by Joe McKinney
First published 2015
Chemistry student Charlie Noble finds himself at the center of a catastrophe that transforms America's heartland into infected wasteland. As the disaster spreads through middletown communities, Charlie must navigate a landscape where familiar places become alien and deadly. The infection changes everything it touches, turning neighbors into threats and safe havens into traps. Charlie's scientific background becomes both asset and burden as he tries to understand what's happening while simply trying to survive. Each step through this transformed world brings new horrors and impossible choices. The stories follow Charlie's journey through multiple perspectives, showing how ordinary people respond when their world collapses. Some fight, some flee, some sacrifice themselves for others. The infection doesn't just destroy bodies. It tears apart the social fabric that holds communities together. Charlie witnesses the best and worst of human nature as civilization crumbles around him. His path through the infected territories becomes a test of endurance, morality, and hope in a world that seems to have abandoned all three.
Genres: science-fiction, horror, thriller, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, impossible-choices
Setting: Middletown
Period: Contemporary
582 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence, violence