Book Jacket

 

rank 3631
word count 92516
date submitted 11.03.2010
date updated 14.03.2010
genres: Literary Fiction, Thriller, Horror,...
classification: moderate
complete

A Going Concern

Brian Railsback

Trent Sheets, a clueless survivor ill-equipped to deal with the apocalypse, discovers after many near-death trials that humanity has a second chance. So has he.

 

"A Going Concern" is an anti post-apocalyptic novel that looks at the end without the usual assortment of evil spirits, zombies, or depraved militias. What would the end really be like? Trent Sheets, rhythm guitarist for Subculture, finds out. After a month-long bender, Trent discovers that most of humanity has died from The Sleeper, an engineered megalovirus. He faces a world of vast space and mind-blowing silence. Trent drives west on I-40 to the California coast. Along the way he destroys several cars, escapes packs of wild dogs, meets dying remnants of humanity, loses the only healthy woman around, Audra, picks up a very angry and unhealthy teen, Kateland Owle, finds one thriving Native American town that kicks him out, and finally comes home to Southern California—a place of abundant luxuries and burning cities. Trent and Kate set up a solar-powered beach villa, deal with Audra’s disturbing arrival from New York, and welcome the international crew an Iranian submarine. Kateland teaches Trent how to survive while he keeps her alive; together they learn to keep the lights on for the future. As Trent tells the last tame dog, “the thing about the end of the world is, it doesn’t end.”

 
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tags

environment, epic, frightening, humorous, ironic, literary, popular culture, relationships, thriller

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17 comments

 

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RichardBard wrote 277 days ago

Hi Brian!

Since you haven’t been to Authonomy for a while, I hope it’s okay that I’m sending this through your book comment:

I’d like to thank you for backing BRAINRUSH (a Thriller) last year. Because of you it hit the Authonomy Number-1 slot, attracted an agent, and landed a film option. Now that’s a brain-rush! The formal book launch is September 1st and the sequel will be released in December. None of this would have been possible without your help. So, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Sincerely,
Richard Bard, BRAINRUSH

PS. If you want a good laugh, check out the temporary book-trailer video on the BRAINRUSH website. It’s there as a placeholder for the upcoming professional video. The current one features children and it’s guaranteed to make you smile! And yes, the younger kid on the screen is really me. You can see the video at www.RichardBard.com. The link is also on my Authonomy profile page. While you’re there, check out the “Feel the Rush” promotion that will get you BRAINRUSH plus 2 FREE thrillers from the Kindle Top-20 PAID Bestseller list – yes, really!

Winter wrote 313 days ago

I loved the book. The only thing I would change is giving the Pomerian candy to eat twice. Chocolate is poison to dogs. Have you written anything else?

winter

grumpydaysleeper wrote 570 days ago

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the characters, the plot and even the ending. All I can say is
"WOW"!!!!

Burgio wrote 775 days ago

I like this book. As you say, it's so different from the usual zombies and such, it really stands out. In a way, it's a roadtrip book; mostly it's just a good read. I enjoyed this a lot. I’m adding it to my shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Raymond Nickford wrote 777 days ago

The opening scene in the forest is very well depicted, the detail of Trent's clothing and the rawness of his 'living rough' environment creating a sense of isolation and - initially - a fear of those who might catch up with him to call him to task for breaking his contract. But we sense that there is a much wider and deeper chasm to ensnare him, perhaps both metaphorically and literally.
In very clear and not overwritten prose you still manage to get enough detail in to create a real sense of immediacy to give the reader a sense of place, involvement and participation in the growing drama.
As he leaves the forest and the 'great black vulture circled over' him, together with the absence of the customary sound of traffic, a very subtly woven scenario of post apocalyse begins to emerge for Trent - why no sound? What are the vultures circling for?
The hook at the end of Chapter 1 is irresistible as an appetiser for Chapter 2 as Trent wonders, 'Someone there would tell me what was going on'.
This, combined with the promising storyline already set out in the synopsis, makes me want to read on.

Backed.
Ray
(A Child from the Wishing Well)

Sheila Belshaw wrote 780 days ago

A GOING CONCERN:

Brian,

This is very good. I love your pitch. A well constructed plot. And I love your first paragraph. Straight into the action. Unusual. Fresh. Different.

There's a lovely momentum in your prose. Full of energy. Great rhythm and syntax.

Trent is a well drawn character. I felt I knew him. And I wanted to go on finding out more about him.

They always say: Write about what you know. I get the feeling you know first hand almost everything you write about, and the rest is a product of a quite amazing imagination.

Backed with pleasure,
Sheila (Pinpoint)

Melcom wrote 782 days ago

A great MC you have created in Trent, in the first few paragraphs alone we have come to like him. Love the fact that he wakes up to a bear opposite him. His many traits bring your work to life. With your excellent premise I can't wait to read more.

Happily shelved

Melxx

gillyflower wrote 782 days ago

Your pitch tells us that is is an unusual book, not just the popular 'end of the world' stuff. You have a great voice, Trent's voice, which brings his personality to life at once. Trent is very easy to get to know, a rock star fed up with the hip hop music his band have started playing, Zenning out in the woods, but fully expecting to be found before things go on for too long. You have made him funny, laid back, likable, with a touch of arrogance, surprised that the young couple in the woods didn't recognise him. The scene he emerges to is beautifully portrayed. The sense of loneliness comes across particularly well, and your descriptions do this by their excellence. The houses on the hills, 'little swipes on the brown,' and, 'Overhead a lone falcon skimmed across. He owned the sky.' Then he finds the note on the car. 'Stay in the woods, Dude,' signed by his roadie. Trent's gradual discoveries build up as we, and he, begin to realise that something is going on. You paint your picture with skill and detail, and your writing flows smoothly on, drawing us with it. This is a gripping book, one to read with enjoyment. Backed.
Gerry McCullough,
Belfast Girls.

mariecapri wrote 783 days ago

Hello Brian. Thank you for your kind comment and backing. Your book is really fascinating. The thought that constantly goes through your mind when reading, is that it could so happen! That counts for a well written book. Best of luck to you! Mariecapri

D. Regan wrote 786 days ago

I like the opening but wonder if you would consider holding on to the tension a bit longer-it's a great opening, a guy waking up in the wilderness to the sight of a bear. I think that could be extended a bit. Good writing-backed.
D.
Freedom's Mother

Jared wrote 796 days ago

Brian, this is a fantastic start to an "end of the world" kind of horror thriller. Great premise - rock star tries to lose himself in the woods, a self-imposed hide-and-seek retreat to get away from a band he no longer believed in, only to resurface to find himself in a world where most of civilization is wiped completely clean from a virus.

I read the pitch and knew I'd love this plot, but rather lost myself in the descriptive opening and forgot what the storyline was about until Trent got back to the car and found the note from Mollusk. That's a testiment to your writing - I got drawn into Trent's self-centered sulking, the "when is anyone coming to find me?" pathetic hiding. Loved the interaction with the she-bear, Trent's line about "like a representative from the woods, saying it was time for me to peace out." - great stuff. I even wondered why the rental Caddy would still be there - why wouldn't the company just locate it - surely they have GPS locators on all their vehicles? Then it hit me - the world is gone.

"STAY IN THE FOREST, DUDE." Classic! I'm reading on, but wanted to leave you a quick note to let you know how much I am enjoying this storyline, can't wait to see where it is going. Trent Sheets, Kateland Owle, love those names. Great job with this inventive and imaginative thriller- backed with pleasure.
Jared
Mummy's Boy

Famlavan wrote 797 days ago

I feel there is a great story in here. Your writing portrays the loneliness of your MC and you have a great narrative style and it hooks you. Needs a bit of an edit (don’t ask me, my editing skills are right up there with touching my elbow with the hand on the same arm). The story definately pulls you along – Good luck

darkenergy wrote 797 days ago

I'm liking the attitude in this--apocalypse is so overdone. The main character seems like a very interesting fellow, although shouldn't he be the one teaching Kateland about survival if he's been out in the woods? Either way, a solar-powered villa hit with the occasional intrigue sounds good.

Aside from what's been said, which I agree with...the paragraphs really should be broken down. There are a ton of interesting details in there, and they don't stand out because of the density. If you're not sure where to split them, look for shifts in ideas: the first paragraph itself goes from a bit about surviving bears to what Trent is up to.

Good luck with this: the story itself seems solid.

Dogeared wrote 797 days ago

Take all of this with a grain of salt.
Really. :)

Chap 1.

Para 1. You might want to throw a few comma's in here and there. Don't stuff it with them, I hate that, but put some in or take down the sentences a bit.

"I use to play guitar by trade." Better in background info of second paragraph. I see contrast you might be going after, but it's oddly placed info.

Para 2. Three sequential sentences beginning with "My". Too much. First person and context implies ownership, so consider dropping the unnecessary possessive pronouns.

- First person - too many "I"'s here, so far. Maybe tweak a few phrases a bit: for example:

"As I scratched around camp..." to
Scratching around camp....".

Within the whole paragraph there is this:

"I wanted..."
"I headed
"I'd packed"
"I drank"
"I wanted"
"I passed"
"I had fled"
"I headed"
"I walked".

All in one paragraph. It is tedious to read this and that is a shame because while I getting hung up on this, I am thinking this story could be interesting otherwise.

I think it is a matter, as a reader, of craving more dynamic, active use of verbs. Not changing specific verbs, but rather the form used, as I gave in the example above.

Sometime in the first week of March. Oddish sentence frag.

Para 3 - smoother, very nice descriptively....nice.

Paragraph 4 -"Since then..." Awkwardly put.


OK.

Having noted the above, I will say I am also willing to read more. I want to know what this guy's story is.

I'll be WL and reading through more.

Good luck.

Gerry

lizjrnm wrote 797 days ago

Riveting writing and very well crafted! Backed easily andpromise to return cause the entire book is uploaded- love it!!

Liz
The Cheech Room

Denise Heinze wrote 798 days ago

A haunting, thoughtful, and intelligent work. One of the best new arrivals to Authonomy.

Denise

Pia wrote 798 days ago

Brian,

A Going Concern - The beginning could be shorter. Very soon the writing chimed and I was gripped by this eerie story. I think I backed the book and just put it on my shelf again. ... hangover ... I think is one word.
And just a thought, the pitch would read easier on screen if broken up into two or three paragraphs.

Welcome to Authonomy, and best success, Pia (Course of Mirrors)

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