After the Winter (The Silent Earth, Book 1)

I have long been a fan of science fiction/post apocalyptic novels but, sadly, I haven't found many books recently that can stand up to any real scrutiny.To be blunt, this genre has been flooded with some pretty awful stories in the past few years: Stories that lack any real imagination. Basically, they boil down to a simple formula - something bad happened, the world ground to a halt, the humans must now fight to survive, blah, blah, blah."After the Winter" isn't like that.Not at all.To begin with, there aren't any humans left in Mark R. Healy's end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it novel.They all died leaving behind a world populated solely by androids.And not all of them are good.We meet the main character, Brant, as he (it?) is fleeing across a wasteland trying to escape from a band of Marauders - think of them as a sort of really nasty post-apocalyptic android bikers - who want to harvest his parts to prolong their own lives. We gradually learn that he is in this predicament because he has been trying to lead the Marauders away from a secret laboratory wherein he and another android have been keeping watch over human embryos and seeds that can be - at some point in the future - used to repopulate and replant the ruined Earth. He has been running from them for a year and it hasn't been easy... in fact, he's suffered some damage and might not be up to the task of, eventually, making his way back home.What set "After the Winter" apart from a lot of pretty weak efforts in this genre is the fact that the androids have been imprinted with a full range of human emotions. Many of them were made to be soldiers, some to fulfill other duties (construction workers and the like) and they can easily pass for humans in many situations. This allows Healy to inject some very poignant scenes into his book, including one in which Brant discovers a couple of "wards," androids that were made to resemble children for couples that were childless.What also set this novel apart for me is the fact that Brant is not a typical, selfless hero. He has some serious issues; he worries a lot, he gets frustrated easily, and he gets reckless at times - a trait that almost gets him disassembled more than once. He has, at some point, lost touch with the reality of life on the planet and although he is coping, he doesn't always cope well."After the Winter" is crammed with adventure, as it should be in a world that is pretty harsh by any standard of measure. It also, however, explores some very interesting issues: The value of loyalty; the bonds of friendship and to what lengths they can be stretched before they snap; the primal urge to survive even the most cruel situations; the need for "society" and cooperative behavior if it is to have any chance to function. These issues are explored through a variety of situations that Brant finds himself in and Healy does a very nice job of doing so.The characters he creates are also memorable. Max, a ruined soldier android; the "wards" Mish and Ellinan and others were finely drawn. I didn't always like Brant - he seemed a little whiny to me at times - but that helped to add to the narrative. I always, however, liked Arsha - the other android charged with preserving the embryos and seeds. Left alone as Brant charges about the wasteland, she is faithful to her duties although she had been left not just alone but lonely. She, to me, is a true heroine.This is an excellent start to a series and a book that I very much enjoyed. It is well plotted, well written and gives the reader not just a good adventure but also some things to think about.

Mark Healy shows us a dystopian future where war is the product of human failings, rather than the rise in machines. Before the war humans and machines lived together in harmony. Populated by a handful of synthetics, the only humans left on Earth After the Winter are stored in cryotanks. Through the main character, Brant, and his travels through the wastelands, the reader gets a glimpse of what living through a nuclear winter would be like, provided you survive the war first.Like a lot of people, I find dystopian stories fascinating. After the Winter is one of the best in the genre, although the world-building, whilst fantastic, did slow the pacing at times. The protagonist, Brant, is a brilliant character. He's flawed thanks to his human memories and feelings, and he makes judgments that aren't always right. But he's also strong and a survivor. Arsha isn't what I expected, and I didn't warm to her right away. By the end I had, especially when she puts herself in danger for what she believes is right. I expected some sort of twist at the end and I wasn't disappointed. It also wasn't what I expected it to be.An enjoyable read for anyone who likes dystopian or sci-fi novels.

I like this book very much. I would have given it a 4.5 but Amazon doesn't permit partial star ratings.The book is similar to other post apocalyptic survival stories with one important difference, the lead character is way different than what I expected. In fact, it wasn't until I was into the 1st book a good ways before the difference was revealed.I liked the 1st book enough to purchase the two sequels and I wasn't disappointed.In my personal rating scale a page turner is the highest praise I can give a book. A page turner to me is one I can't put down even if it means reading all night. I don't find many page turners. This book wasn't a page turned, but it was the next best thing. While I didn't stay up all night I did find myself wanting to get back to the next chapter as quickly as possible. This didn't change in book 2 or book 3. The ending was satisfying, but kind of disappointing but I knew there wasn't going to be another book to follow.I hope that gives you enough information to pique your interest.

As a first novel this is an impressive work. There were just a few typos which did not detract from the story. A surprisingly original idea of a dystopian future that blew me away. This can certainly be a standalone book but I think there is a continuation that will be on my future "to read" list. I just need to digest this first; it's that good. In all fairness I prefer military science fiction; this is not to say there is no action and militaristic fighting. I would rate this 4.5 stars if that was an option. Mark R. Healy gets 5 stars for truly original thinking, not an easy thing to do in this genre. This story really made me think and feel. I was right there with the protagonist and was shocked by turn of events as much as the character was. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this talented and imaginative author.

I love apocalyptic themes, books and films alike, and that means it is getting very difficult to find something original. This is a well-written book exploring the main character's journey through the wasteland and what he discovers there. The discoveries are, by and large, symbolic and have deeper meanings and applications to our own life in the 21st century. I'm not doing it justice. I found the book to be very entertaining, character-driven and not without the odd bit of action where appropriate.If you want to read something original with a deeper subtext then you won't go far wrong here. I've just finished the second book in the series which I can recommend even more strongly.

I enjoyed this original and unusual storyline very much. There is enough content to keep an avid reader engrossed without boring the reader with science babble or technical information as many in this genre tend to do.A page turner and one to recommend from this first time author. Look out for the sequel too

An interesting story about what happens after humanity is wiped out. Very well written, nicely descriptive and good characters with real emotions. It kept my interest to the end.

I really liked the concept of the authors sci-fi futurist world, it moved slow for me in some parts, but I did enjoy the twist near the end, I didn't expect it.Thank you for sharing your imaginationNicci

Great story, very well written, with a totally believable main character, in a post human world. Buying the second book now.