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Nomad
A dark sci-fi thriller in the vein of Alien or John Carpenter's The Thing...
She wakes up drowning, escapes from a watery canister into a deathtrap of fiery corridors and exploding machinery.
Somehow, she’s in space.
She can’t remember her name or why she’s here.
Her mind is a mixed-up Rubik’s cube of fuzzy memories.
But she knows that spaceships don’t exist, and if they did ordinary girls like her don’t belong on them.
And there’s something else. She’s not alone.
Someone or something lurks in the shadows.
And it wants her dead...
She wakes up drowning, escapes from a watery canister into a deathtrap of fiery corridors and exploding machinery.
Somehow, she’s in space.
She can’t remember her name or why she’s here.
Her mind is a mixed-up Rubik’s cube of fuzzy memories.
But she knows that spaceships don’t exist, and if they did ordinary girls like her don’t belong on them.
And there’s something else. She’s not alone.
Someone or something lurks in the shadows.
And it wants her dead...
- GenresHorror
Audible Audio
Published February 19, 2020
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Nash
23 books22 followers.Jamie Nash is an author and screenwriter who writes fun and adventurous Middle Grade novels.
He's written kids movies like SANTA HUNTERS and TINY CHRISTMAS and scary movies NOT for kids like EXISTS and ALTERED.
He's written kids movies like SANTA HUNTERS and TINY CHRISTMAS and scary movies NOT for kids like EXISTS and ALTERED.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 11, 2019
Nomad is a sci-fi/horror/action novel from Jamie Nash, a screenwriter responsible for multiple horror movies (The Night Watchmen, Exists, Lovely Molly) as well as some television Christmas movies. This novel was adapted from a screenplay he created years ago that was never made into a feature film.
The book begins with a fairly classic premise that goes way back – at least as far as the Twilight Zone episode, "Five Characters In Search of An Exit", but appears in countless other tales. A girl wakes up with no memory of how she got there, no idea where "there" is, and no idea who she even is. In fact, she's drowning from the second she awakens, and is saved by a stranger that she dubs "Hero" for that obvious reason.
You can read R.J.'s full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
The book begins with a fairly classic premise that goes way back – at least as far as the Twilight Zone episode, "Five Characters In Search of An Exit", but appears in countless other tales. A girl wakes up with no memory of how she got there, no idea where "there" is, and no idea who she even is. In fact, she's drowning from the second she awakens, and is saved by a stranger that she dubs "Hero" for that obvious reason.
You can read R.J.'s full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
Read
July 13, 2019Really fun, fast-paced, action-packed story. Full of lots of fun 80s references, suspense, and a splash of gore. Reads really quick, almost movie-style. Full disclosure, I edited this book, but I truly enjoyed my time reading it!
July 8, 2020
I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.
This book was not what I expected. I was expecting a Sci Fi mystery, about following clues and discovery. However, what this book is, is more sci fi horror, in the line of movies like Event Horizon or Pandorum.
From the moment the story starts, it is danger and more danger. This only let's up, here and there, to develop the characters in a small way. None of the characters are actually developed, because of the details of the story, but they are developed enough for a 5 hour "run and Gun" style book.
Similarly, the setting (the ship) is not developed or explored well. The story takes place in mostly 3 or 4 rooms of the ship, and while certain aspects of the room are explored, the rooms and ship in general are not.
None of this is a flaw, however, as the narrative and style of writing necessitate a limited perspective. The Pov of the book matches this premise, as it is First Person Present Tense. This means the amnesiac main character is only discovering the ship and people as we do. No time to think back on what things were or meant on reflection, no finding out others motives. I initially thought that it was chosen because it would leave doubt as to whether the main character survives or not, but I realized later it was to contain the experience of the ship and situation to only what the main character knows at the time. This was a smart idea.
The not as smart idea is the amount of pop culture and tech references. The main characters are from the mid to late 80's, so everything they say, reference and technology they use is all from that time period. Growing up in the 80's myself, this was not an issue. However, it means the book will be unreadable in a few years. My kids won't know what a Commodore 64 is, or VHS tapes, or President Ragan, etc. At some point it felt less about nostalgia, and more about being beaten over the head with the fact the characters were from the 80's. I think it was a mistake to lean so heavily into the references.
The voice narration, by Christy Davis, was excellent. She perfectly captured the sprit of the main character. She has good voice range and her male voices sound believable, if a little high pitched. Still a first rate performance.
All in all this was a fast paced, sci fi horror. It didn't bog it down in too many details and kept the action going at all costs. It was a really good story. But definitely not for young readers.
This book was not what I expected. I was expecting a Sci Fi mystery, about following clues and discovery. However, what this book is, is more sci fi horror, in the line of movies like Event Horizon or Pandorum.
From the moment the story starts, it is danger and more danger. This only let's up, here and there, to develop the characters in a small way. None of the characters are actually developed, because of the details of the story, but they are developed enough for a 5 hour "run and Gun" style book.
Similarly, the setting (the ship) is not developed or explored well. The story takes place in mostly 3 or 4 rooms of the ship, and while certain aspects of the room are explored, the rooms and ship in general are not.
None of this is a flaw, however, as the narrative and style of writing necessitate a limited perspective. The Pov of the book matches this premise, as it is First Person Present Tense. This means the amnesiac main character is only discovering the ship and people as we do. No time to think back on what things were or meant on reflection, no finding out others motives. I initially thought that it was chosen because it would leave doubt as to whether the main character survives or not, but I realized later it was to contain the experience of the ship and situation to only what the main character knows at the time. This was a smart idea.
The not as smart idea is the amount of pop culture and tech references. The main characters are from the mid to late 80's, so everything they say, reference and technology they use is all from that time period. Growing up in the 80's myself, this was not an issue. However, it means the book will be unreadable in a few years. My kids won't know what a Commodore 64 is, or VHS tapes, or President Ragan, etc. At some point it felt less about nostalgia, and more about being beaten over the head with the fact the characters were from the 80's. I think it was a mistake to lean so heavily into the references.
The voice narration, by Christy Davis, was excellent. She perfectly captured the sprit of the main character. She has good voice range and her male voices sound believable, if a little high pitched. Still a first rate performance.
All in all this was a fast paced, sci fi horror. It didn't bog it down in too many details and kept the action going at all costs. It was a really good story. But definitely not for young readers.
April 15, 2020
Review originally published at: https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-no...
She woke up inside a vat full of liquid and with a tube inserted in her throat. She does not know where she is or who she is. More people are inside other crypods, and they seem to be in space. Are they an exploration team? In her heart, she knows this cannot be true. She gathers a small group rescued from other cryopods to investigate their surroundings, but there is something or someone trying to kill them behind every corner.
This psychological horror sci-fi novel is cooler than it sounds. Nothing is what it seems, and no one has their survival granted. The intrigue is successfully built from the start and kept almost until the end. The characters are flawed and relatable, and they know as little about themselves as we do. Each one evolves in unsuspected ways, while they fight for their lives without knowing what they are up against. There is gore and also terrible horrors, but sometimes the darkest things could be inside oneself.
The story is quite original and it goes great lengths in suggesting the unimaginable. I was afraid that the truth was going to be so crazy that the plot would suffer and lose credibility but, amazingly, Nash was able to pull it off and deliver a satisfying ending.
I think Christy Davis did a good job bringing the main character to life. Her male voices were good too, but there were a couple of times that she Davis got the voices mixed up and that made following a couple of dialogs difficult. Technically there were a couple of small issues, like volume changes, a buzzing sound on the background, and some noticeable audio edits. Her accents needed more work though. Just a personal note: I am not used to hearing Canadian accents, and her way of pronouncing “out” got me every time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Absolutely recommended!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
She woke up inside a vat full of liquid and with a tube inserted in her throat. She does not know where she is or who she is. More people are inside other crypods, and they seem to be in space. Are they an exploration team? In her heart, she knows this cannot be true. She gathers a small group rescued from other cryopods to investigate their surroundings, but there is something or someone trying to kill them behind every corner.
This psychological horror sci-fi novel is cooler than it sounds. Nothing is what it seems, and no one has their survival granted. The intrigue is successfully built from the start and kept almost until the end. The characters are flawed and relatable, and they know as little about themselves as we do. Each one evolves in unsuspected ways, while they fight for their lives without knowing what they are up against. There is gore and also terrible horrors, but sometimes the darkest things could be inside oneself.
The story is quite original and it goes great lengths in suggesting the unimaginable. I was afraid that the truth was going to be so crazy that the plot would suffer and lose credibility but, amazingly, Nash was able to pull it off and deliver a satisfying ending.
I think Christy Davis did a good job bringing the main character to life. Her male voices were good too, but there were a couple of times that she Davis got the voices mixed up and that made following a couple of dialogs difficult. Technically there were a couple of small issues, like volume changes, a buzzing sound on the background, and some noticeable audio edits. Her accents needed more work though. Just a personal note: I am not used to hearing Canadian accents, and her way of pronouncing “out” got me every time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Absolutely recommended!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
February 8, 2020
Short, Gruesome, Speedy
I’m more familiar with Jamie’s work as a screenwriter and as a co-host of the podcast Writers/Blockbusters. It’s clear he knows his stuff when it comes to writing and the elements that make a story work. It came as no surprise that NOMAD started as a screenplay.
The story is far gorier than I expected, but that’s not something I mind. His descriptions of gore are surprisingly palatable. I also appreciate the breakneck pace of the story — it hits the ground running and does not stop.
It took me a bit to warm up to the writing style. The narrator swears way more than what feels realistic. I am far from against cursing, both in art and in real life. But when writing, it’s important to me that the swearing not come at the expense of the rhythm and cadence of the prose. In my opinion, all the swearing made the writing seem clunky as a result. The other issue is that the narration is positively rife with 80s pop culture references. I get that part of the reason was to help the narrator figure out who she was and kept her tethered to her life on Earth. But after awhile it was like, dude, we get it, you grew up in the 80s and played video games.
Other than those two things, I really found myself invested in the story and itching to discover why everything was happening and who or what was behind it all. If you like sci-fi horror and are looking for a quick and dirty adventure, check this out.
I’m more familiar with Jamie’s work as a screenwriter and as a co-host of the podcast Writers/Blockbusters. It’s clear he knows his stuff when it comes to writing and the elements that make a story work. It came as no surprise that NOMAD started as a screenplay.
The story is far gorier than I expected, but that’s not something I mind. His descriptions of gore are surprisingly palatable. I also appreciate the breakneck pace of the story — it hits the ground running and does not stop.
It took me a bit to warm up to the writing style. The narrator swears way more than what feels realistic. I am far from against cursing, both in art and in real life. But when writing, it’s important to me that the swearing not come at the expense of the rhythm and cadence of the prose. In my opinion, all the swearing made the writing seem clunky as a result. The other issue is that the narration is positively rife with 80s pop culture references. I get that part of the reason was to help the narrator figure out who she was and kept her tethered to her life on Earth. But after awhile it was like, dude, we get it, you grew up in the 80s and played video games.
Other than those two things, I really found myself invested in the story and itching to discover why everything was happening and who or what was behind it all. If you like sci-fi horror and are looking for a quick and dirty adventure, check this out.
March 18, 2020
Nomad is a creepy horror story set on a spaceship far from earth. The heroine wakes in some sort of cryogenic chamber feeling like she’s suffocating while a man tries to break her out of the tube. She escapes into chaos with no idea where she is or who she is. The chamber where hundreds of these tubes are stored is blowing up and only the heroine and three people manage to get to relative safety—two of those three are dying from wounds they suffered getting out.
What follows is a rather involved mystery. Where are they? How did they get there? Who are they? And why is someone trying to kill them? This is a good mystery with a great science fiction solution, but it’s also an adventure tale. The physical threats are very real and no one can really be trusted. But be forewarned, the violence and suffering in this novel is extremely graphic and it was hard to listen to.
So if you like stories with a lot of tension and an excellent creep factor, you should give Nomad a try.
I received this book free from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
What follows is a rather involved mystery. Where are they? How did they get there? Who are they? And why is someone trying to kill them? This is a good mystery with a great science fiction solution, but it’s also an adventure tale. The physical threats are very real and no one can really be trusted. But be forewarned, the violence and suffering in this novel is extremely graphic and it was hard to listen to.
So if you like stories with a lot of tension and an excellent creep factor, you should give Nomad a try.
I received this book free from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Read
August 12, 2020Fun SF that starts with the throttle open and doesn't stop to the end. I liked the characters and the mystery of the characters on-board the ship and where it leaves off. It reads more like a screenplay or a plot for a video game, but entertaining nonetheless! I read it awhile ago.
February 29, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"Thank you for finding me."
review to follow
"Thank you for finding me."
review to follow
October 20, 2019
There are a couple of very interesting facts about the novel NOMAD from author Jamie Nash that needs to be shared up front. The first is the fact that NOMAD had originally begun its' life as a screenplay (and what a great Sci-Fi movie it would make). The second is the fact that using the term page-turner for this novel is doubly to the fact that it is not only written as a high-octane thriller but also because there are no breaks or chapters in the entire novel.
I am not sure if this unorthodox style was the Editor's choice or if Jamie Nash intended his novel to be read in one sitting --- but in this case the plan works. NOMAD bears all the great earmarks of a sci-fi thriller and it begins with the opening sequence. It begins with a young woman drowning in blood. Actually, she is trapped within a tube of viscous liquid resembling a pinkish/red color. She sees someone outside of her tube or Chryo Chamber taking an axe to it and she is eventually freed.
The young woman, also our narrator, has no memory of who she is, where she came from or what she was doing in a Chryo chamber. She finds herself paired with a few others who are going through the same situation. The names she gives her newfound colleagues are simple ones that describe them the way she sees them --- Hero, Shaft and Crazytown.
As the small group explore their home they find little answers but several dangers around every turn. They are attacked by machines and killer robots that using huge buzz saws and tentacle arms to maim or kill them. The group believes that some faceless being must be behind all of this. At one point, our narrator feels like they are in a human version of the game Battleship in which their faceless enemy is blindly setting up traps to kill them while also not having any way of knowing where they at any given time.
Nash has set up a classic, claustrophobic outer space atmosphere that immediately reminded me of films like the classic "Alien". The group does discover a few alarming facts, the first is that they are on a spaceship that appears to be hurtling at a quick speed towards an unknown planet. The other is the box of files --- almost like Personnel Folders --- that contain photos and names of various 'employees' from this space vessel. One shared trait of these people is that they were mostly criminals or people who led violent lives. The other, more chilling, fact was that the people in the files were all listed as deceased.
Not having any chapters or even a break between paragraphs makes the reader feel like they are hurtling forward through the narrative in much the same way as the spaceship is on target to collide with the unknown, purple planet outside its windows. I would have liked for a moment to catch my breath and pause between 'scenes' --- but I fully understand Nash's decision to fashion his book in this manner as it a very effective and immersive story-telling tool.
There are quite a few memorable moments in NOMAD. One involves the battle between humans and a giant, slug-like creature with no eyes but a ravenous mouth full of teeth that resemble a great white shark. There is also the point when our female narrator recognizes that there exists a being known as the Nomad, an alien who can take on the guise of different humans to blend in. Discovering the Nomad will be an important part of the eventual showdown between our protagonist and the faceless individual who is the true puppet-master behind the action. NOMAD is a great read and a novel that is begging for a film treatment!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for JournalStone
I am not sure if this unorthodox style was the Editor's choice or if Jamie Nash intended his novel to be read in one sitting --- but in this case the plan works. NOMAD bears all the great earmarks of a sci-fi thriller and it begins with the opening sequence. It begins with a young woman drowning in blood. Actually, she is trapped within a tube of viscous liquid resembling a pinkish/red color. She sees someone outside of her tube or Chryo Chamber taking an axe to it and she is eventually freed.
The young woman, also our narrator, has no memory of who she is, where she came from or what she was doing in a Chryo chamber. She finds herself paired with a few others who are going through the same situation. The names she gives her newfound colleagues are simple ones that describe them the way she sees them --- Hero, Shaft and Crazytown.
As the small group explore their home they find little answers but several dangers around every turn. They are attacked by machines and killer robots that using huge buzz saws and tentacle arms to maim or kill them. The group believes that some faceless being must be behind all of this. At one point, our narrator feels like they are in a human version of the game Battleship in which their faceless enemy is blindly setting up traps to kill them while also not having any way of knowing where they at any given time.
Nash has set up a classic, claustrophobic outer space atmosphere that immediately reminded me of films like the classic "Alien". The group does discover a few alarming facts, the first is that they are on a spaceship that appears to be hurtling at a quick speed towards an unknown planet. The other is the box of files --- almost like Personnel Folders --- that contain photos and names of various 'employees' from this space vessel. One shared trait of these people is that they were mostly criminals or people who led violent lives. The other, more chilling, fact was that the people in the files were all listed as deceased.
Not having any chapters or even a break between paragraphs makes the reader feel like they are hurtling forward through the narrative in much the same way as the spaceship is on target to collide with the unknown, purple planet outside its windows. I would have liked for a moment to catch my breath and pause between 'scenes' --- but I fully understand Nash's decision to fashion his book in this manner as it a very effective and immersive story-telling tool.
There are quite a few memorable moments in NOMAD. One involves the battle between humans and a giant, slug-like creature with no eyes but a ravenous mouth full of teeth that resemble a great white shark. There is also the point when our female narrator recognizes that there exists a being known as the Nomad, an alien who can take on the guise of different humans to blend in. Discovering the Nomad will be an important part of the eventual showdown between our protagonist and the faceless individual who is the true puppet-master behind the action. NOMAD is a great read and a novel that is begging for a film treatment!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for JournalStone
December 20, 2019
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
It's immediately gripping and fast paced with a funny and likeable main character. You can tell the author is a screen writer but it doesn't take away from it being a novel, it just makes it seem like it would be very easy for this book to be passed over to a visual medium.
I think this is the only book I've ever had that is in a continuous present moment, you are there for every second of these people trying to work out there situations which is a difficult thing to write but Nash does well.
Nomad is an adrenaline fueled sci-fi horror survival story of a woman trying to piece together her past on an alien spaceship. At a pace that will pull the skin off your skull, you’ll tear through this book.
It's immediately gripping and fast paced with a funny and likeable main character. You can tell the author is a screen writer but it doesn't take away from it being a novel, it just makes it seem like it would be very easy for this book to be passed over to a visual medium.
I think this is the only book I've ever had that is in a continuous present moment, you are there for every second of these people trying to work out there situations which is a difficult thing to write but Nash does well.
Nomad is an adrenaline fueled sci-fi horror survival story of a woman trying to piece together her past on an alien spaceship. At a pace that will pull the skin off your skull, you’ll tear through this book.
July 22, 2019
A fast-moving, enjoyable bit of genre fiction
Thank you, Jamie, for providing me with a review copy of this book!
Nomad was a fun read, like a mashup of Alien, Star Trek, and Black Mirror. Fittingly, it began as a screenplay.
The author chooses a first-person, present tense point of view, which puts the reader squarely into his main character, an unnamed young woman who awakes to find herself in a liquid-filled cryopod. An unknown person breaks her out of it right before she drowns, and the fun begins.
The story is tight and claustrophobic. Nash does a good job of seeding exposition throughout as the characters stumble through encounters with a maniacal robot, a mysterious threatening figure, and a cryptic woman, upon whose trustworthiness the protagonist cannot decide.
The conclusion doesn't necessarily wrap things up neatly, either. The reader is left with the sense that the protagonist's journey has only just begun. But it's a satisfying ending — again, very Black Mirror-like in its deliberate ambiguity.
The book, like many indie novels, contains a couple of (consistent) misspellings and some dropped punctuation, but the editor gnashing her teeth in my head was able to enjoy the story anyway. (I'm quite sure I'm far from perfect myself.)
Despite that, I gave Nomad 4 stars, because I did really like it. If I saw it on Netflix, I wouldn't feel I'd wasted my time or popcorn. Somebody do this!
Thank you, Jamie, for providing me with a review copy of this book!
Nomad was a fun read, like a mashup of Alien, Star Trek, and Black Mirror. Fittingly, it began as a screenplay.
The author chooses a first-person, present tense point of view, which puts the reader squarely into his main character, an unnamed young woman who awakes to find herself in a liquid-filled cryopod. An unknown person breaks her out of it right before she drowns, and the fun begins.
The story is tight and claustrophobic. Nash does a good job of seeding exposition throughout as the characters stumble through encounters with a maniacal robot, a mysterious threatening figure, and a cryptic woman, upon whose trustworthiness the protagonist cannot decide.
The conclusion doesn't necessarily wrap things up neatly, either. The reader is left with the sense that the protagonist's journey has only just begun. But it's a satisfying ending — again, very Black Mirror-like in its deliberate ambiguity.
The book, like many indie novels, contains a couple of (consistent) misspellings and some dropped punctuation, but the editor gnashing her teeth in my head was able to enjoy the story anyway. (I'm quite sure I'm far from perfect myself.)
Despite that, I gave Nomad 4 stars, because I did really like it. If I saw it on Netflix, I wouldn't feel I'd wasted my time or popcorn. Somebody do this!
October 8, 2019
Fun, fast-paced, and hyper-violent sci-fi. Nice and short with no chapter breaks. Loved the surprisingly heartfelt ending.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews