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Newsflesh #0.25
Countdown
The year is 2014, the year everything changed. We cured cancer. We cured the common cold. We died.
This is the story of how we rose.
When will you rise?
Countdown is a novella set in the world of Feed.
Word count: ~19,500
This is the story of how we rose.
When will you rise?
Countdown is a novella set in the world of Feed.
Word count: ~19,500
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2011
About the author
Mira Grant
46 books5,806 followersMira also writes as Seanan McGuire.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
May 15, 2020
come back, alfonso!
okay, another quickie mini-review for another mini-book i free-read on the work-nook last week.
no more dashes in the entire review, i promise.
this little novella chronicles the events leading up to feed and deadline (oh, and blackout which i want to come out now please). and once again, mira grant has rocked my world. it is a split-viewpoint (damn you, dash!) story, where the perspectives of scientists, eco-terrorists, the first victim, a dog, doctors, reporters, and citizens are given in a way that completely fleshes out the origins of the virus.
again, ms. grant has blinded me with science, in the best possible way. i have no idea if what she is saying makes biological sense, but that fact that it is so detailed, and seems to make sense is enough for me. in attempting to cure the common cold, something goes awry, and the virus is unleashed upon the population prematurely by some stoner asshole college kids who think they are going to save the world. and they do, if what was wrong with the world before was that there just weren't enough zombies. kudos, potheads...
our beloved heroes from the "regular" books are not present, but it doesn't even matter, because she is so good at writing characters, we begin to feel for the scientists, even though we know it is a bad move, and they are going to come to a bad end, despite all their good intentions.
it feels so convincing. it makes me want to look out my window and make sure this isn't happening on my streets. mira grant is one of the best in this genre; not just zombie-lore, but in all post-apoc lit. (those dashes are illusions, look away). her world-building is top-notch, she doesn't get sentimental, she covers all sides of a situation with equal weight - she makes tiny stars appear in my eyes.
and even though this is "just" a novella, it carries a lot of weight. so, as an introduction to the series, or to tide you over while you wait for that third part, it is definitely worth a read.
dash-dash-dash
come to my blog!
okay, another quickie mini-review for another mini-book i free-read on the work-nook last week.
no more dashes in the entire review, i promise.
this little novella chronicles the events leading up to feed and deadline (oh, and blackout which i want to come out now please). and once again, mira grant has rocked my world. it is a split-viewpoint (damn you, dash!) story, where the perspectives of scientists, eco-terrorists, the first victim, a dog, doctors, reporters, and citizens are given in a way that completely fleshes out the origins of the virus.
again, ms. grant has blinded me with science, in the best possible way. i have no idea if what she is saying makes biological sense, but that fact that it is so detailed, and seems to make sense is enough for me. in attempting to cure the common cold, something goes awry, and the virus is unleashed upon the population prematurely by some stoner asshole college kids who think they are going to save the world. and they do, if what was wrong with the world before was that there just weren't enough zombies. kudos, potheads...
our beloved heroes from the "regular" books are not present, but it doesn't even matter, because she is so good at writing characters, we begin to feel for the scientists, even though we know it is a bad move, and they are going to come to a bad end, despite all their good intentions.
it feels so convincing. it makes me want to look out my window and make sure this isn't happening on my streets. mira grant is one of the best in this genre; not just zombie-lore, but in all post-apoc lit. (those dashes are illusions, look away). her world-building is top-notch, she doesn't get sentimental, she covers all sides of a situation with equal weight - she makes tiny stars appear in my eyes.
and even though this is "just" a novella, it carries a lot of weight. so, as an introduction to the series, or to tide you over while you wait for that third part, it is definitely worth a read.
dash-dash-dash
August 9, 2011
This will seem like an odd thing to say, but the Newsflesh world is my world. I would love to live there with George, Shaun, Buffy and the rest of the characters. Yes, yes, I’m well aware of the zombies, but I honestly don’t care. Given the choice, that’s where I’d want to be.
The point of my little confession is that I welcome every word Mira Grant decides to write. This is not a novella per se because it doesn't have a single storyline, it’s nothing like Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box. Instead we get to go back to the year 2014. and see how everything started.
Nobody can accuse Mira Grant of being superficial. She created a world that is as detailed and as palpable as the one I’m living in, if not more. Everything is thought out. Everything makes perfect sense. Everything is properly explained.
We finally meet Amanda Amberlee, cured of leukemia and getting ready for her prom. No matter how many times Georgia and Shaun mentioned Amanda in their blog entries, it was still nice to find out a little more about her and what she was like when she was alive. We also get to meet Dr. Kellis, the idiots who stole the untested cure for cold and the journalist who wrote the famous article about it.
Step by step we find out about the first outbreak and all the events that led to it.
Countdown consists only of facts, Grant didn’t attempt to provoke emotions of any kind or create connections between her readers and the characters. Of course, in doing so, she succeeded in depicting the very nature of the Kellis-Amberlee virus.
I’m sure I don’t need to convince fans of the trilogy to read Countdown.
Mira Grant will NEVER get 4 stars from me. Seanan McGuire is something else entirely.
The point of my little confession is that I welcome every word Mira Grant decides to write. This is not a novella per se because it doesn't have a single storyline, it’s nothing like Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box. Instead we get to go back to the year 2014. and see how everything started.
Nobody can accuse Mira Grant of being superficial. She created a world that is as detailed and as palpable as the one I’m living in, if not more. Everything is thought out. Everything makes perfect sense. Everything is properly explained.
We finally meet Amanda Amberlee, cured of leukemia and getting ready for her prom. No matter how many times Georgia and Shaun mentioned Amanda in their blog entries, it was still nice to find out a little more about her and what she was like when she was alive. We also get to meet Dr. Kellis, the idiots who stole the untested cure for cold and the journalist who wrote the famous article about it.
Step by step we find out about the first outbreak and all the events that led to it.
Countdown consists only of facts, Grant didn’t attempt to provoke emotions of any kind or create connections between her readers and the characters. Of course, in doing so, she succeeded in depicting the very nature of the Kellis-Amberlee virus.
I’m sure I don’t need to convince fans of the trilogy to read Countdown.
Mira Grant will NEVER get 4 stars from me. Seanan McGuire is something else entirely.
May 24, 2012
"People blame science. Shit, man, people shouldn’t blame science. People should blame people." – Shaun Mason
In 2009, invented by Daniel Wells, the Marburg Amberlee (Marburg EX19) can cure leukaemia. First tested to Amanda Amberlee, a young leukaemia patient in Colorado been shot with Marburg EX19 at the age of thirteen, cured from the torment of her sickness. At the age of eighteen, her life becomes normal. The world once again saw the greatness of medicine.
In 2014, invented by Alexander and John Kellis, the Alpha-RC007 can cure any common colds mutated from different strains of rhino- and coronaviruses, viruses that can cause common colds. A newly invented medicine and fresh from the lab.
In the same year, a journalist, Robert Stalnaker, created a fraud article that will lead an army and summon the destruction of the humanity. The Rising has come and hunt every one of us.
Each second is a matter of life and the rising.
In Nineteen thousand and five hundred words, Mira Grant created a very disturbing novella that tells the history of The Rising, the Countdown.
I like how Grant created a world of her own that had this large percentage of possibility that it will become real. Somewhere in her unconscious part, that tells her of the future that she wanted to warn readers (or maybe everyone) of what they have to do if the zombies are coming. Something to do with the preparation that wanted me to read this book since technology is developing faster than what we have imagined and medicine is becoming the eye of everyone. This story is an eye opener; I really need to finish the series.
False information, this becomes the real issue of the book, not only in the book but also in real life. False information become one of those frantic ideas of anyone to make things interesting but what makes it a hazard to society is when people believe to what should people not to believe. Although white lies can trigger a society’s panic state, sometimes white lies should not be used in a sense that people will restrain from panicking but people must have to tell the truth before the problem is over due to wrong information, it’s what we called preparation. But what makes this book special is the use of television, written and digital media at the same time, and how fast that information can travel from one place to another using those types of media. The digital had this special thing to everyone, it can travel faster because of the free access to the internet and most of all everyone can write and share worldwide. Believe me! It’s better to have the internet than having your television on for twenty four hours as I can read news as early as yesterday and save energy at the same time.
Another good source of this kind of issue is the Contagion aired last year. Somehow, the difference is that people did not evolve to become zombies and walking like a hungry beggar in the street but putting in a present scenario, people got sick and die, people’s hunger for cure become virulent, epidemiologist died to find the cause, scientists are in a hurry to find the vaccine, lies are pandemic, the disease is airborne, and innocent died as early as first day. It’s a world full of shit. It’s a world that cruelty created.
This book is also base in science, taking Virology and Bacteriology last semester, this book is another step or introduction to that subject. Given you short information regarding the how viruses duplicate in the body, mutates, transported and so on. I think Mira Grant also a graduate of any science courses that is related to any microorganism, can be biology, virology, epidemiology, medicine etc. If not, she is just another science freak I met through books. If I could only have Mira Grant as my professor I could get as high as what I expected in the first day of class.
Without Shaun and Georgia in the story didn’t change my likeness to this novella. Grant created a new place for us. Grant gave as a chance to change the future. Grant will give you free ticket for the ride of your life, the time machine that will tell you the beginning of The Rising era and will lead to people’s carelessness.
Rating: Countdown by Mira Grant, 3½ Sweets
Challenges:
Book #75 for 2011
May 30, 2021
i always wondered how it all started, you get cliffnotes in feed but not the whole horrible story.
and now knowing the whole terrible story, i kinda wished i didn't.
just cause you can't unknow the horror.
and now knowing the whole terrible story, i kinda wished i didn't.
just cause you can't unknow the horror.
November 15, 2015
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
’There is nothing so patient, in this world or any other, as a virus searching for a host.’
Countdown is a must-read for fans of the Newsflesh novels. Countdown takes you back before the virus was spread, before the zombies came alive, when the world was still as vivid and vibrant as it is today. This is a super short story and left me wanting much much more, but it was still an extremely informative piece of writing that I felt was essential to truly understanding the Newsflesh world. You don't get to read anything about Shaun or George or even Buffy, but you do get a glimpse into the life of Amanda Amberlee, the creator of the cure Dr. Alexander Kellis, and of the group responsible for unleashing it onto the world, ‘The Mayday Army’.
Once again I’m astonished at the ability that Mira Grant has in world building. Even with a short story, she does a phenomenal job at pulling you right in. She makes you feel as if her world truly does exist and that you need to remember to grab your shotgun before leaving the house to protect yourself from the zombies waiting outside. This short story made me love the first two Newsflesh books even more and also made me just a tad bit crazier over my desire to read Blackout. (As if that was possible).
Mira Grant? You're amazing.
’When will you Rise?
And the world gave itself an answer:
Now.
Welcome to the aftermath.’
’There is nothing so patient, in this world or any other, as a virus searching for a host.’
Countdown is a must-read for fans of the Newsflesh novels. Countdown takes you back before the virus was spread, before the zombies came alive, when the world was still as vivid and vibrant as it is today. This is a super short story and left me wanting much much more, but it was still an extremely informative piece of writing that I felt was essential to truly understanding the Newsflesh world. You don't get to read anything about Shaun or George or even Buffy, but you do get a glimpse into the life of Amanda Amberlee, the creator of the cure Dr. Alexander Kellis, and of the group responsible for unleashing it onto the world, ‘The Mayday Army’.
Once again I’m astonished at the ability that Mira Grant has in world building. Even with a short story, she does a phenomenal job at pulling you right in. She makes you feel as if her world truly does exist and that you need to remember to grab your shotgun before leaving the house to protect yourself from the zombies waiting outside. This short story made me love the first two Newsflesh books even more and also made me just a tad bit crazier over my desire to read Blackout. (As if that was possible).
Mira Grant? You're amazing.
’When will you Rise?
And the world gave itself an answer:
Now.
Welcome to the aftermath.’
June 21, 2015
3.5 stars. If you are interested to find out more about exactly how the Kellis-Amberlee virus came in to existance then read this. I love how this author alway looks at the smallest details when explaining cause and effect.
April 6, 2018
Interesting prequel to the newsflesh series. Books that about the beginning of an outbreak are usually more interesting for me than those about people running away from and fighting the infected.
June 30, 2018
“It began nowhere. It began everywhere. It began without a warning; it began with all the warning in the world. It could have been prevented a thousand times over. There was nothing that anyone could have done.
It began on July 18, 2014.”
Countdown takes readers back to 2014 when certain events brought about the mixing of two viruses — two viruses that alone work wonders, but combined wreak havoc. 2014 is when the Kellis and the Amberlee/Marburg cures “met”, bringing about the apocalyptic plague that’s the basis for Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy. While the series itself focuses heavily on the characters and their respective relationships, Countdown is strictly a tale of beginnings, laying out all of the facts and details that created the fearful (and bleach-soaked) atmosphere of the near-future time period of the trilogy. While the events are well laid out in the actual series, it was certainly nice to get an even deeper look at the scope of events and witness first-hand the accounts of the actual Rising. Not to mention, it was quite interesting to see Stacy and Michael in the time of Phillip. You know, that time before they were complete assholes.
I’d definitely recommend this for fans of the series. For anyone who hasn’t read the series, Countdown wouldn’t be a bad starting point, although don’t go in to the actual series hoping for zombie fights and in-depth reanimation. The series itself is definitely heavily focused on the characters and their duties as newsies, bloggers, and truth-tellers — the zombies are really just a bonus.
It began on July 18, 2014.”
Countdown takes readers back to 2014 when certain events brought about the mixing of two viruses — two viruses that alone work wonders, but combined wreak havoc. 2014 is when the Kellis and the Amberlee/Marburg cures “met”, bringing about the apocalyptic plague that’s the basis for Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy. While the series itself focuses heavily on the characters and their respective relationships, Countdown is strictly a tale of beginnings, laying out all of the facts and details that created the fearful (and bleach-soaked) atmosphere of the near-future time period of the trilogy. While the events are well laid out in the actual series, it was certainly nice to get an even deeper look at the scope of events and witness first-hand the accounts of the actual Rising. Not to mention, it was quite interesting to see Stacy and Michael in the time of Phillip. You know, that time before they were complete assholes.
I’d definitely recommend this for fans of the series. For anyone who hasn’t read the series, Countdown wouldn’t be a bad starting point, although don’t go in to the actual series hoping for zombie fights and in-depth reanimation. The series itself is definitely heavily focused on the characters and their duties as newsies, bloggers, and truth-tellers — the zombies are really just a bonus.
November 8, 2015
The Good: This is a must read for any Newsflesh fan, especially if your a fan of background and origin stories. We learn, in detail, how the zombies came about. The steps that led up to the outbreak. I especially loved that we got to see how the Mason parents were, before the outbreak and their total focus on stardom. The novella was told in the same format, including official documents and other outside information mixed in with the story.
The Bad: This could have been much longer, with all the information it contained. It felt rushed. The author has a knack for fleshing out a story in a way that is so vivid, yet doesn't get lost in minutia and I fell this was a missed opportunity in that respect.
The Bad: This could have been much longer, with all the information it contained. It felt rushed. The author has a knack for fleshing out a story in a way that is so vivid, yet doesn't get lost in minutia and I fell this was a missed opportunity in that respect.
June 21, 2016
read previously
January 3, 2025
COUNTDOWN was chillingly fantastic! 10 years after reading the original NEWSFLESH series I decided to re-read the books along with all the new novellas. Now that I've finished this first one I'm so excited to dive back into the world Mira Grant has created.
This was told through small moments across a bunch of different people all over the country. From scientists involved in the accidental creation of the Kellis-Amberlee virus, to the patients who thought they were cured of all ailments, to the normal people just trying to live through unprecedented times. It was so interesting to see how it all began and how the world initially responded to it.
Each moment got more bleak as the virus worsened and eventually, the outbreaks happened. The subtle increase of terror, the feeling of dread, and inevitably, the grim acceptance of the scientists involved all created the perfect atmosphere for a horror book.
COUNTDOWN is dark and considering it's the start of the zombie apocalypse almost everyone dies (that shouldn't be a spoiler), but I apologize to mankind that the dog's POV chapter, not any of the humans, was the one that choked me up. I don't care what happened, Marigold was still a good dog! *desperately tries not to cry*
Content Warning: death, grief, suicide
This was told through small moments across a bunch of different people all over the country. From scientists involved in the accidental creation of the Kellis-Amberlee virus, to the patients who thought they were cured of all ailments, to the normal people just trying to live through unprecedented times. It was so interesting to see how it all began and how the world initially responded to it.
Each moment got more bleak as the virus worsened and eventually, the outbreaks happened. The subtle increase of terror, the feeling of dread, and inevitably, the grim acceptance of the scientists involved all created the perfect atmosphere for a horror book.
COUNTDOWN is dark and considering it's the start of the zombie apocalypse almost everyone dies (that shouldn't be a spoiler), but I apologize to mankind that the dog's POV chapter, not any of the humans, was the one that choked me up. I don't care what happened, Marigold was still a good dog! *desperately tries not to cry*
Content Warning: death, grief, suicide
June 19, 2024
AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
November 3, 2015
I always find short stories hard to review. They always seem so ... short. Consequently, they always end up compromising on characterisation. Countdown is lucky, as it's not really about people. It's about a virus - and how much characterisation do you really want for a virus? This is the prequel story to the Newsflesh trilogy. In it Grant explains how the virus came to be and how the outbreak started.
Lots of the story had been hinted at - or more - in the three novels, but it was good to have the details all come together and laid out for us in a single chronology. Grant made a couple of interesting decisions though I thought - and they all seemed successful. Firstly, she provides a more human face to the doctors who are manufacturing the two viruses that go on to create Kellis-Amberlee - the zombie virus - and they turn out to be much more normal and likeable than the future would unfortunately paint them. And, secondly, that the Masons who adopt Georgia and Shaun after the death of their own son don't actually do so in this story. Grant has already written three novels about Georgia and Shaun Mason. Keeping them out of this story enabled her to focus that much more closely on the real character - the virus.
Like any prequel short story, it stands less well on its own. But for fans of the existing series, this is absolutely worth the time. The only real annoyance about this short story is that the publisher imprint Orbit Short Fiction is only available in the US. It's a right royal pain in the arse (ass) to have to reset my Amazon account to be a US account just so I can buy the story. There's no reason why it shouldn't be available worldwide. Orbit has been promising us Orbit Short Fiction would launch in the UK now "any day now" for far too long.
Lots of the story had been hinted at - or more - in the three novels, but it was good to have the details all come together and laid out for us in a single chronology. Grant made a couple of interesting decisions though I thought - and they all seemed successful. Firstly, she provides a more human face to the doctors who are manufacturing the two viruses that go on to create Kellis-Amberlee - the zombie virus - and they turn out to be much more normal and likeable than the future would unfortunately paint them. And, secondly, that the Masons who adopt Georgia and Shaun after the death of their own son don't actually do so in this story. Grant has already written three novels about Georgia and Shaun Mason. Keeping them out of this story enabled her to focus that much more closely on the real character - the virus.
Like any prequel short story, it stands less well on its own. But for fans of the existing series, this is absolutely worth the time. The only real annoyance about this short story is that the publisher imprint Orbit Short Fiction is only available in the US. It's a right royal pain in the arse (ass) to have to reset my Amazon account to be a US account just so I can buy the story. There's no reason why it shouldn't be available worldwide. Orbit has been promising us Orbit Short Fiction would launch in the UK now "any day now" for far too long.
February 28, 2012
Original post at One More Page
This is actually one of the last books I read for 2011, and I got this because I'm such a loyal reader of Mira Grant and her Newsflesh universe. Countdown is the a prequel to her story and it narrates just how the Rising happened through the different perspectives involved in the story. I liked how the story wasn't really as simple as how it seemed when Georgia talked about it in Feed. There were so many people involved, some that were already known such as the developers of the cure, and also some unknown people like the activists that caused the virus to go out. It had just enough detail without being too scientific or too political, and the growing terror of what just might happen because of the chain of events was very well conveyed. The slow unveiling of the effects of the new virus strain was horrifying at its best and you just know that it's too late when it all comes down.
While there's no Georgia or Shaun in this book yet, we get a glimpse of their parents and how they got involved and what happened that could have led them to adopting the two. It wasn't really narrated as a whole, but when the book is done, it's easier to connect the dots.
This isn't a required reading to fully understand the series, but for fans who are itching to read the last book in the trilogy, Countdown is a good pick to satiate this hunger.
This is actually one of the last books I read for 2011, and I got this because I'm such a loyal reader of Mira Grant and her Newsflesh universe. Countdown is the a prequel to her story and it narrates just how the Rising happened through the different perspectives involved in the story. I liked how the story wasn't really as simple as how it seemed when Georgia talked about it in Feed. There were so many people involved, some that were already known such as the developers of the cure, and also some unknown people like the activists that caused the virus to go out. It had just enough detail without being too scientific or too political, and the growing terror of what just might happen because of the chain of events was very well conveyed. The slow unveiling of the effects of the new virus strain was horrifying at its best and you just know that it's too late when it all comes down.
While there's no Georgia or Shaun in this book yet, we get a glimpse of their parents and how they got involved and what happened that could have led them to adopting the two. It wasn't really narrated as a whole, but when the book is done, it's easier to connect the dots.
This isn't a required reading to fully understand the series, but for fans who are itching to read the last book in the trilogy, Countdown is a good pick to satiate this hunger.
July 3, 2012
Mira Grant prequel to her popular trilogy showed again what a fantastic writer with a scientific mind. With this novella, she goes back to when the virus starts and hops from place to place until all the pieces fully come together.
She has put alot of effort into the beginning of the end of civilisation and she was able to handle this with great skill. All her characters come across intelligent with extreme detail to characterisation and warmth. The evil that exists is given a three dimensional twist that makes sense on what drives them.
When the populace finally start falling apart, and it doesn't take long, you see the course of action taken and gives you a fuller understanding of the world in which they have created for themselves.
I especially liked the Masons story. As it comes before the George and Shaun story, it does fully flush out the Masons back story which gives the characters on hindsight (as I read the previous three books before this) a clear understanding.
I would highly suggest this to people who are new to the series and it can be read in any order. If you are looking for an introduction to the series before you commit yourself to the full trilogy, this would be a good place to start. If you do this, it will be interesting how you find the trilogy afterwards as I think it would probably open up this world to a new understanding than the way that I read them. Especially the Mason's storyline.
Another top class book by Mira Grant. A must read.
She has put alot of effort into the beginning of the end of civilisation and she was able to handle this with great skill. All her characters come across intelligent with extreme detail to characterisation and warmth. The evil that exists is given a three dimensional twist that makes sense on what drives them.
When the populace finally start falling apart, and it doesn't take long, you see the course of action taken and gives you a fuller understanding of the world in which they have created for themselves.
I especially liked the Masons story. As it comes before the George and Shaun story, it does fully flush out the Masons back story which gives the characters on hindsight (as I read the previous three books before this) a clear understanding.
I would highly suggest this to people who are new to the series and it can be read in any order. If you are looking for an introduction to the series before you commit yourself to the full trilogy, this would be a good place to start. If you do this, it will be interesting how you find the trilogy afterwards as I think it would probably open up this world to a new understanding than the way that I read them. Especially the Mason's storyline.
Another top class book by Mira Grant. A must read.
October 10, 2012
It was alright but don't read this expecting this to be about zombies. Like, the zombies don't start til about 60% of the ebook, but the book ends at 85%, as the rest is the first chapter of Feed, as it, for some reason assumes that people are reading this who haven't read the rest, which I doubt. It doesn't really have the strength to be a standalone and I would only recommend to a fan of the series who really liked her style. This is basically a timeline of events, told in a very stark way. It's mostly about microbiology and packed full of the research Mira Grant thoroughly found out about viruses, but other than that there's no actual action. Barely about zombies, if you were expecting interesting stories about zombies attacking people it's not in here. It was super short too, so to be honest it's not really worth the cost. This would have been better as a free extra, (instead of that shitfest alternate ending Fed), and this information would have been better saved and used for an actual prologue book, instead of being a calendar of tidbits. Ah well. Meh. Only if you really liked the rest of the books would you care. Also full of embarrassing self-fulfilling prophecy quotes, like "wait til you see where we're gonna be in a year" and "people are going to remember my name forever" etc etc yes we know zombies happen because of this. Blah.
Lol Mira Grant look what you do to me.
This deserves the Dinklage gif again, because I just don't care.
Lol Mira Grant look what you do to me.
This deserves the Dinklage gif again, because I just don't care.
April 14, 2012
5 Stars
Blackout, book 3 of the Newsflesh trilogy is my most anticipated release of 2012. I am a huge Mira Grant fan and I absolutely love the first two books of this series. This is a post apocalyptic story that seems to be cut out of today's news. It is relevant in the science that it purposes. It is relevant in it's format and telling. Blogging and the internet is today's best media outlet. This series works by putting an amazing set of characters into a world not much different then ours is today. Of course it is filled with the shuffling dead, "The Rise" has occurred, and zombies hunger for the living.
"It began nowhere. It began everywhere. It began without warning; It began with all the warning in the world. It could
have been prevented a thousand times over. There was nothing that anyone could have done.
It began on July 18, 2014."
This book is a cool little novella that gives us the details and the science behind the fall of the world. It gives us the specifics and the origins; the rising of the Kellis-Amberlee virus. It shows us how easily we brought about our own doom...
This series is an amazing piece of horror that should not be missed by lovers of the post apocalyptic genre. These books are intelligently written, fast, fun, emotionally impactful, and worth multiple reads. I can't wait for book 3 Blackout, coming out later this year
Blackout, book 3 of the Newsflesh trilogy is my most anticipated release of 2012. I am a huge Mira Grant fan and I absolutely love the first two books of this series. This is a post apocalyptic story that seems to be cut out of today's news. It is relevant in the science that it purposes. It is relevant in it's format and telling. Blogging and the internet is today's best media outlet. This series works by putting an amazing set of characters into a world not much different then ours is today. Of course it is filled with the shuffling dead, "The Rise" has occurred, and zombies hunger for the living.
"It began nowhere. It began everywhere. It began without warning; It began with all the warning in the world. It could
have been prevented a thousand times over. There was nothing that anyone could have done.
It began on July 18, 2014."
This book is a cool little novella that gives us the details and the science behind the fall of the world. It gives us the specifics and the origins; the rising of the Kellis-Amberlee virus. It shows us how easily we brought about our own doom...
This series is an amazing piece of horror that should not be missed by lovers of the post apocalyptic genre. These books are intelligently written, fast, fun, emotionally impactful, and worth multiple reads. I can't wait for book 3 Blackout, coming out later this year
June 28, 2015
3 1/2 stars
This novella is the prequel to Feed and as always it was full of scientifically probable explanations of a phenomena that has been written about at nauseam.
Some dystopian books are unique and enjoyable because they are so fantastical (think The Hunger Games and The Knife of Never Letting Go) and some are unique and appealing precisely because they skirt so closely along our current reality, allowing for the horrific probability that this could maybe just maybe happen one day. This series and Unwind are perfect examples of the latter.
If you want to dip your feet into this genre but don’t like zombies? THIs is the series for you.
This novella is the prequel to Feed and as always it was full of scientifically probable explanations of a phenomena that has been written about at nauseam.
Some dystopian books are unique and enjoyable because they are so fantastical (think The Hunger Games and The Knife of Never Letting Go) and some are unique and appealing precisely because they skirt so closely along our current reality, allowing for the horrific probability that this could maybe just maybe happen one day. This series and Unwind are perfect examples of the latter.
If you want to dip your feet into this genre but don’t like zombies? THIs is the series for you.
April 29, 2013
This is the last kind of thing I would usually read. Not that I have any prejudice against post-apocalyptic novels or dislike zombies - it's just not the genre that would usually catch my eye.
But oh boy, did I love this. Frankly, it's terrifying. It makes me want to snuggle into bed (with the next book in the series, obvz), seal every opening in my house and wait for the world to die.
Aside from the technical/sciencey aspect, which I only vaguely got because I'm totally not the sciencey type, the writing makes me moan in ecstasy. It's concise and precise, without being too dry to be enjoyable, and the short, dramatic scenes Mira Grant described were perfect for the story and a style I haven't encountered many times before now.
Bottom line: I loved this.
I don't even know if I want to get Feed in ebook format, so I could read it immediately, or in paperback, to be able to enjoy having that huge chunk of paper in my little greedy hands while I'm reading - and wait a few centuries until it's delivered.
Dilemmas in life...
But oh boy, did I love this. Frankly, it's terrifying. It makes me want to snuggle into bed (with the next book in the series, obvz), seal every opening in my house and wait for the world to die.
Aside from the technical/sciencey aspect, which I only vaguely got because I'm totally not the sciencey type, the writing makes me moan in ecstasy. It's concise and precise, without being too dry to be enjoyable, and the short, dramatic scenes Mira Grant described were perfect for the story and a style I haven't encountered many times before now.
Bottom line: I loved this.
I don't even know if I want to get Feed in ebook format, so I could read it immediately, or in paperback, to be able to enjoy having that huge chunk of paper in my little greedy hands while I'm reading - and wait a few centuries until it's delivered.
Dilemmas in life...
June 14, 2012
So Mira Grant is pretty much the boss of zombie fiction right now, and rightfully so. She doesn't just write about nasty zombie attacks, she writes about nasty zombie attacks WITH a super-creative and intensely indepth backstory and multidimensional characters. This little e-book novella answered a lot of my questions about the series. The Alexander Kellis storyline broke my heart! I can't wait to read "Blackout", and this satisfied my craving for more Grant zombies.
I wish this was expanded into an entire prequel novel- I'm just greedy, I want more! I know the focus is on the aftermath and the rising, but the story about how it all began is so interesting as well, and Grant has enough writing talent to expand her universe even more.
I wish this was expanded into an entire prequel novel- I'm just greedy, I want more! I know the focus is on the aftermath and the rising, but the story about how it all began is so interesting as well, and Grant has enough writing talent to expand her universe even more.
June 13, 2012
I am glad I read this after I was further along in the series. After reading Feed and Deadline and seeing how George and Shaun's relationship with their adoptive parents evolved it gave insight into the Mason's.
How the virus evolved was really scary. The lack of information and misinformation made it even more frightening.
How the virus evolved was really scary. The lack of information and misinformation made it even more frightening.
July 25, 2019
I'm pretty new to Audiobooks, I also wanted something different in genre than the paperback I have on the go at the moment, so after a few recommendations I plumped for this
It's probably not one of the better books to listen to, there's so many dates, facts, characters who have a role but not necessarily a voice, which would all be great to read from the page... also, this genre is not a go-to for me, so I can probably not do this novella fair justice
From the info I did pick up, it seemed like a decent backstory of how two viruses came to contaminate the beings of earth and turn them into zombies, thus implementing the end of the world... I know there are more books to the series but, I don't think I'll be listening to them, seems like it might be a decent read though
It's probably not one of the better books to listen to, there's so many dates, facts, characters who have a role but not necessarily a voice, which would all be great to read from the page... also, this genre is not a go-to for me, so I can probably not do this novella fair justice
From the info I did pick up, it seemed like a decent backstory of how two viruses came to contaminate the beings of earth and turn them into zombies, thus implementing the end of the world... I know there are more books to the series but, I don't think I'll be listening to them, seems like it might be a decent read though
September 7, 2022
This is the very beginning of the Newsflesh series, a short prequel story that sets up the Kellis-Amberlee virus: a man-made cure for cancer merges with a man-made cure for the common cold and then the world falls fast. This is a quick read but the author was smart to present the story as journal entries over the course of 2-3 months in 2014. I felt dread as the story progressed, as things began to spread and pick up across the US and the world. The circumstances felt even more real as-since we are living in a pandemic-I'm pretty familiar with discussions about reliable news sources, modes of virus transmission, and vaccines.
I enjoyed it a lot. I felt surprisingly connected to the characters. By the time the novella ended, I was firmly in a world that is in bad, bad shape.
I'm excited to continue with the rest of the Newsflesh series.
I enjoyed it a lot. I felt surprisingly connected to the characters. By the time the novella ended, I was firmly in a world that is in bad, bad shape.
I'm excited to continue with the rest of the Newsflesh series.
May 1, 2021
"Some individuals are trying to spin this as a global pandemic, and I wish to assure you that it is nothing more than a nasty pair of summer flus. Please do not listen to reports from unreliable sources."
How very prescient of Grant to predict news reporters' claiming to be delivery the 'real story' while pedalling nonsense and misinformation to cash in during an actual global pandemic. It's almost like this was happening in news and documentaries always...
Another novella in the series and in this one the pandemic has now started and the zombies are rising. Interesting to see the stories of those affected at the beginning all at different stages in their lives and different parts of the world.
How very prescient of Grant to predict news reporters' claiming to be delivery the 'real story' while pedalling nonsense and misinformation to cash in during an actual global pandemic. It's almost like this was happening in news and documentaries always...
Another novella in the series and in this one the pandemic has now started and the zombies are rising. Interesting to see the stories of those affected at the beginning all at different stages in their lives and different parts of the world.
February 25, 2018
Did you ever wonder about the lead up to Feed? Want more details about the mutated virus that ended the world as we knew it? Welcome to Countdown.
It's just a tease of the details. You get a tiny bit of how the Masons came to be who they are, but not really. You get a tiny bit of how the two mutations came to become one, but not enough. Like I said, just a tease. Plus the cuteness of Marigold. Be ready to get just a tiny bit upset once you read it.
I recommend not reading this until you've read the main trilogy, but that's just my opinion. 3 stars.
It's just a tease of the details. You get a tiny bit of how the Masons came to be who they are, but not really. You get a tiny bit of how the two mutations came to become one, but not enough. Like I said, just a tease. Plus the cuteness of Marigold. Be ready to get just a tiny bit upset once you read it.
I recommend not reading this until you've read the main trilogy, but that's just my opinion. 3 stars.
Read
January 27, 2020Just some backstory about how where and when it all started..
Beautiful concept carving as always..
Beautiful concept carving as always..
October 9, 2020
This is how the world we know ended and the world of newsflesh began. I read the novels last year and was interested in reading the short stories before rereading the novels but this one could have been the first 20 pages of the first novel. It isn’t as well written as the novels. We need more about the Masons (but maybe that’s coming?) All other storylines seemed very flushed out though.
September 8, 2023
collection of blog posts. This is an interesting approach and fun to read. It was a bit bouncy to read but doable. My favorite inputs were the POV of the dog. This was incredible.
August 3, 2011
Comments originally published here.
Apparently this novella was originally available on the author’s website and has now been released as a short ebook. I didn’t know anything about it, so was happy to see it turn up for sale.
This is the story of the actual zombie Rising that forms the background and basis of Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy. Despite not being at all into zombies, I have found that the right book – one about the science and the mystery, rather than the blood, guts and gore – can work very well for me. I felt that way about the first book, Feed, and devoured (if you’ll excuse the pun) the second book, Deadline, when it came out earlier this year. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the story in next year’s Blackout.
The reader has gained a clear idea of what happened back in 2014 from the main books, but I very much liked getting to see it for myself. This is essentially a set of vignettes as events unfold, so it’s more of a sketch of what happened and who it happened to than a detailed story, but Grant got in just enough detail to make it work for me.
It was nice to meet both Amanda Amberlee and Alexander Kellis, the people whose names ended up identifying the new virus and I did like to get to see Shaun and George’s parents back when they still behaved like sane parents, something they really no longer were by the time of the books. I especially liked Michael Mason’s discussion with his lecture class about zombies and his instruction for them to watch Twitter, blogs etc, since we know that is really what saved mankind. The YouTube video where the truth first started coming out was also a nice touch.
The most touching and yet painful section was the final one, as Grant switches from human POV to that of Marigold the dog who lived next door to the Masons, and any reader of the series knows how badly that is going to end. Yet it was beautifully written.
For all that it occurs first, don’t read this before reading at least Feed. Because of its vignette format, it is really designed to fill out what the reader already knows, not tell it for the first time. But if you’ve read Feed (or Deadline as well as I had), then it’s a lovely, little addition to the series.
Apparently this novella was originally available on the author’s website and has now been released as a short ebook. I didn’t know anything about it, so was happy to see it turn up for sale.
This is the story of the actual zombie Rising that forms the background and basis of Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy. Despite not being at all into zombies, I have found that the right book – one about the science and the mystery, rather than the blood, guts and gore – can work very well for me. I felt that way about the first book, Feed, and devoured (if you’ll excuse the pun) the second book, Deadline, when it came out earlier this year. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the story in next year’s Blackout.
The reader has gained a clear idea of what happened back in 2014 from the main books, but I very much liked getting to see it for myself. This is essentially a set of vignettes as events unfold, so it’s more of a sketch of what happened and who it happened to than a detailed story, but Grant got in just enough detail to make it work for me.
It was nice to meet both Amanda Amberlee and Alexander Kellis, the people whose names ended up identifying the new virus and I did like to get to see Shaun and George’s parents back when they still behaved like sane parents, something they really no longer were by the time of the books. I especially liked Michael Mason’s discussion with his lecture class about zombies and his instruction for them to watch Twitter, blogs etc, since we know that is really what saved mankind. The YouTube video where the truth first started coming out was also a nice touch.
The most touching and yet painful section was the final one, as Grant switches from human POV to that of Marigold the dog who lived next door to the Masons, and any reader of the series knows how badly that is going to end. Yet it was beautifully written.
For all that it occurs first, don’t read this before reading at least Feed. Because of its vignette format, it is really designed to fill out what the reader already knows, not tell it for the first time. But if you’ve read Feed (or Deadline as well as I had), then it’s a lovely, little addition to the series.
July 4, 2012
[I read this novella as part of the Hugo Voter Packet in 2012.]
The spoilers listed below are only spoilers if you're unfamiliar with the Newsflesh universe; if you are familiar with that backdrop, nothing below will be any surprise (but then again, nothing in the novella will be either!).
This novella is actually written in a semi-similar style to the last one I read, Ken Liu’s ‘The Man Who Ended History’, and so I jumped straight in with gusto. It’s not presented as a documentary, but it’s the story of several snippets of different people’s lives, all of which build towards the end of the book. Countdown is a novella in the Newsflesh universe, alongside Feed, Deadline and Blackout;
I feel guilty that this ended up as low in my rankings as it did, but I think that’s a function of the fact that nothing here is anything new in terms of the Newsflesh universe. Grant hasn’t included any titbits that are critical to the plot of the trilogy, which is fair enough, since this isn’t required reading for people who want to read the novels – however, that ultimately ends up hurting the novella because it means I got exactly what I expected, with no surprises or expansion of the boundaries.
The spoilers listed below are only spoilers if you're unfamiliar with the Newsflesh universe; if you are familiar with that backdrop, nothing below will be any surprise (but then again, nothing in the novella will be either!).
This novella is actually written in a semi-similar style to the last one I read, Ken Liu’s ‘The Man Who Ended History’, and so I jumped straight in with gusto. It’s not presented as a documentary, but it’s the story of several snippets of different people’s lives, all of which build towards the end of the book. Countdown is a novella in the Newsflesh universe, alongside Feed, Deadline and Blackout;
I feel guilty that this ended up as low in my rankings as it did, but I think that’s a function of the fact that nothing here is anything new in terms of the Newsflesh universe. Grant hasn’t included any titbits that are critical to the plot of the trilogy, which is fair enough, since this isn’t required reading for people who want to read the novels – however, that ultimately ends up hurting the novella because it means I got exactly what I expected, with no surprises or expansion of the boundaries.
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