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They Came With The Snow - Part One : A Short Science Fiction Horror...
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Customer reviews
- They Came With The Snow - Part One : A Short Science Fiction Horror...
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- Customer reviews
Top positive review
Not a bad novella
April 6, 2017
This is a short novella that seems similar in some ways to Ronald Malfi's "Snow," and it shares general similarities with post-apocalyptic fiction, especially ones involving, well, snow, that also revolve around a strange catastrophe befalling the world and populating it with hostile creatures.
Essentially, an American college professor and the woman he's having an affair with are holed up inside, some time after a mysterious explosion blanketed their world with snow, and also brought along strange, snow-white-skinned creatures wandering around outside, humanoid in shape but scuttling around like crabs. Were they aliens? Mutants? Something else? Our protagonists have no idea, and they don't even know if this snow has covered the whole world or just their area, but they're running out of food and they know they have to leave soon. This story covers their journey, as well as the answers to these mysteries that they manage to find!
This wasn't terrible for the price. The characters were surprisingly compelling. However, the writing never rose above competent, IMO, and there are some awkward phrases here and there. Also, the revelations at the end seemed kind of ham-handed--no spoilers, but IMO the author did a bit more telling than showing, I think he might have been better served to have the story come out through slow discoveries rather than dialogue. Anything more than that would be a spoiler, though! But I liked this, so I'll give it 4 stars--you can give it three if you're not as generous. For some reason, though, I can't find this on Amazon any more...when I left this review and clicked on the book's title, it gave me an error! Weird...
Essentially, an American college professor and the woman he's having an affair with are holed up inside, some time after a mysterious explosion blanketed their world with snow, and also brought along strange, snow-white-skinned creatures wandering around outside, humanoid in shape but scuttling around like crabs. Were they aliens? Mutants? Something else? Our protagonists have no idea, and they don't even know if this snow has covered the whole world or just their area, but they're running out of food and they know they have to leave soon. This story covers their journey, as well as the answers to these mysteries that they manage to find!
This wasn't terrible for the price. The characters were surprisingly compelling. However, the writing never rose above competent, IMO, and there are some awkward phrases here and there. Also, the revelations at the end seemed kind of ham-handed--no spoilers, but IMO the author did a bit more telling than showing, I think he might have been better served to have the story come out through slow discoveries rather than dialogue. Anything more than that would be a spoiler, though! But I liked this, so I'll give it 4 stars--you can give it three if you're not as generous. For some reason, though, I can't find this on Amazon any more...when I left this review and clicked on the book's title, it gave me an error! Weird...
13 people found this helpful
Top critical review
A disappointing heap of wasted potential
November 12, 2018
Humor me: take a second and imagine a sudden unseasonal snowstorm that turns out to be infested with hostile, crab-like creatures who blend into the snow so well that often your first sign of them is a sudden loss of everything below the kneecaps. Also, they attack in groups and there are buttloads of them. The stars of this story are a ragtag band of college students and teachers that were tough/smart/lucky enough to survive the first encounter with these crab-thingies, and now they need to get to safety. Sounds interesting, right? You'd want to read that, right? Well, too bad! The 'crabs' in the actual novella are basically fast zombies with snow camo, claws, and no bite-contagion. They're called crabs because they reminded one character of a crab one time...somehow. So much wasted potential I literally can't even. On top of that, the plot is unoriginal, the characters are forgettable, and the climax has technical failures that could have been avoided with five minutes of Googling about tanks (technically, a tank doesn't even BELONG in that situation, but knowing that requires having military nerds for friends, so we'll let that one slide)
10 people found this helpful
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March 25, 2017
I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The story is short and unbelievable. It is a GREAT HORROR story.
If you are into horror stories this is one you need to read.
If you are into horror stories this is one you need to read.
July 23, 2017
Dominic is wondering how he got in this predicament of crazy snowfalls and creepy albino creatures that follow one's every movement.
More importantly is will he be able to survive?
Pick this up...its good !!
More importantly is will he be able to survive?
Pick this up...its good !!
June 18, 2017
The snow seemed endless...falling, falling, falling... Two survivors taking refuge at the local college, know their time is running out. They must decide: stay, and starve or freeze to death, or brave the freakish winter weather....and what lies in wait within. Are there other survivors? Can they find a path to safety? Or has the world ended, and they are the only people left...?
March 31, 2017
I loved this short story. Reminded me of Stephen Kings The Mist. Chilling and scary enough without having to go into great detail. I could picture what these "things" might look like. Left me wanting more!
June 6, 2017
I liked everything about this. It captured my interest immediately and wouldn't let go. If you like scary stories, you must read this!
July 19, 2018
This is an interesting story for sure. It is short, but has all the details you need to get its point across. The author has a way of writing that is an excellent combination of horror, suspense and dystopian as we follow the survivors on their journey to find a way out of the college town wasteland.
December 3, 2018
For a short story/novella, the characters' backstories get developed enough to get you connected. Sure, there is a basic similarity to King's 'The Mist', but this is different enough in both style and content to stand on its own. I plan on getting the second installment, for sure.
July 9, 2019
This is a really good short story. It has so much action and terror in it's few pages, you won't be able to stop reading until the end. Then you will wish it wasn't over!
September 17, 2017
Started off with a blast...Next came the snow...Then they came...Started watching first, just don't get to close...Is the government behind what's happening?..Definitely yes...Mr. Coleman wrote a good book with lots of suspense
August 5, 2018
A good read that doesn't delay in getting started. A well rounded story that is good enough to be considered too short. Looking for to reading the second book in the series, The Melting.
