The Scattered and the Dead (Book 0.5) Paperback – January 30, 2016

This book was compelling. A single human male writing a letter to his crush who he is afraid to meet. Sounds a bit artsy and romantic, except it is set against the end of the human race from a hemorrhagic virus with a hint of zombies. Dexter reminds me of Columbus in Zombieland. I even read much of the story in Jesse Eisenberg's voice. (I laughed when Dexter mentions cardio.) However, this is not just a rip off of a movie. The story delves deeply into the psyche of a young agoraphobe, watching as people outside his safe apartment die off.The story is gritty, dark, and should be hopeless yet somehow isn't. It is well written and has no presentation issues that I could find, which makes it a great read. No typos, misspellings, or grammatical faux pas to distract me from really getting into the world the writer is creating in my mind. I gave it 5 stars and I really do NOT like this kind of story at all. It didn't matter that I don't like zombies, or dystopian subjects the book was so good that I would read it again and will probably pick up book 1 just to see where it goes. Big kudos to Tim and Lex for a well written tale that makes my skin crawl in all the best ways.

This story is written as a journal-like series of entries in a letter written by a recluse to the cute girl in the apartment across the hall. While that may seem like a gimmick, it actually serves as a nice platform for storytelling. As the end of the world unfolds, we see it from our main character's perspective, without the omniscient narrator that is in 3rd person storytelling. We know as little or as much as what's going on outside as the main character does and this creates a really nice, steady tension. It also serves to keep the pacing steady and my interest did not flag for a second. I read it through in a single sitting.I fully enjoyed this one and will be exploring the rest of the body of work by these two authors. The only things that kept me from giving it an enthusiastic 5 stars was a few proofreading errors (e.g. the front "site" vs "sight" of a rifle) and a bit of incredulity about how our housebound, self admitted recluse suddenly was able to, for example, use a weapon and move like a trained soldier. It required a tiny bit more of suspension of disbelief (of which I have a lot for a well-written post-apocalyptic story) and could have been sewn up with a short paragraph early on about, for example, paintball, airsoft hobbies and video games in his youth.Please don't let the preceding paragraph make you think I didn't like the book. I really, really did and am looking forward to the next installment and reading other works by this writing team. If you like a protagonist who's not the caricature of a hero, enjoy reading Hugh Howey & a bit of William Gibson, and are interested in the idea of what happens when the world (and the people in it) goes to hell in a hand-basket, I imagine you'll find reading this book to be time well spent. BUY IT. READ IT. REVIEW IT.

The writing is good, and i liked the approach to an otherwise overly covered theme... virus, decimated population, lone survivor, blah blah blah. Enjoyable read, but a bit too many errors for my taste. Clearly the author doesn't know how many things work, didn't do enough research, or didn't think things all the way through. I liked the story... but overall I would call it a good first draft.

The Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5Written by: Tim McBain, L.T. VargusNarrated by: Tim McBainLength: 2 hrs and 27 minsUnabridged AudiobookRelease Date:02-04-16Publisher: Smarmy PressThe Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5 had been on my Kindle radar for a few days. I liked the description. The prices was right, less than a dollar, but I just had not made that commitment click yet. Earlier today I was offered a free copy of the Audible version in exchange for a fair review. I immediately committed to it. I thought I would start listening to it tonight and finish tomorrow since it is only two and a half hours long. That did not happen. I sat in my chair totally lost in the book. Other than pausing to tell my family to fend for themselves for dinner (all over eighteen so it is not abuse, it is character building), I got lost in a new universe.The Scattered and the Dead begins twenty-one days before. Before what is something the reader has to discover for themselves. In the dwindling days of “before”, Decker, the main character watches the world slip away. Very important to note, that he watches; other than one event he does not participate. Once the countdown of “before” ends and the count begins to go up for “after”, Decker finds he cannot wait this catastrophe out. When he does venture out and participate, the story was not predictable. I would be neglectful if I did not mention Decker’s reliance on Tang for vitamin C. I feel compelled to share that my plumber advises us to use Tang once a week to keep our sink from clogging. Drink at your own risk. When I finished, I sat for a few minutes wishing it continued. It really is a great story.The production values are excellent. There are no extraneous noises. No background music or sound effects. Just the clear strong voice of the narrator, who happens to be one of the authors. Tim McBain did a fantastic job narrating the book. Perhaps having helped create it helped. He did not seem to be reading it as much as telling it, as one survivor sharing their story with another. It makes for a very intimate narration.I truly enjoyed The Scattered and the Dead, Book 0.5. I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in the next month. The authors have created a post apocalyptic universe that feels different than many of the other I have read (and I have read many). I cannot quite put my finger on it yet to say definitively what is different but I look forward to the sequel to discover exactly what it is that makes this universe different.Story (Plot) 5Performance 5Production Quality 5Attention Holding 5​I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review. I purchased the Kindle version myself.

This is a curiously written book in a style I don't think I've run across much, except in some of my own, unpublished, writing. I certainly enjoyed the read and the weirdness vibe. I say go Gor it; give it a read. It's short and very unsweet.

Not sure what I was expecting (considering the title )but what I got was definitely more and better than I had expected. A rather thoughtful and empathetic first person journal of the end of "life as we know it , with all the thoughts and fears and musings that any of us might experience. The story progresses in unexpected ways (no way I'm giving spoilers!) You Need to Read this, and then check out "The Scattered and the Dead 1.5" cause that's where I'm heading, see you there. .!

This is a 4.5 star read.What happens to an agoraphobic with social anxiety and panic disorder during and post an Apocalypse? Read the written ramblings of Decker, an apartment bound 25 year old serious introvert as he views the fall of society from an apocalyptic event, all through the window of his high rise building. The novelette is written in first person POV as a series of letters to his secret crush, a girl in an apartment opposite, who he can't bring himself to contact.(and is most likely dead)The character of Decker SO spoke to me (hellooo social anxiety and agoraphobia! ) especially the wanting to connect but being unable to and the inherent loneliness. Decker's loneliness is made all the more real by wanting to connect but now having no one to connect with - everybody's dead! Well, nearly everybody.The tale divulges his preparation and coping with the actual apocalypse, (no real zombies here - except in Florida) the death of his mother, the disintegration of society while viewing from his apartment window and Decker's eventual courage in going out into what is left of the world in order to survive and to try to connect with another person. The story also shows Decker's evolution into the man he must become in order to survive. Man!! I mourned the old Decker. 😭A gritty, hard hitting look at a person's coping mechanisms during a life altering event, it's one of the few zombie-less apocalyptic stories I've read and so seemed a lot fresher. I HIGHLY recommend this book to lovers of dystopian apocalyptics (is there any other?) but p.s. to self - DO NOT read 3x dystopian/apocalypse books at the same time - SO depressing!

I love this novella!I was not sure what to expect from a post apocalyptic story, would it be atypical or would it surprise? Thankfully, the latter.The main character Decker is an instantly believable 25 year old with confidence issues. His evolving perspective on what is going on around him, written from a journal format is a nice touch. The psychological aspect is a nice twist as the evolving problems incurred from a breakdown in civilization sets the perfect backdrop for things to come in later novels. The timing is excellent, easy to get into and leaves you crying out for more. The 'just one more chapter' syndrome sets in quickly.I personally cannot wait for book one, I have now downloaded all of the LT Vargus and Tim McBain novels to get my next fix before the rest of the series is released :-)

First-person episodic tale told in diary form as a letter never sent. Atmospheric especially with the current pandemic surging.I enjoyed the book albeit with a slightly uneasy feeling between my shoulder blades.

Interesting little intro story. Has me wondering just what went wrong. Hope this character shows up in the next book.Well, guess I'll go find out right now.