The Earth Abides

My opinion may get lost in the hordes other reviews already swarming around this three-in-one book. Still, I'll pitch a tiny squeak into the clamoring accolades because, other than serving my ego, it might be worth it to anyone who is familiar with the classic novel Earth Abides, which is a 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by George R. Steward.

There is strong parallelism between Blackmore's Mountain Man Omnibus: Books 1-3 and Steward's Earth Abides. While Earth Abides has nothing to do with zombies, the main character is a force of nature or force of something other than a person. In the Mountain Man Omnibus series, an apocalyptic event is also the character. Steward is asserted to be the father of this approach/sub-genre. Certainly, Steward he created and opened a portal that a select few like Blackmore have skillfully, impressively stepped through. More pointedly though, is Blackmore's adept characterization of a very specific sub-event that takes place, with recognizable similarity, in Steward's Earth Abides' world. My intent is not to give anything away so I'll swerve miles clear of that and stop right there.

Also, I do not mean my comment as a criticism of Blackmore as he gave renewed life and fresh identity to work that, while precious and classic, is very likely now under-read and under-appreciated. Blackmore proffers plenty of never-before exposed (perhaps that phrase is too strong but you know what I mean) terrain to keep the Omnibus journey feeling garden fresh, and he certain brings a unique voice to the genre. I compliment him on being well-read and for evidently holding George R. Steward's work in high regard. The best form of flattery is imitation...

As for me, I hold them both in high regard. Blackmore is certainly smart by avoiding reinvention of Steward's wheel, and instead making it shimmer anew in brilliant light.

The narration was superb. R. C. Bray kept it personal and read as if the story were his own.

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45 minutes and .... really?

I love a great post-apocalyptic story with interesting characters. But when the main character ‘scratches his balls’ four times in 45 minutes, I can’t take the story seriously.

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Great read, keeps you engaged

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It's a great read if you're into zombie books. I found reasons to have alone time or take long drives because I wanted to hear how it turned out.

What did you like best about this story?

I was interested in the characters and their development; made me root for certain characters and despise others (oh, and the action wasn't bad either!). It was like watching a great mini series where you really can't wait for the next episode to see what happens next.

What about R. C. Bray’s performance did you like?

As usual, amazing. I've started choosing books solely because he's the narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It's a zombie book...so no. :-)

Any additional comments?

Good read if you want to take a mental break and hear a great action story.

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Great take on a zombie tale

I just have to say that R.C. Bray is the best narrator out there. He makes the stories pop as if you’re listening to 20 different people. Great job.

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Meh.

This is a very manly man sort of zompoc lit, which is fine if scratching balls and drinking and crushing of heads and serial killer torture is your sort of bag.

There's some really problematic stuff with a female character at one point. The way the narrator talks about her (and treats her) was really off-putting. I stopped listening at that point. Before that, it was sort of just okay, not great but not so bad that I stopped listening, but at that point, I gave up.

I think that this is simply geared at a different sort of audience, with all of these glowing reviews. But it was definitely not my style.

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Got Ominbus?

One Credit, Three Great Books
First, let me say these are great Zombie books at regular price, the fact that two of them are basically free is a great deal. You can spend three credits or three times the money, for the price of this one omnibus. Even if you did not like the first book, you would only be out one credit. The even greater thing about this series, is that you can get, The Hospital, for free. Get that and if you don't love it, don't buy the omnibus. If you like The Hospital, you will like these three books.

Gus is the star of the first two books. He is a regular guy, no solider, no special training, everything he knows he learned watching movies from the Seventies and Eighties. He scratches his junk, worries about his bowel movements and does a lot of drinking. A lot of drinking. EVERY MORNING I SQUEEZE PIPE. I enjoyed the second book, Safari the most. Gus is pretty much the only character. We kind of watch him go mad. He has lived alone for a long time and his best friend his a bottle of Captain Morgan. It is kind of like Tom Hanks in Castaway and his soccer ball. There is a lot of language and a lot of gore.

The third book is great, but not as good as the first two. Scott is the main character and he is just not as interesting as Gus. There are some slow parts or some shoot-em up parts that bored me, but not many. This book is grosser then the first two and has some well written scenes. When Scott takes a walk with the Zombies and starts to panic, I almost had a panic attack with him. Very well written. The third book especially, you want to listen in as large as chunks as possible. The longer you listen the more you become part of the characters. Anytime you quit and come back, it takes a little while to get that involved again. I actually missed an exit once, I was so into the story.

Bray is perfect, perfect, perfect.

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unexpected!!

If you could sum up The Mountain Man Omnibus in three words, what would they be?

Did not think I would enjoy these books as zombies are not my thing... However, these books are wonderful!

I downloaded the free copy of the hospital and was hooked from there!

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Entertaining listen, one big complaint

The author is a good storyteller and overall I enjoyed listening to the book. This wasn't a terribly original story, but it was entertaining. The main thing that really irritated me are the several homophobic comments scattered throughout the book. They're unnecessary to the story and came across kind of like someone making a statement and then saying "no homo." The author wanted to be sure we knew that the characters definitely weren't gay. I also got slightly misogynistic overtones from the book. Yes, there is one strong female character, but she felt like the exception that proves the rule. The men in the book are fully developed, with both strengths and flaws. Every female character seems to be either good or bad. The best woman in the book (trying not to give spoilers) almost feels like she's not a character in her own right, but an idealized woman who is included because obviously a man's story can't be complete without a woman. Having read only the first three books, it's possible that some of this is corrected in later books.

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I actually liked the main character

What did you love best about The Mountain Man Omnibus?

I liked this book series. The main character reminded me of an actual person vs some super zombie killer.

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greatest zombie narrative i've heard.

The author speaks with with such fluidity and passion. The narrator is so great I want to fall asleep, but cannot because he is so engaging.

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