JUNE FEATURE #1: Blackout by Mira Grant

[paulgoatallen]

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[paulgoatallen]

This one is a no-brainer. I LOVED the first two novels Feed and Deadline and since this is the concluding installment, I'm expecting it to be mind-blowing!

Publishers Weekly

Grant (aka Seanan McGuire) concludes her zombie apocalypse trilogy (Feed; Deadline) with another thoughtful high-energy tale of life and politics among the dead and not-so-dead. Foremost among the latter category is journalist Georgia Mason. After she was infected with the amplified version of the Kellis-Amberlee virus that causes zombiism, Georgia’s brother, Shaun, responsibly shot her in the head. Georgia, aka Subject 7c, has been resurrected as a clone by the Centers for Disease Control. As she tries to figure out why she’s alive again, Shaun and the rest of the news team, hiding from the corrupt CDC at a mad scientist’s lab in Oregon, are tasked with discovering how Shaun became immune to the virus and acquiring one of the new breed of mosquitoes that’s spreading it. Zombie attacks, family members in physical and emotional jeopardy, and vast government conspiracies all contribute to a heady tale that reaches a satisfying conclusion. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (June)

[pen21]

I'm so glad you picked this one. I want to hear what everyone thinks.

[BrandieC]

I'm really hoping for a full explanation of the clone twist.  Ever since the preview of Blackout at the end of Deadline, I've been wondering how a clone could have the original Georgia's memories.

[paulgoatallen]

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BrandieC wrote:

I'm really hoping for a full explanation of the clone twist.  Ever since the preview of Blackout at the end of Deadline, I've been wondering how a clone could have the original Georgia's memories.

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Okay, Brandie, here are my thoughts on this trilogy:

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Explorations-The-BN-SciFi-and/We-Who-Are-the-Lost-Ones-Grant-...

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

I didn't mention the clone element because I didn't want to ruin anyone's reading experience but, yes, while it was startling, I thought that Grant did a great job of making it seem "reasonable" in terms of what else that CDC was doing... I think it was just assumed that they had the tech to upload someone's consciousness if they hadn't been dead for too long – although it was never fully explained, I didn't have a problem with it. And it certainly made the story WAY more interesting having Georgia back!

[BrandieC]

I just finished Blackout, and it was an awesome end to this amazing trilogy.  (Don't tell my boss, but I was so engrossed that I called in sick today so I could finish it!)

On a separate but related note, I enjoyed the prequel short story Countdown because it gave some important back-story details, but I see that Ms. Grant has now come out with another related short story (maybe I should say possibly related; it's hard to tell from the description and the free NOOK sample) called Apocalypse Scenario #683:  The Box, and there is a forthcoming related novella, San Diego 2014:  The Last Stand of the California Browncoats.  A lot of authors seem to be doing this recently, and I don't mind it so much when it's a filler meant to keep us interested in the series until the next volume comes out.  I have mixed feelings, though, about what appear to be efforts to hold onto readers who were swept up in the Newsflesh Trilogy after the trilogy itself has ended.

I recognize that my inherent obsessive-compulsiveness is probably at play here (in the same way that I have to start a series with the first book, even if it came to my attention through later volumes in the series), but it just seems wrong, somehow, to revisit the Newsflesh world after Georgia and Shaun's story has been essentially wrapped up.  Anyone else have any thoughts on this trend in general or this instance in particular?

[paulgoatallen]

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BrandieC wrote:

I recognize that my inherent obsessive-compulsiveness is probably at play here (in the same way that I have to start a series with the first book, even if it came to my attention through later volumes in the series), but it just seems wrong, somehow, to revisit the Newsflesh world after Georgia and Shaun's story has been essentially wrapped up.  Anyone else have any thoughts on this trend in general or this instance in particular?

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Brandie:

I suppose it depends on the series – and how the "revisitation" is handled. Down incorrectly, it could taint a saga's legacy. Done correctly, it could add to that legacy...

[pen21]

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BrandieC wrote:

I just finished Blackout, and it was an awesome end to this amazing trilogy.  (Don't tell my boss, but I was so engrossed that I called in sick today so I could finish it!)

On a separate but related note, I enjoyed the prequel short story Countdown because it gave some important back-story details, but I see that Ms. Grant has now come out with another related short story (maybe I should say possibly related; it's hard to tell from the description and the free NOOK sample) called Apocalypse Scenario #683:  The Box, and there is a forthcoming related novella, San Diego 2014:  The Last Stand of the California Browncoats.  A lot of authors seem to be doing this recently, and I don't mind it so much when it's a filler meant to keep us interested in the series until the next volume comes out.  I have mixed feelings, though, about what appear to be efforts to hold onto readers who were swept up in the Newsflesh Trilogy after the trilogy itself has ended.

I recognize that my inherent obsessive-compulsiveness is probably at play here (in the same way that I have to start a series with the first book, even if it came to my attention through later volumes in the series), but it just seems wrong, somehow, to revisit the Newsflesh world after Georgia and Shaun's story has been essentially wrapped up.  Anyone else have any thoughts on this trend in general or this instance in particular?

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I got Countdown and Apocalyse Scenario back in September. I paid a couple bucks each. I liked getting a Newsflesh fix in between novels. But I would rather have a novel instead of a dribble of short stories.

[pen21]

Sorry I have been slow on posting here. And I hope that is what happend to others who are reading Blackout too. But sometimes when you read such a good book if there is no one there to immediately talk to I just sit and savor how good the read was. I can see that this series is one I would read again. I did like the science giving enough description to make it all believable for me, but did not bog me down with details.