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The Old Man at the End of the World: Bite No. 1
The end is nigh.... and Gerald Stockwell-Poulter has had quite enough of it already. Pesky business altogether. All this hiding and running about. Makes Brexit look like a doddle. After 87 largely well-behaved years as a model citizen, less than four hours into the ‘zompocalypse’ and he has already killed a neighbour, rescued a moody millennial drug dealer and forged an unlikely allegiance with a giant ginger Scotsman. And it isn’t even tea time. Join Gerald as he and his newfound allies navigate the post-apocalyptic English countryside in their hilarious bid to stay off the menu. THE GOOD LIFE meets DOUGLAS ADAMS meets SHAUN OF THE DEAD! - Dave F, Amazon The first instalment of the Old Man at the End of the World. A novella of 20,000 words. For fans of Frank Tayell (Surviving the Evacuation), Mark Tufo (Zombie Fallout), Diana Rowland (White Trash Zombie) and also Jonas Jonasson (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared), Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove) and Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules).
- GenresZombies
67 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2017
80 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 21, 2019
Gerald Stockwell-Poulter couldn’t help but feel it was extraordinary just how quickly his life had changed. One moment he was earthing up leeks and the next he was rooted to the spot as Rodney Timmins from the end allotment ambled towards him, arms outstretched, blood pouring from a hole in his neck and a look in his eye which suggested that he was less after help and more after a helping of Gerald.
What an incredible thing to happen , thought Gerald, as he watched Mr Timmins stagger through his new potatoes, weaving left and right like a drunkard, mouth agape. This looks like something I ought to be scared of. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright morning sun and get a better view of the events unfolding before him.
This was fun:)
*freebie from Amazon Kindle section *
Edit: just looked, no second part yet:( this was 2017, hopefully he publishes part two but little bummed now.
What an incredible thing to happen , thought Gerald, as he watched Mr Timmins stagger through his new potatoes, weaving left and right like a drunkard, mouth agape. This looks like something I ought to be scared of. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright morning sun and get a better view of the events unfolding before him.
This was fun:)
*freebie from Amazon Kindle section *
Edit: just looked, no second part yet:( this was 2017, hopefully he publishes part two but little bummed now.
December 6, 2023
I love stories with octogenarian protagonists. I hope that A.K Silversmith will continue this series some day.
March 12, 2017
I’ll be honest and say I don’t know much about zombies but thought I’d try this and see what they’re all about. I’m assuming that some other books of this genre are considerably more gory and scary but this one is a different sort of read. There is a bit of zombie like behaviour in it – blood and gore and what have you, but overall it came across as more a humorous telling of a terribly British reaction to the whole situation.
Gerald Stockwell-Poulter is earthing up leeks one minute and being attacked by a fellow allotment holder the next. Hamilton comes to his rescue and after a bit of toing and froing, and taking pity on the rather smug Finnbar they manage to find sanctuary at Gerald’s house.
It did start off a little silly but once I’d settled in I found much of the humour amusing and enjoyed the writing. There wasn’t a lot of emotion shown at all and it didn’t come across as if these characters feared the zombies but instead just found them a bit of a nuisance. There were reminders of Shaun of the Dead in there with the humour and also of Carry on up the Khyber. No zombies in that of course but it was the same stoicism as shown in the dinner towards the end of the film when bombs are falling all around but proper dinner etiquette must be followed. Nothing is more important to Gerald than getting back home in order to have, of course, a nice cup of tea, regardless of the mayhem playing out amongst his neighbours.
All in all this is a small bite of a light-hearted zombie tale, well written and amusing.
Gerald Stockwell-Poulter is earthing up leeks one minute and being attacked by a fellow allotment holder the next. Hamilton comes to his rescue and after a bit of toing and froing, and taking pity on the rather smug Finnbar they manage to find sanctuary at Gerald’s house.
It did start off a little silly but once I’d settled in I found much of the humour amusing and enjoyed the writing. There wasn’t a lot of emotion shown at all and it didn’t come across as if these characters feared the zombies but instead just found them a bit of a nuisance. There were reminders of Shaun of the Dead in there with the humour and also of Carry on up the Khyber. No zombies in that of course but it was the same stoicism as shown in the dinner towards the end of the film when bombs are falling all around but proper dinner etiquette must be followed. Nothing is more important to Gerald than getting back home in order to have, of course, a nice cup of tea, regardless of the mayhem playing out amongst his neighbours.
All in all this is a small bite of a light-hearted zombie tale, well written and amusing.
November 8, 2017
Amazingly funny
This is an amazingly funny zombie story. It focuses on Gerry, a gentleman in his 80s who love's his allotment. The only problem with this story is that I wasn't ready for it to end!
This is an amazingly funny zombie story. It focuses on Gerry, a gentleman in his 80s who love's his allotment. The only problem with this story is that I wasn't ready for it to end!
June 22, 2017
This was such an entertaining read! Gerald is in no way prepared for the zombie apocalypse, and is even oblivious to the fact that it's happening around him as he works in his garden. The banter between Gerald and his neighbor, Ham, had me laughing out loud more than once as they beat the odds and fumbled their way through several precarious situations.
Being American, I missed some of the British references, but didn't feel it detracted from this well-written novella. This is a humorous take on the 'zompocalypse' that isn't filled with doom, gloom, gore, and body parts (well, not many). I'll definitely be looking forward to the second bite.
I received a copy of this book through Rosie's Book Review Team.
Being American, I missed some of the British references, but didn't feel it detracted from this well-written novella. This is a humorous take on the 'zompocalypse' that isn't filled with doom, gloom, gore, and body parts (well, not many). I'll definitely be looking forward to the second bite.
I received a copy of this book through Rosie's Book Review Team.
May 27, 2017
Everyone that knows me know my addiction to zombie books. To the point my kindle is busting with apocalyptic deliciousness.
So I was excited to be kindly offered this zombie read from the author.
I do feel the cover could have been a bit more interesting, but its different, i would imagine an old fashioned wooden side table with glasses pipe etc the a bloody machete. But it doesnt change how good this read is.
The old man at the end of the world is a unique read as it's fun twist on the all action reads I've read so far.
Gerald our older man is a typical OAP with an alotment who is very set in his ways.
AK Silversmith has produced this fun loving OAP, who is joined by a hearty beer loving, tough guy and a weed smoking vegan. This unlikely threesome are thrown together at the start of a zombie apocalypse and I love how she has combined these characters who would probably never talk to each other in every day life.
Each of them so different from each other and spanning an age divide.
Gerald in his 80's. Hamilton Montgomery or Ham as his better known and Finn the potsmoking bandana lad. Ham saved both this unlikely group and somehow they manage to make it work to survive.
It's a comedy version with a dash of zombie gore.This novella was a fun quick read and perfect if looking for a quick read for few hours.
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it as a bit of slow start but the well written humor kept me taping my kindle pages.
I can see my Dad in Gerald, and recognise traits of people I know in Ham and Finn which made them completely relatable. You could not have found a different set of people to share survival with at the end of the world. All 3 have alotments for all different reasons; this is why this cleverly written book works so well for me.
I adore Ham the annoying but seemingly fearless beer drinking ginger Scott with handlebar moustache. I'm surprised he puts up with Gerrys older foibles insisting that politeness still reins no swearing etc.
Humour flows through the book with Gerald and his notebook to try and keep up with modern times and way of speech.
It makes you smile but still with element of gore. I always enjoy more action so feel this could be a good fun book series.
So I was excited to be kindly offered this zombie read from the author.
I do feel the cover could have been a bit more interesting, but its different, i would imagine an old fashioned wooden side table with glasses pipe etc the a bloody machete. But it doesnt change how good this read is.
The old man at the end of the world is a unique read as it's fun twist on the all action reads I've read so far.
Gerald our older man is a typical OAP with an alotment who is very set in his ways.
AK Silversmith has produced this fun loving OAP, who is joined by a hearty beer loving, tough guy and a weed smoking vegan. This unlikely threesome are thrown together at the start of a zombie apocalypse and I love how she has combined these characters who would probably never talk to each other in every day life.
Each of them so different from each other and spanning an age divide.
Gerald in his 80's. Hamilton Montgomery or Ham as his better known and Finn the potsmoking bandana lad. Ham saved both this unlikely group and somehow they manage to make it work to survive.
It's a comedy version with a dash of zombie gore.This novella was a fun quick read and perfect if looking for a quick read for few hours.
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it as a bit of slow start but the well written humor kept me taping my kindle pages.
I can see my Dad in Gerald, and recognise traits of people I know in Ham and Finn which made them completely relatable. You could not have found a different set of people to share survival with at the end of the world. All 3 have alotments for all different reasons; this is why this cleverly written book works so well for me.
I adore Ham the annoying but seemingly fearless beer drinking ginger Scott with handlebar moustache. I'm surprised he puts up with Gerrys older foibles insisting that politeness still reins no swearing etc.
Humour flows through the book with Gerald and his notebook to try and keep up with modern times and way of speech.
It makes you smile but still with element of gore. I always enjoy more action so feel this could be a good fun book series.
March 9, 2023
This isn’t the quiet retirement Gerald was hoping for.
The character development was well done. Gerald’s default emotional range fell somewhere in the vicinity of various shades of grumpiness, and he certainly had a lot to be annoyed about about here when the plot gave him opportunities to express his feelings. I enjoyed contrasting his reaction to the sudden appearance of zombies with how other people reacted, especially since Gerald didn’t pay attention to the news and had no idea what was happening in the first scene. It was amusing to see him essentially shrug his shoulders at such a momentous shift in human history and get on with his life as best as he could.
It would have been helpful to have more plot development. I started this not realizing it was the beginning of a serial, so it came a surprise to me to see how long it took anything to happen and how abruptly everything ended. Yes, serials need to end on an exciting note in order to keep their readers hooked, but in this case the storyline evolved so slowly that I struggled to remain interested even though I was initially thrilled by the thought describing a zombiepocalypse from the perspective of someone in their 80s.
I chuckled at the dry British humour in this novella. Gerald and his allies were far less afraid of zombies than most characters are in this genre. If anything, it was a nuisance for them to have to run away from such creatures on such a beautiful day when there was so much gardening to do. They often didn’t have strong emotional responses to what was happening to them, and that lighthearted exaggeration of British culture worked nicely with the text. It certainly helped them make logical decisions in the heat of the moment as well.
The Old Man at the End of the World was an intriguing introduction to this series.
The character development was well done. Gerald’s default emotional range fell somewhere in the vicinity of various shades of grumpiness, and he certainly had a lot to be annoyed about about here when the plot gave him opportunities to express his feelings. I enjoyed contrasting his reaction to the sudden appearance of zombies with how other people reacted, especially since Gerald didn’t pay attention to the news and had no idea what was happening in the first scene. It was amusing to see him essentially shrug his shoulders at such a momentous shift in human history and get on with his life as best as he could.
It would have been helpful to have more plot development. I started this not realizing it was the beginning of a serial, so it came a surprise to me to see how long it took anything to happen and how abruptly everything ended. Yes, serials need to end on an exciting note in order to keep their readers hooked, but in this case the storyline evolved so slowly that I struggled to remain interested even though I was initially thrilled by the thought describing a zombiepocalypse from the perspective of someone in their 80s.
I chuckled at the dry British humour in this novella. Gerald and his allies were far less afraid of zombies than most characters are in this genre. If anything, it was a nuisance for them to have to run away from such creatures on such a beautiful day when there was so much gardening to do. They often didn’t have strong emotional responses to what was happening to them, and that lighthearted exaggeration of British culture worked nicely with the text. It certainly helped them make logical decisions in the heat of the moment as well.
The Old Man at the End of the World was an intriguing introduction to this series.
June 2, 2018
A senior Shawn of the Dead - perhaps not
When he got up that morning, all he wanted to do was put his fellow allotment owner's nose out of joint by having the best leeks (the supermarket could provide) on his allotment patch. He certainly didn't expect to come under attack by zombies. Nor did he expect to pick up two extra passengers in his old motor. Watch as they fight for freedom, make it to relative safety only to have the weed smoking one in the trio put all their lives at risk. Will they get away? Where can they go? Great characters, one is a set in his way senior, one is a hard drinking middle aged gentle giant and the third is a weed smoking, spoilt trust fund youngster. Terrific
When he got up that morning, all he wanted to do was put his fellow allotment owner's nose out of joint by having the best leeks (the supermarket could provide) on his allotment patch. He certainly didn't expect to come under attack by zombies. Nor did he expect to pick up two extra passengers in his old motor. Watch as they fight for freedom, make it to relative safety only to have the weed smoking one in the trio put all their lives at risk. Will they get away? Where can they go? Great characters, one is a set in his way senior, one is a hard drinking middle aged gentle giant and the third is a weed smoking, spoilt trust fund youngster. Terrific
December 29, 2019
Gerry, an old man, is tending his allotment by planting leeks he had bought from the supermarket when he realizes the Zompocalypse has started.
The Old Man at the End of the World is a short comedy, only 68 pages, so took me only an hour to read this morning, but there are chapters if you don’t have the time to dedicate to a book in one sitting. Whilst it wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny, it was very humorous with bizarre situations and Gerry’s stereotypically English response to being chased by flesh eating zombies.
This book is actually the first ‘bite’ of a series, so there is more to read it you wish. I enjoyed the book enough to put the second book on my Amazon Wishlist, but not enough to buy and consume the next one immediately.
The Old Man at the End of the World is a short comedy, only 68 pages, so took me only an hour to read this morning, but there are chapters if you don’t have the time to dedicate to a book in one sitting. Whilst it wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny, it was very humorous with bizarre situations and Gerry’s stereotypically English response to being chased by flesh eating zombies.
This book is actually the first ‘bite’ of a series, so there is more to read it you wish. I enjoyed the book enough to put the second book on my Amazon Wishlist, but not enough to buy and consume the next one immediately.
April 8, 2019
I do love a good zombie book and what's better than a good zombie book? A zombie book with humour :D Gerald, the reluctant octogenarian of the story, along with Hamilton the giant ginger Scot and the hapless weed-puffing Finnbar find themselves in a bit of a pickle when the folk they once knew down at the allotment seemed to have all turned up undead. This short story is full of laughs, facepalms and bad mistakes (on the characters part) where you don't know what you feel sorry for more; the undead folk or the squashed veg.
December 8, 2017
Entertaining
I usually don't read books in this genre, but I was looking for something light and humorous, and I found both. The idea of an 87 year old man in the zombie apocalypse is what drew me to the book. I liked all 3 of the main characters...well, the first two, and enjoyed somewhat disliking the third, feeling the same about him as the other characters did. The crusty old man was so cute! I'm definitely going to read the next installment.
I usually don't read books in this genre, but I was looking for something light and humorous, and I found both. The idea of an 87 year old man in the zombie apocalypse is what drew me to the book. I liked all 3 of the main characters...well, the first two, and enjoyed somewhat disliking the third, feeling the same about him as the other characters did. The crusty old man was so cute! I'm definitely going to read the next installment.
March 9, 2020
Very reminiscent of The Hundred Year Old Man but doesn’t quite hit the mark.
A little silly and immature in places, a few old men are doing their usual day to day stuff when there’s a zombie apocalypse.
Worth a read due to it being a short book but I don’t think I’d read anything else from the author
A little silly and immature in places, a few old men are doing their usual day to day stuff when there’s a zombie apocalypse.
Worth a read due to it being a short book but I don’t think I’d read anything else from the author
October 1, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable story.
The zombie apocalypse strikes in West Sussex. Well written story, nicely paced, great characterisation, and gently humorous. Looking forward to reading the next instalment.
The zombie apocalypse strikes in West Sussex. Well written story, nicely paced, great characterisation, and gently humorous. Looking forward to reading the next instalment.
January 10, 2019
Zombies for the golden oldies
Very funny, great characters, can't wait to continue Gertys adventures. Very easy to read due to the quick characterisation of the protagonists stumbling through the apocolypse without all the bravado
Very funny, great characters, can't wait to continue Gertys adventures. Very easy to read due to the quick characterisation of the protagonists stumbling through the apocolypse without all the bravado
April 3, 2019
Short and snappy
A fun read recommended to me by my sister. It's nice to have a very different main character and a cantankerous, morally ambiguous old man is perfect. Looking forwards to reading more.
A fun read recommended to me by my sister. It's nice to have a very different main character and a cantankerous, morally ambiguous old man is perfect. Looking forwards to reading more.
June 17, 2019
Cracking little read, very witty.
Has a great knack of raising a knowing smile (Allotmnt commitee so similar to my village hall committee). Will look for more from this author.
Has a great knack of raising a knowing smile (Allotmnt commitee so similar to my village hall committee). Will look for more from this author.
October 14, 2019
This was just not very engaging. The story was boring, the characters were uninteresting, and frankly I wasn't invested at all in what was going on. As a zombie fan, I can safely say this isn't worth reading.
July 13, 2017
Brilliant
I enjoyed it alot, even tho some of the slang/terms went over my head as I'm from the u.s. I still got the humor. Can't wait for the next story.
I enjoyed it alot, even tho some of the slang/terms went over my head as I'm from the u.s. I still got the humor. Can't wait for the next story.
May 19, 2018
Who would have thought zombies were funny?
I laughed out loud - a wonderful antidote to the news and blues. Gerald is my hero a very positive 86 year old.
I laughed out loud - a wonderful antidote to the news and blues. Gerald is my hero a very positive 86 year old.
February 2, 2019
A good, fun short story. Starts off a bit meh but picks up. Not the typical zombie story.
May 5, 2019
quick amusing read but nothing to make me want to read anymore in the series.
July 3, 2019
brightened my day
I read this in one sitting. It made my insides giggle. loved the characters. could picture the scene perfectly. brilliant!
I read this in one sitting. It made my insides giggle. loved the characters. could picture the scene perfectly. brilliant!
August 10, 2020
I really wanted to like this but I struggled to get through it and gave up half way.
August 24, 2020
A fun read about the zombie apocalypse from a different point of view, with enjoyable dialogue and characters that you might feel that you recognise.
June 26, 2023
Honest Review
Cute, short, comical story.... I enjoyed this short story, and I found myself wanting it to have a few more chapters.
Cute, short, comical story.... I enjoyed this short story, and I found myself wanting it to have a few more chapters.
September 5, 2023
A delightfully English zombie novel. Understated, full of sarcasm and dry wit. Hilarious hints at English souther life. An easy read, which remind you of watching something like gardeners world and a wildlife documentary in one
April 18, 2017
This is a good fun read that I found myself connecting with (suburban British life that is, not being undead). As the main character’s name and habits cheekily suggest (Waitrose, Land Rover, Guardian) we join the story on a normal slightly upper-middle-class day where the main order of events is a bit of allotment plot skullduggery… but this apparently comfortable life is soon interrupted…
This is definitely a zombie story so there is plenty here for zombie fans, with both comedic and horror elements (some quite graphic moments so be prepared!) but courtesy of our protagonist there are also some interesting reflections on modern society as well as the competitive nature of vegetable growing! (There are some great descriptions for any green-fingered readers, made the situation a lot of fun and very believable.)
For a short read, there are some very good suspenseful moments and a nice combination of slapstick oddball comedy with some serious apocalyptic mayhem! There are hints at more in-depth character insights and revelations to come (although this is a short story, at the end of the book there is a part two - or rather, bite two - promised) as we glimpse through the main character’s internal thoughts and memories his feelings on his late wife, and life without her, and this works well, adding a deeper layer to the story. He is a bit of an old grumpy so-and-so to start with, maybe stuck in his ways, but as the action develops, so does he, and I look forward to seeing how he copes!
This is definitely a zombie story so there is plenty here for zombie fans, with both comedic and horror elements (some quite graphic moments so be prepared!) but courtesy of our protagonist there are also some interesting reflections on modern society as well as the competitive nature of vegetable growing! (There are some great descriptions for any green-fingered readers, made the situation a lot of fun and very believable.)
For a short read, there are some very good suspenseful moments and a nice combination of slapstick oddball comedy with some serious apocalyptic mayhem! There are hints at more in-depth character insights and revelations to come (although this is a short story, at the end of the book there is a part two - or rather, bite two - promised) as we glimpse through the main character’s internal thoughts and memories his feelings on his late wife, and life without her, and this works well, adding a deeper layer to the story. He is a bit of an old grumpy so-and-so to start with, maybe stuck in his ways, but as the action develops, so does he, and I look forward to seeing how he copes!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews