Boom

As many of you should know by now, ZHackers Volume 2 (Ubuntu Software Centre Edition) is out!
(Live and... well... not so much, if you catch my drift).

Once again, I've had the privilege of taking a peak, and a chance to see where this zombie novel unlike all other zombie novels is going. And where is it going? Down a deep, dark, valley. In more ways than one (more on that later).

What's new?

So as not to give away spoilers to any loyal fans or new comers, I won't go into the ins and outs, you must find that out for yourself, but suffice to say, you should probably prepare yourself before you dive in. Whereas Volume 1 was a bit on the fast-paced side, Volume 2 takes a bit of a slow pace, and I highly recommend pacing yourself if you decide to pick this one up. The reality of a world falling apart finally begins to hit home for Daniel, Samantha and Richard (especially), and you finally get answers to some of the questions raised in Volume 1.

In this new release, you'll also find an attractive 3D cover (Web GL required, modern computer recommended).

Dark in more ways than one.

The deep darkness of the novel shows itself in more ways than one.

Also, some degree of spirituality is touched on, which is a nice touch for a novel about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Realism and reality certainly weren't skimped on here.

My take:

ZHackers is a welcome break from the cliche, dead (or maybe over-killed) "Let's grab some guns and trucks and go smash zombies" storyline you may have grown accustomed to. Dark stories like this are not usually my taste, so it's a relief that the story doesn't focus on the "horror" factor, but more on the mental journey of the characters involved. You'll find yourself able to love the characters rather than wanting to throw them to the hordes below (oops did I just... hint at a spoiler ;)?

Response to ZHackers in the community

Before writing this review, I took the time to ask the author, David Jordan, some questions with regards to the community's response and the future of ZHackers.

In summary:

• The Ubuntu Software Centre has been a good source of exposure and has had the desired effect, but it is clear that there is room for improvement.
• There has been the production of some fan art (for example, see here).
• Open Source software will play a big role in the future of the story (already, Linux, Open Source Software and the general concept of free culture have been common themes).
• Remixes of the book and even the web series are encouraged (maybe someone can sanitize out the profanity?).
• Expect more volumes in the near future.

Finally, don't forget to check out the website zhackers.com, where you can find the web series, downloads, and more.