Audiobook Review: Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection by Don Roff

Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection by Don Roff

Read by Stephen R. Thorne

AudioGo

Length: 1 Hr 41 Min

Genre: Zombie Apocalypse

Quick Thoughts: Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection is a production that is definitely worth a listen. It’s a quick and dirty slice of the Zombie apocalypse that fans of the genre should have a whole lot of fun with.

Grade: B

I really don’t know the history behind the whole "found footage" style of storytelling. I know my first real experience with this style was The Blair Witch Project. Blair Witch came out when I was in college. I remember heading down to The Ritz in Philadelphia during its initial limited run not really knowing what to expect. Now, remember, I was young and impressionable back than, and easily manipulated by the machinations of the big screen. Basically, what I am saying is this movie scared the crap out of me. While intellectually I knew this was just a movie, it felt real to me. Now, I am much older and wiser now, and have experienced the dog crap that is known as Blair Witch 2, so, no longer can the "found footage" style manipulate me so blatantly.   Sure, I saw and loved Chronicle but, I never had any problem keeping my sense of reality. I am beginning to think the whole Diary/Blog style of novels is the literary counterpoint to "found footage." Diary style novels take a step beyond the traditional first person POW, stripping away another level of reality so it seems that we are reading the actual words written by our main character. It’s a fun style when done right, but sort of obnoxious when done poorly. Yet, I think there is a reason why these types of stories sometimes don’t translate to audio very well. I think it’s because narrators are often too good. Sometimes, it seems the audiobook is too flawless, like they hired a professional studio with a trained actor to bring their diary to life. This is because, well, that exactly what is happening. Yet, in Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection by Don Roff, AudioGo attempts to truly bring the found footage style to Audiobooks.

Caught in the midst of an outbreak of a necrotic infection, Dr. Robert Twonbly, a hematologist from Seattle, records his flight from his laboratory to a community in North Canada and his attempts to avoid the zombies that now pestered the land. His recordings, made on a hand held recorder, and his journal are eventually discovered by Canadian officials and are one of the few first person accounts of survival amidst the chaos of the initial zombie outbreak. I found Zombies to be fascinating on many levels. The story itself will not break much new ground. It is a basic Zombie Apocalypse survival tale told in a first person stream of consciousness style. The story itself is notable for two things. First, I found the probably cause of the outbreak, a food additive that made foodstuff more desirable, an interesting twist. Second, the author does a good job showing the mental deterioration of the main character due to the high stress situation.  This is the second found footage, false document style Zombie novel I have listened to recently, and while I enjoyed the scientific slant of The Zombie Autopsies, Zombies had a much more human story. There is definitely a real sense of dread and despair to this story. It emotional manipulations are often obvious, but affective. In essence, if you are looking for some groundbreaking spin on Zombie literature, you won’t find that here. What you will get is a quick fix of zombie mayhem, told in an intriguing style. It’s basically, just enough zombie fun to keep the hardcore fan sated. 

The true payoff of the experience is the style of the audiobook. Adapted from a graphic novel, the production has a lot of obstacles to overcome. The biggest negative to the whole production is that you don’t have the illustrations. I highly recommend that you obtain a copy of the original work as a supplement to the audio production. What AudioGo does here is impressive. They create a true "found footage" feel with this production. The audiobook is not pristine, there is often background noise, low res hissing, and clunking sounds, like you would expect to hear when listening to something taped by a crappy little recorded. Narrator Steven R. Thorne does a good job giving the production a real feel as well, stumbling over his words, sighing and sometimes cutting off his own recording. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it is authentic enough to be worth the distractions. It really is one of the first effective translations of this style to the audiobook format. Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection is a production that is definitely worth a listen. It’s a quick and dirty slice of the Zombie apocalypse that fans of the genre should have a whole lot of fun with.

Note: Thanks to AudioGo for providing me with a copy of this title for review.

This review is part of my weekly “Welcome to the Apocalypse” Theme. Click on the image below for more information.

Audiobook Review: Clawback by Mike Cooper

Clawback by Mike Cooper

Read by Henry Leyva

Penguin Audio

Length: 9 Hrs 36 Min

Genre: Financial Thriller

Quick Thoughts: Clawback was a fun melding of financial and action thrillers with a highly likable hero and plenty of thrills and spills for action fans. Cooper has created a character that I hope to see again, even if it means I have to figure out just exactly what a hedge fund is.

Grade: B

I’ll be honest, when it comes to big money and Wall Street, I know almost nothing. I have the normal banking accounts, a 401 K, and a big jar I throw my spare change in at the end of every day. Ask me about stocks and bond, hedge funds and futures, and I will just point at you and laugh like an idiot. I may spout the company line about White Collar crime, predatory lending practices and the many other ills that seemed to have been responsible for some of our economic woes, but in no way do I totally understand exactly how things are in the toilet. My vast knowledge of high finance comes from a few Stephen Frey novels I have read. So, I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant about taking on Mike Cooper’s financial thriller, Clawback. With fiction, I like to stick with things I know, or at least have a layman’s understanding of. I may not know all the intricacies of the law, but I know enough where I can have some semblance of an understanding about what should happen during a criminal tries. This is why most of my thrillers are either legal thrillers, or just about some lone badass kicking people’s asses for some understandable crime. Yet, the idea behind Clawback intrigued me. While I really don’t understand high finance, I do understand the idea of wanting to strike back. In Clawback, someone is killing off investment bankers, in particular, bad investment bankers. While I may not understand exactly how these people may have lost their costumer’s money, I can totally understand the raw desire to get back what is owed you.

Silas Cade is not your typical accountant. Fresh off a stint in the Middle East, Silas is now the go to guy when someone in high finance needs an account settled, in ways that skirt legality. When a series of investment bankers are killed after losing a whole lot of money, Silas is brought in to find who is behind the murders. Yet, the deeper Silas gets into the case, the more he realizes that things may not be as cut and dry as they seemed. Clawback is a complicated game of shifting money and loyalties that features an engaging and likable main character. While the plot often threatens to go off the rails, Cooper manages to keep the story grounded by focusing on his man character and his intriguing love interest. Silas Cade is the perfect blend of shadowy past, with present day everyman liability that makes him carry this tale. Cooper manages to surround Cade with a mixed bag of interesting characters, including a well conceived financial blogger who catches Silas’ eye. Whiles some of these characters are crisp and well developed, others become a bit one dimensional at times. One thing that truly surprised me about Clawback was the depth and detail Cooper put into his action scenes. For a plot that was often about ledgers, margins and futures, whatever those things are, there was a heck of a lot of edge of your seat action. The action was well choreographed and highly visual, adding a lot of tension and fun to the overall read.  While at times, I wasn’t exactly sure what the true motivations behind the crimes were, or the complicated financial issues being addresses, I knew very soon things would get all explody and I can clap my hands and cheer for Silas like a trained monkey. Now, in all honestly, Cooper does do a good job explaining some of the more complicated elements of the plot in a way readers even with only cursory knowledge of finance could figure out. Clawback was a fun melding of financial and action thrillers with a highly likable hero and plenty of thrills and spills for action fans. Cooper has created a character that I hope to see again, even if it means I have to figure out just exactly what a hedge fund is.

This was my first experience with Henry Leyva as a narrator, and I think he did a really good job. I always prefer first person narrators who actually sound like real people and not professional voice over artists, and Leyva accomplishes this with Clawback. Leyva’s voice gives Silas Cade a strong noir feel, while managing to sound modern not dated. His female voices were not quite as strong, but he defiantly took the low key approach, softening his voice, instead of trying too hard to sound feminine. This made me adjust to his female characters pretty quickly. Leyva offers a good range with the peripheral characters, whether they are common hoods, professional soldiers or big wig investment bankers. His pacing was sharp, bring the action scenes to life and allowing the reader to follow with ease. Leyva hits a lot of the right notes with his performance in Clawback, and is a narrator I will be keeping my eye out for.

Note: Thanks to Penguin Audio for providing me with a copy of this title for review.

Audiobook Review: Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Read by Greg Wise

AudioGo

Length: 5 Hrs 55 Min

Genre: Science Fiction

Quick Thoughts: Planet of the Apes is such wonderful escapism, that the pure joy of the story takes what could be overbearing social satire and just makes it feel like simple fun. Those who have only experienced the movie should definitely consider taking the time to experience the novel. In so many ways, it’s like being given a new perspective to a much beloved tale made better when you realize it is its origin.

Grade: A

I always think that one of the cool things about being an author is the possibility that your story will live well beyond your death. Writing has the potential to allow you to live, while maybe not forever, for a long time past your expiration date through your work. Yet, I think there is a sort of bittersweet angle in that for French Author Pierre Boulle. Boulle’s work will be remembered for years to come, but mostly due to the movie adaptations. Boulle wrote novels that eventually became the movies The Bridge Over River Kwai and Planet of the Apes. While both these works of fiction have become part of the mass culture of this planet, I think that many people would be surprised that these movies started out as books, and I also believe that many people just wouldn’t really care. While Boulle can be proud to contribute to our cultural lexicon, I think it must be a bit bittersweet that his original story was in some ways co-opted by the movie, and now this is all that most people remember.   I have personally seen all the movie adaptations that spawned from Planet of the Apes. I also know I have seen The Planet of the Apes TV show, but it was at such a young age I barely remember anything about it. I had always wanted to read the novel, Planet of the Apes. As someone who has always been fascinated with the concept, yet only experienced it in it’s film versions, I was quite interested to finally experience the source material. Finally having achieved my wish, I have to say it was worth the experience. The Planet of the Apes is a gripping science fiction thriller that, while containing elements that made its way into both of the film versions, is it own unique animal.

Ulysses Merou is a journalist traveling on a scientific expedition to an Earth like planet in a ship capable of near lightspeed travel. While the trip only takes two years, hundreds of real time years pass due to time dilation of near lightspeed travel. When arriving on the planet they name Soror, they discover that the humans there are nothing more than mindless beasts, yet a race of simians have obtained sentience and now dominate the planet. While there are many elements that differ from the film, I want to point out two that I found specifically interesting. In both of the film versions, the Simians are descendents, in some way of Earth’s Apes. While this isn’t entirely written off in Boulle’s novel, it is also not specifically addressed, leading to some interesting concepts of congruent evolution and precursor societies. The second one I found interesting on a sociological level. In both film versions, while the simian culture is advanced, they were not up to the level of humanity, with modern tech, like cars and airplanes. I sometimes wonder if the producers thought that presenting a Simian culture on par with modern human tech would just have been too unbelievable. While the human’s of Boulle’s novel were advanced past the apes, the Simian culture had progressed to the point that at least equaled the tech at the time the novel was written in the 1960’s. Boulle makes some interesting sociological observations about the differing ways that humans and apes learn that provide perspective on the development of both species. Boulle’s novel definitely tackles issues like racism, class, elitism, scientific stagnation, nature vs., nurture and other social extrapolations yet, does it with a darkly humorous satirical bent.  It would almost seem mind-blowing the depth of the plot Boulle has developed, but it is covered in an accessible science fiction yarn that allows you to process the implications, and twists and turns of the plot without being overwhelmed. In fact, Planet of the Apes is such wonderful escapism, that the pure joy of the story takes what could be overbearing social satire and just makes it feel like simple fun. Those who have only experienced the movie should definitely consider taking the time to experience the novel. In so many ways, it’s like being given a new perspective to a much beloved tale made better when you realize it is its origin. My only real complaint is that the original title, Monkey Planet, was replaced. Just because I love the idea of a Monkey Planet.

Greg Wise did a wonderful job bringing this tale to life. I did find it interesting that a British narrator was chosen for a title with a French Main character, but in no way did this fact take away from the production. Wise reads the novel is a simplistic fashion that allowed the story to shine. I found much of his characterizations to be enjoyable. I not exactly sure why he made some of the choices he did, but, I couldn’t help but laugh sometimes at the voices he chose. While Zira, the female chimpanzee that champions Ulysses cause, is given a light English accent, most of the male Simians are performed like Goombah Americans. It often made me laugh. I think, in retrospect, I may have enjoyed a bit of delineation between the three sects of Simians, Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans, but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn’t even think about it until after I was completed. Planet of the Apes is a thrilling science fiction joyride, full of fascinating scientific and sociological concepts, and really was just a joy to listen to.

Note:Thanks to AudioGo for providing me with a copy of this title for review.

Audiobook Review: Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon

Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon

Read by Karl Miller

Audible Frontiers

Length: 7 Hrs 48 Min

Genre: Zombie Apocalypse

Quick thoughts: Remains of the Dead is a devastating Zombie novel which leaves the reader no place to hide, and no shelter in the storm. It is a true sign of the relentless nature of this book that I have run out of euphemisms to use to describe it. For hard core Zombie enthusiasts, Remains of the Dead is a must have addition to your library. 

Grade: B+

There seems to be a real push recently to reinvent the Zombie. This is totally not a bad thing. Genres should be pushed to the edges, experimented on, mixed up, mashed together and turned on their head. Yet, there is nothing wrong with the traditional zombie tale. So many tales today use Zombies as a sort of vehicle to push the Survivors to some sort of stronghold where they are forced to stay. These tales use the zombie as a catalyst, but are essentially about the Survivors. While they wait for the flesh eating monsters to break in, they live and they love, they let their strange ways and beliefs influence their changed world. These stories are about respite. A break from the brutality that has changed their world. Yet, in some novels, there is no break. You are in the midst of things, surrounded on all sides by the ravenous undead. If you stop, hesitate for just a moment, you will become dinner for the hordes. While these tales are about the chase, they also give a glimpse into the survivors. The Zombies here are not set pieces, but an ever present danger, and this sort of constant stress brings out the best and worst in humans. For these survivors, the ultimate goal is escape, whether it be to a safe haven, or from the barrel of a gun. This is the world of Iain McKinnon’s Remains of the Dead.

While Remains of the Day is the follow up to McKinnon’s Domain of the Dead, it is a novel that stands very well on its own. Remains follows a group of soldiers and civilians after they are left behind during the rescue attempt that removed the characters of the first book to safety. These survivors must find a safe place to hole up until the helicopter can return to save them. Sadly, for them, so such place exists. Remains of the Dead is one of the fastest paced zombie novels I have experienced. It is the definition of non-stop zombie action. In fact, the pacing was so relentless I was scared to even pause my MP3 player for a second in fear that I may miss a key moment in the story. Throughout the story, no character is safe, no refuge truly secure and there is seemingly no end to the action on the remotest of horizons. Of all the novelist writing Zombie fiction today, McKinnon is the closest in my opinion to the feel and traditions of classic Romero. The Zombies are a force by their sheer numbers. Any slightest pause and the survivors would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of carnivorous cannibalistic undead. There is a saying that quantity has a quality of its own, and this is spelled out in spades in Remains of the Dead. As the characters move from place to place you can feel their stress building. McKinnon is so relentless in his onslaught that you as the reader/listener feel like you are losing it along with the characters. In fact, if I had any complaint, it’s that I felt the ending was more of a pause in the action that an actual resolution. I still had that on edge feeling as the novel wrapped up, unsure of what was in store for the few surviving characters. Remains of the Dead is a devastating Zombie novel which leaves the reader no place to hide, and no shelter in the storm. It is a true sign of the relentless nature of this book that I have run out of euphemisms to use to describe it. For hard core Zombie enthusiasts, Remains of the Dead is a must have addition to your library. 

I was quite critical of Karl Miller’s narration in the first novel of this series. I felt it was someone lifeless with bland characterizations. Well, Miller impressed me in his reading of Remains of the Dead. I truly think this book, whose characters are a bit better defined and easier to visualize than the first novel, was a better fit for Miller’s strengths as a narrator. His characterizations weren’t world changing, but appropriate and easily delineated. Miller managed the breakneck pace of this novel perfectly, allowing for the action to flow naturally. Nothing seemed forced or rushed, and the action was read in a manner that allowed the listeners to easily follow what was going on. The highlight of his reading for me was his ability to display the emotional turmoil of the characters as the book progressed. You could just feel them breaking down as things just piled on top of them. Remains of the Dead is another exciting audiobook from Iain McKinnon, and one that can be enjoyed whether you’ve listened to Domain of the Dead or not.

Audiobook Review: Zombiestan by Mainak Dhar

Zombiestan by Mainak Dhar

Read by John Lee

Tantor Audio

Length: 6 Hrs 25 Min

Genre: Zombie Apocalypse

Quick Thoughts: Zombiestan, with its international setting, non traditional zombies and fast paced action gives the zombie subgenre a fresh new spin and a novel that I feel can easily appeal to hardcore zombie fans and those new to undead literature. I will definitely be seeking out more of Dhar’s work, as well as broadening the international scope of my zombie reading choices.

Grade: B+

Last year, I got schooled in an interview with Mira Grant. Well, not really schooled in a negative way, just educated. Before reading Feed, I had only really read one Zombie related novel written by a female author. I asked her about that, and she went on to tell me about other female authors writing about zombies. Since that point, I discovered a multitude of female zombie authors and read many, including works by Eloise J. Knapp, Jessica Meigs, Sophie Littlefield and others. Recently, I listened to Zombiestan by Mainak Dhar, and realized that almost all of my Zombie readings and listening have been by American and UK authors and set in those countries. While there is something comforting about a tale being set in places familiar to you, a change of setting can breathe new life into a genre. This is one of the reasons I was instantly drawn to Mainak Dhar’s Zombie Apocalypse novel Zombiestan. As someone who has listen and read a lot of Zombie Apocalypse novels, I am always looking for a new spin that can offer up a new angle on genre. Not that I dislike traditional zombie tales, I just feel mixing up anything, whether it be books, movies, or food, will keep things feeling fresh. I was unfamiliar with Dhar’s work before discovering the upcoming audiobook version on the Tantor website, and it reconfirmed my belief that Tantor is doing an excellent job bringing lesser known, independently published Zombie tales into the audiobook world.

In Zombiestan, Mainak Dhar takes a nontraditional look at the Zombie Apocalypse. After an air strike on a secret meeting of high level Al Qaeda leaders, Taliban soldiers searching through the rubbage get infected with the a strange pathogen. As they begin to travel, they spread the disease, which transforms them into raving animalistic killers. While they very much act like traditional rage zombies they retain some level of organizational memory and cunning. As the devastation ravages through Afghanistan and into India, an American soldier meets up with an aging romance novelist, a young gamer, and a teenage girl with her 2 year old brother. Zombiestan is a fast paced journey across a land full of lawless survivors and raging biters. Dhar uses classic post apocalyptic and zombie scenarios, yet puts an interesting new twist on them to create the rare novel in the genre that just seems fresh. While Dhar is not the first to use the motif of the changing and evolving undead, his biters have an added creepiness factor as they scream "jihad" and set up traps for the survivors. Unlike many zombie novels, the biters are a constant threat, and the survivors find no real safe refuge when they take to the street at nighttime. This constant pressure on the group pushes the tension and adds to the pace. If I had any complaints at all about the novel it’s that often, despite Dhar doing an excellent job developing the bond between the survivors, he felt the need to tell us they were bonding, which was really unnecessary. It seemed like at times he felt unsure he was getting his point across, so he needed to tell us what it was. But he had no cause for concern, because the situations he created for his group and their developing relationships were obvious enough. Dhar even managed to throw in a bit of romance, and made if feel right which is something that is hard to do in a fast paced apocalyptic novel such as this. Zombiestan, with its international setting, non traditional zombies and fast paced action gives the zombie subgenre a fresh new spin and a novel that I feel can easily appeal to hardcore zombie fans and those new to undead literature. I will definitely be seeking out more of Dhar’s work, as well as broadening the international scope of zombie reading choices.

John Lee is one of the top narrators in the business, especially when it comes to world spanning epics, and international casts. Lee brings his command of accents, and excellent pacing to Zombiestan, elevating the text in a way only the best narrators can. Lee captures the creepy feel of the biters, with their screams of “jihad” and ever present danger. Lee never rushes the story, allowing the authors pacing to push the narrative. He brings an organic feel to the dialogue, seamlessly slipping from one accent to another, which cannot be an easy thing to do. One of the reasons I was excited about this novel was that lee would be narrating, and he didn’t let me down at all with his performance. Zombiestan is an early contender for my favorite zombie audiobooks of the year, and one I hope gets the appreciation it deserves. Hopefully this excellent production will help create a new fan base for this promising independent author. 

Note: A special thanks to Tantor Audio for providing me a copy of this title for review.

Audiobook Review: A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner

A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner

Read by David LeDoux

Audible Inc.

Length: 11 Hrs 33 Min

Genre: Legal Thriller

Quick Thoughts: A Conflict of Interest is a great debut with a lot of hidden depths, taking on a myriad of topics which all come together in a smooth way never pulling down the plot with unnecessary clutter. Mitzner has created a great legal thriller which should satisfy legal junkies like myself while offering a surprisingly emotional tale of the secret struggles of families.

Grade: B+

I think it’s appropriate for my first audiobook review of 2012 to be that of a debut author. A Conflict of Interest is the first novel by lawyer turned novelist Adam Mitzner. Since this is not the 1990’s I will not be declaring him the next John Grisham or Scott Turow as it seemed every new legal thriller novelist was called back then. Legal thrillers are one of my favorite subgenres, and also perhaps the subgenre I judge the most harshly. I am looking for something specific when I read a legal thriller. If I want international intrigue, I will choose one of many authors who specialize in espionage thrillers like Daniel Silva or Brett Battles. If I want a straight up crime detective story I will turn to Robert Crais or Walter Mosely. So, for legal thrillers, I am looking for, well legal fiction. I like seeing legal maneuverings, courtroom dealings, trial strategy, and even a touch of politics whether governmental or internal. I love Courtroom scenes, but I can live without them, grudgingly, if your lawyer main character’s story is routed in the law, and not just some detective with a bar card. I have read a lot of legal thrillers, and can become a bit curmudgeonly about them if they transform into some sort of by the numbers thriller centered around a guy who just happens to be a lawyer. Luckily, after listening to A Conflict of Interest, I was left feeling lively and youthful, my inner angry old man as happy as if he just completed the early bird buffet.

At his father’s funeral, New York Litigator Alex Miller is approached by a friend of his father named Michael Ohlig and told that he may need legal help. Ohlig runs a brokerage firm that is being investigated for possible fraud. Miller takes the case, not knowing that this simple, obvious decision will have life altering ramifications both personally and professionally. As far as my criteria for legal thrillers, Mitzner hits all the right notes. He does an excellent job detailing the intricacies of preparing for a high profile white collar crime litigation within the confines of a major law firm. Mitzner pays excellent attention to detail in outlining the steps he takes to defend his client. Ohlig is not a likeable figure at all, and makes matters even more complicated for Miller. Eventually, all the preparing leads to a solid courtroom sequence, full of interesting twists and surprises. Now, if you are looking for some Perry Masoneque legal tale, with huge game changing trial twists, you won’t get them here. There are surprises yes, but they are realistic twists which make sense within the background presented. Yet, Conflict of Interest is more than just a legal thriller. Mitzner does an excellent job outlining an emotionally adulterous relationship. He doesn’t shy away from  the harm and devastation such relationships can cause and takes the ramifications of such an affair to interesting and surprising places. A Conflict of Interest is a great debut with a lot of hidden depths, taking on a myriad of topics which all come together in a smooth way never pulling down the plot with unnecessary clutter. Mitzner has created a great legal thriller which should satisfy legal junkies like myself while offering a surprisingly emotional tale of the secret struggles of families. 

This is the first audiobook I have listened to narrated by David LeDoux, which is surprising since he has narrated a number of high profile titles. LeDoux has a solid, straight forward reading style which works perfectly for a legal thriller. His crisp tone is just right for the intricacies of such a novel where any little bit of information can become of momentous importance. He reads with a clear, strong pace, capturing the staging of a trial very well. I also thing he did an excellent job with the voices of the characters. LeDoux understood in this reading that he needed no extra bells and whistles, just a strong straightforward reading. A Conflict of Interest was just the type of legal thriller I enjoy, and I hope to see more from this author in the future.