somewhat secondary. Absolutely still a fun fantastic sci-fi read!
May 22, 2021
Expertly navigating a cast of complex characters through a dystopian near future, Ryan Winters crafts a gripping sci-fi/horror plot that never stops. If you’re looking for ambitious genre fiction written with skill, focus, and precision, Zeroland is for you.
June 23, 2021
I’ve referred to Ryan as the Alaskan Raymond Carver in the past, and his new science fiction/horror novel casts no shadow over that comparison. The prose is still as tight and lovely as a Carver story, but we’re getting monsters and mechs with this one!
Zeroland does share some DNA with John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Ridley Scott’s Alien, but it still manages to be a terribly original piece of dystopian writing. In a mere 164 pages, Winters introduces us to a large cast of characters, giving them all enough backstory and emotional kicks to power an entire season or two of a Netflix original series. There are several seemingly sidebar storylines that all meet up in satisfying ways by the end of this lean masterpiece.
There’s a revenge storyline that meets up with a detective story. There’s a horrifying alien hunting a rough ex-con construction crew during a blizzard. There’s a bit of Crichton level eco-thriller slipped in. And there’s a political thread running through the book that touches on the devastating mess we’ve got coming after the four year tantrum thrown by the last guy in charge.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there are giant mechs patrolling borders on the outskirts of the novel! You might even get to witness a mech battle if you pick this one up. It’s a hell of a book and an easy 5 stars. Check this one out along with the rest of Ryan’s work. I know you’ll enjoy his stuff.
Zeroland does share some DNA with John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Ridley Scott’s Alien, but it still manages to be a terribly original piece of dystopian writing. In a mere 164 pages, Winters introduces us to a large cast of characters, giving them all enough backstory and emotional kicks to power an entire season or two of a Netflix original series. There are several seemingly sidebar storylines that all meet up in satisfying ways by the end of this lean masterpiece.
There’s a revenge storyline that meets up with a detective story. There’s a horrifying alien hunting a rough ex-con construction crew during a blizzard. There’s a bit of Crichton level eco-thriller slipped in. And there’s a political thread running through the book that touches on the devastating mess we’ve got coming after the four year tantrum thrown by the last guy in charge.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there are giant mechs patrolling borders on the outskirts of the novel! You might even get to witness a mech battle if you pick this one up. It’s a hell of a book and an easy 5 stars. Check this one out along with the rest of Ryan’s work. I know you’ll enjoy his stuff.
June 16, 2021
Often, when you read a book summary and accompanying blurbs you know exactly what you are in for. If you've never read Ryan Winters' (aka Ryan Bradley) work, know that whatever you think you're getting into pales in comparison to the pathos on every page. No matter the plot machinations, Ryan unflinchingly exposes readers to the inner workings of the darkness that lurks inside (and is usually leaking out) his characters.
Zeroland takes us into a near future ravaged by climate change and a country splintered by ideologies to deliver a first contact in the Arctic that gives you those John Carpenter feels. The environment is harsh, the carnage is horrifying, in between is the karma of the characters. Grab a jumpseat on a drop into the future and hope that these aren't the aliens the government seems recently eager to acknowledge.
Zeroland takes us into a near future ravaged by climate change and a country splintered by ideologies to deliver a first contact in the Arctic that gives you those John Carpenter feels. The environment is harsh, the carnage is horrifying, in between is the karma of the characters. Grab a jumpseat on a drop into the future and hope that these aren't the aliens the government seems recently eager to acknowledge.
March 14, 2025
Potential here, as Winters has a clear and easy writing style, and an affinity for developing characterisation. The problem is that this is around 160 pages of Alien/The Thing, filled with chapters of character backstory, none of which impacts upon the plot at all: sometimes we get an info-dump on a character just before they're killed, sometimes—bizarrely pointlessly—just after, and never in a way that underlines or counterpoints their actions or attitudes. Literally, simply, filler.
Ultimately, the Alien/The Thing story amounts to a creature escaping, killing nearly everybody and then being shot in its first encounter with a rescue team, The End.
Nice prose, great characters—next time, add it to a plot, and Winters may have a novel.
Ultimately, the Alien/The Thing story amounts to a creature escaping, killing nearly everybody and then being shot in its first encounter with a rescue team, The End.
Nice prose, great characters—next time, add it to a plot, and Winters may have a novel.
June 22, 2022
Motivation for reading - I was looking for a book set in a cold climate to read during summer. Zeroland had elements of The Thing with similar claustrophobia and paranoia. I enjoyed the back stories of some of the characters that were sprinkled throughout, but the main story was too concise. I was hoping for more detail about the creature. Solid 3 star book for me
November 18, 2023
I found the premise amazing in regards to how the worlds’ final demise started with the trump election!
The way they described how different parts of the country was destroyed or seceded was simply fantastic!
The main story about the alien and surrounding plot lines and how they intersected was a wonderful read!
The way they described how different parts of the country was destroyed or seceded was simply fantastic!
The main story about the alien and surrounding plot lines and how they intersected was a wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews