Autumn [Paperback]

David Moody (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 26, 2010

A bastard hybrid of War of the Worlds and Night of the Living Dead, Autumn chronicles the struggle of a small group of survivors forced to contend with a world torn apart by a deadly disease. After 99% of the population of the planet is killed in less than 24 hours, for the very few who have managed to stay alive, things are about to get much worse.  Animated by "phase two" of some unknown contagion, the dead begin to rise. At first slow, blind, dumb and lumbering, quickly the bodies regain their most basic senses and abilities... sight, hearing, locomotion...  As well as the instinct toward aggression and violence.  Held back only by the restraints of their rapidly decomposing flesh, the dead seem to have only one single goal - to lumber forth and destroy the sole remaining attraction in the silent, lifeless world:  those who have survived the plague, who now find themselves outnumbered 1,000,000 to 1...

Without ever using the 'Z' word, Autumn offers a new perspective on the traditional zombie story. There's no flesh eating, no fast-moving corpses, no gore for gore's sake. Combining the atmosphere and tone of George Romero's classic living dead films with the attitude and awareness of 28 Days (and Weeks) later, this horrifying and suspenseful novel is filled with relentless cold, dark fear.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Originally self-published and offered as a free download, Moody’s sluggish apocalyptic survival story follows three characters as they deal with the aftereffects of a virus that kills most of the population, then turns them into zombies. When the dead first rise, they are harmless and unresponsive, but eventually they regain their most basic senses and turn violent. Most survivors, having become accustomed to the undead being rather benign, are unprepared for this change and perish quickly (though regrettably off-page), but Michael, Carl, and Emma, barricaded in an isolated farmhouse, remain secure—for a little while. While the staged progression of the virus makes for an interesting premise, the execution is lacking, with excruciatingly slow pacing, repetitive dialogue, and characters as dull and aimless as the dead. While the story picks up around the 200-page mark, concluding with an exciting escape scene that leaves two of the characters’ fates undecided, zombie fans may want to give this first in the Autumn series a pass and read Moody’s superior Hater (2009) instead. --Krista Hutley

Review

“With AUTUMN, David Moody paints a picture of a marvelously bleak dystopian future where the world belongs to the hungry dead.  It’s the creepy start to a compelling series.” --Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Patient Zero and Zombie CSU

 

"Zombie fans rejoice!  One of the original zombie novels is back from the grave to remind us all why the walking dead are so scary, and what it means to have a front-row seat for the end of the world.  Autumn is genuinely creepy, an atmospheric study of what happens when the dead come back--and what we have to do just to survive."

--David Wellington, Author of Monster Island, Monster Nation, 99 Coffins

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (October 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031256998X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312569983
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Moody grew up on a diet of trashy horror and pulp science fiction. He worked as a bank manager before giving up the day job to write about the end of the world for a living. He has written a number of horror novels, including AUTUMN, which has been downloaded more than half a million times since publication in 2001 and spawned a series of sequels and a movie starring Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine. Film rights to HATER were snapped up by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) and Mark Johnson (producer of the Chronicles of Narnia films). Moody lives with his wife and a houseful of daughters and stepdaughters, which may explain his pre-occupation with Armageddon. His latest novel, TRUST, is currently available free online at www.trustdavidmoody.com. Visit Moody at www.davidmoody.net.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow moving undead novel. October 24, 2005

By Kevin D. Holloman

Format:Paperback

Just finished reading David Moody's first novel of the Autumn series. I cannot say I was either blown away or disappointed. Fans of Romero style zombie tales will be surprised by the overall behavior of Moody's undead. For the vast majority of the novel the zombies wander the land aimlessly, oblivious of the living. Be warned: This novel is SLOW, but does pick up the pace the last 75 pages. I have just started Autumn: The City and I am expecting much more from the Author. Overall, I would say Autumn is worth reading if you are planning to read the entire Autumn series. If not, pick up Brian Keene's "The Rising" and skip this novel entirely.

54 of 65 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing New Spin on Zombie Fiction November 12, 2005

By CreepyT VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

On one mundane autumn morning, what appears to be a virus spreads rapidly throughout Northwich. Within minutes, the vast majority of the population is killed and lies strewn all over the streets of the city and roads of the outlying country. Emma, a medical student, Michael, a manager at a computer company, and Carl, a maintenance worker, are among a small handful of survivors. Within a small and somewhat shoddy community center, the survivors sit and wait for aid.

A few days later, and still no aid has come. However, a new challenge appears as the dead begin to rise from the surrounding streets. Food supplies diminish, tempers begin to flare, and slowly but surely hope dwindles.

Autumn is not quite like previous zombie novels I've read. Though the plot, at first glance, appears to be a cut-and-paste version of most other zombie books and films, the author approaches this material from a slightly different perspective. David Moody, rather than giving the reader fountains of gore, fighting, and violence, chooses to dissect the human condition. Moody delves into the heart of human emotions in times of crises, and interpersonal relationships when all hope seems lost. This may be a turn-off to those looking for an all-out splatter-fest, but you have to give him credit for trying a different angle in a genre that seemingly had little else to offer. The personalities of the characters are laid out quite well, leaving you caring about what happens to them by the end of the book.

I must admit that, at times, this slant can make for a somewhat slower read, and hence the four stars instead of five. However, the ending does pick up the pace quite abruptly, returning to the gore and tension more characteristic of the genre, and paving the way for the rest of the books in the series. The conclusion indeed leaves the reader wanting to indulge in more that Moody has to offer.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will pick up the remaining books in the series. It should be noted that this novel is also available as a free download from the author's website for those interested in checking out the series and saving a few bucks in the process.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I rooted for the living dead, who are never called zombies September 19, 2007

By W. B. Lenoir

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I would think that the technical ability to write would be a minimum requirement for an author and having a compelling story would be key to publishing a novel. Worst case, an editor can fix the former, but the lack of the latter spells doom. This book fails on both counts.

If I was kind, I'd attribute the swtich from first to third person naration as an attempt to be artsy, but it is seemingly so random that I can't believe that. Oh, and here's a tip, you don't need to refer to the three main charcters by their first name in every scene. If I had a dime for ever sentance that contained some variation of "Emma, Michael and Carl ...," I'd be a rich man. Here's a good drinking game: every time a charcter asks, "Are you OK?" every downs a shot. I'll bet a large amount of money that even sailors couldn't make it through the first chapter.

OK, so, even if you loose an experienced editor on the copy, this is what you'd have:

* An aftermath in which the dead do not rise until several days later and when they do, it is several more days before they even hint at being dangerous.

* A lack of desire to arm ones self. OK, this does not take place in America with a plentiful supply of guns, but there's gotta be a few in Britain. When they do find one, there is actually argument over whether to even carry it.

* Unreasonable fear in EVERYONE.

"I'm locked in this building with nothing to eat but canned soup. I'm dying for some real food that I could get in the place just across the street. I will NOT, however, go retrieve it because there are dead bodies everywhere."

"What? You fear for your life that they'll try to eat your brains?"

"No, heck, they're not even moving. I'm just scared, so I'll sit here and wait."

"Wait for what?"

"I don't know, a better plot line?"