Review of Strange Stories II

[Mary Lou Mills]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strange Stories II" by Roger Mannon.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Strange Stories II: The Empty Earth is Roger Mannon’s compilation of two stories about the end times. The first story, Lonely, is based on a virus released from the permafrost. The narrator and his childhood friend, Pete, were in college together. The narrator was studying geology and Pete was studying climatology. Texas A and M was looking for graduate students to participate in an expedition to Greenland, Siberia, and Alaska. They would dig, make coffee, and cook dinner. The specialists were to study permafrost, measure greenhouse gases, take samples, and determine the amount lost to global warming each year. Melting permafrost releases methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere causing air to heat faster which then causes more melting. The expedition would last three weeks. While digging, Pete drilled into a strange rat-looking creature. The scientists put the creature in a container with the other samples. Then they returned home. Four days later, seven out of twelve of the original team and ten people from the scientific panel were dead. They were unaware that they were spreading a voracious, deadly virus. The virus is spread by touch, breathing, and exposure to body fluids.

The second story, Tipping Point, is Ben’s story. Ben’s father, Robert Roy McCain had studied climate science, mathematics, and computer science. He was paranoid about climate change and tried to warn people, but nobody would listen. Consequently, he decided to save his son. They spent a lot of time camping on Mount Williams in the Rocky Mountains teaching Ben to hunt, fish, and prepare food. He taught him to recognize edible plants and berries as well as medicinal herbs. Ben is telling his story while living alone in a cave on the mountain.

I appreciated that Mr. Mannon was well versed in climatology. He sparked an interest in learning more about permafrost and global warming. He was realistic about what is necessary to live independently. He has a deliberate plan about how to teach independence. His emphasis on the importance of short wave radios was enlightening. I also liked that he shared how the stories came about. He entered a contest in which he was to write about a picture that had no caption. The picture showed an empty train station and a man dragging a bag across parched earth. He shared information that is helpful to new authors and suggested entering writing contests.

What I did not care for was that there was a considerable amount of dwelling on death and gore. I realize that death is a large part of both stories, but it appeared to me that for each new town reached, the same gore was reiterated by the narrator. There was so much mistrust due to people scrambling for food. I would hope that people would help each other. Paranoia dictated that aspect of the story. The most frightening part though is that while it is clear that these stories are fiction, it is possible that they could happen!

I found the errors in the book to be distracting. Since there were more than ten errors, I feel that another pass at editing would improve this book. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed reading this book. The intensity kept me going.

Preppers and other mature adults interested in survival skills will really enjoy this book. There are numerous graphic descriptions that are not for people who are squeamish about such things. There is some cursing.

******
Strange Stories II
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

[MsH2k]

The most frightening part though is that while it is clear that these stories are fiction, it is possible that they could happen!

Exactly! I don’t want to ignore the distinct possibility of these scenarios, but I don’t think I would enjoy these stories.
Thank you for your thorough review!

[Paluk Pathania]

The plot is undeniably intriguing, but just thinking about these eventualities makes me uneasy after what we've already been through. Great job with the review though!^^

[José Cortez]

I wonder if Pete was among the scientists who died?

[Mary Lou Mills]

I wonder if Pete was among the scientists who died?

I have to leave some reasons for you to be enticed to read it!