Mad Skills
Authors: Walter Greatshell
Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR
XOMBIES: APOCALYPTICON
“Zombie stories and novels are cool, but Xombies, to me, kick it up to a whole ’nother level …
Xombies: Apocalypticon
is more exciting, more action-packed, more gory, and more darkly humorous than its predecessor.”
—BSCreview
“Good characters and great action scenes … Fans of the original book should enjoy this one, and zombie fans looking for something different may enjoy it as well.”
—Monster Librarian
“Walter Greatshell’s
Xombies: Apocalypticon
actually succeeds in bringing something new and fascinating to this milieu … The Xombie tale is gory, wild, surreal, gross, and definitely action-packed. It has a macabre sense of humor and isn’t afraid to step on toes or go places that might offend some readers. Yet it adds onto that with some great world-building and a fascinating biological puzzle that will certainly keep you guessing. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then I definitely recommend this one!”
—Errant Dreams
PRAISE FOR
XOMBIES: [APOCALYPSE BLUES]
“A triumph, both epic in scope and entirely unpredictable, and anchored by one of the most refreshing and unique voices in modern horror fiction. Expect great things from Mr. Greatshell in the future.”
—Nate Kenyon, author of
Sparrow Rock
Sparrow Rock
“Surprise after surprise … a heady brew of horror, science fiction, suspense, and adventure …
28 Days Later
meets
Lord of the Flies
… as sharp and bone-chilling as an arctic gale.”
—A. J. Matthews, author of
Unbroken
Unbroken
“An amazing novel … I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. Beyond the freshness of take on the subject matter and the compelling narrative, I was taken completely by the sheer quality of the writing. Often genre fiction is driven more by ideas and momentum than by good writing, but not in the case of
Xombies: [Apocalypse Blues]
. That was top-notch in every regard. A modern classic.”
—
Bob Fingerman, author of
Pariah
Bob Fingerman, author of
Pariah
“I really loved
Xombies: [Apocalypse Blues]
and want to know what’s up next.”
—Jonathan Maberry,
Bram Stoker Award-winning author of
Rot & Ruin
Bram Stoker Award-winning author of
Rot & Ruin
“By far the best horror novel I’ve read. Hell, I’d check out anything that [Greatshell’s] written at this point.”
—Jason Thompson, author of
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
“The writing is fast-paced and keeps you hooked. The book itself is a cross between
Night of the Living Dead
and an end-of-the-world-type premise like
Earth Abides
, one of my all-time favorites. I see the makings for a pretty decent horror movie—maybe Hollywood will listen?”
—Roundtable Reviews
“The pace is frantic almost from the first page. The ending is unexpected yet seems right. I’m looking forward to more from this author.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
(4 stars)
(4 stars)
“I loved [this] book.”
—David Wellington, author of
Overwinter
Overwinter
Ace Books by Walter Greatshell
XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES
XOMBIES: APOCALYPTICON
MAD SKILLS
XOMBIES: APOCALYPTICON
MAD SKILLS
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
MAD SKILLS
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / January 2011
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-44597-6
ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For Cindy and Max
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my editor, Danielle Stockley, and to the great team at Ace and Penguin, whose real-life mad skills make my life easier.
I saw a young Indian in the Nation, who when present, and beholding the scenes of mad intemperance and folly acted by the white men in the town, clap his hand to his breast, and with a smile, looking aloft as if struck with astonishment, and wrapt in love and adoration to the Deity, as who should say, O thou Great and Good Spirit, we are indeed sensible of thy benignity and favour to us red men, in denying us the understanding of white men. We did not know before they came amongst us that mankind could become so base, and fall so below the dignity of their nature. Defend us from their manners, laws and power.
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