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Dying Light
In the near future, a new world order society mercilessly eradicates the last victims of the Blood Virus. "Vampyres," constantly in fear of discovery and persecution, live and walk among humans as ordinary people with an extraordinary reality and a haunting past; a deal to save the last vampyres is struck, but intrigue and betrayal ensure that while the sun will rise tomorrow, no one knows who will live to see it. Dying Light is the first in the new sub-genre of science fiction entitled "post-dystopia." Author Scott Meek deals with the science of stem cell research and blood borne diseases, the future as it might have been, and takes the reader into the realm of a new society. Coming in July of 2010, the book will be available through all booksellers.
236 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
D. Scott Meek
2 books51 followersWhat's a mid-40's divorced man to do after wrapping up twenty years in the US Navy? Why, start a career in teaching and writing, of course. Oh, and explore the world some more. And read everything possible. And spend time with my kids. And enjoy every moment to the fullest.
A teacher for the government by day, I ply my wares at night on my laptop, where I'm cranking out silly blog posts, socio-political commentary, poetry, short stories and novels at an excessive rate. If I was driving, I'd have been pulled over by now. Meanwhile, I have multiple novel projects in the works, all in various stages of development: some mostly done and some still in the idea stage, nothing more than a thought.
Outside of that, I'm a rampant philanthropist at the nickel and dime level; that is, $5 here or $10 there, if not $50 here or $100 there, goes a long way to help people achieve their dreams, or their goals at least, and I do what I can to help them get there by contributing a little money and then providing some exposure.
I'm a strong advocate for change in my current hometown of Baltimore, which I see as having a great deal of potential as a city if only more people will willing to invest in it.
Beyond that, I'm busy with life, having fun, working out, going to parties, spending time with my kids and experiencing every thing possible in every waking second. When I burn out and die, I want to be able to say that I did everything that was possible for me to do. I want to die like I live: with a smile on my face.
Here are some links for various projects and pastimes; stop by, please, and say "hello":
Scott's Facebook Page
The Fictional Facebook Page - all of my writing projects and links to others
Dying Light Facebook Page - my main novel series; my jewel
Sesame Swallow's Facebook Page - my current novel series awaiting first publication
Just Right - our newest online novel series (begins Labor Day weekend)
My Tumblr
My Twitter
My Google+
Goodreads
Dorothy: Locked & Loaded Facebook Page - a two-year online novel project with four other authors
A teacher for the government by day, I ply my wares at night on my laptop, where I'm cranking out silly blog posts, socio-political commentary, poetry, short stories and novels at an excessive rate. If I was driving, I'd have been pulled over by now. Meanwhile, I have multiple novel projects in the works, all in various stages of development: some mostly done and some still in the idea stage, nothing more than a thought.
Outside of that, I'm a rampant philanthropist at the nickel and dime level; that is, $5 here or $10 there, if not $50 here or $100 there, goes a long way to help people achieve their dreams, or their goals at least, and I do what I can to help them get there by contributing a little money and then providing some exposure.
I'm a strong advocate for change in my current hometown of Baltimore, which I see as having a great deal of potential as a city if only more people will willing to invest in it.
Beyond that, I'm busy with life, having fun, working out, going to parties, spending time with my kids and experiencing every thing possible in every waking second. When I burn out and die, I want to be able to say that I did everything that was possible for me to do. I want to die like I live: with a smile on my face.
Here are some links for various projects and pastimes; stop by, please, and say "hello":
Scott's Facebook Page
The Fictional Facebook Page - all of my writing projects and links to others
Dying Light Facebook Page - my main novel series; my jewel
Sesame Swallow's Facebook Page - my current novel series awaiting first publication
Just Right - our newest online novel series (begins Labor Day weekend)
My Tumblr
My Twitter
My Google+
Goodreads
Dorothy: Locked & Loaded Facebook Page - a two-year online novel project with four other authors
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 15, 2010
Let’s face it: you can’t swing a bat without hitting a book about vampires these days.
They’re everywhere – vampires glittering and sulking, staking and loving and enduring their forever lives. But in Dying Light by D. Scott Meek, vampires are doing something quite original and captivating: they are living among us humans side by side, working, healing, moving day by day in a future that is bleak and uncertain.
Meek’s vampires – a lot cursed by a viral epidemic that swept the Earth centuries before – walk among mortals blue-eyed and stealthy, working side by side in hospitals and offices in what was once the nation’s Capital and is now a den of corruption and rubble from wars of the distant past.
Meek’s writing style is immediately accessible, his characters sympathetic and interesting – especially the vampires, who are more fleshed out here than the mortals. These are vampires to take notice of, full of rage and loneliness and sadness and sexual deviancy. Their blues aren’t the only way they stand out in a crowd.
And such as in other vampire tales in Dying Light there is a battle, but it, again, is not your typical blood-thirsty war – it doesn’t suck. This psychological thriller - this puzzle of who is really on who’s side, who wants to change and who wants to die - is more of a puzzle to unravel slowly (and flip back pages to search, hungrily, for clues) and follow to its climax… which may or may not involve a certain, very interesting, chair.
For an intelligent take on a vamp tale take on Meek’s Dying Light. And keep at least one light burning through the night.
They’re everywhere – vampires glittering and sulking, staking and loving and enduring their forever lives. But in Dying Light by D. Scott Meek, vampires are doing something quite original and captivating: they are living among us humans side by side, working, healing, moving day by day in a future that is bleak and uncertain.
Meek’s vampires – a lot cursed by a viral epidemic that swept the Earth centuries before – walk among mortals blue-eyed and stealthy, working side by side in hospitals and offices in what was once the nation’s Capital and is now a den of corruption and rubble from wars of the distant past.
Meek’s writing style is immediately accessible, his characters sympathetic and interesting – especially the vampires, who are more fleshed out here than the mortals. These are vampires to take notice of, full of rage and loneliness and sadness and sexual deviancy. Their blues aren’t the only way they stand out in a crowd.
And such as in other vampire tales in Dying Light there is a battle, but it, again, is not your typical blood-thirsty war – it doesn’t suck. This psychological thriller - this puzzle of who is really on who’s side, who wants to change and who wants to die - is more of a puzzle to unravel slowly (and flip back pages to search, hungrily, for clues) and follow to its climax… which may or may not involve a certain, very interesting, chair.
For an intelligent take on a vamp tale take on Meek’s Dying Light. And keep at least one light burning through the night.
October 2, 2010
After reading the blurb about the book, I initially expect the average vampires-meets-humans, bloody battles, and of course the damsel in distress or maybe the infamous ‘love triangle’. But what I got was so much more.
What struck me first was the writing. It was crisp, deliberate, and yet carried a lyrical edginess. Not poetic or flowery, but held a flow like the notes of a song. History buffs will appreciate the historical essence threaded throughout the story. The author’s use of actual history melded with his fictional elements creates a plausible past, present, and future world that is alluring and mysterious: a crossbreed of the Underworld and the Matrix.
Plagued by secrets and misconceptions, the world of the ‘New Baltimore’ is one of internal and external struggles after World War III ravishes the land, setting a ‘blood virus’ loose and turning those infected into vampyre. This ignites the expected surface conflict between those humans who survived and the vampyre coven.
But layered beneath the surface conflict are surprising inner struggles of pain, fear, loneliness, and denial on both sides of the battle. Portrayed with real life hurts and personal demons, the vampyre carry a humanistic quality that almost made me forget they were immortal creatures who thirst for blood. There is an underlining softness weaved from chapter to chapter, making them believable.
Order and discipline ring through most of the scenes, despite the quiet chaos of the separate societies striving to thrive. And toss in an approaching ‘superstorm’, and you have the building of nonstop tension between the pages.
A word of caution to my young adult readers: although the content is appropriate for an adult audience and the world building in this story, some of it is graphic.
A teeny personal splat: any author who tosses me an alternative to the old Hollywood vampire persona has my vote. Not to mention referencing one of my favorite characters of all time, Edmund Dantes.
What struck me first was the writing. It was crisp, deliberate, and yet carried a lyrical edginess. Not poetic or flowery, but held a flow like the notes of a song. History buffs will appreciate the historical essence threaded throughout the story. The author’s use of actual history melded with his fictional elements creates a plausible past, present, and future world that is alluring and mysterious: a crossbreed of the Underworld and the Matrix.
Plagued by secrets and misconceptions, the world of the ‘New Baltimore’ is one of internal and external struggles after World War III ravishes the land, setting a ‘blood virus’ loose and turning those infected into vampyre. This ignites the expected surface conflict between those humans who survived and the vampyre coven.
But layered beneath the surface conflict are surprising inner struggles of pain, fear, loneliness, and denial on both sides of the battle. Portrayed with real life hurts and personal demons, the vampyre carry a humanistic quality that almost made me forget they were immortal creatures who thirst for blood. There is an underlining softness weaved from chapter to chapter, making them believable.
Order and discipline ring through most of the scenes, despite the quiet chaos of the separate societies striving to thrive. And toss in an approaching ‘superstorm’, and you have the building of nonstop tension between the pages.
A word of caution to my young adult readers: although the content is appropriate for an adult audience and the world building in this story, some of it is graphic.
A teeny personal splat: any author who tosses me an alternative to the old Hollywood vampire persona has my vote. Not to mention referencing one of my favorite characters of all time, Edmund Dantes.
October 11, 2010
In a Sentence: While Dying Light is filled with great description and creative world-building, the characters fall somewhat flat.
My Thoughts
When I first started Dying Light, I was immediately pulled into the story. The beginning was just what I was looking for--a dark, creepy, suspenseful tale. I was finished with the first two chapters before I knew it (roughly 20-25 pages), and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Unfortunately, this is where things started to go wrong for me. As more and more characters were introduced, I felt like there wasn't enough attention given to each one. The characters that I thought I was going to love at the beginning seemed to flat-line and stop growing. It was kind of like looking at a diamond ring in a dark room. You can see the the general shape and size of the object, but you can't really appreciate the cut and sparkle of the diamond unless you switch on the light. InDying Light, I felt like the lights were never all the way turned on (no pun intended). Perhaps that was the author's intention, but it failed to wholly capture my attention.
That's not to say that all was bad with this book. One thing I did really appreciate inDying Light was the author's creativity. Meek has created a complex, intriguing world that could definitely serve as a backdrop for future books, if he chose to write more. The world of Dying Light was kind of like a mash-up of Underworld (minus the lycanthropes) and Ultraviolet. It's a world of complicated politics, secret groups, powerful individuals, and new technology.
If you're more into world-building, then Dying Light might be something that you should try. However, as a big fan of characterization, it just wasn't the book for me.
My Thoughts
When I first started Dying Light, I was immediately pulled into the story. The beginning was just what I was looking for--a dark, creepy, suspenseful tale. I was finished with the first two chapters before I knew it (roughly 20-25 pages), and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Unfortunately, this is where things started to go wrong for me. As more and more characters were introduced, I felt like there wasn't enough attention given to each one. The characters that I thought I was going to love at the beginning seemed to flat-line and stop growing. It was kind of like looking at a diamond ring in a dark room. You can see the the general shape and size of the object, but you can't really appreciate the cut and sparkle of the diamond unless you switch on the light. InDying Light, I felt like the lights were never all the way turned on (no pun intended). Perhaps that was the author's intention, but it failed to wholly capture my attention.
That's not to say that all was bad with this book. One thing I did really appreciate inDying Light was the author's creativity. Meek has created a complex, intriguing world that could definitely serve as a backdrop for future books, if he chose to write more. The world of Dying Light was kind of like a mash-up of Underworld (minus the lycanthropes) and Ultraviolet. It's a world of complicated politics, secret groups, powerful individuals, and new technology.
If you're more into world-building, then Dying Light might be something that you should try. However, as a big fan of characterization, it just wasn't the book for me.
July 5, 2010
What a fabulous science fiction thriller! The story incorporates the concept of vampirism with the science of blood-borne pathogens, and suggests what civilisation could be like 400 years after the current Mayan calendar ends.
I found myself invested in the characters. I liked some, felt sorry for others, and openly disliked a few of them. I could tell, however, that these characters have elements to them that could make other readers feel differently than I did. As I read, I found myself analysing the political situation and acknowledging the implications of history on the survival of New Baltimore.
That's the other thing. Scott identifies landmarks in Baltimore and Washington DC that will draw in readers who live in the area and those who are familiar with particular neighbourhoods and landmarks based on travel and news stories.
In many respects, it's all very familiar and leaves you with the feeling that this was almost too real and could happen!
The story is left open at the end, but there is a second book coming out close to Christmas. It's like waiting for the next episode of a good serial on television.
I found myself invested in the characters. I liked some, felt sorry for others, and openly disliked a few of them. I could tell, however, that these characters have elements to them that could make other readers feel differently than I did. As I read, I found myself analysing the political situation and acknowledging the implications of history on the survival of New Baltimore.
That's the other thing. Scott identifies landmarks in Baltimore and Washington DC that will draw in readers who live in the area and those who are familiar with particular neighbourhoods and landmarks based on travel and news stories.
In many respects, it's all very familiar and leaves you with the feeling that this was almost too real and could happen!
The story is left open at the end, but there is a second book coming out close to Christmas. It's like waiting for the next episode of a good serial on television.
October 29, 2010
Reading Dying Light felt like reading a movie in many ways. Many things felt glossed over or missing completely. It seemed as though the reader was either supposed to infer the meaning of many events, or possibly the vague hinting was supposed to entice the reader to continue on. Either way, the lack of pertinent details left me wondering what exactly had happened and what, if anything, it had to do with the the current action. Ultimately, I was left with the feeling that I was wasting my time.
I continually felt a likeness to the movie Underworld, just without the werewolves. Charlotte reminded me so much of Selene that I could picture on one else but Kate Beckinsale. Somehow Michael had betrayed the vampyres (or maybe he didn't - it wasn't exactly clear) and Charlotte is sent to kill him. But *spoiler alert* Michael is Charlotte's husband and she loves him, wanting to save him against her master's wishes. Oh, but he seems to have a minor case of amnesia, so even he isn't sure what's going on.
There is also some political stuff going on, where the ruler of the USA (she isn't the president, but the premier) and the leader of the vampyres (who seems to have been the vice president for a day about 400 years ago) are in negotiations to bring peace among their people. See, the vampyres are persecuted when they really haven't done anything wrong - besides kill humans for food.
There are some flashbacks that don't always specify what characters past we're looking at. There's some current scenes that don't seem to relate to the plot at all. There is a large build up to what will come of the negotiations and then nothing. The book ends in a way that isn't exactly open ended but in it's attempt to be shocking negates any forward momentum the book managed to gain.
Dying light isn't dull by any means. It's got lots of action and the story races quickly to its disappointing conclusion. It's an easy read as long as you aren't looking past the surface for any meaning, answers or sense.
I continually felt a likeness to the movie Underworld, just without the werewolves. Charlotte reminded me so much of Selene that I could picture on one else but Kate Beckinsale. Somehow Michael had betrayed the vampyres (or maybe he didn't - it wasn't exactly clear) and Charlotte is sent to kill him. But *spoiler alert* Michael is Charlotte's husband and she loves him, wanting to save him against her master's wishes. Oh, but he seems to have a minor case of amnesia, so even he isn't sure what's going on.
There is also some political stuff going on, where the ruler of the USA (she isn't the president, but the premier) and the leader of the vampyres (who seems to have been the vice president for a day about 400 years ago) are in negotiations to bring peace among their people. See, the vampyres are persecuted when they really haven't done anything wrong - besides kill humans for food.
There are some flashbacks that don't always specify what characters past we're looking at. There's some current scenes that don't seem to relate to the plot at all. There is a large build up to what will come of the negotiations and then nothing. The book ends in a way that isn't exactly open ended but in it's attempt to be shocking negates any forward momentum the book managed to gain.
Dying light isn't dull by any means. It's got lots of action and the story races quickly to its disappointing conclusion. It's an easy read as long as you aren't looking past the surface for any meaning, answers or sense.
November 22, 2010
Back in 2036, Muslims were celebrating the fall of their government. A group of Muslims were trying to taking over not only their country but the world. In a desperate act to gain ultimate control, the Muslims release a deadly plague into the world. The plague is known as “The Tears of Allah” or as the Americans called it “The Blood Virus”.
The future is now. The year is 2412.
People are trying to pick up the pieces and start over again, after the blood virus that sweeps across the world. The blood virus turned people into vampires.
Charlotte works for the Council. Her boss is William, Vampire Lord and President of the United States. William informs Charlotte that Michael has betrayed them all. He wants Charlotte to go after Michael and stop him. Michael is very near and dear to Charlotte. Charlotte can not believe that Michael would switch sides. Charlotte hopes with all her heart that Michael is not a traitor.
Dying Light is D. Scott Meek’s first novel. The vampires in this book were not really blood thirsty minions but intelligent characters. There were not many vampires but a few. The Vampire Lord was devious. He is the classic evil bad guy that I would expect to see. The flash backs in this book were not the smoothest transition. Though they did help fill in some of the gaps in the story. There would be unanswered questions or parts missing like if they were revealed too early they would take away from the story but I actually needed these gaps to be filled in. It felt like I had to work a little harder to understand what was going on at that exact moment. Overall, I did enjoy this book. Mr. Meek shows good promise. I will be keeping an eye on his next novel. Dying Light will have you looking at vampires in a whole new brightness!
The future is now. The year is 2412.
People are trying to pick up the pieces and start over again, after the blood virus that sweeps across the world. The blood virus turned people into vampires.
Charlotte works for the Council. Her boss is William, Vampire Lord and President of the United States. William informs Charlotte that Michael has betrayed them all. He wants Charlotte to go after Michael and stop him. Michael is very near and dear to Charlotte. Charlotte can not believe that Michael would switch sides. Charlotte hopes with all her heart that Michael is not a traitor.
Dying Light is D. Scott Meek’s first novel. The vampires in this book were not really blood thirsty minions but intelligent characters. There were not many vampires but a few. The Vampire Lord was devious. He is the classic evil bad guy that I would expect to see. The flash backs in this book were not the smoothest transition. Though they did help fill in some of the gaps in the story. There would be unanswered questions or parts missing like if they were revealed too early they would take away from the story but I actually needed these gaps to be filled in. It felt like I had to work a little harder to understand what was going on at that exact moment. Overall, I did enjoy this book. Mr. Meek shows good promise. I will be keeping an eye on his next novel. Dying Light will have you looking at vampires in a whole new brightness!
October 16, 2010
Dying Light is a unique look at vampires. Vampires in this world, are victims of a blood virus. It’s 2412 and while they work along side humans, vampires are still fearing for their lives.
When I first started reading it, I was drawn right in. It was dark and disturbing, totally what I needed to read. About three or four chapters in, I started to have some issues with the book. First, there was just a bit too much going on. I got confused a few times and had to read backwards.
I also had a problem with Vampires/Vampyre’s, now I don’t know if this was an editing mistake or not. But at some points I wasn’t sure if they were one in the same or different. There were a few other minor issues, though not as confusing as the Vampire/Vampyre issue.
While the plot & setting were greatly detailed, the characters fell a bit flat for me. I like more about my characters and I don’t feel enough attention was given to them. There is IMO too much attention paid to scene building, while I normally love that it needs to go hand in hand with character building for me to get sucked in.
If you’re more into world building, then Dying Light is for you. Sadly it wasn’t for me.
When I first started reading it, I was drawn right in. It was dark and disturbing, totally what I needed to read. About three or four chapters in, I started to have some issues with the book. First, there was just a bit too much going on. I got confused a few times and had to read backwards.
I also had a problem with Vampires/Vampyre’s, now I don’t know if this was an editing mistake or not. But at some points I wasn’t sure if they were one in the same or different. There were a few other minor issues, though not as confusing as the Vampire/Vampyre issue.
While the plot & setting were greatly detailed, the characters fell a bit flat for me. I like more about my characters and I don’t feel enough attention was given to them. There is IMO too much attention paid to scene building, while I normally love that it needs to go hand in hand with character building for me to get sucked in.
If you’re more into world building, then Dying Light is for you. Sadly it wasn’t for me.
January 27, 2011
Dying Light is a creative new look at the vampire genre. It starts off with a vampire attack that really gets your motor running and draws you into a dark world. The gruesome attack leaves you wanting more. With all the vampire books available you tend to get a similar story each time; you won’t get that feeling in Dying Light. This is a vampire novel that simply stands out amongst the other books in its genre. The powerful old-school vampire is reborn with a twist. Meek has the vampires blending with the humans.
Meek creates a detailed world that feels real. As Charlotte makes her way through the tunnels, the descriptions are spot on, leaving the feeling that you are walking with her. The descriptions alone add to the fantastic world building.
I’m not a fan of futuristic settings in novels but it didn’t decrease my enjoyment of this fantastic vampire story. The idea of a blood virus was intriguing. It’s always exciting to see an author come up with something new in a genre that has been saturated in the same old thing. I applaud Meek for his creativity and look forward to the continuation of this story. My only curiosity is where will Meek take the characters next?
Meek creates a detailed world that feels real. As Charlotte makes her way through the tunnels, the descriptions are spot on, leaving the feeling that you are walking with her. The descriptions alone add to the fantastic world building.
I’m not a fan of futuristic settings in novels but it didn’t decrease my enjoyment of this fantastic vampire story. The idea of a blood virus was intriguing. It’s always exciting to see an author come up with something new in a genre that has been saturated in the same old thing. I applaud Meek for his creativity and look forward to the continuation of this story. My only curiosity is where will Meek take the characters next?
November 23, 2010
I'm definitely not an expert on the sci-fi thriller genre but here's my review:
I found this book to be slightly reminiscent of Underworld, only set way in the future, and Charlotte reminded me a bit of Selene. Not a bad start at all. In fact it was this connection that kept me reading. The coven set up is a hierarchy system and there was a lot of political machinations going on behind the scenes between the vampires and the humans. This world is a much different place than we know and the author uses meticulous details and involved storytelling to create and describe his vision for the future. Solid action and strong character development is what keeps this book moving. Sometimes the switch between action sequences and characters was confusing- however, the pacing and descriptions were spot on.
There are several unresolved issues concerning certain characters and events but not in a way that would prevent me from reading another book. I welcome the opportunity to further explore this world and watch the author grow.
I found this book to be slightly reminiscent of Underworld, only set way in the future, and Charlotte reminded me a bit of Selene. Not a bad start at all. In fact it was this connection that kept me reading. The coven set up is a hierarchy system and there was a lot of political machinations going on behind the scenes between the vampires and the humans. This world is a much different place than we know and the author uses meticulous details and involved storytelling to create and describe his vision for the future. Solid action and strong character development is what keeps this book moving. Sometimes the switch between action sequences and characters was confusing- however, the pacing and descriptions were spot on.
There are several unresolved issues concerning certain characters and events but not in a way that would prevent me from reading another book. I welcome the opportunity to further explore this world and watch the author grow.
February 2, 2011
This was a great read. Love the vampire / human interchange. Well written, good characters. Interesting page-turner.
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September 2, 2010I learned that some people are just too brilliant to be that of one mind.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews