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Flu (Snowbooks Zombie) Paperback – 1 April 2010

by Wayne Simmons (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 141 ratings
See all formats and editions
PROLOGUE Finaghy, Northern Ireland 17th June 2010 There was a woman screaming in his face. She was one of many, crowding around him. But he couldn't hear her. With the headgear he was wearing, Sergeant George Kelly couldn't hear what any of them were saying. They were all just muffled words. Muted. Censored. Like sounds you would hear under water. But he could see her talking, see her screaming. And he knew she was swearing. It was something about the way her lips were moving. Shaping the words as if they were heavy. Teeth showing. Almost growling rather than speaking. Or maybe laughing. Because, with every fuck-shaped word she mouthed, there was at least the hint of a smile. It didn't matter, of course. None of their words mattered to George when all he could hear was the rhythmic sound of his own breathing. A mechanical mish-mash of pumps and compression as sanitised air flowed, noisily, through rubber tubing into his facemask and lungs. Steady and dependable. Pure and uninfected. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking to the corner of his visor, he saw his constable, Norman Coulter, also in breathing apparatus, also fighting through the confused and excited crowd. Norman smiled, as if enjoying himself, rolling with the mob as if on some fairground ride. George knew it was just bravado, though. Maybe the big man was drinking on the job, again. Or maybe he had something even more taboo flooding through his system. George didn't care, though. Not now. He couldn't blame the poor bastard for taking the edge off, regardless of how he did it. In fact, he wished he'd had the wit to take a drink himself.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Snowbooks
  4. Publication date
    1 April 2010
  5. Dimensions
    11 x 1.9 x 17.7 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1906727198
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1906727192
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

"One of the best new horror writers of the decade. Wayne Simmons takes everything you fear and exploits it with no apologies." ~James Melzer, author of The Zombie Chronicles trilogy

From the Author

"One of the best new horror writers of the decade. Wayne Simmons takes everything you fear and exploits it with no apologies." James Melzer, author of The Zombie Chronicles

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Snowbooks (1 April 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1906727198
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906727192
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11 x 1.9 x 17.7 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 141 ratings

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Wayne Simmons

Wayne Simmons

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
141 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book amazing, enjoyable, and thrilling. Opinions are mixed on the writing style, character development, and believable story. Some find the characters well-developed, human, and entirely believable, while others say they're not particularly likeable.

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ReadabilityWriting styleCharacter developmentBelievable storyPacing
21 customers mention ‘Readability’17 positive4 negative

Customers find the book amazing, enjoyable, and thrilling. They appreciate the realistic characters and the way it's set in Northern Ireland. Readers also mention the story is ok, with plenty of action.

"...of friction and tension which is maintained throughout the book, keeping you hooked...." Read more

"A quick read but a good way to spend a few hours...." Read more

"...driven book not a gore fest, although there's certainly plenty of action within the book...." Read more

"...A very very good read, I promptly purchased fever as soon as I had finished the last page ... Enjoy" Read more

15 customers mention ‘Writing style’10 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book. Some mention it's well-written, easy to read, and creates beautiful descriptions. However, others say the book is poorly written, repetitive, and torturous.

"...An economical prose style that rounds out the characters nicely without oveburdening them with unnecessary backstories until its relevant...." Read more

"...political commentary that Simmons laces through his narrative is eye-catching, unusual and unexpected. A pleasant addition to the story...." Read more

"Well written glimpse into the downfall of society...." Read more

"...This book is tortuous like the unquieted scream of an infant - don't buy this, if you are a fellow zombiphile, buy the bible: World War Z." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Character development’7 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book. Some mention the characters are well-developed, human, and believable, while others say they're not particularly likeable and struggle to name any of them.

"...stories that concentrates on building likable (mostly, anyway) realistic characters, ones that develop and that you care about...." Read more

"...The characters are very shallow and stereotypical, and I must admit, only a few hours after finishing the book, I am struggling to name any of the..." Read more

"...An economical prose style that rounds out the characters nicely without oveburdening them with unnecessary backstories until its relevant...." Read more

"...Flu's characters are well-developed, human and entirely believable...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Believable story’3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the believable story. Some mention it's well-developed, human, and entirely believable, while others say the story is unoriginal and irritating.

"...like the fact that Simmons portrayed both in his novel, making it more realistic, more believable and far more interesting than the alternative...." Read more

"...A couple of elements of the plot are irritating..." Read more

"...Flu's characters are well-developed, human and entirely believable...." Read more

"...Some interesting characters were wasted as the story went in no particular direction, and as I find so often at the moment the ending read as if the..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's a lovely take on the zombie genre, while others say the ending is rushed.

"...a cracker of a zombie tale with great characters and a really good take on the zombie plague...." Read more

"...It was well written but it just seemed to end and I found the end really rushed as well...." Read more

"...This is a very human zombie story, centred more around the living and how they survive, than with the dead themselves...." Read more

"...but the characters are not particularly likeable and the ending is quite unsatisfactory. I doubt I'll read it again...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Mr. T. R. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Character driven zombie story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2010
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This one of those zombie stories that concentrates on building likable (mostly, anyway) realistic characters, ones that develop and that you care about. The zombies are ever-present but are used more as a threatening backdrop (for most of the story) rather than an overwhelming flood.

The diverse characters are thrown together and left to sort things out between themselves. This is a source of friction and tension which is maintained throughout the book, keeping you hooked. People are double-crossed, commit atrocious acts and die unexpectedly. It keeps you guessing right until the end.

Both sides of the Irish Troubles are represented by a couple of characters and this is handled very well; Wayne Simmons isn't one-sided in his portrayal of either side so there is no political bias.

The zombies are mostly Romeroesque with some subtle differences and evidence of 'evolution' in their behaviour.

It has quite an open ending that cries out for a sequel. I hope we have news soon whether this will be the case.

I thoroughly recommend this book, especially if you are a bit jaded with zombie attacks that only seem to happen in small towns in Pittsburgh.
18 people found this helpful
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wowsers
4.0 out of 5 stars Not to be sneezed at!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2011
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A quick read but a good way to spend a few hours. A slightly different take on the whole zombie mythos but underneath the USP's it soon forms into standard survival horror flitting between the different story threads which slowly weave into a bigger picture. What sets this book aside is the quality in which the story is delivered. An economical prose style that rounds out the characters nicely without oveburdening them with unnecessary backstories until its relevant. As usual you never get a group of like minded characters to allow friction between the protagonists but its all well delivered and moves at a pace that keeps the pages turning until you run out and find yourself looking for a sequel that this book surely deserves.
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Vickyloo
3.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 February 2013
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I hate zombie novels. They make me groan and roll my eyes, perhaps a little unfairly and perhaps a little judgementally. I do try, however, to read a novel from each genre that irritates me, every now and then, in order to confirm my fears and give me an argument to back up my inward crying. So did this novel do as I expected? You know, I’m really not too sure.

I was a little worried that ‘Wayne’, my colleague, would colour my view of his book (having never read anything by anyone I know in real life before – who knew that writers have actual physical bodies and lives of their own? A small part of me always hoped that they were merely hobbits, holed up somewhere and living purely through their characters. Alas, the romance of it all is finally dead). Ahem, I appear to have digressed. Perhaps Wayne’s lilting Irish accent would follow me through the pages, leaving me to lose ‘Simmons’ the writer and the tale he has to tell but my worry, it turns out, was entirely unfounded. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at just how quickly Wayne left my side, as Simmons sucked me into his story (biting my hand and dragging me along infectiously maybe - or is that one just a little too obvious?) This very fact alone is a testament to his writing, for I do not forget easily (oh my, I can’t decide if that makes me sound more like an elephant or gangster).

The story itself is a rather stereotypical zombie apocalypse novel (except, I’m sure, for those die-hard zombie connoisseurs who could detail each and every nuance of zombie literature but I am far from one of those and thus, it remains pretty much firmly in my one and only ‘zombie novel’ category – sorry zombie dudes). There is an epidemic, lots of people die but rise again to bite and infect others. There is lots of gore and blood and bits of brains – all the usual stuff to be expected (and perhaps a little too much to have any impact – ‘desensitised’ has become my word of the hour and I have fallen in love with subtlety all over again). The characters, too, are typical horror-novel types. Two dimensional, stereotypical, meaningless and sometimes hard to tell apart. Let’s be honest though, when you pick up a zombie apocalypse novel, this is pretty much what you’re looking for and it certainly isn’t something you can complain about. After all, it’s meant to be about the zombies, the gore and the at-times humorously ridiculous descriptions (“diseased lungs slapped against the wall like oily pancakes” could only possibly have been written to make the reader guffaw and then quote it to a bemused looking partner and an even more bemused looking dog).

There were other bits that irritated me too – gratuitous gore (the welding torch scene – ew!), repetitive phrases (‘good God’, ‘dear God’, ‘but it was too late’), getting confused between Geri and Karen. But the one thing that irritated me the most (and this is me being brutally honest here, despite my usual disposition) is that I actually really enjoyed reading this book. I read it in two sittings alone – the pleasantly short chapters inducing that ‘just one more…’ culture that usually results in my falling asleep with a book on my face, wedged open, of course, by my subconsciously stiffened and determined thumb. This did, indeed happen with this novel, as it kept me reading way past my bed time. I just couldn’t resist reading one more chapter, to see how this or that turned out or to follow the characters on the journey of survival.

The characters themselves, as I mentioned above, meant nothing to me and I doubt I will remember them. Their plight, however, and their drive to survive, enchanted me. I was (always am) curious about survival in bad times – epidemics, war, the apparently impending apocalypse and so on. Dystopian tales have always intrigued me and have always been a staple on my reading (and in fact viewing) list. Thus, Flu appealed to me in that sense. Simmons did this really well too – looking at different types of people, different sections of society, different mind sets and how each worked to survive in his or her own world. I was also fascinated by the question of whether people would band together (like Lark and the police) or pull apart (like the army dudes, or Paddy). I really like the fact that Simmons portrayed both in his novel, making it more realistic, more believable and far more interesting than the alternative. Simmons’ ability to create such a good tale in this respect, furthermore, allowed me to skim over the zombie parts and as far as I am concerned, enriched the story to no end.

Another thing that I was surprised at was the amount of politics that Simmons introduced. Although I would have liked this to go a little deeper (I would definitely have liked to learn more about Irish politics – I accept that I could simply read history books but it wouldn’t have quite the same charm or authenticity), it is definitely one aspect of the novel that enthralled me. I was pleased when the Pat or Jackson sections came along and it is these two characters (perhaps along with Gallagher) who are the ones that were the best-rounded and three dimensional – even if dislikeable. Perhaps because they had more of a history than the others or perhaps because their stories were steeped in something bigger than flippant drug use, lost loved ones and driving taxis. Either way, the political commentary that Simmons laces through his narrative is eye-catching, unusual and unexpected. A pleasant addition to the story.

Finally, the writing style itself was something to behold. Yes, it’s a little repetitive. Yes, it is peppered with humorously bad descriptions (intentional, I think?). But on the whole, Simmons’ has a lovely way words, creating beautiful descriptions and inventive simile. “[L]ike marbles in a tin”, “crystal bread crumbs”, “relative countryside calm of a post-apocalyptic hell” – rhythmic beacons shining through an otherwise gory and unpleasant land.

So did Flu change my mind about zombie novels? No, it certainly did not. But it did make me realise that sometimes, a good writer can enchant you, even in spite of the un-dead.
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Top reviews from other countries

Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story!
Reviewed in Canada on 26 August 2017
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I’ve been having quite a bit of luck lately with my zombie/post-apocalyptic books. I’ve had Flu for a while now, so I thought, let’s keep the good times rolling.

With Flu, Wayne Simmons has given his readers a good old fashioned zombie book; it has the spirit of Dawn of the Dead with all of the feelings of 28 Days Later. I found myself going through a bit of internal turmoil as I read. I like to think that I’ve read a considerable number of books in this genre, so when I pick up a new one I want the author to give me something new, different and unique. Wayne Simmons went back to the basics with Flu, people got sick, they died, they came back, you shot them in the head and they died again. But the story was so damn good, I couldn’t put it down.

Wayne Simmons has proven himself to be a master of characters. He has created a diverse cast – rich/poor, criminal/law enforcement, innocent/guilty; there is no good/evil character (wait, there is an evil character). He has painted a vivid image of nearly every aspect of human nature and revealed how each would need to adapt in order to survive the end of the world as we know it. I was pulled into the characters’ lives, I cheered them on, I cursed their actions and some of them… I just wanted them to catch the flu.

Flu is a fantastic addition to the zombie genre. It pays homage to the traditions, it is a dark story about survival, adaptation and sacrifice. It begs the question, what would you do to survive?
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P. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Chicken Soup won't help this kind of "FLU"...
Reviewed in the United States on 13 May 2010
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I said in my review for "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (Wayne Simmons' first novel), as well as many posts and comments (on social networking sites and message boards) over the past year+, that I would recommend it to horror and non-horror fans because it was just that good of a story.

Wayne Simmons has done it again with "FLU".

Simmons goes out, in Belfast again, and weaves a story with fully-formed characters that you will end up loving or hating or both. And like the first book, there were characters I hated, then loved, then hated again. I can't say that I outright hated anyone in this story and there were a few that I felt such a connection with that I cried at times. (don't get me wrong, I had some moments of laughter as well- whether or not Simmons intended humor). I was also caught by surprise more often than I would care to admit.

When I write a review, I try not to spoil the story for anyone, especially since the book is still so new. But, I will say that this one is a bit more gory. There are some fantastic descriptions. A few of the characters that I really, really loved didn't meet the end the way I had hoped. But that's how Wayne Simmons tells a story.

I don't know what else to say, really, other than I simply love Wayne's style of writing. He tells a story and he lets us care about the characters. I suppose the generic way to say it is that "FLU" is "character-driven". To me, it sounds like a weak definition. I love the way he writes the story, the way he describes people, places, emotions- just every single thing about the way he writes. He doesn't throw big, fancy words around to impress. He writes the way most people speak and in those instances where the "big fancy" has to be used, it makes sense. There's nothing false or forced. There have been stories I've read where the writer just didn't seem to "get inside" the character they were writing about, almost as if Jane Austen were trying to write the words for Vin Diesel. Wayne can capture the character in a soldier, an innocent, a rebel, a man, a woman, even a child.

I read this novel in two sittings (I stopped only because I HAD to) and in between my starting it, pausing, then finishing it, I would chuckle to myself when someone would sneeze or cough. "Is it the FLU or is it hay fever?" My kids got a little tired of the joke.

So, if you like zombie, horror, or just plain old good story-telling, I recommend you pick up "FLU" by Wayne Simmons. And if you haven't yet, pick up "Drop Dead Gorgeous", too.
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Aleksandra Royzen
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great zombie read!
Reviewed in the United States on 11 February 2013
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Yet another zombie book under my belt. Lately I've been a bit obsessed with this genre and recently started to think of moving on to something else, but decided to stick to it for a few more books. And I'm glad I did since Flu was next on the list.

This was a quick and light read (that is if you can use word "light" when describing a zombie novel). It is definitely one of the dark novels and contained no humor, like some zombie books do. It covers several stories of various flu survivors in Ireland who try to stay alive while more and more people around them get infected.

Actually the fact that Flu is based in Ireland is a huge plus for me. For some reason I prefer stories taking place somewhere other than US, since it gives me an insight to other countries and cultures. It proves that people would behave differently depending on their background and how they grew up. I really like reading about the bad blood between IRA and Irish police/military. I of course knew about it before, but would never think how deep it would go. Even with the world crumbling down around them there is still huge suspicion of police and military. I don't think that if this story took place in US that cops would be hated and mistrusted so much. Quite an interesting point of view in my opinion.
One of the reason I removed a star is due to the fact that Wayne Simmons is one of those authors who could very easily kill off a character as soon as you get used to them. I realize a lot of authors do it and it adds to the excitement, but I dislike that a lot. Again this is totally my personal preference. I just love to be emotionally invested in the character. However, if this is not an issue for you, than it shouldn't stop you from getting this book.

I have to add however, that even though every character is fair play, Simmons does a beautiful job of a very short character development. Meaning even though he is not using 10 pages to describe the person, from few short paragraphs you can sort of judge their character pretty well. This is definitely a talent that I really appreciate in this particular book, which covers several stories and drown out character development would have been an overkill.

One other small gripe I have with the book is the lack of background story on the virus itself. We know nothing about where it came from or even if it started in Ireland. I personally enjoy the tale behind the infection, first hours, the beginning of the end. This was missing in this story. I'm currently reading the second book in the series called Fever and that's where Simmons gives us the beginning. But while reading Flu I had no idea about that and so was a bit disappointed.

In conclusion this is all around good zombie read which I highly recommend.
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MissMia
5.0 out of 5 stars The Flu with a bite
Reviewed in the United States on 24 December 2014
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Great zombie plague book! I was reluctant at first, but the more I read the more I enjoyed it. The story line flowed very well and the characters meshed well together. I recommend this book to anyone who read the project Eden series by Brett Battles!
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Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars Irish Zombies?!?!
Reviewed in the United States on 11 March 2014
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I bought this on a lark after seeing the good reviews and I am glad I did. I did not realize it was in Ireland, and Northern Ireland no less. This adds a whole new set of problems besides zombies running around. The characters are great and not just stunt people running around going through all of the standard zombie scenes each book/movie must contain. For me, action content was spot on. I bought the audio version which was great. I enjoyed it being in Irish English which added to the theme.

I liked it so much I am buying the next one.
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