A Silent Dystopia Anthology
HeAR ToDAY …
The disease known as MNG-U has staked its claim on humanity and ended the world. Those who survive have been robbed of their hearing, deafened in this quiet apocalypse. But in the city of Cathedral, they have found sanctuary.
Inside the walls, the meagre populace relies on harsh governance to keep them safe. Outside the walls they depend on Samaritans, search teams who scour the Wilderness for both resource and threat. Bound by an oath to maintain and defend their city, Samaritans are the line separating Cathedral from disorder and ruin, a mandate they pursue ruthlessly and without question.
Until now.
On a routine recon, one Samaritan will find himself injured and alone and in desperate need of guidance. Where loyalties between the oath made to his beloved city will clash with promises from his past. Now he must question everything he knows, including his own purpose.
Because lost in the Wilderness, redemption is about to become the only way to stay alive.
The Samaritan: Book 3 in The Quiet Apocalypse series.
(cover by Adrian Baldwin; central art piece by Roberto Segate)
You can buy The SaMARITAN from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Yesterday I announced that Stephanie Ellis and Morgan K. Tanner would be adding their voices to a brand new anthology set in the A Quiet Apocalypse universe. Today, I’m delighted to announce two more superb authors that are joining A Silent Dystopia.
The Contributors
Kev Harrison
What was it about the A Quiet Apocalypse universe that made you want to be a part of it?
Upon reading A Quiet Apocalypse, I was truly taken aback by two elements. The first was how original the concept was, in a sub-genre as densely populated as dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction, this is a genuinely staggering achievement. The second is how character focussed the book was. Rather than relying on violent set-pieces (though those are present) the heart of the AQA is its characters and their lived experience. It immediately set me to thinking about what other lives were being lived out there in that ruined world.
What were the challenges of writing in an established universe and how did you overcome them?
The first and most obvious challenge is attempting to do justice to the original canon – no mean feat when one considers the emotional gravity of the first two books. On a more technical level, my central character’s story arc occurs both in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak’s decimation of Britain and some time much later as he tries to contribute to something hopeful in a world without much hope to go around. Getting those dates to tie into the canonical timeline and feel right was a huge challenge and one that David Griffith was a tremendous help within the edit phase.
More information about Kev and his work can be found HERE.
Raven Dane
What was it about the A Quiet Apocalypse universe that made you want to be a part of it?
I have been a great admirer and supporter of Dave Jeffery’s work for some time but his novella A Quiet Apocalypse totally blew me away. A visceral and entirely plausible scenario with prescient foreshadowing of what the world is facing with Covid 19. There are no shambling living dead, no swift-moving zombies moving as a virus but instead, survivors of a maiming pandemic facing a brutal new reality. Written in the first person, Jeffery draw’s the reader into the very real dangers his protagonist faces. Tautly written with vivid world-building, I genuinely believe A Quiet Apocalypse and its two sequels, is up there with The Road as a compelling and realistic post-disaster work of high-quality fiction. To be asked to contribute my own work to the AQA world was a great honour that I could not refuse.
What were the challenges of writing in an established universe and how did you overcome them?
Once I accepted the invitation to be involved in an anthology within the existing AQA world, the reality of what it meant hit home…hard! It was the most challenging commission of my career so far and one that deserved the highest level of writing I could achieve. The support and guidance of the book’s editor, David T Griffith was essential, and I was deeply grateful for his patience and forbearance. My own work is eclectic by nature, dark fantasy, alternative history, steampunk and horror with an undercurrent of the supernatural. The AQA world is based in a convincing, harsh reality that has to be maintained throughout the narrative. So, there could be no encounter with the Sidhe for example to aid my protagonist in her story! Despite this responsibility, writing my contribution was challenging but rewarding work and with so many wonderful writers involved, I hope it lives up to expectations.
More information about Raven and her work can be found HERE.
A Quiet Apocalypse
The end is hear…
A mutant strain of meningitis has wiped out most of mankind. The few who have survived the fever are now deaf.
Bitter with loss and terrified to leave the city known as Cathedral, the inhabitants rely on The Samaritans, search teams sent out into the surrounding countryside. Their purpose, to hunt down and enslave the greatest commodity on Earth, an even smaller group of people immune to the virus, people who can still hear.
People like me.
My name is Chris.
This is my story.
You can buy A Quiet Apocalypse from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Cathedral
CATHEDRAL … The world has changed. So have the rules.
In the silence of a quiet apocalypse, there is Cathedral. It is a city like no other, sanctuary for the survivors of a terrible plague that has deafened the world. The walls protect the small community. Rituals and laws maintain order to prevent a return to chaos.
But Cathedral is a dangerous and complex place. For citizens like Sarah and newcomer Paul it can be either home or prison.
They just have to decide where their loyalties lie…
(cover by Adrian Baldwin; central art piece by Dark Artist Roberto Segate)
You can buy Cathedral from Amazon UK & Amazon US
The SaMaritan
The disease known as MNG-U has staked its claim on humanity and ended the world. Those who survive have been robbed of their hearing, deafened in this quiet apocalypse. But in the city of Cathedral, they have found sanctuary.
Inside the walls, the meagre populace relies on harsh governance to keep them safe. Outside the walls they depend on Samaritans, search teams who scour the Wilderness for both resource and threat. Bound by an oath to maintain and defend their city, Samaritans are the line separating Cathedral from disorder and ruin, a mandate they pursue ruthlessly and without question.
Until now.
On a routine recon, one Samaritan will find himself injured and alone and in desperate need of guidance. Where loyalties between the oath made to his beloved city will clash with promises from his past. Now he must question everything he knows, including his own purpose.
Because, lost in the Wilderness, redemption is about to become the only way to stay alive.
The Samaritan: Book 3 in The Quiet Apocalypse series.
(cover by Adrian Baldwin; central art piece by Roberto Segate)
You can buy The SaMaritan from Amazon UK & Amazon US
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