Review: Some really good, a couple ok but not as good, and just one that I couldn't read - overall, I great collection
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 6, 2014
I reviewed the books in this series individually as well.  I liked almost every novel and short story in this set, some more than others.  Since I've given more full reviews, I will give a quick breakdown and a note on if I would continue to read the series (if there is one):Sand: Part 1 - The Belt of the Buried Gods by Hugh Howey (40 Pages) - I will read more in this series - short story really well done and interesting enough to keep me reading more, highlighting special skills needed to survive in the future and what happens when you are betrayed.Yesterday’s Gone: Season One by Sean Platt and David Wright (503 pages) - Long, but interesting.  I'm unsure right now if I'm interested to buy the second season - there were points in Season One that dragged and I think the Season as a whole could have been made much shorter and still gotten the points across.Apocalypse Drift by Joe Nobody (314 pages) - A different take on the apocalypse that for once wasn't zombie-related, and one that I enjoyed reading very much.  I would be interested in reading more by this author.Contamination Zero by T.W. Piperbrook (95 pages) - A short story that serves as an introduction to a series that sounds very interesting... the characters are in the eye of the beginning storm and watch the apocalypse begin.  I will be reading more in this series.Artificial Evil by Colin F. Barnes (272 pages) - Great first book in a series - I see this story as a bridge between when the world fell apart before and when it may fall apart again.  If you enjoy cyberpunk, this is worth giving a try.The Tube Riders by Chris Ward (449 pages) - Good, but now that it's a couple of days past when I finished it, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.  There are some really interesting parts of it and some questions that haven't been answered, and even though I liked the book by itself, I don't think this is a series that I will continue with.  In some ways, there is just TOO much going on in this story that it's difficult to keep up with the characters.Halfskin by Tony Bertauski (260 pages) - Very interesting and something that I could see happening for real.  With medical science expanding, some day we will have nanobots to help with recovery.  What happens if they replicate?  Who can decide if someone is more man or machine?  I would love to see more written in this universe or about these characters.After the Cure by Deirdre Gould (415 pages) - A great novel about the after-effects of the zombie apocalypse.  Most zombie stories tell you about how people are trying to survive during the attack.  This story, instead, takes place years after a cure is found (roughly 8 years after the zombie attack itself) and not only highlights that re-integration of the Cured into society, but also brings those who made the disease to justice of a sort.  After reading this, I read the sequel, The Cured.  Highly recommended.Black Hull by Joseph Turkot (317 pages) - This is a story that didn't live up to it's description - in fact, I gave up after the first 5 chapters because I was bored, the dialogue was fragmented and drove me crazy, and the characters just weren't interesting.The Man Who Ended the World by Jason Gurley (270 pages) - What happens when a billionaire wants to be alone and has the money and technology to make it happens? This novel shows us how a man slides into the realm of madness as he tries to end the world.  I would read more by this author.Gameland: Book 1 - Deep Into the Game by Saul Tanpepper (130 pages) - Interesting, and leaves you just enough loose ends to make you want to read more.  This seems like it will be an interesting series.