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Oasis
Terrorists use a free vaccination trailer as a front to infect the desert city of Oasis with a virus that has the power to kill the mind and take over the body. The next morning the power grid goes down. The government quarantines the city, but doesn't send aid, and nobody can understand why. Meanwhile, the infected begin to walk, mindlessly spreading the zombie virus to every corner of town. Corbin St. Laurent is an emergency room nurse with a will to survive, a little attitude, and the worst luck imaginable. During this crises he's plagued by hunger, thirst, fatigue, lack of safe shelter, a teenage hussy, one unstoppable virus, and hordes upon hordes of infected men & women. Sure, he's cool under pressure, but how much punishment can one man take? "It gives for a good creepy feeling as you're turning the pages to this novel. And you will be turning the pages... really damn hard to put down." - Dr. Pus from the Library of the Living Dead "Oasis is good ol' fashioned pulp fiction, complete with punchy style, taut action and fights for survival." - J. Dane Tyler "Oasis is a wicked thrill ride that keeps readers on their toes. Excellent read." - Donna C. "Peligrie" "Oasis ... is easily one of the most invigorating thrill rides in its genre." - Cal A.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2008
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Bryce Beattie
25 books16 followersI’m addicted to pulp-styled fiction. When I was a kid, some careless adult left a tape with several episodes of “The Shadow” lying around. After I listened to that, I was hooked. Pretty soon, audio just wasn't enough and I moved on to to the paperback stuff. At first it was just hardboiled detective fiction, but then I started reading old Conan stories and yarns about John Carter of Mars. Now I'm pretty hopeless. In fact, I'm so deep into pulp fiction that I write my own. I also write stuff for my kids.
In real life, I'm the entire IT department at a real estate investment and management company. I usually just tell people that I'm a programmer, because that's my favorite part (& the largest part) of my job. In a perfect world, however, I'd be a full-time writer.
Other stuff: I’m very religious (LDS). Politically, I am just about a Libertarian. I love my family (a wife, three little girls, and a son). I enjoy radio theater, swing dancing, jazz and blues music, firearms, writing, reading and I believe in being prepared, laughing often, and showing respect to people around me.
Now you know everything.
In real life, I'm the entire IT department at a real estate investment and management company. I usually just tell people that I'm a programmer, because that's my favorite part (& the largest part) of my job. In a perfect world, however, I'd be a full-time writer.
Other stuff: I’m very religious (LDS). Politically, I am just about a Libertarian. I love my family (a wife, three little girls, and a son). I enjoy radio theater, swing dancing, jazz and blues music, firearms, writing, reading and I believe in being prepared, laughing often, and showing respect to people around me.
Now you know everything.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 27, 2009
I agree with Felicia's 3.5 star assessment of this novel, so I'm giving it four stars to even out her three. This is a fun zombie tale and I enjoyed reading it. It does have its flaws, but overall they didn't detract enough for me not to like the book. If you like zombie tales, this is a good read.
What I liked:
1. The world building was excellent. The fictional city of Oasis came to life with vivid descriptions of locations and history.
2. The action was inventive and fun. The lead character was clever and quick to respond to the threats around him.
3. Though the zombies initially resemble the classic Romero zombies, they are different. There were some nice variations to their strengths, weaknesses, and overall behavior.
4. The twist at the end was daring, but awesome.
What I disliked:
1. The lead character appears to be an average guy, but he has the James Bond syndrome. Every attractive woman he comes across wants him. This was just a tad annoying.
Which leads me to...
2. Not until the end of the book do any of the women seem capable of anything other than waiting for the men to take care of them. I was relieved when one of the female characters finally stepped up and kicked some butt. It was a fantastic moment.
3. The same character showed up four times in the book, but with different names. Usually fat and unattractive, each man instantly hated the lead character and was a blustering, idiot macho man. All were instantly verbally abusive and wanting to fight. When we hit sterotype No. 2, I started rolling my eyes. This was actually a major weakness to the storytelling because it pushed me right out of the action. I understand the author wanted to create tension, but there were other ways to do it than having a carbon copy of the annoying, angry, fat, bald guy.
4. The supporting cast of the story was on the weak side. Most of them were morons who easily fell in behind the blustering idiot fat men. In real life, I seriously doubt this would have been the case.
Overall, despite its flaws, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next one. The author has a great voice and he's just getting started. I can't wait to see where he goes next.
What I liked:
1. The world building was excellent. The fictional city of Oasis came to life with vivid descriptions of locations and history.
2. The action was inventive and fun. The lead character was clever and quick to respond to the threats around him.
3. Though the zombies initially resemble the classic Romero zombies, they are different. There were some nice variations to their strengths, weaknesses, and overall behavior.
4. The twist at the end was daring, but awesome.
What I disliked:
1. The lead character appears to be an average guy, but he has the James Bond syndrome. Every attractive woman he comes across wants him. This was just a tad annoying.
Which leads me to...
2. Not until the end of the book do any of the women seem capable of anything other than waiting for the men to take care of them. I was relieved when one of the female characters finally stepped up and kicked some butt. It was a fantastic moment.
3. The same character showed up four times in the book, but with different names. Usually fat and unattractive, each man instantly hated the lead character and was a blustering, idiot macho man. All were instantly verbally abusive and wanting to fight. When we hit sterotype No. 2, I started rolling my eyes. This was actually a major weakness to the storytelling because it pushed me right out of the action. I understand the author wanted to create tension, but there were other ways to do it than having a carbon copy of the annoying, angry, fat, bald guy.
4. The supporting cast of the story was on the weak side. Most of them were morons who easily fell in behind the blustering idiot fat men. In real life, I seriously doubt this would have been the case.
Overall, despite its flaws, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next one. The author has a great voice and he's just getting started. I can't wait to see where he goes next.
December 15, 2011
I feel like a cheat marking this book as read, but I just could not finish it.
This is really just one of the worst books I've ever attempted to read. I'm trying to figure out a way to categorize my dislike for this novel without sounding like a total bitch, but it is going to happen, so I'll just get on with it.
First of all, the unoriginality is astounding. The plot (or lack thereof), the characters, the scenarios, the bites, the kills, all of it is an awkward, poorly-written mish-mash of George Romero movies, Walking Dead graphic novels, and dystopian fiction. Corbin is a paper cutout of a hero. I know absolutely nothing about him, his history, his family, his friends and connections. He basically exists as an unfunny unlikely hero in every situation.
Then there's the women, who are pathetic shadows of characters, if even that. Beth is a could-be spunky heroine who is given cheesy damsel-in-distress scenes. Kim and Lily are painful to read. I don't even know what the hell Linda is doing in there. But apparently Corbin wants to bone all of them amidst a damn apocalypse, so there they sit.
The deeper issue is that this book is so lazy. There was no editing whatsoever. The characters are recycled archetypes of villains, heroes, and damsels-in-distress. The dialogue is unfunny and lame. And there just seemed to be no research- no research of pathology, geography, survival tactics, weaponry, anything.
I just...I don't even know. I'm glad I didn't read the last 100 pages because I'm so ready to wipe this book from my memory and move on.
This is really just one of the worst books I've ever attempted to read. I'm trying to figure out a way to categorize my dislike for this novel without sounding like a total bitch, but it is going to happen, so I'll just get on with it.
First of all, the unoriginality is astounding. The plot (or lack thereof), the characters, the scenarios, the bites, the kills, all of it is an awkward, poorly-written mish-mash of George Romero movies, Walking Dead graphic novels, and dystopian fiction. Corbin is a paper cutout of a hero. I know absolutely nothing about him, his history, his family, his friends and connections. He basically exists as an unfunny unlikely hero in every situation.
Then there's the women, who are pathetic shadows of characters, if even that. Beth is a could-be spunky heroine who is given cheesy damsel-in-distress scenes. Kim and Lily are painful to read. I don't even know what the hell Linda is doing in there. But apparently Corbin wants to bone all of them amidst a damn apocalypse, so there they sit.
The deeper issue is that this book is so lazy. There was no editing whatsoever. The characters are recycled archetypes of villains, heroes, and damsels-in-distress. The dialogue is unfunny and lame. And there just seemed to be no research- no research of pathology, geography, survival tactics, weaponry, anything.
I just...I don't even know. I'm glad I didn't read the last 100 pages because I'm so ready to wipe this book from my memory and move on.
May 27, 2009
I would like to give this book 3 1/2 stars, not three. But not quite 4 either. It was a good basic zombie story that ended up being ruined by the ending. It was the usual, though not formulaic, zombie story. Right up until the end when all hell broke loose with a bunch of new plot twists, and then the book doesn't really end, because CLEARLY there is a sequel coming. Sigh. Fine. Of course I'll read it because who the hell wants to be left hanging, you know? But I defnitely do NOT like where the story is headed.
Interesting aside...there are many stories/books that I would love to read a sequel to because I am just not ready to let go of the characters at the end. Or maybe I want to find out what happens to them later. That's great. But one thing I have learned very recently, most notably through Rhiannon Frater's "As the World Dies" trilogy - IT'S GREAT TO KNOW RIGHT UP FRONT THAT IT'S A TRILOGY. No shucking around, you know in advance, and you can prepare yourself.
That said, the book was not awful. In fact (except for the typos and wrong word usage: hoard instead of horde; b-line instead of beeline; crews instead of cruise....those are just a very few) the story was a good one. There was a whole LOT of male posturing and bullying and jockeying for position in this zombie infested town, and Our Hero kept winding up in unfavorable situations that were bizarre, yet predictable based on the storyline. I know there's gonna be some of that when the zombies finally do come, LOL, but not in EVERY SINGLE SITUATION YOU COME ACROSS.
But definitely read it. It was pretty good.
Interesting aside...there are many stories/books that I would love to read a sequel to because I am just not ready to let go of the characters at the end. Or maybe I want to find out what happens to them later. That's great. But one thing I have learned very recently, most notably through Rhiannon Frater's "As the World Dies" trilogy - IT'S GREAT TO KNOW RIGHT UP FRONT THAT IT'S A TRILOGY. No shucking around, you know in advance, and you can prepare yourself.
That said, the book was not awful. In fact (except for the typos and wrong word usage: hoard instead of horde; b-line instead of beeline; crews instead of cruise....those are just a very few) the story was a good one. There was a whole LOT of male posturing and bullying and jockeying for position in this zombie infested town, and Our Hero kept winding up in unfavorable situations that were bizarre, yet predictable based on the storyline. I know there's gonna be some of that when the zombies finally do come, LOL, but not in EVERY SINGLE SITUATION YOU COME ACROSS.
But definitely read it. It was pretty good.
September 20, 2012
This is a classic zombie tale with a few twist. I am not a zombie kind of girl, but it was interesting enough to keep me turning the page. If you like zombie stories you will love this one. The main character, Corbin St. Laurent works as an ER nurse and not surprisingly he stumbles upon the zombies in the fictional town of Oasis. Throughout the story he is constantly in trouble with someone or something. While this character was believable some of the supporting characters were rather cookie cutter.
The little town of Oasis is in the middle of the desert and the towns people are cut off from the rest of the world. This story expresses the type of small town thinking you may discover any where in the world. Essentially, everyone needs someone to blame. With fewer than a handful of people left, Corbin has to save them before the Zombies or the Government manages to kill them all. Through out the book he describes the zombies and other survivors expertly, but falls short when it comes to the main character. If he had described him earlier in the story, I think I would have understood why Corbin had so many problems with his fellow survivors.
I am happy that it had an ending I would have never seen coming. There is obviously a sequel to this book. I will most definitely read it because I can't stand to not know the end of a story.
Overall, I gave this book 3 1/2 stars. I would have given it 4 stars, but the minor characters need more depth and diversity.
This book given free for review.
The little town of Oasis is in the middle of the desert and the towns people are cut off from the rest of the world. This story expresses the type of small town thinking you may discover any where in the world. Essentially, everyone needs someone to blame. With fewer than a handful of people left, Corbin has to save them before the Zombies or the Government manages to kill them all. Through out the book he describes the zombies and other survivors expertly, but falls short when it comes to the main character. If he had described him earlier in the story, I think I would have understood why Corbin had so many problems with his fellow survivors.
I am happy that it had an ending I would have never seen coming. There is obviously a sequel to this book. I will most definitely read it because I can't stand to not know the end of a story.
Overall, I gave this book 3 1/2 stars. I would have given it 4 stars, but the minor characters need more depth and diversity.
This book given free for review.
July 10, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. Pretty classic, town is infected and a handful of people struggle to survive. Zombies are very Romero-esque as well. The only problem I began to have while reading it (and the reson I put 3 instead of 4 stars) was I began to get annoyed at the constant trouble the main character ran into from fellow survivors. He was beaten up, pushed down stairs, and thrown out of enclaves more often than any character I have ever encountered. As if being locked in a town with a bunch of zombies wasn't bad enough luck. So, don't expect a group of survivors who you root for, the majority are just as bad, if not worse, than the zombies.
June 21, 2012
This book is one of the better zombie novels out there. It's very well written, with interesting characters, and even a little social commentary thrown in. It would have been five stars, if it hadn't been for the weird ending. I didn't care for the ending too much, but it wasn't necessarily bad, and it was definitely original.
April 27, 2013
It moves pretty briskly, not a lot of drag. A strange twist at the end - rather unexpected. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the next book.
As with most indie books, this could use a bit more editing, but it's pretty solid.
As with most indie books, this could use a bit more editing, but it's pretty solid.
January 12, 2009
The best novel I have ever written, up to this point.
January 20, 2013
this had me thinking....
August 23, 2015
Ok well it was interesting and I liked it. The end kind of threw me off though. I liked how it tied up some questions I had.
September 27, 2013
De verdad si aún no lo han leído, se los recomiendo...¡Zombies!
November 14, 2016
Good story
Good story. Hope there will be a follow up story someday. The characters are interesting and capable. Nice story for a afternoon.
Good story. Hope there will be a follow up story someday. The characters are interesting and capable. Nice story for a afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews