Published: June 11, 2009
Words: 38318 (approximate)
Language: English

Ebook description

Two friends planning for a zombie invasion have a chance to experiment when an outbreak occurs. Eugene “G” O’Donnell and Jake Mahoney can’t wait to test their theories on the undead. But what if the zombies aren’t the “classic” type that G and Jake fantasized about? Can they keep killing zombies once they learn the truth? Will G get over his fears and admit how he feels about Jake?

Adult-content rating:

This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

horror, zombies, dark fantasy, weird, gay fiction, gay fantasy, dark fiction

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Reviews

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Review by: Preston Halcomb on May 19, 2011 :
I greatly enjoyed this novel. The story was a bit hard to get into at first, and the central theme of the Zombie apocalypse and the mission to be more humane did not sit well at first. But after the survivors begin to really explore the zombies and why they are the way they are, the whole thing clicked. I began to empathize not only with the protagonists but also with the shambling hordes of the undead that they were 'fighting'.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Becka Sutton on March 21, 2011 :
As the title suggests, Zombie Punter is a zombie apocalypse novella. But this isn't your standard survival horror fare.

Eugene "G" O'Donnell and Jake Mahoney have been planning for a zombie apocalypse since they were children and can't wait to test their theories on the undead. But when it becomes obvious that these zombies are not exactly the classic Romero type, our heroes have to change the way they do things.

Add to this an insane neighbour who does serious damage to their small group in the course of the story, and a subplot about G realising he is gay and in love with Jake, and you have a recipe for a very intense story - especially with G as the narrator.

Frst-person narrative is the perfect choice for this story. It brings the reader close to the action and serves to make an already brilliantly tense plot even tenser. The character development for G is masterful; his transformation from nerdy nineteen-year-old into compassionate visionary researcher seems completely natural. The other characters don't get as much development, but they still change in believable ways in response to the events of the story. The way the zombies are different from your average zombies is fascinating, and the explanation of the plague is clever and interesting.

With secondary characters not developed as much as G is, you don't feel as much rapport with them. While this is a result of the novella format, it does make the story slightly less satisfying than it might have been.

There is a single sex scene (a gay one, if such things make a difference to you). I'm not a fan of sex scenes regardless of who's involved, but this one is easy enough to skim and well signposted.

Zombie Punter is a fast read and a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Its themes of tolerance and overcoming prejudice may not appeal to fans of the hardcore-zombie-survival-horror type of zombie fiction, but it will appeal
to most zombie fans and fans of dark fantasy and horror in general.

Highly Recommended.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: KV Taylor on March 15, 2011 :
My usual disclaimer when it comes to indie and small press books these days: I vaguely know Zoe from twitter. I read this book while drinking a Chinotto and absinthe cocktail she suggested. This is the extent of our interaction.

Right, on with the review.

I'm not gonna lie: this is the most fun I've had reading a book in one sitting in... a while. Yeah, there were a few plot things that kind of made me go, "Huh?" But that lasted about five seconds any time it happened, because within three sentences I was probably rolling on the floor with laughter again. I want to compare it to Shaun of the Dead because it's the only other thing I know of that combines the genuinely serious issues of a zombie outbreak--the issues about what it is to be human, about ethics and religion and love and whether any of that is at all sustainable in a post-apocalyptic world--with some seriously funny s#*t. But that's not really a proper comparison, because it's more character focused than that, and it sticks with you longer as a result.

Also, G and Jake... They win. G is an awesome narrator, and if you don't feel his love within the first couple of pages, man. Well, he'll make sure you're paying attention a few times. But he doesn't need to. You'll feel it.

In short, this book is zombie fiction crack. It's got sex, death, compassion, and science, and it will make you laugh at things that you never thought would be funny. (And some that you always thought were funny.)

I hear the sequel's coming out this week, too. I'll be first in line. It's cracky good fun, but also has its moments of intensity. It's what it should be, and nothing like what I would've expected.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: abernathy on Jan. 10, 2011 :
This short novel packs a punch and crams a startling amount of thematic range into a short space.

A realistically and charmingly ultra-nerdy 19-year-old kid becomes a visionary and humane mad scientist in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Meanwhile, a psychotic neighbor takes pot shots at his campus fortress, badly hurting the protagonist and his friends and launching them into a revenge plot that ends in... politics?

Rated 5 stars because although it could use more development of rapport with the characters and of the main threads of tension in the plot, this story left me with that wordless "wow" feeling.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Matthew Fryer on Jan. 08, 2011 :
Forgot to rate it, sorry.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Matthew Fryer on Jan. 08, 2011 : (no rating)
This short novel hooked me from the off.

A couple of friends who’ve long-discussed what they’d do in the event of a zombie apocalypse find their techniques put to the test when they awake in the middle of a new age of undead carnage. This tale has plenty of genre tropes that are pleasingly delivered, some great fights and as well as some interesting new ideas on zombie science.

The relationship of the two friends is convincing, developing with a few surprises, and the author tackles issue such as religion, revenge, sexuality and survival with a wise and experienced voice. Throw in plenty of grisly action and a sense of humour, and you’ve got a very entertaining way to spend an hour or so.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: M Jones on Jan. 05, 2011 :
As one of the most hardworking writers in the world of weblit, Zoe does not disappoint with this hard action, B-movie zombie novel, complete with mad scientists, blood and guts and mad apocalyptic survival skills with a little bit of Lord of the Flies sensibilities thrown in. Questioning the theory of zombie sentience takes on fresh new meaning in Zombie Punter, and unlike many other zombie novels, this one does end on a hopeful note. The issue of human limits to tolerance, however, stands in the way.



This novel does have GLBT themes and sex scenes, so if guy on guy isn't your thing and you get the vapours at the thought of reading it, you might want to give it a miss. There aren't that many, however, and frankly the theme of tolerance and science arriving at a cure for zombies as opposed to anger and power is significantly more important than who bumps who. (So what I'm saying is, if it bugs you enough to avoid a good story, then you're on the zombie menu, ya dig?)



The pacing of the story is very fast, and if I have a quibble with it, it's that I would have liked some scenes to have unfolded more slowly, with the climactic scenes at the end brought into better focus.



All in all, a riveting read, with interesting characters and a highly original plot. Available in various formats for $0.99 at Smashwords, which I recommend—Indie authors, like zombies, need our love!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Katarr Kanticles Press on May 04, 2010 :
This was a great zombie tale with a wonderful main character.

The ending was a bit of a surprise, and of course, there's death and gore - it is a zombie story!

If you like tales of human endurance, continuing in the face of unbeatable odds, you'll love Zombie Punter.

G L Drummond
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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