Autumn: Purification

by David Moody

Book Overview

A bastard hybrid of War of the Worlds and Night of the Living Dead, the Autumn series chronicles the struggle survivors are forced to contend with in a world torn apart by a deadly disease. 99% of the population of the planet has been killed in less than 24 hours. Animated by "phase two" of some unknown contagion, the dead begin to rise. At first slow, blind, dumb and lumbering, the bodies soon regain their most basic senses and abilities--sight,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312569998
• ISBN13: 9780312569990
• Release Date: August 2011
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Another great book

So with most zombie series I've already lost interest. This series on the other hand is addicting! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. The characters are so "real" and relatable. I can't seem to get enough. I'm actually debating on paying full price for a book for the first time in many many years because I can't find it on a cheap book site.

A very classy end to a very fine trilogy

Autumn, Purification, basically marks the end of a trilogy of zombie-focused books. The story evolves around the same group of survivors that was featured in the previous, `Autumn, the City' book. The action starts exactly where it stopped there. The survivors are sheltered in an underground, army-occupied bunker. They take the decision to venture out of it after the shelter gets overwhelmed by a mass of zombies and all hope to stay safely in is lost. What follows is their quest for survival in a devastated, highly perilous world. Without lifting the curtain off of the story plot, please remember that David Moody is a talented English writer who has decided to take his time to tell a very realistic tale of survival without any kind of biased opinion. Zombies are never called zombies, they are depicted as beings that used to be normal and that now suffer from their decaying condition. They don't hurt for pleasure, or without reason. The military is shown as a group of very different characters. They are not described as a stereotypical, 2-bit group of dumb-minded, orders-obeying robots. Some of the survivors are selfish and meet their end without judgment, while it becomes clear that their attitude is actually dictated by their incapability to feed their hope any longer. Some others are brave and courageous, but also subject to doubt. Boredom is shown as an implacable enemy. The fragility of hope in people's heart is demonstrated over and over. Only a handful of people get to see some kind of light in the gloom of their everyday life. Moody seems to be willing to get away from any kind of judgment on the zombies' conditions, hence it becomes difficult to really feel disdain towards them. Rather, their evolving attitude becomes logical and, from them, less of a threat, more `acceptable'. Overall, action is continuous and logical. The whole book is a real pleasure to read. It concludes with class and smoothness a fine trilogy of books that really deserves any reader's attention.

An entertaining read

Overall I recommend this series of books for those who like zombie stories. I've read all four and have enjoyed each one. However, I do have a few issues. 1. David Moody should do a little more research on modern military technology. The military does possess protective suits like those used by the soldiers in his books. However, they protect only against a chemical attack. They do not filter out airborne biological agents. Bacteria is just too small. Viruses are even smaller. You would probably have to carry your own air supply. While it might be possible that the government anticipated this event and created suits customized for this particular bioligical agent, I just had a hard time buying it. It seems like the survivors are mostly idiots. I can think of a number of ways to fight the zombies that were never even tried in the book. 1. Your in an airfield or some other enclosure and there are so many zombies around that it is difficult to get in an out without letting loads of them in. What do you do? a. Create a "zombie lock." Think of an air lock on a space ship. You have an smaller enclosed area around the entrance to your large enclosed area. You can use fencing or just create a circle of cars. When you need to let someone in or out, have a crew of guys with baseball bats at the ready. You open the get and let your people out/in. When that happens many of the zombies are going to get in as well. Your bat boys jump in and start smashing skulls while you close the gate. Any zombies that get in are contained in the zombie lock. Then your bat boys kill them all. If there are really lots of them, get .22 rifles and pistols and start shooting them in the head to bring their numbers down. b. When the number of zombies surrounding your safe haven get too numerous, send out people in tough vehicles to simply do laps around the perimeter while mowing them down. Sure this will make a lot of noise, but I bet you could kill them faster then they could show up. c. Create a diversion. The zombies are attracted to noise and activity, so have a brave crew of people set up a noise maker at a location farther away but still within earshot. Put a CD player with fresh batteries on a roof top of a nearby building. Have the player loop so it will go on constantly. This will draw the zombies away from you and toward the distraction. Then you can get in your vehicle and start mowing them down. 2. You want a safe haven where you can have food and water as well as the conveniences of the pre-catastrophe world without having to worry about getting trapped by too many zombies. a. How about a boat? Go to the coast, or even a large lake or a large river and get in a house boat. Go a short distance from shore and drop your anchor. You can stock the boat with all the food and water and fuel you will need for a long time. On board you will have electricity, running water, flush toilets and safety. If you are close to shore you

The Walking Dead and the people who love them

Not the most technically sound writing in publication but very far from the worst. For zombie fans, there really is no such thing as a bad zombie story, but David Moody's work really is something special. Its not your run of the mill flesh eating frenzy type of story and that's refreshing. The Autumn novel's power resides not in their ability to disgust or in the description of violence, but in the psychological despair and utter hopelessness that would be felt by the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Very emotional, very disturbing, utterly wonderful.

Very good book. Different from most zombie stories.

I thought this was a very good read. I have just got into this series but cant put the books down. I had my doubts while reading the first book "autumn," because it is slow at first, but once it picks up you really want to know what comes next. The character development is great. You really want to see what happens to the characters you are introduced to. I could really sympathize with them, because of this I give Moody lots of credit as an author. If you like Apocalyptic stories or are a fan of the Zombie genre, the autumn series is for you. Although the pages arent covered with blood this series is sure to prove to be a cult classic.

Reality Check

UNLIKE most zombie novels, the Autumn series explores the horror of the situation with an incredible depth into the many character's psyche. To even refer to this series as being about "Zombies" shows a complete lack of literary understanding, and shallowness. I was fortunate enough to find David Moody's writing by accident while searching the internet for something to read. I had never read an on-line novel before, and that was the only form offered at the time. "Autumn" is an incredible read. The way David takes you into the mind and souls of the characters is masterful. The interaction between the helpless victims is completely real and true to life. Their thoughts could easily be your own. While David's writing does center around the "undead", that is never its main focus. From the military, to the loner, to the lover, you experience the passion and motivation that drives each person. There is also a simplistic, yet far reaching epiphany to be had for those that can see it. In short, each book in the "Autumn" series leaves you frantic for the next. You just have to know how it all plays out. And, you won't be disappointed. I have read all four books in the "Autumn" series, and also "Trust", a spectacular, real version of first contact. I hesitated to read "Straight To You" for the fact that it was a love story. I was so mistaken in putting it off. "Straight To You" has ended up being one of the most thought provoking novels I have read.