Tag Archives: post-apocalyptic

Around the Interwebs: Volume XVIII

2 Mar

Rick Yancey’s Viral Campaign for the YA Sci-Fi Series The 5th Wave Has Begun (via Hypable)

The 5th Wave

The campaign for Rick Yancey- the author of The Monstrumologist trilogy’s- new series The 5th Wave is well underway. Which is a lot farther along than it was during NYCC when all we knew about it was that it was an alien series with an intriguing if confusing poster. Now we know that it’s about an alien invasion dubbed the Arrival, featuring a main character named Cassie (NICE NAME!) who despite trying to elude the alien scourge and locate her brother has time to maintain her own Tumblr. The first 54 pages of the novel have also been released. We’re already sold.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Taking The Phrase Dead Sexy to a Whole New Level: Cassie-la Races Through Both Versions Of “Warm Bodies”

9 Feb

Warm Bodies Poster 2Book: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Movie: Warm Bodies
Genre: Fiction, zombies, horror, post-apocalyptic, this ain’t no zombie Twilight
Rating: 4.68 out of 5 stars (book and movie)

Summary: R is not your average zombie. He has coherent thoughts, can speak (sort of), is an avid collector of human memorabilia, and most importantly, has the ability to fall in love. Everything in R’s life is altered one day when he rashly decides to bring a human girl back to live in his 747. Her name is Julie, and she and R have the power to change the post-apocalyptic world forever. The weapon they have is [zombie] love.

Warm Bodies is the modern Romeo and Juliet. And I don’t say that because they have a modern romantic love story, or that as a zombie and a human they are star-crossed, I say that because the novel Warm Bodies is literally inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Main character R is obviously Romeo and love interest Julie is his Juliet. R’s hilarious best friend M stands in for Mercutio and Juliet’s friend Nora (with her aspirations to be a nurse) represents Juliet’s nurse, merely called the Nurse. See? I wasn’t just pumping up the love story aspect.

The novel and the film, while telling the same story, are two completely different beasts. The book is barely a young adult novel, despite the filming marketing the story to the Twilight fandom (shakes fist in anger) and is instead a much more in-depth look at a crumbling post-apocalyptic world and how we as a society while alive are still more dead inside than the zombie scourge. This is all viewed through the lens of R and Julie’s love story. The movie explores how technology makes society into zombies in a much more light-hearted way, but still through the romance of R and Julie. To sum it up, the novel is more zom-rom (zombie romance) with touches of humor and the film is more zom-rom-com (zombie romantic comedy) plus Rob Corddry.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , ,

Around the Interwebs: Volume XII

13 Jan

Universal May Be Getting a Middle-earth Theme Park That We Will Live in Forever (via TheOneRing.net)

Middle-earth Theme Park

As if the Harry Potter theme park expansion wasn’t enough to make us happy (THERE’S GOING TO BE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE IN GRINGOTTS), now there’s a rumor going around that Universal is thinking about creating a Middle-earth theme park. Granted it already exists and is called New Zealand, but it would be amazing to have a Hobbit-filled location in North America. Of course that’s assuming that this isn’t merely a semi-substantiated rumor about Warner Bros. trying to broach a deal with the Tolkien estate. Here’s hoping it’s as real as second breakfast.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

New Comic Book Day Roundup: December 12, 2012

13 Dec

In this post, from Dark Horse Comics: Orchid #11 and The Strain #9, Image Comics: The Walking Dead #105 and from Marvel Comics: Avengers Arena #1. OH MY GOD, AVENGERS ARENA IS FINALLY HERE!

Dark Horse Comics

Orchid 11 - Tom MorelloOrchid #11 by Tom Morello, illustrated by Scott Hepburn, cover by Massimo Carnevale
Genre: Fiction, dystopia, action, post-apocalypse
Rating: 4 out of 5

We’re onto the penultimate issue in this limited twelve issue series and things are starting to get real. Realer. We last left our prostitutes turned heroes trapped in a cave about to be eaten by mechanical robot dogs with seemingly no possible means of escape. But this is fiction, so everyone dying just wouldn’t work, especially in the first few pages. This isn’t Anna Karenina, the action doesn’t continue after the titular character dies. Spoilers. Not. Anna K was published in 1878, the statue of limitation on spoilers has long passed. Simon spends the majority of the issue pulling a Giles and everyone else gets in on the action/adventure aspect while he’s unconscious.

Illustrator Scott Hepburn’s work really shines in this issue, with the artist illustrating intricate battle scenes and bloody evisceration and beheading plots. So much blood, so much glorious blood. The man knows how to illustrate someone nonchalantly shooting a gun without a sideways glance. Not to mention the continued existence of fantastical monsters and even more robotics. Add in some musical swelling scenes with themes like “the meek shall inherit” and a bromance and you have a pretty powerful second to last issue. Complete with giant cliffhanger of course. Of course. No Peter Jackson shenanigans here, issue #12 is sure to be a doozy.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

New Comic Book Day Roundup: October 17th, 2012

17 Oct

In this post, from Dark Horse Comics: Orchid #10, DC Comics: Before Watchmen: Minutemen #4, Image Comics: Walking Dead #103, and from Vertigo: American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #5. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to say something constructive about the B.P.R.D. series beyond OMG WTF!?!

Dark Horse Comics

Orchid #10 by Tom Morello, illustrated by Scott Hepburn, cover by Massimo Carnevale
Genre: Fiction, dystopia, action, post-apocalypse
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Things continue to progress in the end all be all battle for freedom from the megolomaniac Tomo Wolfe by the disenfranchised Bridge People, the Shadow Rebels and their leader/former prostitute Orchid. They are assisted by pyromaniac Westin, Orchid’s prostitute peers who are fighting for their respect, and Barrabas who is on a killing spree with help from his animal friends. As expected, this battle is full of blood and gore which Scott Hepburn does so well and also his mechanical animals which join the fray. While not a fan of battle sequences, Tom Morello gives us a nice contrast between action and plot/character development.

Of course it couldn’t be a straightforward battle, that wouldn’t be any fun! We get some much anticipated double crossing as well as some twists and turns. If only all battles were this interesting. Although those Welsh knew how to fight amusingly dirty back in their day… When they ran their own country. There’s also a lovely historical reference to Tomo’s Slave Guards working out of Iscariot (as in  Judas Iscariot- the guy who betrayed that Jesus dude). Not surprising for a man who fancies himself someone out of Greek/Roman antiquity. I love me some historical/literary references!

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Bizarro Blursday: Cassie-la Reviews “A Town Called Suckhole” by David W. Barbee

2 Oct

A Town Called Suckhole by David W. Barbee (Submission)
Genre: Bizarro fiction, satire, the South, post-apocalyptic, alternative history, this is why I won’t live in a red state
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary: The town of Suckhole arose out of a war between the northern and southern parts of the United States, created by radiation and the mutual destruction of both warring factions. Now, men in the town are being murdered and it’s the job of a human-animal hybrid named Dexter Spikes to save the citizens from further harm. In time for the “Hell-Yeah Heritage Jamboree” of course.

Ah, post-apocalyptic radioactive wastelands created in an alternative history America. You gotta love them. This novella is all about the end times in Suckhole, which occurred “eleventy thousand years” ago when dinosaurs and cars lived side by side and the North declared war on the “harmless” South. The war, which destroyed the population, revolved around the North turning the slaves against their masters with evil science, global warming and abortions! It’s easy to figure out who’s telling this story.

Unfortunately for the nation, the North, led by Abraham Hussein Lincoln (their words, not mine) escalated to nuclear war and Suckhole was created from the ashes of the devastation as a land of freedom for Southerners. Due to radiation, crazy mutated animals formed and took over the world. Like they do. One would hope that it would be sterility considering what was left behind of the population to breed, but that was sadly not the case. Instead lizardhounds, jackalopes, bear-sized mosquitoes and werepossums took over the landscape. Hopefully they at least help with population control.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

New Comic Book Day Roundup: September 12, 2012

12 Sep

Welcome to the very first ever Bibliomantics new comic book day roundup! In which our comic book loving contributor Cassie-la reviews the newest batch of comic books from your local comic book shop. Because she didn’t have enough on her plate already.

In this post, from Dark Horse Comics: Orchid #9 and The Strain #8, DC Comics: Before Watchmen: Comedian #3, Septagon Studios: Archeologists of Shadows Volume 2: Once a Nightmare, and from Vertigo: American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #4.

Dark Horse Comics

Orchid #9 by Tom Morello, illustrated by Scott Hepburn, cover by Dan Jackson, Massimo Carnevale
Genre: Fiction, dystopia, action, post-apocalypse
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The war has begun, with prostitute turned rebel leader and titular character Orchid leading the charge against the twisted Fortress Penuel. Armed, or rather faced with the mask of feared leader General China, Orchid harvests the power of the Last Saints, using her position as a disenfranchised member of the Bridge People to (hopefully) lead the lower classes to victory against the post-apocalyptic megalomaniac Tomo Wolfe. Go team underdog slash team girl who works hard for the money!

As with all issues of Orchid, Tom Morello focuses on the distinctions between the social classes- culminating in this epic war. On the one side is Tomo Wolfe, who suits himself to be a new world emperor and desires to wipe out the “baser” lower classes merely for their refusal to stay where they are. In the gutter. In response, the Bridge People, who are not satisfied with their lot in life, struggle to close the social gap, hoping to destroy class distinctions with their rebellion. Peppered with Scott Hepburn’s amazing mutant monsters (porcupine monkeys anyone?), this action packed issue may signal the beginning of the end for this post-apocalyptic world. Would that make the new world post-post-apocalyptic?

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Post-Apocalyptic “Persuasion”: Cassie-la Explains “For Darkness Shows the Stars” by Diana Peterfreund

22 Jun

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Genre: Fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic, dystopia, romance, retelling, I cried
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary: After a war sealed their islands off from the rest of the world, the Luddites were tasked with taking care of the Reduced to appease an angry God. Despite this social divide, Elliot, the Luddite daughter of Baron North befriends a Post-Reductionist servant on the North Estate named Kai. Brought together by their radical world view and their desire to break free of their social constraints, the duo reunites eight years after their last meeting in this post-apocalyptic re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Some books pull you in with their covers. This is one of those stellar novels where the gorgeous outside reflects the fabulously written inside. Not that our heroine has time to put on beautiful dresses and dance in the cosmos. Judge away bookies! Of course it wasn’t just the artwork (thank you to Eric Smith from Quirk Books for sharing the photo on Instagram!), but also the premise, specifically that this was based off Persuasion set in a post-apocalyptic/dystopic world, that really pulled me in. While I didn’t read Austen’s last novel, I fully trust her to create a romance I can root for. It did not disappoint, no need to spin in your grave, Jane.

While not my first introduction to Ms. Austen, this novel was my first time reading a full length Diana Peterfreund book. I was surprised to hear Peterfreund wrote a series called the “Killer Unicorn Books”, Rampant and Ascendant which I had never read nor heard of, although I love the series name. I should however note, that she wrote one of the few unicorn stories in Zombies vs. Unicorns that I enjoyed titled: “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn”. Probably set in the same universe. How could you not love a story with that title? I can admit that even though I am most certainly Team Zombie.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , ,

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor: Cassie-la Discusses Her “Hunger Games” Preparations

23 Mar

It’s finally here! After much internet excitement, a butt load of merchandise and more than enough internal squeeing, it is finally the official release day of The Hunger Games!!! An unlimited number of exclamation points could not explain my excitement. Hopefully I won’t be regretting all of this after tonight and walk out of the theatre grumbling that “the book was better”, but let’s be honest, that’s a distinct possibility. Especially if they pull a Watchmen and change the ending to appeal to the masses. Such is the damage of being a rabid bibliophile.

The plan for tonight is for myself and the other Bibliomantics along with some close friends and my sister to see a 6:30 screening of the film, and sometime next week review it in lieu of a typical Bibliomantic Book Club book, so be on the lookout for that soon. Or soonish, depending on when we all have time to write stuff up.

My first step in preparing for the film was to re-read the novel. I initially bought and read it at Infinitus 2010, which was pretty dangerous because all I wanted to do was keep reading and we had Harry Potter things to do! Thankfully I was able to slip some reading in poolside, before bed, and on planes. I was a little scared to re-read the novel to be honest because I loved it so much the first time and I was afraid that re-immersing myself would somehow tarnish my first impressions. In retrospect this was a ridiculous fear since it was just as good (if not better) the second time around! Again, I devoured the text, reading for hours just to see how Katniss’ story evolved, even though I had already read it less than two years ago. Suffice it to say it broke my heart all over again. That’s a post all in itself.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , ,

Kelly Reviews “Ship Breaker” by Paolo Bacigalupi

20 Apr

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Science fiction, post apocalyptic, young adult
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary: The abandoned oil tankers lining the Gulf Coast are the source of life for the poor people living on the shore. Crews work constantly, stripping the ships of everything salvageable – copper wire, steel, items left behind. Sometimes you find an excellent and highly lucrative scavenge, or your “Lucky Strike” – something that will lift you out of poverty. Nailer, a teenaged boy working the ships, hopes to find a Lucky Strike that will take him away from his abusive father. But when his chance comes for a better life in the form of a stranded “swank” (an extremely wealthy person) who needs his assistance, Nailer must prove that he’s both lucky and smart enough to get out.

After being blown away by Nothing, I wanted to read the book that won the Printz Award over the others. I had read a description of the novel, and it just sounded like an adventure set in a dystopian America. Psh, I thought, it can’t be as deep or well written as Nothing. Well, I am glad I put my existential-loving bias aside and gave Ship Breaker a chance. It’s a thrilling adventure with moral and philosophical undertones that make it a really engaging read.

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,207 other followers