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The Kill Crew
Barricaded into a city block called The Station, two hundred souls have survived the apocalypse. So far. Was it a bomb? A biological attack? Phase one of an invasion? No one knows. The Long Silence has begun. After dark, thousands of the city's inhabitants - neither living nor dead - prowl the streets snatching survivors. The Station is under constant threat. Each day a lottery decides the seven members of The Kill Crew - a night shift of civilian soldiers. Their mission is simple: Extermination. Sheri Foley, a nobody in the days before the Long Silence, discovers she has the heart of a survivalist. She becomes one of the toughest members of The Kill Crew. But there are enemies inside the Station too. The evils of the old world persist and Sheri Foley must fight them all.
77 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2009
2 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Joseph D'Lacey
35 books428 followersBecame vegetarian after writing MEAT. Fond of meditation, unfathomable questions and cats.
Repped by Robert Dinsdale.
"Joseph D'Lacey rocks!" Stephen King.
Repped by Robert Dinsdale.
"Joseph D'Lacey rocks!" Stephen King.
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February 25, 2016
A través de la voz de Sheri Foley, vamos descubriendo lo que le ha pasado al mundo tras el Largo Silencio. Ha acaecido una hecatombe, cuyas causas no están claras, que ha convertido a la mayor parte de la población en no-muertos; aunque hay que añadir que no se trata de zombis al uso. Sheri, que vive en la Estación, una zona de la ciudad rodeada de barricadas en la que malviven doscientas personas, pertenece a los Terminadores, que salen a patrullar en grupos de siete, a exterminar a estos seres, que dan en llamar Transeúntes.
‘La brigada de la muerte’ (The Kill Crew, 2009), del inglés Joseph D’Lacey, es un relato largo perteneciente al subgénero post apocalíptico, en el que los protagonistas deben hacer frente a una amenaza inmisericorde. Es un relato más psicológico que terrorífico, en el que destaca la manera descarnada del autor, con un estilo conciso y engañosamente sencillo, que contiene algún que otro giro inesperado.
‘La brigada de la muerte’ (The Kill Crew, 2009), del inglés Joseph D’Lacey, es un relato largo perteneciente al subgénero post apocalíptico, en el que los protagonistas deben hacer frente a una amenaza inmisericorde. Es un relato más psicológico que terrorífico, en el que destaca la manera descarnada del autor, con un estilo conciso y engañosamente sencillo, que contiene algún que otro giro inesperado.
May 1, 2021
La Brigada De La Muerte.- Joseph D'lacey
"La noche cae como un mazazo porque nos aterra. Aquello que deseas se hace esperar y lo que temes llega repentinamente."
Todos los días, un grupo de 7 personas sale al exterior de La Estación a enfrentar a Los Transeúntes, seres humanos que nos están ni vivos ni muertos que persiguen implacablemente a los sobrevivientes del apocalipsis llamado El Gran Silencio. Sheri Foley es una de las sobrevivientes y tiene una capacidad especial a la hora de enfrentar a Los Transeúntes, lo que hace que sea la persona más experimentada en La Brigada De La Muerte.
La Brigada De La Muerte se publicó originalmente en el año 2009 con el título The Kill Crew, siendo el primer libro del autor británico Joseph D'lacey en ser traducido al español.
Novela corta de temática apocalipsis/muertos que caminan, que no va para el lado del horror/gore; esta es una historia más bien de horror psicológico y con un tono que por momentos me hizo acordar a El Camino.
Como buena obra de pseudo-zombies La Brigada tiene algunos momentos de crítica social y ecológica que le dan más profundidad a la historia.
Narrada casi en totalidad en primera persona por la protagonista, La Brigada De La Muerte nos mete de lleno en este mundo distópico en donde muchos de los peligros y horrores a veces son puertas adentro.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
"La noche cae como un mazazo porque nos aterra. Aquello que deseas se hace esperar y lo que temes llega repentinamente."
Todos los días, un grupo de 7 personas sale al exterior de La Estación a enfrentar a Los Transeúntes, seres humanos que nos están ni vivos ni muertos que persiguen implacablemente a los sobrevivientes del apocalipsis llamado El Gran Silencio. Sheri Foley es una de las sobrevivientes y tiene una capacidad especial a la hora de enfrentar a Los Transeúntes, lo que hace que sea la persona más experimentada en La Brigada De La Muerte.
La Brigada De La Muerte se publicó originalmente en el año 2009 con el título The Kill Crew, siendo el primer libro del autor británico Joseph D'lacey en ser traducido al español.
Novela corta de temática apocalipsis/muertos que caminan, que no va para el lado del horror/gore; esta es una historia más bien de horror psicológico y con un tono que por momentos me hizo acordar a El Camino.
Como buena obra de pseudo-zombies La Brigada tiene algunos momentos de crítica social y ecológica que le dan más profundidad a la historia.
Narrada casi en totalidad en primera persona por la protagonista, La Brigada De La Muerte nos mete de lleno en este mundo distópico en donde muchos de los peligros y horrores a veces son puertas adentro.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
April 27, 2016
Me ha encantado. Una novela corta bien escrita, con una buena trama, un buen ritmo, unos buenos personajes y mucha filósofa. Un relato de zombies que mezcla una historia típica con algo más rompedor.
August 14, 2014
Reseña de Manu Viciano · Nota: 7 · Reseña en Fantífica
La actualidad, más o menos. Una catástrofe indeterminada ha transformado a casi toda la humanidad en Transeúntes, criaturas sin alma y sin voz que vagan por el mundo con inagotable anhelo. En la Estación, que en realidad es poco más que un puñado de calles fortificadas, sobreviven alrededor de doscientas personas que se organizan en turnos semivoluntarios para formar parte de la Brigada de la Muerte, el comando que cada noche arriesga la vida para despejar el perímetro de Transeúntes.
En la Estación vive la protagonista de esta novela corta, Sheri Foley, narradora en primera persona de la historia. Su voz nos lo cuenta todo con un estilo directo, didáctico y sin contemplaciones, desde la dentadura que se ha dejado (literalmente) un Transeúnte al intentar arrancar un candado hasta sus propias sensaciones e impulsos. Sheri es adicta a salir de noche con la Brigada de la Muerte y dar sentido a su existencia eliminando Transeúntes. Además, se acuesta con Ike, un hombre que no le gusta demasiado, y protege a una niña llamada Trixie. Pero por supuesto, algo (o más bien varios algos) cambiarán todo eso y la obligarán a salir de la rutina y enfrentarse a lo desconocido.
Sí, es un libro de zombis. Y sí, comparte una buena proporción de la atmósfera y los recursos narrativos que hemos visto en otros muchos libros de zombis. Y aun teniendo en cuenta que La Brigada de la Muerte se escribió en 2009 y por tanto es precursora de muchos de esos otros libros, la historia suena a algo que ya habíamos leído varias veces. Suena, de hecho, a los relatos antiguos de Stephen King, a combinación de thriller, terror sobrenatural y miserias terrenales. No en vano la edición de Runas lleva una cita de King en portada. D'Lacey lo compensa con una escritura fresca y muy molona en ocasiones —la narradora pone nombre a sus armas y describe a su novio como alguien «sin una puta gota de personalidad», por ejemplo—, pero no logra borrar del todo la impresión (difícil de concretar pero impresión al fin y al cabo) de que esto ya lo habías leído antes.
La novela tiene un componente social evidente, para el que no hace falta leer demasiado entre líneas pero que D'Lacey no te planta en las narices con grandes letras de neón (lo que es de agradecer) y que en todo momento permanece abierto a interpretaciones. Veamos: los refugiados, a grandes rasgos miembros de la clase obrera y gente práctica en general, están asediados por una masa de Transeúntes dominados por un ansia inagotable que anula todo raciocinio. Los supervivientes comparten; los infectados lo toman todo para sí. La época en que transcurre la novela se llama el Gran Silencio porque la humanidad es prácticamente una masa abotargada y sin voz, y los protagonistas apenas logran defenderse de la oleada invasora, apenas le hacen una mínima mella, y eso solo los más decididos y despiertos. (Aunque por supuesto, allí donde haya mente habrá enfermedades mentales.)
O por ejemplo, al principio del tercer capítulo Sheri describe así a los Transeúntes:
La Brigada de la Muerte deja buen sabor de boca y se hace corta. Tiene un giro argumental bastante serio más o menos a mitad del texto que deja con ganas de saber más sobre la rutina de los protagonistas en la primera parte, y el libro transmite la sensación general de que habría admitido otros cuatro o cinco capítulos sin ningún problema. Pero creo que ese texto adicional habría jugado en contra del estilo ariete con que D'Lacey nos plantea su historia: Sheri va diciéndonos todo lo que necesitamos saber cuando lo necesitamos. Es una narradora eficiente y fiable, que si no nos cuenta algo es porque no lo sabe. (Y aun así, en una segunda lectura que yo he hecho más o menos en diagonal, para refrescar ideas, descubrimos entre las cosas que no sabe los indicios que apuntan a sus futuros descubrimientos.) Posiblemente, en realidad el autor clavó la extensión ideal para su historia.
¿Tenéis un rato muerto? Podríais emplearlo en cosas muchísimo peores que leer esta novela corta. Y a ver si alguien se anima a traducir más a D'Lacey, que seguro que merece la pena.
La actualidad, más o menos. Una catástrofe indeterminada ha transformado a casi toda la humanidad en Transeúntes, criaturas sin alma y sin voz que vagan por el mundo con inagotable anhelo. En la Estación, que en realidad es poco más que un puñado de calles fortificadas, sobreviven alrededor de doscientas personas que se organizan en turnos semivoluntarios para formar parte de la Brigada de la Muerte, el comando que cada noche arriesga la vida para despejar el perímetro de Transeúntes.
En la Estación vive la protagonista de esta novela corta, Sheri Foley, narradora en primera persona de la historia. Su voz nos lo cuenta todo con un estilo directo, didáctico y sin contemplaciones, desde la dentadura que se ha dejado (literalmente) un Transeúnte al intentar arrancar un candado hasta sus propias sensaciones e impulsos. Sheri es adicta a salir de noche con la Brigada de la Muerte y dar sentido a su existencia eliminando Transeúntes. Además, se acuesta con Ike, un hombre que no le gusta demasiado, y protege a una niña llamada Trixie. Pero por supuesto, algo (o más bien varios algos) cambiarán todo eso y la obligarán a salir de la rutina y enfrentarse a lo desconocido.
Sí, es un libro de zombis. Y sí, comparte una buena proporción de la atmósfera y los recursos narrativos que hemos visto en otros muchos libros de zombis. Y aun teniendo en cuenta que La Brigada de la Muerte se escribió en 2009 y por tanto es precursora de muchos de esos otros libros, la historia suena a algo que ya habíamos leído varias veces. Suena, de hecho, a los relatos antiguos de Stephen King, a combinación de thriller, terror sobrenatural y miserias terrenales. No en vano la edición de Runas lleva una cita de King en portada. D'Lacey lo compensa con una escritura fresca y muy molona en ocasiones —la narradora pone nombre a sus armas y describe a su novio como alguien «sin una puta gota de personalidad», por ejemplo—, pero no logra borrar del todo la impresión (difícil de concretar pero impresión al fin y al cabo) de que esto ya lo habías leído antes.
La novela tiene un componente social evidente, para el que no hace falta leer demasiado entre líneas pero que D'Lacey no te planta en las narices con grandes letras de neón (lo que es de agradecer) y que en todo momento permanece abierto a interpretaciones. Veamos: los refugiados, a grandes rasgos miembros de la clase obrera y gente práctica en general, están asediados por una masa de Transeúntes dominados por un ansia inagotable que anula todo raciocinio. Los supervivientes comparten; los infectados lo toman todo para sí. La época en que transcurre la novela se llama el Gran Silencio porque la humanidad es prácticamente una masa abotargada y sin voz, y los protagonistas apenas logran defenderse de la oleada invasora, apenas le hacen una mínima mella, y eso solo los más decididos y despiertos. (Aunque por supuesto, allí donde haya mente habrá enfermedades mentales.)
O por ejemplo, al principio del tercer capítulo Sheri describe así a los Transeúntes:
Llevan trajes elegantes, o falda y chaqueta. Gastan caros zapatos de piel. Van un poco desaliñados, un poco sucios. Te miran con ojos suplicantes. No saben hablar, pero sí gemir. Saben sollozar. […] Por Dios, si el mundo siguiera siendo el de antes les tomarías con fuerza en tus brazos, y les darías todo el amor y el dinero que pidieran.
La Brigada de la Muerte deja buen sabor de boca y se hace corta. Tiene un giro argumental bastante serio más o menos a mitad del texto que deja con ganas de saber más sobre la rutina de los protagonistas en la primera parte, y el libro transmite la sensación general de que habría admitido otros cuatro o cinco capítulos sin ningún problema. Pero creo que ese texto adicional habría jugado en contra del estilo ariete con que D'Lacey nos plantea su historia: Sheri va diciéndonos todo lo que necesitamos saber cuando lo necesitamos. Es una narradora eficiente y fiable, que si no nos cuenta algo es porque no lo sabe. (Y aun así, en una segunda lectura que yo he hecho más o menos en diagonal, para refrescar ideas, descubrimos entre las cosas que no sabe los indicios que apuntan a sus futuros descubrimientos.) Posiblemente, en realidad el autor clavó la extensión ideal para su historia.
¿Tenéis un rato muerto? Podríais emplearlo en cosas muchísimo peores que leer esta novela corta. Y a ver si alguien se anima a traducir más a D'Lacey, que seguro que merece la pena.
April 23, 2015
(Reseña en Fantífica, con resaltados, imágenes y tal.)
La actualidad, más o menos. Una catástrofe indeterminada ha transformado a casi toda la humanidad en Transeúntes, criaturas sin alma y sin voz que vagan por el mundo con inagotable anhelo. En la Estación, que en realidad es poco más que un puñado de calles fortificadas, sobreviven alrededor de doscientas personas que se organizan en turnos semivoluntarios para formar parte de la Brigada de la Muerte, el comando que cada noche arriesga la vida para despejar el perímetro de Transeúntes.
En la Estación vive la protagonista de esta novela corta, Sheri Foley, narradora en primera persona de la historia. Su voz nos lo cuenta todo con un estilo directo, didáctico y sin contemplaciones, desde la dentadura que se ha dejado (literalmente) un Transeúnte al intentar arrancar un candado hasta sus propias sensaciones e impulsos. Sheri es adicta a salir de noche con la Brigada de la Muerte y dar sentido a su existencia eliminando Transeúntes. Además, se acuesta con Ike, un hombre que no le gusta demasiado, y protege a una niña llamada Trixie. Pero por supuesto, algo (o más bien varios algos) cambiarán todo eso y la obligarán a salir de la rutina y enfrentarse a lo desconocido.
Sí, es un libro de zombis. Y sí, comparte una buena proporción de la atmósfera y los recursos narrativos que hemos visto en otros muchos libros de zombis. Y aun teniendo en cuenta que La Brigada de la Muerte se escribió en 2009 y por tanto es precursora de muchos de esos otros libros, la historia suena a algo que ya habíamos leído varias veces. Suena, de hecho, a los relatos antiguos de Stephen King, a combinación de thriller, terror sobrenatural y miserias terrenales. No en vano la edición de Runas lleva una cita de King en portada. D'Lacey lo compensa con una escritura fresca y muy molona en ocasiones —la narradora pone nombre a sus armas y describe a su novio como alguien «sin una puta gota de personalidad», por ejemplo—, pero no logra borrar del todo la impresión (difícil de concretar pero impresión al fin y al cabo) de que esto ya lo habías leído antes.
La novela tiene un componente social evidente, para el que no hace falta leer demasiado entre líneas pero que D'Lacey no te planta en las narices con grandes letras de neón (lo que es de agradecer) y que en todo momento permanece abierto a interpretaciones. Veamos: los refugiados, a grandes rasgos miembros de la clase obrera y gente práctica en general, están asediados por una masa de Transeúntes dominados por un ansia inagotable que anula todo raciocinio. Los supervivientes comparten; los infectados lo toman todo para sí. La época en que transcurre la novela se llama el Gran Silencio porque la humanidad es prácticamente una masa abotargada y sin voz, y los protagonistas apenas logran defenderse de la oleada invasora, apenas le hacen una mínima mella, y eso solo los más decididos y despiertos. (Aunque por supuesto, allí donde haya mente habrá enfermedades mentales.)
O por ejemplo, al principio del tercer capítulo Sheri describe así a los Transeúntes:
La Brigada de la Muerte deja buen sabor de boca y se hace corta. Tiene un giro argumental bastante serio más o menos a mitad del texto que deja con ganas de saber más sobre la rutina de los protagonistas en la primera parte, y el libro transmite la sensación general de que habría admitido otros cuatro o cinco capítulos sin ningún problema. Pero creo que ese texto adicional habría jugado en contra del estilo ariete con que D'Lacey nos plantea su historia: Sheri va diciéndonos todo lo que necesitamos saber cuando lo necesitamos. Es una narradora eficiente y fiable, que si no nos cuenta algo es porque no lo sabe. (Y aun así, en una segunda lectura que yo he hecho más o menos en diagonal, para refrescar ideas, descubrimos entre las cosas que no sabe los indicios que apuntan a sus futuros descubrimientos.) Posiblemente, en realidad el autor clavó la extensión ideal para su historia.
¿Tenéis un rato muerto? Podríais emplearlo en cosas muchísimo peores que leer esta novela corta. Y a ver si alguien se anima a traducir más a D'Lacey, que seguro que merece la pena.
La actualidad, más o menos. Una catástrofe indeterminada ha transformado a casi toda la humanidad en Transeúntes, criaturas sin alma y sin voz que vagan por el mundo con inagotable anhelo. En la Estación, que en realidad es poco más que un puñado de calles fortificadas, sobreviven alrededor de doscientas personas que se organizan en turnos semivoluntarios para formar parte de la Brigada de la Muerte, el comando que cada noche arriesga la vida para despejar el perímetro de Transeúntes.
En la Estación vive la protagonista de esta novela corta, Sheri Foley, narradora en primera persona de la historia. Su voz nos lo cuenta todo con un estilo directo, didáctico y sin contemplaciones, desde la dentadura que se ha dejado (literalmente) un Transeúnte al intentar arrancar un candado hasta sus propias sensaciones e impulsos. Sheri es adicta a salir de noche con la Brigada de la Muerte y dar sentido a su existencia eliminando Transeúntes. Además, se acuesta con Ike, un hombre que no le gusta demasiado, y protege a una niña llamada Trixie. Pero por supuesto, algo (o más bien varios algos) cambiarán todo eso y la obligarán a salir de la rutina y enfrentarse a lo desconocido.
Sí, es un libro de zombis. Y sí, comparte una buena proporción de la atmósfera y los recursos narrativos que hemos visto en otros muchos libros de zombis. Y aun teniendo en cuenta que La Brigada de la Muerte se escribió en 2009 y por tanto es precursora de muchos de esos otros libros, la historia suena a algo que ya habíamos leído varias veces. Suena, de hecho, a los relatos antiguos de Stephen King, a combinación de thriller, terror sobrenatural y miserias terrenales. No en vano la edición de Runas lleva una cita de King en portada. D'Lacey lo compensa con una escritura fresca y muy molona en ocasiones —la narradora pone nombre a sus armas y describe a su novio como alguien «sin una puta gota de personalidad», por ejemplo—, pero no logra borrar del todo la impresión (difícil de concretar pero impresión al fin y al cabo) de que esto ya lo habías leído antes.
La novela tiene un componente social evidente, para el que no hace falta leer demasiado entre líneas pero que D'Lacey no te planta en las narices con grandes letras de neón (lo que es de agradecer) y que en todo momento permanece abierto a interpretaciones. Veamos: los refugiados, a grandes rasgos miembros de la clase obrera y gente práctica en general, están asediados por una masa de Transeúntes dominados por un ansia inagotable que anula todo raciocinio. Los supervivientes comparten; los infectados lo toman todo para sí. La época en que transcurre la novela se llama el Gran Silencio porque la humanidad es prácticamente una masa abotargada y sin voz, y los protagonistas apenas logran defenderse de la oleada invasora, apenas le hacen una mínima mella, y eso solo los más decididos y despiertos. (Aunque por supuesto, allí donde haya mente habrá enfermedades mentales.)
O por ejemplo, al principio del tercer capítulo Sheri describe así a los Transeúntes:
Llevan trajes elegantes, o falda y chaqueta. Gastan caros zapatos de piel. Van un poco desaliñados, un poco sucios. Te miran con ojos suplicantes. No saben hablar, pero sí gemir. Saben sollozar. […] Por Dios, si el mundo siguiera siendo el de antes les tomarías con fuerza en tus brazos, y les darías todo el amor y el dinero que pidieran.
La Brigada de la Muerte deja buen sabor de boca y se hace corta. Tiene un giro argumental bastante serio más o menos a mitad del texto que deja con ganas de saber más sobre la rutina de los protagonistas en la primera parte, y el libro transmite la sensación general de que habría admitido otros cuatro o cinco capítulos sin ningún problema. Pero creo que ese texto adicional habría jugado en contra del estilo ariete con que D'Lacey nos plantea su historia: Sheri va diciéndonos todo lo que necesitamos saber cuando lo necesitamos. Es una narradora eficiente y fiable, que si no nos cuenta algo es porque no lo sabe. (Y aun así, en una segunda lectura que yo he hecho más o menos en diagonal, para refrescar ideas, descubrimos entre las cosas que no sabe los indicios que apuntan a sus futuros descubrimientos.) Posiblemente, en realidad el autor clavó la extensión ideal para su historia.
¿Tenéis un rato muerto? Podríais emplearlo en cosas muchísimo peores que leer esta novela corta. Y a ver si alguien se anima a traducir más a D'Lacey, que seguro que merece la pena.
November 4, 2011
Barricaded into a city block called The Station, two hundred souls have survived the apocalypse. So far. Was it a bomb? A biological attack? Phase one of an invasion? No one knows. The Long Silence has begun.
After dark, thousands of the city's inhabitants - neither living nor dead - prowl the streets snatching survivors. The Station is under constant threat. Each day a lottery decides the seven members of The Kill Crew - a night shift of civilian soldiers. Their mission is simple: Extermination.
Sheri Foley, a nobody in the days before the Long Silence, discovers she has the heart of a survivalist. She becomes one of the toughest members of The Kill Crew. But there are enemies inside the Station too. The evils of the old world persist and Sheri Foley must fight them all.
I am a big fan of apocalyptic fiction. I enjoy reading it because I am slightly obsessed about survivor’s stories. I also use this as an excuse to try out authors whose work I have never been exposed to before. I reckon if you can tackle the end of the world as a theme then you can tackle just about anything. I bought The Kill Crew on a whim, I have never read any of Joseph D'Lacey's other novels but I was browsing Amazon one day and it came up as a recommendation.
Sheri is an interesting protagonist. Prior to the events in The Killl Crew, she was just a normal person, living her life, doing her job and trying to get by. She has been forced by events to become a survivor, to adapt or die. Though she has developed a tough as nails exterior, as the story progresses, there is genuine insight into her fragile mental state. This is the story of a woman who is repeatedly pushed to her limits by situations she finds herself forced into.
I've always imagined that the end of the world would never be a happy place and the writing here offers the reader a glimpse of that. D'Lacey very effectively captures a sense of impending doom and bleakness that makes for a compelling read. I'll be honest, part of me was expecting a by the numbers tale of zombies but The Kill Crew is much more than that. The ambiguity about the cause of the outbreak, they grim determination of the survivors, the despair that permeates their existence all adds extra layers of depth.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the story's final act. The narrative veers off in an unexpected direction and ends on a poignant, bittersweet note that contains what may be just a glimmer of hope.
Less than eighty pages long The Kill Crew is easy to read in a single sitting and definitely falls into the category of small but perfectly formed.
Now that I am hooked on his writing the only question that remains is which of his other novels should I read next?
After dark, thousands of the city's inhabitants - neither living nor dead - prowl the streets snatching survivors. The Station is under constant threat. Each day a lottery decides the seven members of The Kill Crew - a night shift of civilian soldiers. Their mission is simple: Extermination.
Sheri Foley, a nobody in the days before the Long Silence, discovers she has the heart of a survivalist. She becomes one of the toughest members of The Kill Crew. But there are enemies inside the Station too. The evils of the old world persist and Sheri Foley must fight them all.
I am a big fan of apocalyptic fiction. I enjoy reading it because I am slightly obsessed about survivor’s stories. I also use this as an excuse to try out authors whose work I have never been exposed to before. I reckon if you can tackle the end of the world as a theme then you can tackle just about anything. I bought The Kill Crew on a whim, I have never read any of Joseph D'Lacey's other novels but I was browsing Amazon one day and it came up as a recommendation.
Sheri is an interesting protagonist. Prior to the events in The Killl Crew, she was just a normal person, living her life, doing her job and trying to get by. She has been forced by events to become a survivor, to adapt or die. Though she has developed a tough as nails exterior, as the story progresses, there is genuine insight into her fragile mental state. This is the story of a woman who is repeatedly pushed to her limits by situations she finds herself forced into.
I've always imagined that the end of the world would never be a happy place and the writing here offers the reader a glimpse of that. D'Lacey very effectively captures a sense of impending doom and bleakness that makes for a compelling read. I'll be honest, part of me was expecting a by the numbers tale of zombies but The Kill Crew is much more than that. The ambiguity about the cause of the outbreak, they grim determination of the survivors, the despair that permeates their existence all adds extra layers of depth.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the story's final act. The narrative veers off in an unexpected direction and ends on a poignant, bittersweet note that contains what may be just a glimmer of hope.
Less than eighty pages long The Kill Crew is easy to read in a single sitting and definitely falls into the category of small but perfectly formed.
Now that I am hooked on his writing the only question that remains is which of his other novels should I read next?
April 9, 2009
After the apocalypse, a couple of hundred survivors hole up in a ring of barricaded buildings and fight off the zombiefied commuters that attack every night. But is the greatest threat from without, or within?
The setup of The Kill Crew is far from original - we've seen much the same thing before in Day of the Triffids, 28 Days Later, I Am Legend, Dawn of the Dead, and so on. In the early pages, especially, this book felt like a grab-bag of random elements from films - a mysterious mist, zombies, cars not working, etc - and they didn't seem to fit together all that well. The zombies, in particular, seemed rather underwhelming, and zombies isn't really the right word: they're people in office clothes who wander around crying. They aren't undead, and they don't eat people.
With an author I'd read before, I'd probably have been more trusting, but in those early pages I felt very much as if D'Lacey had put the cart before the horses: he'd come up with the (rather worrying) image of people blasting commuters with shotguns, but struggled to come up with an actual reason for it happening. It felt a bit too contrived. But as it turns out, the book saves its originality for its second half. By the end the commuters have become extremely alarming antagonists, and the book's various elements come together very well.
It was never quite clear why The Kill Crew - a team of monster slayers sent out to battle the commuters every night - (a) went out at night when the commuters were active, instead of hunting for them while they slept, and (b) went out at all, since the commuters were hardly bothering their community any more. It seemed like a really bad way to go about things - but then the book makes the point that these aren't soldiers, they're just everyday people struggling to cope. Perhaps it's just the human desire to "do something" asserting itself at a very bad time. Or maybe it's survivor's guilt, a deathwish. And the book would have been much duller if they hadn't left the compound: the sequences where The Kill Crew has to high-tail it back to the Station were exceptionally thrilling.
There are a couple of editing glitches. For example, there's a passage where a guy called Lee stops talking, because someone's given him something difficult to think about. Sheri then explains to the reader that she's happy when everyone's quiet, because it means they are concentrating on the job - which makes little sense when we know Lee is quiet because he's thinking about something else. Commuters is capitalised or not fairly randomly. Apostrophes are up to their usual high-jinks: "Stopper's with this problem." "Load you're gun, babe."
But those minor things weren't enough to spoil a very exciting and at times very frightening book - and in the end the publisher takes responsibility for those, rather than the author. I enjoyed it a lot.
What's most interesting and impressive about The Kill Crew is the way it skips the actual apocalypse to focus on what it's like to be cooped up in an enclave fighting for survival. The book conveys brilliantly a sense of how thoroughly depressing that would be, of how such a life would wear a person down. Many post-apocalyptic books are about rebuilding, about beginning a new cycle, but this one is about attrition, about an apocalypse that won't give up until it has utterly destroyed us. And if it doesn't destroy us physically, it'll erode our humanity until we have no reason left to live.
It may not be the most original book ever written, but it's very well done, psychologically very rich, and extremely efficient in its eighty pages. Anyone who enjoys survival horror will find this very satisfying.
The setup of The Kill Crew is far from original - we've seen much the same thing before in Day of the Triffids, 28 Days Later, I Am Legend, Dawn of the Dead, and so on. In the early pages, especially, this book felt like a grab-bag of random elements from films - a mysterious mist, zombies, cars not working, etc - and they didn't seem to fit together all that well. The zombies, in particular, seemed rather underwhelming, and zombies isn't really the right word: they're people in office clothes who wander around crying. They aren't undead, and they don't eat people.
With an author I'd read before, I'd probably have been more trusting, but in those early pages I felt very much as if D'Lacey had put the cart before the horses: he'd come up with the (rather worrying) image of people blasting commuters with shotguns, but struggled to come up with an actual reason for it happening. It felt a bit too contrived. But as it turns out, the book saves its originality for its second half. By the end the commuters have become extremely alarming antagonists, and the book's various elements come together very well.
It was never quite clear why The Kill Crew - a team of monster slayers sent out to battle the commuters every night - (a) went out at night when the commuters were active, instead of hunting for them while they slept, and (b) went out at all, since the commuters were hardly bothering their community any more. It seemed like a really bad way to go about things - but then the book makes the point that these aren't soldiers, they're just everyday people struggling to cope. Perhaps it's just the human desire to "do something" asserting itself at a very bad time. Or maybe it's survivor's guilt, a deathwish. And the book would have been much duller if they hadn't left the compound: the sequences where The Kill Crew has to high-tail it back to the Station were exceptionally thrilling.
There are a couple of editing glitches. For example, there's a passage where a guy called Lee stops talking, because someone's given him something difficult to think about. Sheri then explains to the reader that she's happy when everyone's quiet, because it means they are concentrating on the job - which makes little sense when we know Lee is quiet because he's thinking about something else. Commuters is capitalised or not fairly randomly. Apostrophes are up to their usual high-jinks: "Stopper's with this problem." "Load you're gun, babe."
But those minor things weren't enough to spoil a very exciting and at times very frightening book - and in the end the publisher takes responsibility for those, rather than the author. I enjoyed it a lot.
What's most interesting and impressive about The Kill Crew is the way it skips the actual apocalypse to focus on what it's like to be cooped up in an enclave fighting for survival. The book conveys brilliantly a sense of how thoroughly depressing that would be, of how such a life would wear a person down. Many post-apocalyptic books are about rebuilding, about beginning a new cycle, but this one is about attrition, about an apocalypse that won't give up until it has utterly destroyed us. And if it doesn't destroy us physically, it'll erode our humanity until we have no reason left to live.
It may not be the most original book ever written, but it's very well done, psychologically very rich, and extremely efficient in its eighty pages. Anyone who enjoys survival horror will find this very satisfying.
June 11, 2017
Maravillosa sorpresa. No sabía de qué iba este libro y es cojonudo. Un descubrimiento que me ha hecho mi librero, El Librero del Mal. Genial historia post-apocalíptica con una protagonista muy bien perfilada. Y zombies, muchos zombies.
April 20, 2017
Mi amigo de GR Origen le dio 5 estrellas y, como hemos coincidido en varias puntuaciones, le metí a los “to read”.
Pero va a ser que con este no coincidimos. Comienzo diciendo que es una novela corta, menos de 100 pags, e igual por eso no ha triunfado conmigo.
Va de futuro cercano en el que una ¿plaga? ha convertido a la mayoría de población en ¿zombis que no se comen a la gente pero casi?
El caso es que hay tres personajes a cada cual más traumatizado y la historia en sí parece que queda colgada.
Eso es lo que se lee literalmente. Si tiramos por el camino de los implícito vislumbro una reflexión sobre la naturaleza humana, su comportamiento y la gestión de los traumas y ansiedades que todos tenemos dentro de forma más o menos evidente.
Y como no soy yo de implícitos –y menos de esto que os cuento arriba-, pues he votado según lo que me ha atraído lo literal : poco, como veis.
Pero va a ser que con este no coincidimos. Comienzo diciendo que es una novela corta, menos de 100 pags, e igual por eso no ha triunfado conmigo.
Va de futuro cercano en el que una ¿plaga? ha convertido a la mayoría de población en ¿zombis que no se comen a la gente pero casi?
El caso es que hay tres personajes a cada cual más traumatizado y la historia en sí parece que queda colgada.
Eso es lo que se lee literalmente. Si tiramos por el camino de los implícito vislumbro una reflexión sobre la naturaleza humana, su comportamiento y la gestión de los traumas y ansiedades que todos tenemos dentro de forma más o menos evidente.
Y como no soy yo de implícitos –y menos de esto que os cuento arriba-, pues he votado según lo que me ha atraído lo literal : poco, como veis.
June 7, 2018
This may be a short story but damn D'Lacey packs a lot in. Not only does it offer a fast paced story, a post-apocalyptic mystery and a fight for survival it also adds in a psychological edge and a bit of social commentary not to mention a twisted form of nature possibly seeking revenge (I can't mention any more as I'll end up spoiling it for you). My only issue is that it is too short and leaves everything on a knife edge, so so cruel.
December 22, 2010
a well-written and almost non-horror novella by d'lacey. continues his theme of eco-horror from Meat and features a uncliched take on the cliche warrior woman. ignore the horrible cover! this is a thoughtful book and not one of cheesy, formulaic adventure. it features a lottery that determines the make-up of nightly 'kill crews' and zombies who weep and display Invasion of the Body Snatchers tendencies...and a narrative that somewhat gently prods its protagonists into contemplation of themselves, the unpleasantly changing world around them, and their surprising new place within it.
May 16, 2010
I relish every minute I spend reading a book written by Joseph D'Lacey. He was recommended to me as a good horror author. And, yes, he does write good horror. Still, there's more than monsters, mayhem and mutilation in his stories. There is a human factor that makes me stop and ask if this is more than just an entertaining blood bath. I like that in a book.
Another well written book.
Another well written book.
August 8, 2017
Una historia corta pero buena, donde los zombis no son como siempre los pintan, estos son silenciosos, insomnes y lloran.
"Llevan trajes elegantes, o falda y chaqueta. Gastan caros zapatos de piel. Van un poco desaliñados, un poco sucios. Te miran con ojos suplicantes. No saben hablar, pero sí gemir. Saben sollozar. […] Por Dios, si el mundo siguiera siendo el de antes les tomarías con fuerza en tus brazos, y les darías todo el amor y el dinero que pidieran."
"Llevan trajes elegantes, o falda y chaqueta. Gastan caros zapatos de piel. Van un poco desaliñados, un poco sucios. Te miran con ojos suplicantes. No saben hablar, pero sí gemir. Saben sollozar. […] Por Dios, si el mundo siguiera siendo el de antes les tomarías con fuerza en tus brazos, y les darías todo el amor y el dinero que pidieran."
October 8, 2020
Una novela donde lo importante no es la acción sino el aspecto psicológico que da. En especial en el último tramo, cerró bastante bien a mi parecer.
February 14, 2021
Típico libro de Apocalipsis zombie donde el autor ha querido utilizar una mujer como protagonista para ningunearla por su género. Muy decepcionante.
March 18, 2016
All electrical components are destroyed. A strange green glow is in the air. Office workers are turned into strange mute creatures that wander the streets. The survivors have built a fortress like structure in the city to defend themselves from the creatures called The Commuters that patrol the night, crying, waiting to grab the unsuspecting. Each night a Kill Crew are sent out to thin out their numbers and keep the survivors safe, a job not everyone has the stomach for. You can volunteer for the Kill Crew as often as you want though only seven of the volunteers are sent out each night. Once a week, a lottery of all non volunteers is done to keep things fair. If you fail on Kill Crew, you are dragged away by the creatures and somehow turned into one of them.
Sheri was an ordinary person Before, a hairdresser with a normal life. Now she likes to have some purpose by being part of the Kill Crew with her guns Kane and Abel. On the nights that she isn't crewing, she sometimes spends it with Ike, the boyfriend of convenience that passes her time. As the numbers of zombies grow, it makes it harder to predict their movements and it seems like they might be developing a plan to get to them, making daylight just as risky to move around in. It is a grim life of survival and little hope, and I liked the way the author is able to build this world in such a short story. You can feel the tension and despair, and understand why the survivors are one step away from suicide.
On this shift, Sheri is crewing and the team are surprised to find The Commuters hiding nearby, waiting for them, despite the Kill Crew using different exits each time they leave. It becomes clear that it is an ambush. The closer they get to home, the more dangerous things become. A non volunteer on her second crewing mission is in a state of panic, forgetting everything she has been taught and putting the other six at risk. New tactics occur as the Commuters start running and working in packs. Sheri is torn between saving herself and saving someone else. It was an exciting part of the story where the tension is ramped up and you wonder if they will all survive.
I feel a bit sorry for Ike in the beginning, the way Sheri treats him. She is always thinking that he is a mindless idiot with no personality, someone she wouldn't bother with if things were different. She can't seem to see that he is kind and thoughtful, someone who would be a loyal friend even if they weren't sleeping together. Sheri always treats him as if he is a pain in the ass, there just to annoy her but it is she who is using him when she feels like it, pushing him away in a cruel way when she can't be bothered with him. Thing is, I can get her anger because of the stress she is under, and I like him for being so understanding and not giving up on her.
The book takes an interesting turn next as Sheri evaluates her life and that of her eleven year old friend Trixie. Now it is fellow humans who will be more of a threat than the Commuters. This was an intriguing plot change which I liked, and I certainly wasn't expecting this shocker, which turns the book on its head in more ways than one. Two things happen that I was not expecting and I did not see the hints of it, even when I read this until I read it second time round. It was an excellent piece of storytelling from the author.
I would have liked to see what happens next. This could easily be expanded into a full length novel showing the collapse of society or maybe the story after the novella ends. I found this story enjoyable and would recommend it for those who like apocalypse dystopia.
Sheri was an ordinary person Before, a hairdresser with a normal life. Now she likes to have some purpose by being part of the Kill Crew with her guns Kane and Abel. On the nights that she isn't crewing, she sometimes spends it with Ike, the boyfriend of convenience that passes her time. As the numbers of zombies grow, it makes it harder to predict their movements and it seems like they might be developing a plan to get to them, making daylight just as risky to move around in. It is a grim life of survival and little hope, and I liked the way the author is able to build this world in such a short story. You can feel the tension and despair, and understand why the survivors are one step away from suicide.
On this shift, Sheri is crewing and the team are surprised to find The Commuters hiding nearby, waiting for them, despite the Kill Crew using different exits each time they leave. It becomes clear that it is an ambush. The closer they get to home, the more dangerous things become. A non volunteer on her second crewing mission is in a state of panic, forgetting everything she has been taught and putting the other six at risk. New tactics occur as the Commuters start running and working in packs. Sheri is torn between saving herself and saving someone else. It was an exciting part of the story where the tension is ramped up and you wonder if they will all survive.
I feel a bit sorry for Ike in the beginning, the way Sheri treats him. She is always thinking that he is a mindless idiot with no personality, someone she wouldn't bother with if things were different. She can't seem to see that he is kind and thoughtful, someone who would be a loyal friend even if they weren't sleeping together. Sheri always treats him as if he is a pain in the ass, there just to annoy her but it is she who is using him when she feels like it, pushing him away in a cruel way when she can't be bothered with him. Thing is, I can get her anger because of the stress she is under, and I like him for being so understanding and not giving up on her.
The book takes an interesting turn next as Sheri evaluates her life and that of her eleven year old friend Trixie. Now it is fellow humans who will be more of a threat than the Commuters. This was an intriguing plot change which I liked, and I certainly wasn't expecting this shocker, which turns the book on its head in more ways than one. Two things happen that I was not expecting and I did not see the hints of it, even when I read this until I read it second time round. It was an excellent piece of storytelling from the author.
I would have liked to see what happens next. This could easily be expanded into a full length novel showing the collapse of society or maybe the story after the novella ends. I found this story enjoyable and would recommend it for those who like apocalypse dystopia.
March 18, 2013
I won this book from a Goodreads competition. There was some original trouble with delivery and the author was so kind as to send me another.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in delving into the minds of others. The author does an amazing job of showing you the life and thoughts of Sheri Foley. She's not exactly a nice person, and has terrible taste choosing her partners, but her memoirs are written in such a way as to make the human in her appeal to you more than her faults. Her experiences are easy to relate to, and her philosophy of life is gritty and stark, like anyone changed by such a disaster.
The plot wasn't mediocre either. The twists were just twisty enough to be surprising, and just surprising enough to become effective storytelling. The book is very short, and the cover is low-resolution and could be better by far, but in this case it is certainly not prudent to judge a book by it's cover.
It is perhaps a little too short, and the story could have been expanded to fill a bigger book without having to compromise on any of the remaining mysteries. My last fiction book took me a fortnight to read, this one only took me an hour. In it's favour though, despite being quick it succeeded in drawing me in.
I did not enjoy the frequent references to her as a woman. Not just a normal woman. A woman holding a gun! And the usual rhetorical question about "How could that have come about?" as though it was some huge thing for her to not still be hairdressing. I got to know her as a person first and a woman second, and the references to how strange it is for women to hold guns seemed forced and unnecessary.
I am also not such a fan of swearing and sex references so early in any story. However, in this case the swearing is a big part of her character and the "Can I get laid now?" bits turned out to be part of the later plot, where a character takes on a disturbingly paedophillic view of Hobbes' Leviathan.
Four stars, with extra kudos because the author is such a nice guy.
[EDIT] I came to realise recently that this book is by far the best and most entertaining novel given to me to review, and I actually find myself wanting to read it again someday soon. So, I have changed my rating to five stars.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in delving into the minds of others. The author does an amazing job of showing you the life and thoughts of Sheri Foley. She's not exactly a nice person, and has terrible taste choosing her partners, but her memoirs are written in such a way as to make the human in her appeal to you more than her faults. Her experiences are easy to relate to, and her philosophy of life is gritty and stark, like anyone changed by such a disaster.
The plot wasn't mediocre either. The twists were just twisty enough to be surprising, and just surprising enough to become effective storytelling. The book is very short, and the cover is low-resolution and could be better by far, but in this case it is certainly not prudent to judge a book by it's cover.
It is perhaps a little too short, and the story could have been expanded to fill a bigger book without having to compromise on any of the remaining mysteries. My last fiction book took me a fortnight to read, this one only took me an hour. In it's favour though, despite being quick it succeeded in drawing me in.
I did not enjoy the frequent references to her as a woman. Not just a normal woman. A woman holding a gun! And the usual rhetorical question about "How could that have come about?" as though it was some huge thing for her to not still be hairdressing. I got to know her as a person first and a woman second, and the references to how strange it is for women to hold guns seemed forced and unnecessary.
I am also not such a fan of swearing and sex references so early in any story. However, in this case the swearing is a big part of her character and the "Can I get laid now?" bits turned out to be part of the later plot, where a character takes on a disturbingly paedophillic view of Hobbes' Leviathan.
Four stars, with extra kudos because the author is such a nice guy.
[EDIT] I came to realise recently that this book is by far the best and most entertaining novel given to me to review, and I actually find myself wanting to read it again someday soon. So, I have changed my rating to five stars.
September 4, 2012
Well, well. That's some awesome sh*t. I didn't think much of it when it laughed down at me from a displaying shelf at the library. The cover didn't particularly scream at me, but I thought it would give me a good time reading some short book inbetween the stuff I have to do. I must say that I had a good time reading that one.
It starts with a short introduction to the crumbling world Sheri finds herself in. Sheri is our protagonist here, a ballsy woman who roams the streets at night with the kill crew she finds herself on every other night voluntarily to kill off the Commuters.
On one day all electricity ceased to function (no TV, no radio and no internet connection anymore). (No TV, no problem. A world with no music or internet connection is a sh*tty place. There, I said it.) They are down to about 200 people, so called Stoppers, who live in a bounded and secured zone (The Station), watched with gunmen night and day. Outside, meaning in the town, roaming people at night, so called Commuters, with the goal to take down every living soul that's left. Its not the peoples town anymore but the Commuters.
It's a picture I can imagine myself in a few years or 20 or 50 years when some kind of weapon hits us and only a few of us make it, or aliens invade us *hahaha*. I easily connected to Sheri, her personality and her surroundings.
The end of the story got me. I saw it coming but still I keep thinking about it. Well done!
It starts with a short introduction to the crumbling world Sheri finds herself in. Sheri is our protagonist here, a ballsy woman who roams the streets at night with the kill crew she finds herself on every other night voluntarily to kill off the Commuters.
On one day all electricity ceased to function (no TV, no radio and no internet connection anymore). (No TV, no problem. A world with no music or internet connection is a sh*tty place. There, I said it.) They are down to about 200 people, so called Stoppers, who live in a bounded and secured zone (The Station), watched with gunmen night and day. Outside, meaning in the town, roaming people at night, so called Commuters, with the goal to take down every living soul that's left. Its not the peoples town anymore but the Commuters.
It's a picture I can imagine myself in a few years or 20 or 50 years when some kind of weapon hits us and only a few of us make it, or aliens invade us *hahaha*. I easily connected to Sheri, her personality and her surroundings.
The end of the story got me. I saw it coming but still I keep thinking about it. Well done!
January 12, 2015
Reseña: http://www.fabulantes.com/2015/01/la-...
"En esta novela, Joseph D’Lacey nos ofrece un retrato psicológico magistral de la vida (o no-vida) en el post-apocalipsis. Original en su perspectiva, poderosa en la construcción de los personajes, rica en las líneas argumentales que se desarrollan en esta trama, inteligentísima en su construcción narratológica. Pocos textos con esta temática se pueden encontrar tan atrevidos en su lenguaje y estilo, al mismo tiempo que capaces de despertar en el lector emociones encontradas. Un motivo importante para desear leer, y encontrar en nuestro mercado literario, más obras de un Joseph D’Lacey que, si bien tuvo un despertar tardío como escritor, muestra unas capacidades de altura, dignas de los mejores.2
"En esta novela, Joseph D’Lacey nos ofrece un retrato psicológico magistral de la vida (o no-vida) en el post-apocalipsis. Original en su perspectiva, poderosa en la construcción de los personajes, rica en las líneas argumentales que se desarrollan en esta trama, inteligentísima en su construcción narratológica. Pocos textos con esta temática se pueden encontrar tan atrevidos en su lenguaje y estilo, al mismo tiempo que capaces de despertar en el lector emociones encontradas. Un motivo importante para desear leer, y encontrar en nuestro mercado literario, más obras de un Joseph D’Lacey que, si bien tuvo un despertar tardío como escritor, muestra unas capacidades de altura, dignas de los mejores.2
June 24, 2014
La Brigada de la Muerte es un título imprescindible que no dejará indiferente a sus lectores y ayudará a muchos a recuperar su hábito de lectura. Aunque está ambientado en un mundo postapocalíptico plagado de zombies, la cercanía de los pensamientos de la protagonista y su día a día solventa cualquier atisbo de temor que pueda inspirar. Resulta toda una lástima que sea tan corto y que se trate de un libro autoconclusivo.
Reseña: http://laestanteriadecho.blogspot.com...
Reseña: http://laestanteriadecho.blogspot.com...
March 20, 2015
Desde luego, es una pena que solo tengamos este relato tan corto pero tan intenso que casi llega a arder en las manos por todo el combustible apocalíptico con que alimenta nuestra imaginación, porque 'La Brigada de la Muerte' daría para una trilogía perfecta sobre nuestras peores pesadillas: Apocalipsis, miedo y supervivencia.
Reseña completa: http://nubedemariposa.blogspot.com.es...
Reseña completa: http://nubedemariposa.blogspot.com.es...
August 7, 2010
I quite liked this little tale. The twist on zombie stories was especially nice, and unexpected.
I kept thinking of the computer game Plants vs. Zombies -- what if the plants WERE the zombies :-)
Another winner by JDL :-)!!
I kept thinking of the computer game Plants vs. Zombies -- what if the plants WERE the zombies :-)
Another winner by JDL :-)!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2014
Entretiene, pero me ha recordado mucho al videojuego "The last of us".
March 1, 2016
Fairly okay book, though I wish it was a bit longer than it's 75 pages. I liked the human touch in this book and the kick-ass female lead character.
September 1, 2010
I really enjoyed this fast read. I've read Meat and look forward to reading more books by this author. I just wish the Kill Crew was longer!
December 23, 2010
Very powerful, well-written novella. I can't wait to read more bt this author.
January 4, 2015
Un breve comentario en "Not a Review": http://goo.gl/9zdVVV
November 10, 2025
This is Joseph’s first US release and it is a kicker. Usually I am not fond of first person, and present tense makes me feel like an observer, but Joseph has executed this piece of writing artistically and with grace. It didn’t read like most first person accounts and being character driven the story moved at a quick pace.
The kill crew are a group of survivors who search the city at night killing Commuters, a term given to those who didn’t survive but are still alive in a way. They are not zombies, they don’t eat flesh, and they weep as they reach for you.
Sherri is a member of the crew and she loves it, going out almost every night. And the one who narrates this story.
No one knows what happened to the world, there are theories but no one has any concrete evidence or knowledge, most just speculate. The number of survivors has dwindled to roughly two hundred and those numbers are going down but not in a way you’d expect, Joseph touches on subjects I haven’t read in most other books of this nature.
Sherri has a boyfriend, Ike, she doesn’t really like him. He was the in-between guy, the guy she was with until someone else came along. Only no one is coming anymore. Never. Sherri also has a young charge Trixie who is damaged and Sherri is trying to help fix.
In this new world, nothing works: computers, electricity, cars, watches, anything with a battery died. Then, one day out in the city (daylight is safe) looking for games for Trixie, Ike sees a Hi-Ace and for the hell of it, he climbs in…and it starts up.
This evolution of the story comes across so smoothly it seems almost natural. Joseph is an excellent story creator. I wanted to say ‘story teller’ but nothing is told in this book, everything is created around the characters, thoughts, emotions and needs.
Joseph’s style will sit well with everyone and the 80 pages will just fly by.
The kill crew are a group of survivors who search the city at night killing Commuters, a term given to those who didn’t survive but are still alive in a way. They are not zombies, they don’t eat flesh, and they weep as they reach for you.
Sherri is a member of the crew and she loves it, going out almost every night. And the one who narrates this story.
No one knows what happened to the world, there are theories but no one has any concrete evidence or knowledge, most just speculate. The number of survivors has dwindled to roughly two hundred and those numbers are going down but not in a way you’d expect, Joseph touches on subjects I haven’t read in most other books of this nature.
Sherri has a boyfriend, Ike, she doesn’t really like him. He was the in-between guy, the guy she was with until someone else came along. Only no one is coming anymore. Never. Sherri also has a young charge Trixie who is damaged and Sherri is trying to help fix.
In this new world, nothing works: computers, electricity, cars, watches, anything with a battery died. Then, one day out in the city (daylight is safe) looking for games for Trixie, Ike sees a Hi-Ace and for the hell of it, he climbs in…and it starts up.
This evolution of the story comes across so smoothly it seems almost natural. Joseph is an excellent story creator. I wanted to say ‘story teller’ but nothing is told in this book, everything is created around the characters, thoughts, emotions and needs.
Joseph’s style will sit well with everyone and the 80 pages will just fly by.
March 7, 2018
Una novela corta de zombies nada convencional y con ideas originales o que yo al menos no había visto con anterioridad (tampoco he leído ni visualizado demasiado material al respecto). Con una mezcla interesante entre lo lírico y un lenguaje seco y áspero, las páginas pasan con fluidez y uno siempre quiere saber más. Sorprende que en tan pocas páginas haya varios giros bastante imprevisibles y llamativos. Al menos uno de esos giros a mi me pilló completamente desprevenido. Sin embargo, su virtud, la brevedad, es también su mayor pecado y de algún modo la novela se queda un tanto coja sin que uno sepa muy bien porqué.
August 27, 2021
Gustóme. Pero no tanto. Es un libro que se lee muy rápido, ágil y con una distopía post apocalíptica. El mundo quedó destruido por no se sabe bien qué, y hay una especie de zombis arbolados con mente colmenar que quieren matar a los pocos humanos que quedan.
Como todo zombi, un tiro en la cabeza y ya. Hay tensión en cada página, y a veces son los humanos como Ike los que dan miedo por su enfermiza obsesión con una menor.
Voy a leer más de este autor igualmente.
Como todo zombi, un tiro en la cabeza y ya. Hay tensión en cada página, y a veces son los humanos como Ike los que dan miedo por su enfermiza obsesión con una menor.
Voy a leer más de este autor igualmente.
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