#Zombie Apocalypse Audiobook

[joncronshawauthor]

🧟‍♂️🎸 Listen to Punks Versus Zombies - A Post-Apocalyptic Survival FREE Audiobook (Episodes 1-32) 🎸🧟‍♀️

🧟‍♂️ Survive the Zombie Outbreak with Tommy and His Punk Rock Band 🎸Join Tommy and his bandmates as they fight their way from Berkeley, California, to Philadelphia in a desperate attempt to reunite with his family. But zombies aren’t the only danger lurking in this terrifying new world. As they journey across the ruins of America, they’ll face unimaginable challenges and discover the true power…

[sundstroms]

presented without context or commentary.

[libraryofbaxobab]

May 15, 2024:

Someone should tell fungal horror writers there are other scary mushrooms besides cordyceps.

That's a little unfair to this book, considering it's 10 years old (already?!) so it might have been a bit ahead of the curve. BUT this might be the best Fungal Apocalypse I've read, at least for a long time.

It's easy to compare it with Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist because of the child-who-is-more-than-a-child angle, and for similar reasons it reminds me of Berserk by Tim Lebbon, with the added bonus that the dangerous innocent is-- well, I'll skirt away from even minor spoilers there.

I do have a gripe, and it's a small one but I think it speaks to a more significant attitude: the central relationship in this whole thing is a precocious student and her teacher whom she loves fiercely. But at the beginning the teachers call it "a crush." I hate that. It's never, ever remotely sexual or romantic in any way (that I could pick up on, anyway! And I was paying attention!) and is very clearly a blend of two very understandable pulls: the bond between a curious child and an educator with a unique teaching style, and that of a mistreated child drawn to the only adult who has ever shown them kindness. That's not a crush, weirdos. Maybe it's in there to show that the adults are wrong, that they misunderstand the children?

I resisted this for a long time because I of some misconceptions I had about it, but I'm overall glad I read this.

7/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

[greedybookwyrm]

Eat Slay Love

Eat Slay Love by Jesse Peterson (Click here to see all my reviews for this author), is the third book in a series called “Living With The Dead” (click here for the series) I was estatic to read Eat Slay Love, and I was in for a wee bit of a surprise. I had assumed with basically no basis for it that this book series was a complete trio, it is not. It is just the latest book currently outI will…

[bitchesgetriches]

{ MASTERPOST } Everything You Need to Know about Saving Money and Being Frugal

We’re all in this together. Don’t give up.

On food and groceries:

How to Shop for Groceries like a Boss

Why Name Brand Products Are Beneath You: The Honor and Glory of Buying Generic

If You Don’t Eat Leftovers I Don’t Even Want to Know You

You Are above Bottled Water, You Elegant Land Mermaid

You Should Learn To Cook. Here’s Why.

On entertainment and socializing:

The Frugal Introvert’s Guide to the Weekend

7 Totally Reasonable Ways To Save Money on Cheap Entertainment 

Take Pride in Being a Cheap Date

The Library Is a Magical Place and You Should Fucking Go There

Your Library Lets You Stream Audiobooks and eBooks FOR FREEEEEEE!

What’s the Effect of Social Media on Your Finances?

You Won’t Regret Your Frugal 20s

On health:

How to Pay Hospital Bills When You’re Flat Broke

Run With Me if You Want to Save: How Exercising Will Save You Money

Our Master List of 100% Free Mental Health Self-Care Tactics

Why You Probably Don’t Need That Gym Membership

How to Get DIRT CHEAP Pet Medication, Without a Prescription 

On other big expenses:

Businesses Will Happily Give You HUGE Discounts if You Ask This Magic Question

Understand the Hidden Costs of Travel and Avoid Them Like the Plague

Other People’s Weddings Don’t Have to Make You Broke

You Deserve Cheap, Fake Jewelry… Just Like Coco Chanel

3 Times I Was Damn Grateful for My Emergency Fund (and Side Income) 

When (and How) to Try Refinancing or Consolidating Student Loans

The Real Story of How I Paid Off My Mortgage Early in 4 Years 

Season 2, Episode 2: “I’m Not Ready to Buy a House—But How Do I *Get Ready* to Get Ready?”

The Most Impactful Financial Decision I’ve Ever Made… and Why I Don’t Recommend It

On buying secondhand and trading:

Almost Everything Can Be Purchased Secondhand

I Am a Craigslist Samurai and so Can You: How to Sell Used Stuff Online

The Delicate Art of the Friend Trade

On giving gifts and charitable donations:

How Can I Tame My Family’s Crazy Gift-Giving Expectations?

In Defense of Shameless Regifting

Make Sure Your Donations Have the Biggest Impact by Ruthlessly Judging Charities

The Anti-Consumerist Gift Guide: I Have No Gift to Bring, Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum

How to Spot a Charitable Scam

Ask the Bitches: How Do I Say “No” When a Loved One Asks for Money… Again? 

On resisting temptation:

How to Insulate Yourself From Advertisements

Making Decisions Under Stress: The Siren Song of Chocolate Cake

The Magically Frugal Power of Patience

6 Proven Tactics for Avoiding Emotional Impulse Spending

On minimalism and buying less:

Don’t Spend Money on Shit You Don’t Like, Fool

Everything I Know About Minimalism I Learned from the Zombie Apocalypse

Slay Your Financial Vampires

The Subscription Box Craze and the Mindlessness of Wasteful Spending

On saving money:

How To Start Small by Saving Small

Not Every Savings Account Is Created Equal

The Unexpected Benefits (and Downsides) of Money Challenges

Budgets Don’t Work for Everyone—Try the Spending Tracker System Instead

From HYSAs to CDs, Here’s How to Level Up Your Financial Savings

Season 2, Episode 10: “Which Is Smarter: Getting a Loan? or Saving up to Pay Cash?”

The Magic of Unclaimed Property: How I Made $1,900 in 10 Minutes by Being a Disorganized Mess

We will periodically update this list with newer articles. And by “periodically” I mean “when we remember that it’s something we forgot to do for four months.”

Bitches Get Riches: setting realistic expectations since 2017!

Start saving right heckin’ now!

If you want to start small with your savings, consider signing up for an Acorns account! They round up your every purchase to the nearest dollar and save and invest the change for you. We like them so much we’ve generously allowed them to sponsor us with this affiliate link:

Start investing today with Acorns

[etl-echo-audiobooks]

*** defunct - as we are no long on Spotify because their AI policy.

Please consider following us on AO3 for our updates !

Hello everyone new and old! We are ETL Echo Audiobooks! We produce fanfiction audiobooks of the Enemies to Lovers Variety.

There are Dramione Audiobooks, Drarry Audiobooks, Reylo Audiobooks, Darklina Audiobooks, you name it! All Enemies to Lovers (ETL) Pairings!

Here are all of our podfics/audiobooks/audiofics organized into playlists!

This includes the Manacled Audiobook here

Also the Chronological Manacled Audiobook here which we recommend after experiencing the story in the order intended by author @senlinyu

*Dramione Audiobooks: The Fallout Audiobook by everythursday

The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy Audiobook by Speechwriter

Choice and Chance Audiobook by chaosandcrumpets

Remain Nameless Audiobook by @heyjude19-writing

Wait and Hope Audiobook by @mightbewriting

The Auction Audiobook by @lovesbitca8

Bring Him to His Knees Audiobook by musyc (@willhavetheirtrinkets)

Love in a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse by @rizzlewrites

*Reylo Adudiobooks: Proposal by Any Other Name audiobook by @lucidlucy

Conscience and Unconsciousness audiobook by pontmercy44

World in my Eyes by sasstasticmad (@mygrandmathinksimsassy) Audiobook coming Spring 2024!

*All Dramione Audiobook one-shots

*All Drarry Audiobook one-shots

*All Other HP Pairing Fanfic Audiobook one-shots

An ever growing list of Wizarding Podfics/audiobooks/audiofics from different creators can be found here! The listings specify title, creator author, ship, status, and whether or not it has been censored for content.

We are a team of folx from all over the globe who do this for fun in our spare time to make fanfiction more accessible to everyone!

Love from,

ETL Echo Audiobooks

[astrovian]

Richard Armitage's Recommended Reading List from the official Geneva paperback release promotional material sent to book retailers/libraries in 2024

Robert Louis Stevenson: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

I narrated this for Audible, and I love the fact that the format feels like a case study of a psychologically compromised patient, rather than a traditional novel. It made me question whether it was a true story or fiction. I also love Stevenson's obsession - one shared by many authors and psychologists - with the alter ego. It's been suggested that Stevenson was subversively writing about suppressed sexuality (which was at the time considered unacceptable in social circles). His Mr Hyde was perhaps something that was literally 'in hiding' and forcing its way out.

C.J. Tudor: The Drift

A departure for Tudor into Zombie territory, i suspect conceived during the pandemic, and set across three different time zones. This is a chilling, thrilling genre puzzle about a group of survivors, a bus crash buried in the snow, a stranded cable car and a group of misfits walled up in a dystopian hellish retreat that feels like the end of the world. Lurking in the shadows is something so deadly it feels like an impending apocalypse.

Robert Harris: Act of Oblivion

Harris is one of my favourite authors. He's so immersed in historical detail his stories always feel like documents from an archive rather than invention. Act of Oblivion is the ultimate destination thriller. Set in 1660, during the Interregnum, the novel reminds me of a relentless road movie. Richard Nayler, head of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is consumed by a quest to find the last remaining fugitives who signed the death warrant of Charles I. It becomes a lifelong, all-consuming obsession that takes the form of an epic journey from London to the New World and the developing colonies.

Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

It's the 20th anniversary of this seminal novel, and it's been very much on my mind as I have narrated a new audiobook edition for Bloomsbury. A spectacular Dickensian destination thriller set in London and the European continent during the Napoleonic wars, I love the array of extraordinary characters (some factual, some fictional) and the weaving of magic into the politics of the time. Dr Strange and Mr. Norrell attempt to restore practical magic to England by convincing the government and the military of its usefulness in war. The rivalry between the two men in exacerbated by the emergence of an older, darker force which, along with Clarke's historical tapestry drawn from factual events and folklore, gives the story a bedrock that is convincing and compelling.

Stephen King: The Shining

Chiller, thriller a s destination; I can't get through the winter without a Stephen King novel. I've read The Shining a few times and as frightening as it is, there is something about the remote isolated setting of the Overlook Hotel in the midst of this brutal winter that intrigues me. The descent of Jack Torrance into madness, and the terrifying consequences of this for his wife and young son, makes for a trembling page-turner. One thing the book does better than the film is balance the fear with the spiritual: the 'shining'. In the novel, Jack's son Danny has a special psychic glow and in a child it feels like an impenetrable power for good in the facenof evil. You've probably seen the film, but the book is well worth a read too.

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: The Living Dead by George A Romero & Daniel Kraus Rating: 5/5

This was phenomenal. I have a love/hate relationship with zombie stories but Night of the Living Dead was my first horror movie and after loving Daniel Kraus's Whalefall, I wanted to give this a go.

What a good decision.

Inspired by stories George A Romero had written in his personal time, Kraus tells an epic story of a handful of characters as they experience an apocalypse of ghouls - flesh-eating humans risen from the dead. Newscasters, naval officers, small town girls, archivists and medical examiners are among the gorgeous cast of characters who lead us through the end of the world and out the other side.

I can't quite articulate how ... hopeful I find this book. Even at its deepest and darkest, I never felt dread. The characters' will to survive permeates these pages and fills the story with a sense of determination that was just so beautiful. And Kraus takes such care to examine how the events of the book will affect so many different groups of people. How racism and gender and ability all factor into how people survive. It was so carefully thought out and examined those themes so well, I just really appreciated it. 

If you're intimidated by the length, that's absolutely fair. 750 pages is a feat. But I promise, the pace is perfect and I was never bored, not for one second of the 27-hour-long audiobook. I loved every moment but the story of Annie and Tawna was definitely my favourite. 

If you love the original movies or just want an old-fashioned horror story with something to say about the world we're living in, please give The Living Dead a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[kvalenagle]

Okay, I've been summoned to Tumblr by cute Satra and Lei fan art, so I should probably introduce myself and my books. Hello! I'm Vale, and I write creature fantasy as K. Vale Nagle. If you like interesting gryphons, you're in the right place: aquatic diving petrel/fishing cat gryphons, poisonous hooded pitohui/tiger gryphons, pretty gyrfalcon/snow leopard gryphons, intimidating Haast's eagle/saber-toothed tiger gryphons, soggy sandgrouse/sand cat gryphons, and a lot more. My series are epic fantasy using mostly real (though sometimes extinct) animals, free of humans but full of queer characters, intrigue, large battles, and ecological apocalypses. My cover art is by Jeff Brown, with interior graphite pieces by Brenda Lyons and gryphon chapter headers by Kittrel (whose chibi hearts you may have seen). I also have a short story collection (best read anytime after Starling, book three) with a beak-cute lesbian gryphon love story with terror birds, a Gryphon vs. Nature blizzard apocalypse tale, a Christmas-y story, and something pretty close to zombies. I've also written a full novel set in the world of Dire by John Bailey called Coldbright which can be found in the Tales of Feathers & Flames anthology. If you like GryphIns but you want something with more mystery, almost horror, as told through the eyes of a snarky little opinicus and his dire gryphon ex-boyfriend, it's a great read this time of year. I love and appreciate all the fan mail, fan fiction, fan letters, and people reaching out about this series. I'm a little slow replying, as I started writing the series right after getting diagnosed with a catastrophic autoimmune system. The treatments are pretty intense, and it's easiest for me to spend my time and energy writing. I used to have a few pen names across several genres, but for the most part, all of my energy goes into finishing up GryphIns. I'm married to dragon author Glenn Birmingham, so if you've seen us posting pictures of our cats and thought it's strange they share a name, they're the same cats. And that's about it. Just a queer author writing gryphony books when I'm not walking my cat. A few common answers to questions: Q: There are sometimes typos in social media, why is that? A: Catastrophic APS means I've had a stroke (and associated memory loss), so when a copy editor isn't coming up behind me, there'll be doubled words and typos from time-to-time. I used to worry about them, since they don't look good if you're an author! But I'd rather reply to fan letters and kind posts. I think if you've read my author notes at the back of my books, you know to expect a few doubled words here and there. Q: When you say a queer author, what do you mean? A: Since people ask about own voices and I have a lot of lgbtqia+ characters in my books, I'm pan, demi, trans, and genderfluid. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of queer friends and first readers who make sure I don't mess up any characters. Q: When's the next GryphIns novel coming out? A: Some years, I spend a lot of my time fighting health insurance battles, and it slows me down. Pridelord (#8) is currently in line edits. It's twice as long as Eyrie and three times as long as Coldbright, so it's a pretty big book! It shouldn't be too much longer. You'll know it's just about time because you'll hear James Scott Spaid talk about narrating the audiobook. Q: How many books will there be in GryphIns? A: I'm famous for underestimating how many books it takes to finish a series. My other pen names all wrote short stories and standalone novels, so my proposal for GryphIns originally had five books. Jeff Brown is wrapping up the cover for Saberbeak (#9) and Nighthaunt (#10). If I end up needing one more book to finish, though, don't be too surprised.

[wizardingworldlibrary]

Smut (2) Masterlist

part one

A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love (ao3) - R33sesPieces sirius/remus/james E, 22k

Summary: When Sirius Black bumps into his favourite Omega camboy at a work event, it doesn’t go even remotely as he expects. He smells wrong, for one thing. For another, he has a partner Sirius didn’t anticipate. But when Sirius snags an invite home with him anyway, what else is a lonely Alpha to do?

A Game Changer (ao3) - iamconstantlyfangirling draco/harry E, 20k

Summary: Gryffindor won the Quidditch game against Slytherin when Harry caught the snitch. Draco thinks Harry caught it unfairly and that Harry is a cheater so he decides to go “discuss” with Harry in the changing room. Let´s just say there was not a lot of talking going on.

A Lesson in Obedience (ao3) - A_LoveUnlaced, KoraKwidditch pansy/percy E, 10k

Summary: “It’s agonising, isn’t it?” Percy muttered into her ear, his thumb skimming the inside of her thigh. “That you hate me, but I can make your knees go weak with a flick of my thumb.”

All Our Secrets Laid Bare (ao3) - firethesound draco/harry, hermione/ron, harry/omc E, 149k

Summary: Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Beg Me (ao3) - Seal_Potter draco/harry E, 5k

Summary: Draco needs Harry’s help. Narcissa thinks her son needs better manners. Harry thinks Draco needs to beg.

Bring Him to His Knees (ao3) - Musyc hermione/draco E, 246k

Summary: Draco is on the case of a murderer, but to investigate, he needs a fake relationship - and a kink club play partner. When Hermione volunteers to take the role, both do their best to maintain the lie without letting each other know the truth: neither of them are acting.

Devilish Romance (ao3) - Madriddler draco/harry, draco/harry/blaise, sirius/remus E, 81k

Summary: Harry Potter, a warlock on the crux of his sixteenth birthday, is both excited and scared to become a full member of his coven. With more feminine interests than his peers, Harry is scared of being mocked and ridiculed, both for his interest, and being The Coward’s Son. Raised by his Uncles Sirius and Remus, Harry finds an unlikely friendship in fellow warlock Draco Malfoy, who has huge aspirations for both him and Harry: summoning a demon, and binding him to their service. They just wasn’t expecting on summoning the Son of the Devil

Dirty Little Secret (ao3) - Writcraft draco/harry E, 22k

Summary: When someone threatens Harry’s life, Kingsley decides to send him to a safe house with only Draco Malfoy for company. As the two men are forced together, memories of the past resurface and secrets are discovered.

eHarmony (ao3) - Frumpologist hermione/harry M, 14k

Summary: The five times Harry and Hermione hung out and the one time they went on a date.

Exceeds Expectations (ao3) - RosevalleyNB katie/marcus E, 2k

Summary: Katie’s been a very naughty girl and Captain Flint has the perfect punishment in store for her.

Love In A Time Of The Zombie Apocalypse (ao3) - rizzlewrites hermione/draco, harry/ginny E, 356k

Summary: After Voldemort, there was this. The clock is ticking to create a cure to the unimaginable horror that currently grips the world. Hermione finds herself unwillingly allied with the most hated man in Wizarding Britain. (Alternate ending: ‘La Vie En Rose’, Audiobook by ETL.Echo.Audiobooks).

Measure Of A Man (ao3) - inadaze22 hermione/draco E, 588k

Summary: To truly know someone is to differentiate between who they once were, who they are now, and who they’re capable of being. Hermione realises the duality of one man as she rectifies what she knows of the past and begins to understand the pieces of who Draco Malfoy is now: a father, a son, and a man.

Meet Your Match (ao3) - morriganmercy hermione/draco E, 121k

Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy seeks refuge from infamy in the Muggle world. A friendly Muggle couple takes him under their wing, but there’s a problem: they are intent on setting him up with their best friend, Hermione Granger.

Or, in which the Muggle friends Hermione Granger undoubtedly would have had will not take no for an answer.

Never Say Never (ao3) - ProfessorQuill harry/pansy E, 7k

Summary: As Harry returns to Hogwarts for his seventh year, he notices the castle and everyone in it have changed a lot since the end of the war, and so has he. But the one person he thought would never change suddenly doesn’t like what she sees when she looks in the mirror. Can he help her put the shattered remains of her life back together? Should he?

Right Hand Red (ao3) - lq_traintracks (lumosed_quill) draco/harry E, 73k

Summary: Harry felt Malfoy’s breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory.

Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy.

Malfoy felt inevitable.

Secrets and Masks (ao3) - Emerald_Slytherin hermione/draco, harry/ginny E, 454k

Summary: 9 years after the battle of Hogwarts, the war still rages on and everyone is much changed since their days at Hogwarts. Hermione is the most lethal soldier in The Order, spending her days on rescue missions to free captured Muggleborn slaves and fight on the front line. For years, she’s been meeting in secret with a spy within Voldemort’s ranks to exchange information. But when she’s captured and made prisoner at Malfoy Manor, of all the dark and evil ways she’d envisioned Malfoy would torture her, she never quite imagined anything this horrific.

Teaching Miss Granger (ao3) - OracleObscured hermione/snape E, 473k

Summary: Hermione is caught out after curfew. Her punishment turns her world upside down.

Temptation on the Warfront (ao3) - alizarincrims0n draco/harry E, 180k

Summary: Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes.

Things You Shouldn’t Do at Christmas (ao3) - akissinacrisis harry/ginny E, 10k

Summary: Ginny reckons everyone sleeps with their ex once. Or twice. Don’t they?

It’s a few years after the end of the war and Harry and Ginny have just broken up. How are they going to survive Christmas at The Burrow together?

Harry/Ginny, smut, romance, oneshot (in 2 parts). Canon-compliant, Epilogue-compliant.

Trackless Through the Shadows (ao3) - In_Dreams hermione/theodore E, 34k

Summary: “Sometimes, when the mind is on the verge of its breaking point, it reaches out. It’s volatile and desperate, and an absolute last resort. But the connection, if formed in time, is just enough to survive.” Theo/Hermione.

[shejustcalledmeafish]

Behold an extensive but not complete because he does it so much compilation of John Hart’s fourth wall breaks in The Sins of Captain John (made for @4thwallbreakersshowdown but also serves as general propaganda to give the boxset a listen for Torchwood fans)

Transcript below the cut, but first an important content warning that Scene Six (timestamps marked in the transcript) has background sex noises, so just be aware where you’re listening. There aren’t any major spoilers for the boxset, though.

Have fun and Vote John Hart for Ultimate Fourth Wall Breaker!

Scene One: The Restored (0:01-0:09)

John: Or maybe, if I’d known this was an audiobook, I’d’ve bought the complete Buffy on DVD! (Heavy sigh) Well, before you go asking for a refund, let’s set the scene.

(Five seconds of John’s theme song plays)

Scene Two: The Restored (0:14-0:28)

(Background space station falling apart noises)

John: I reckon I’ve got about four hours before I’m sent tumbling into the icy black void of space which is just long enough for me to tell you [sigh] how I got here. So, strap in, get comfy, and let’s give the fourth wall a bloody good seeing to.

(John’s theme) 

Scene Three: The Restored (0:33-0:46)

Sir Thomas, dying: I pray that I shall find the gates of paradise open, and that a choir of angels—

John: Yeah, yeah, yeah, very moving. But this scene has been going on for ages and we’ve a zombie apocalypse to avert, so maybe, we should get going.

(John’s theme) 

Scene Four: The Restored (0:51-1:11)

(Faint screams in background)

John: (giddy) Plus, if this was a film or a tv show, it would look so, so cool. Cue exciting music!

(Exciting music plays, accompanied by horse snorting and galloping. The music continues to climax)

John: Heeyaw! (Whip crack) Heeyaw!! (Whip crack)

Mohisha: Heeyaw! (Whip crack)

(Horses galloping intensifies)

John, yelling: This is probably the single most visually impressive thing I’ve ever done!

(John’s theme)

Scene Five: Peach Blossom Heights (1:16-1:43)

(Background space station falling apart noises)

John: (grimly) This is it, John. Beginning of the end. (Much less grim) Or, for you listeners at home, the halfway mark. (High-pitched voice) ‘Yay, Captain Jack is in it,” I hear you squeal. Except for you, over there, tweeting angrily around your cats(?) that (nerdy voice) “actually, I think you’ll find his name isn’t Captain Jack Harkness yet” yeah, I see you. While we’re at it, strictly speaking, mine isn’t Captain John Hart either. (dramatic mock gasp) I know! But listen, isn’t continuity boring?

(John’s theme) 

Scene Six: Peach Blossom Heights (1:48-2:28)

(Genial, generic, elevator-like music plays)

John: Basically, while many listeners were totally on board for all the gratuitous sex following my previous outing The Death of Captain Jack, we received some complaints (background sex noises begin) ranging from (gruff voice) ‘utter filth!’ to, uh, (higher-pitched voice) “you people should be locked up!” So, you’ll just have to picture the scene without any of the more explicit sound effects or dialogue. (sharp inhale, voice now giddy) I mean, in reality, this went on for hours, but, who wants to hear that?

(Notable pause)

John: (faux shock) You do? Shame. Take it up with the people who wrote all those strongly-worded emails. You have them to thank. Anyway, maybe they’ll release it as a bonus disk or something. Moving on.

(John’s theme) 

Scene Seven: Darker Purposes (2:33-3:01)

John: Suppose it was nice while it lasted. I hope you’ve all enjoyed yourselves. So, why don’t you get comfy, and we’ll see how this absolute clusterfuck comes to a conclusion. …where’s the theme tune? We’re meant to have a theme tune.

Scott Handcock, irl director of the boxset: (slightly muffled as if over an intercom) Uh, is it not playing?

John: No! Scott, it’s not playing, I can’t hear anything.

Scott: (inaudible), how ‘bout now?

John: Nope. (starts whistling)

Scott: How about… now!

(Torchwood theme starts playing)

[joncronshawauthor]

Listen to Punks Versus Zombies - A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Audiobook (Episodes 1-16) for FREE!

This special compilation brings together the first 16 episodes in one gripping narrative. 🔥 About This Zombie Apocalypse Audiobook:In ‘Punks Versus Zombies’, experience a riveting adventure from Berkeley, California, to Philadelphia. Follow the story of Tommy, and his band racing against time to reunite with his girlfriend and son amidst a terrifying zombie outbreak. 💀 Beyond the Undead:Their…

[noneedtoamputate]

Miscellaneous Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @ronald-speirs.

Favorite place in the world you’ve visited?: Australia

Something you’re proud of yourself for?: For making it through a difficult time in my life with a greater understanding how hard life it and a greater compassion for people

Favorite books?: Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver

Something that makes your heart happy when thinking about it?: My child's hugs and a night in my 20s when I was in the car with my friend and "Dancing in the Dark" came on when we were at stoplight and we started singing at the top of our lungs with carefree abandon. A car with people in their 50s next to us laughed and cheered us on. Now that I am closer to their age than the age I was when I was in the car, I understand the joy they felt at watching us.

Favorite thing about your culture?: Americans are weird that we consider ourselves from somewhere else. My great-grandparents were from Eastern Europe, and my favorite thing about that is the food. My favorite thing about being American is diversity we have here, and Independence Day. I know it's not poltically correct to say one loves Independence Day, but I do. Parades, baseball, day drinking, cookouts, fireworks - Americana all in one day.

When did you join the HBO War fandom? What was the first show you watched?: I joined the fandom rather recently in the summer of 2023, but I watched BoB when it first aired. I just watched The Pacific over the summer.

Have you read any of Easy Company’s books? If so, which ones were your favorite?: I've read Band of Brothers and bits of pieces of others. My favorite is "Easy Company Solider" by Don Malarkey. I just borrowed "Helmet for My Pillow" on audiobook read by James Badge Dale.

Favorite HBO War character and your favorite moment with them?: I can't pick one favorite, but one of my favorite moments is when Tipper goes along when Luz pretends to be Major Horton. He wants to laugh so much.

Do you make content for any fandoms, if so; what sort of content?: I am in the middle of a series called "Every Beautiful Thing" featuring Chuck and an OFC in postwar San Francisco.

Favorite actor/actress and your favorite film of theirs?: I love Tom Hanks ("A League of Their Own"), Jimmy Stewart ("It's a Wonderful Life"), Ingrid Bergman ("Casablanca") and Jodie Foster ("Silence of the Lambs")

Favorite quote/s that you wish to share with others?: "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." -Gloria Steinem

Random fact your mutuals/followers don’t know about you?: You want me on your trivia team.

If you’re a writer, do you need a beta reader (say yes so I can be your beta reader 🤭)?: I've never had a beta and would be happy to let anyone read my WIP.

Three things that make you smile?: Finding money in a coat pocket the first time I wear it in the fall, little kids trying to play baseball or softball, a really cold beer on a hot day

Any nicknames you like?: My dad used to call me Pumpkin when I was little.

List some people you love to see around on tumblr!: There are so many, but some people off the top of my head are @xxluckystrike, @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing, @dcyllom, @latibvles, and @jump-wings.

What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?: Find the best people and do what I can to earn my keep in their group

Favorite movie?: Too hard to pick one but two of my favorites not listed above are "The Sound of Music" and "Hoosiers." I recently watched "1917" and the way the it was filmed like one continuous shot was really innovative.

Do you like horror movies?: I don't like slasher films, but I like psychological horror films. My husband made me watch "The Shining" about ten years ago, and it scared the crap out of me,

[libraryofbaxobab]

July 19, 2024:

Technically this is a prequel to The Girl With All The Gifts, but it is also a sequel and also contemporary with its events. Unfortunately, I think it undermines what the first one was saying just by having the perspective shift to a full human character. Like I thought the whole point of the first one is that the hybrid children are the future and that fearing them is standing in the way of humanity's survival. Things can't go back to the way they were and so we must be fundamentally changed.

I mean in a vacuum it was an okay book, I rather liked the perspective character and it would have been a fine zombie apocalypse, but as a follow-up nah. There's no surprises because what they're trying to figure out we already understand from the first one, and it doesn't add anything but risks taking away from its own message.

5/10 #WhatsKenyaReading

[looseferrets]

A Raccoon's Fragmented Audiobook Reviews 2023-ish: Part 2

[Art of my raccoon self Geo Holms realizing that Tumblr posts had a picture limit of 30. Art by @reoisready]

Oops, found out when adding covers to this that there's only 30 pictures per entry, so here be the second part of my fragmented audiobook reviews. May you find the rest insightful, vaguely amusing, or confusing. Raccoon sounds of approval and all that.

Hollow Kingdom by by Kira Jane Buxton

Premise: A pet crow attempts to find his way in a zombie post apocalypse.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: The premise is interesting, this book frustrated the hell out of me to the point I gave up on it, picked it up months later, then almost gave up on it again. Plays with the frustrating trope of zombie stories where "anyone can die" in narratively unsatisfying ways. Plus the narrative feels as if its spinning its wheels for much of the book. Bah. I really wish I liked this book more. At least the crow is non-metaphorical.

Recommended for: Zombie fans, corvids.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Premise: A nesting doll narrative of six different characters in six different eras/genres.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Greatly enjoyed the movie and wanted to check out the source material. The audiobook has six different narrators (one for each character in book) which really helps sell the nesting-doll nature. In the end, I like the movie more, which in some ways lands the themes of the book better than the book does, though this still good book to visit.

Recommended for: Souls on a journey.

Open Throat by Henry Hoke

Premise: A queer (???) mountain lion waxes about Los Angeles culture.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Literary pretentiousness to the point of being insufferable with occasional moments of brilliance. The main character being called "queer" is a bit of a stretch. He's a male cougar who once daydreamed about getting it on with another male cougar. That's the extent of it. There's also a very weird extended daydream of the cougar visiting Disneyland.

Recommended for: Queer-ish cats.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Premise: A spaceship of quirky characters travel a long way to a small, angry planet. Relationship fluff along the way.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This is pretty light and frothy sort of sci-fi, focused more on the interpersonal interactions of a crew on a long journey, interrupted by occasional sci-fi conflict along the way. I admit I enjoyed this greatly because I turned to this when frustrated with the crow-surviving-zombies book.

Recommended for: those who wanted Firefly to be more soft and fluffy.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Premise: A woman visits a v cursed mansion to save her cousin from a v cursed marriage.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Pure absurd gothic horror grounded by a sensible main character who does her darnest to escape those gothic horror trope clutches. And I was totally here for it. Great book.

Recommended for: Those looking for the slow burn gothic horror vibes

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Premise: An orc retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Pure fantasy fluff and love it. Yeah, there be some conflict along the way, but this mostly about an orc opening a small business, and opening herself up to new friends to assist her along the way (and maybe looooooove?) Also: Thimble is <33333333

Recommended for: Coffee connoisseurs.

Temeraire (1-6) by Naomi Novik

His Majesty's Dragon

Throne of Jade

Black Powder War

Empire of Ivory

Victory of Eagles

Tongues of Serpents

Premise: Napoleonic war with dragons.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Read the first three or four books of this many years back, wanted to revisit. The series has dragged at times, but overall has been a treat. Mostly for the dragons. The dragons are the best. I'm a sucker for dragons who talk and have actual personalities, and this series has those in spades. (Beware of Tongues of Serpents though, damn that book dragged. Needed to take a break for a few months after that one.)

Recommended for: Cows, just come closer, yep, that's right...

Freelance Familiars (1-3) by Daniel Potter

Off Leash

Marking Territory

High Steaks

Premise: A man is turned into a cougar and enters the magical realms as a familiar freelancer.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This is very Dresden Files, for the better AND the worse. Thomas is an engaging and fun main character to see this world through. I read the books a while back, and was fun to go back through via audiobook. Will def read through the back half of the series soon to see where it all goes.

Recommended for: Those waking up on four paws.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Premise: After their parents' unexpected death, a brother and sister attempt to sell their parents' (haunted) house.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Nitpicking raccoon here: this isn't so much a "haunted house" story as it is a "haunted puppet" story. I guess the puppet mostly haunts the house, but not exclusively. Just wanted to get that out there in case you were looking for a haunted house tale. The book as it is pretty entertaining (the brother's backstory with the puppet legit the best part of the book), with some mixed execution at times.

Recommended for: Taxidermists(?)

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell

Premise: A girl finds a talking rat.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Really hits those Roald Dahl vibes well, including a pretty fun karmic justice ending for the villains.

Recommended for: Those looking for YA Roald Dahl vibes

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Premise: An orc is waylaid by an injury, helps out a foul-mouthed ratkin bookshop owner in meantime.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This being a prequel to Legends & Lattes, manages to hit the same fluffy vibes of that one, focusing on the main character from that one at a much different place in her life, giving some perspective on her character journey. Also the foul-mouthed ratkin is <3333333

Recommended for: Those looking for swearing rodents

Welcome to NightVale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (unfinished)

Premise: Uh...weird stuff happens at Nightvale.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: I didn't finish this one. I was used to the NightVale podcast, but listening to a NightVale novel was a dash...overwhelming. May try it again later. Wouldn't say the novel was bad, just more than I was willing to handle at the time.

Recommended for: Those looking for longer episode of Welcome to NightVale.

Odder by Katherine Applegate

Premise: Collection of poems following an otter named Odder.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Since I listened to this, I didn't know until AFTER that it was actually a collection of poems. I just thought all the chapters were weirdly short. Still, was pretty neat way to tell the story of a sea otter's life.

Recommended for: Otters!

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Premise: A man inherits his uncle's villain enterprise.

Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This book reads as 95% setup with 5% percent payoff (if even that). There is legit a LOT of clever ideas presented in this book, and it keeps pretty darn entertaining, but it really never commits to his core conceit, much to the book's overall detriment. I kept looking forward to what the main character did with his newfound villain resources/reputation, and I still be waiting.

Recommended for: Would-be villains

Top Five Audiobooks of 2023

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Legends and Lattes by by Travis Baldree

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

In case you ran across part two first, here is link to Part 1.

[uhohbestie]

hey besties i have fanfic-themed but not directly plot-related questions! well, mostly

question 1) do yall have any favorite zombie media? was there anything in particular that yall are drawing on for your fic?

personally i've been scared of zombie movies all my life lol but because of tamn i've finally been trying to finish the world war z audiobook? (the last time i tried getting thru it was pre covid which has been. a weird experience) it's fully voice acted and i like it so far! super different from the 2013 movie with brad pitt

question 2) :3 do you guys think you'd be up to talk about the no-apocalypse au where scarian get to have a normal breakup someday? :3 it doesn't have to be now or anytime soon but i'd be into hearing about it!

anyways hope yall are having a good day lock and key ^_^

These are some really REALLY good questions!!!

for starters! for me (Lock) I actually didn't start watching zombie media until Key introduced me to it! We watched the Korean series All Of Us Are Dead together, and then followed it with Last Of Us (the tv adaptation) and the first seasons of The Walking Dead, so I've have a very curated window into zombie media (actually! We watched Walking Dead as research for TAMN, because Key wanted to make sure I understood what hordes of zombies in cities look like!)

As for Key's zombie exposure (lol): I (Key) WAS BIG INTO ZOMBIES GROWING UP!! Constant zombie media consumption--probably one of my earliest hyperfixations ngl I feel like what we're drawing on while we write TAMN is an amalgamation of all our favourite bits from the things we've seen together, as well as some of my favourite formative zombie medias while growing up.

The Walking Dead Season 1 remains like, one of my all-time favourite seasons of any television show ever, so that's definitely a big influence. (Some of the later seasons get a lot less of my love LOL) The Korean movie Train to Busan is also a popular one you may have heard of--I'd definitely recommend giving that a go if you're okay with zombie media that veer on the side of tragic. When The Last of Us (Part One) came out, it quickly became my favourite zombie-oriented video game, though a lot of its predecessors (Resident Evil series esp.) really gripped me (even though it took me ages to play-through cuz they would scare the shit out of me LMAO) Its TV show is also an excellent adaptation, so if you're not into playing it or watching a Let's Play, the show is a good bet! The UK series In the Flesh was also an interesting look into After™ the apocalypse, and though it was cancelled after it's second season, it's also worth a watch for a fresh perspective on zombie media. 28 Days Later was an excellent movie and ofc Dawn of the Dead is a classic. And then the usual comedies like Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, etc.

I saw World War Z as a movie but never read the book! I should def give it a try--idk why I never did! God, honestly I could ramble about zombie media forever if given the chance 😂 None of this even begins to cover the sheer amount of zombie comics I read. I was very much a "webcomic" era kid, so a lot of my favourite old original zombie comics are either offline now or I simply don't remember what they were called anymore, so I have no way to track them down :( I did recently enjoy the webtoon Boyfriend of the Dead as a light-hearted, humourous read, but there were a lot of gripping, nuanced, plot-heavy original comics like a decade ago that I loved and I wish I could link. ANYWAYS. I'LL STOP MYSELF HERE AND LET LOCK ANSWER QUESTION NUMBER 2 LMAO

HI IT'S LOCK. I'M BACK. Now, as for a non-apocalypse Scarian scenario, we've actually thought about this a LOT! One of our favourite things to do is make an AU, and then multiple "what if one key things was different" spinoffs of the same AU.

We're gonna put this under a read-more, in case you'd like to keep the "what if" a mystery forever, but to sum up:

In an alternate reality where Scar and Grian break up and then the zombie apocalypse doesn't happen........ they stay broken up! Scar gets what he longs for in the fic: time away from Grian to hurt and grieve and heal with the support of his close friends who care about him.

It takes him a while until he feels ready to date again, but Scar does eventually start a new relationship with someone he knows really well, and has loved and trusted for a long time. They get engaged and start planning their wedding..............

............. and then Grian comes back and says he's sorry, that he misses Scar, that he was wrong, and that he doesn't want to be without him. And Scar................... takes him back.

It's-- listen, it's not the best possible outcome! But we're basing heavily on the Life Series Scarian dynamic, which is itself incredibly nuanced and complicated and tragic and a little bit "you're both bad for each other." It's part soulmates, and it's part codependence, and it's partly killing the person you love with your bare hands alone in the desert, and how that guilt ends up haunting you into every other subsequent timeline. Grian's not the best person for Scar as he is, and Scar's not the best person for Grian, but they want to be with each other, and unfortunately that desire often overrides common sense.

As for what happens after that.... we don't know yet! It was a thought experiment we worked through and ultimately realised "oh, it's WAY better for them that the zombies DID happen in the long run, 'cause without them this would be awful." (Not that the zombies are great, but woof......... Scarian, c'mon.) In this version of events, they lose a lot of friends when Scar takes Grian back, and the isolation suits Scar poorly. It takes them a much longer time to work through how to be good for one another. If the zombie apocalypse was good for anything, it was forcing a reckoning of what they wanted and how to get it--the only other option was death. Without that hanging over their heads, it takes Scarian years to reach any sort of resolution, which (no spoilers but) takes TAMN!Scarian a much shorter amount of time to get to.

Hope that answers your question! The 'what ifs' are our favourite, so we love to ramble about them hahaha <3