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Outpost #3
Impact
The world is overrun by an unimaginable horror. The few surviving humans are scattered in tiny outposts across the world, hoping for reprieve - or death. Waiting on the runway of the abandoned Las Vegas airport sits the B-52 bomber Liberty Bell, revving up for its last, desperate mission. On board - five crew members and one 10-kiloton nuclear payload. The target is a secret compound in the middle of the world's most inhospitable desert.
All the crew have to do is drop the bomb and head to safety.
But when the Liberty Bell crashes, the surviving crew are stranded in the most remote corner of Death Valley. They're alone in an alien environment, their only shelter the wreckage of their giant aircraft, with no hope of rescue. And death is creeping towards them from the place they sought to destroy - and may already reside beneath their feet in the burning desert sands.
All the crew have to do is drop the bomb and head to safety.
But when the Liberty Bell crashes, the surviving crew are stranded in the most remote corner of Death Valley. They're alone in an alien environment, their only shelter the wreckage of their giant aircraft, with no hope of rescue. And death is creeping towards them from the place they sought to destroy - and may already reside beneath their feet in the burning desert sands.
404 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2014
4 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 16, 2020
unfortunately, as much as i love my secret santa for getting me a copy of this book, which was never published in the U.S. because life is unfair, and as much as i loved the two other books i have read set in this particular zombie world, Outpost and Juggernaut, this one was the weakest in the "series" - quotation marks because although the kind of zombies are the same, the books themselves are completely unconnected. i think. i haven't read Terminus yet, and i read these so far apart i don't recognize any overlap. but it is my understanding that the only thing that ties them together are the physical characteristics of the zombies, which involve metal spikes. because what is more awesome than a zombie? a METAL zombie.
RAWK!
the premise of this one is fantastic - the zombie event has already had its way with the world and very little remains of human civilization, but we still got some bombs! and we got several soldiers who are tasked with dropping one of these bombs onto an abandoned compound in the middle of death valley. why, you ask? that is classified, friend, and soldiers, unlike review-readers, do not ask why, they just follow orders.
but although we still have nice shiny bombs, the planes have kind of gone to shit, and the plane carrying this bomb and these soldiers is not up to the task of being a plane, and it crashes, stranding the soldiers in death valley, which has become undeath valley on account of all the metal zombies and such. dude, SAND ZOMBIES!! METAL SAND ZOMBIES!! besides all the METAL SAND ZOMBIES, there's also the regular-world difficulty of surviving in the middle of the desert with very few supplies, serious injuries sustained in the crash, and no real possibility of rescue. comms are down, and ain't no one rushing into the zombie-desert to save a few people who are probably already on their way to becoming zombies, you know?
so, yes - survival story and zombie story all rolled into one - WHAT COULD BE BETTER? well, both of the other books i have read in this series, for starters. metal zombies are always awesome, but the other two books are like metallica and black sabbath metal zombies, and this is like … warrant metal zombie knocking at the door and saying "i'm cool, too!" but you're not, warrant. you are derivative and dull.
i think you really have to like military fiction to enjoy this one. it's full of lingo and weapon/plane detail and chain of command and all the abbreviations with which the military is so enamored, but the writing itself is really dry. like the desert. there's some cool shit, for sure, and some really harrowing scenes, but it's very light on characterization and heavy on specifics related to bomb-deployment and artillery and fuel and …rivets. it's like the moby-dick of metal zombie novels, where you're sure more cool stuff should be happening but the author just won't stop describing what rope is and getting to the damn whale already.
this one just wasn't my cuppa zombies, but other people liked it just fine. i'm thrilled i got a chance to read it - ♥ santa ♥, and i completely pimp the other two at you, if you think metal zombies in the arctic or metal zombies in iraq sound awesome. and i will read Terminus soon to see if metal zombies in manhattan's subway tunnels are awesome. prediction: they will be.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, GOODREADS SECRET SANTA!
come to my blog!
RAWK!
the premise of this one is fantastic - the zombie event has already had its way with the world and very little remains of human civilization, but we still got some bombs! and we got several soldiers who are tasked with dropping one of these bombs onto an abandoned compound in the middle of death valley. why, you ask? that is classified, friend, and soldiers, unlike review-readers, do not ask why, they just follow orders.
but although we still have nice shiny bombs, the planes have kind of gone to shit, and the plane carrying this bomb and these soldiers is not up to the task of being a plane, and it crashes, stranding the soldiers in death valley, which has become undeath valley on account of all the metal zombies and such. dude, SAND ZOMBIES!! METAL SAND ZOMBIES!! besides all the METAL SAND ZOMBIES, there's also the regular-world difficulty of surviving in the middle of the desert with very few supplies, serious injuries sustained in the crash, and no real possibility of rescue. comms are down, and ain't no one rushing into the zombie-desert to save a few people who are probably already on their way to becoming zombies, you know?
so, yes - survival story and zombie story all rolled into one - WHAT COULD BE BETTER? well, both of the other books i have read in this series, for starters. metal zombies are always awesome, but the other two books are like metallica and black sabbath metal zombies, and this is like … warrant metal zombie knocking at the door and saying "i'm cool, too!" but you're not, warrant. you are derivative and dull.
i think you really have to like military fiction to enjoy this one. it's full of lingo and weapon/plane detail and chain of command and all the abbreviations with which the military is so enamored, but the writing itself is really dry. like the desert. there's some cool shit, for sure, and some really harrowing scenes, but it's very light on characterization and heavy on specifics related to bomb-deployment and artillery and fuel and …rivets. it's like the moby-dick of metal zombie novels, where you're sure more cool stuff should be happening but the author just won't stop describing what rope is and getting to the damn whale already.
this one just wasn't my cuppa zombies, but other people liked it just fine. i'm thrilled i got a chance to read it - ♥ santa ♥, and i completely pimp the other two at you, if you think metal zombies in the arctic or metal zombies in iraq sound awesome. and i will read Terminus soon to see if metal zombies in manhattan's subway tunnels are awesome. prediction: they will be.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, GOODREADS SECRET SANTA!
come to my blog!
July 14, 2014
4 Stars
Well another fantastic book by Adam Baker who I am quite a fan. This is the third book in the Outpost series but fourth separate story line when you include the prequel novella.
What sets this apart from the rest is the storytelling and the way that Baker is putting this series together. Each of these novels have taken place in a unique and amazing environment. These stories are connected only through the world that is succumbing to the zombies. Of course, even the undead have a cool twist to them. Baker writes with action and humor. His take on the genre is a pleasure to read.
Theses are very fast paced, easy, and fun reads. My enjoyment and my anticipation of these books far outweigh the literary score that they will receive from reviewers.
My cup of tea!
Highly recommended.
Well another fantastic book by Adam Baker who I am quite a fan. This is the third book in the Outpost series but fourth separate story line when you include the prequel novella.
What sets this apart from the rest is the storytelling and the way that Baker is putting this series together. Each of these novels have taken place in a unique and amazing environment. These stories are connected only through the world that is succumbing to the zombies. Of course, even the undead have a cool twist to them. Baker writes with action and humor. His take on the genre is a pleasure to read.
Theses are very fast paced, easy, and fun reads. My enjoyment and my anticipation of these books far outweigh the literary score that they will receive from reviewers.
My cup of tea!
Highly recommended.
July 10, 2014
The world is overrun by an unimaginable horror. The few surviving humans are scattered in tiny outposts across the world, hoping for reprieve - or death. Waiting on the runway of the abandoned Las Vegas airport sits the B-52 bomber Liberty Bell, revving up for its last, desperate mission. On board - six crew members and one 10-kiloton nuclear payload. The target is a secret compound in the middle of the world's most inhospitable desert.
3 ½ stars.
Adam Baker's prose need's to grow on you, least on my case. This is the fourth book in 'Outpost' series, a sometimes pre-apocalyptic, sometimes post-apocalyptic world, where said world is overrun by these weird-virus-infected Revenants (one nickname for them).
I rank, Impact, the second best one of the books so far. All the trademarks of Bakers style are there, terse sentences, macho dialogue and not-so-deep characters. I think that the style is finally in a good balance, and it makes the book fast-read, an unputdownnable kind a way.
As i said, the Baker's style is something that you probably hate, or it will grown on you. Low on characterization, usually a couple of sentences, more build trough the dialogue and action than the deep Stephen King style descriptions. This can be and is the one thing, that keeps Baker from greatness, but what he lacks in that department, he makes up movie-style tense action; when reading, you can almost hear movie score in the background (usually some John Carpenter score) and get a good grip what is seen, feel and heard. I guess, it's like reading John Carpenter movie adaption, but one that is actually good, rather than your usual cash-ins. And speaking of movies, there's a plenty of references to classic's like Tremors and Aliens, to make an old movie geek smile.
I really hope that Baker continues to build up the mythology of this Outpost world, there's so much more potential.
Recommended for the Zombie/Infected/Action fans, these books will grown on you, i hope.
3 ½ stars.
Adam Baker's prose need's to grow on you, least on my case. This is the fourth book in 'Outpost' series, a sometimes pre-apocalyptic, sometimes post-apocalyptic world, where said world is overrun by these weird-virus-infected Revenants (one nickname for them).
I rank, Impact, the second best one of the books so far. All the trademarks of Bakers style are there, terse sentences, macho dialogue and not-so-deep characters. I think that the style is finally in a good balance, and it makes the book fast-read, an unputdownnable kind a way.
As i said, the Baker's style is something that you probably hate, or it will grown on you. Low on characterization, usually a couple of sentences, more build trough the dialogue and action than the deep Stephen King style descriptions. This can be and is the one thing, that keeps Baker from greatness, but what he lacks in that department, he makes up movie-style tense action; when reading, you can almost hear movie score in the background (usually some John Carpenter score) and get a good grip what is seen, feel and heard. I guess, it's like reading John Carpenter movie adaption, but one that is actually good, rather than your usual cash-ins. And speaking of movies, there's a plenty of references to classic's like Tremors and Aliens, to make an old movie geek smile.
I really hope that Baker continues to build up the mythology of this Outpost world, there's so much more potential.
Recommended for the Zombie/Infected/Action fans, these books will grown on you, i hope.
November 21, 2015
To me this is Bakers most impressive and least interesting book.
I have followed this series with pleasure- all 4 are well written in a terse, sprung voice and have focused, tense situational plotting. I am always impressed with concentrated plotting; his books follow small groups of personnel battling against the insurmountable zombie apocalypse. Each book examining a new situation with different characters, we see their predicament unfold in minute detail across ‘real time’.
In his latest outing he has distilled this approach to a rarefied extent. Almost nothing happens, and it happens slowly. That he manages to keep the suspense at the level he does is, as I say, impressive. I certainly kept reading at the brisk pace the prose encourages. However I was somewhat disappointed by the end.
Of the 4 this is the one I think I won’t be reading again (for a while). For me Outpost was the best, then Juggernaut then Terminus. I am unhappily aware that this sequence is chronological. However I am reassured by the fact that all the books are leagues ahead of most of the competition.
I would love to see some drawing together of the threads in the next outing- something which takes us a little deeper. I thrilled to the suggestion of a deep history (involving Samurais!) and the connection to the other books via the half-skull insignia.
Can’t wait for the next one; Adam Baker is a writing genius!!
I have followed this series with pleasure- all 4 are well written in a terse, sprung voice and have focused, tense situational plotting. I am always impressed with concentrated plotting; his books follow small groups of personnel battling against the insurmountable zombie apocalypse. Each book examining a new situation with different characters, we see their predicament unfold in minute detail across ‘real time’.
In his latest outing he has distilled this approach to a rarefied extent. Almost nothing happens, and it happens slowly. That he manages to keep the suspense at the level he does is, as I say, impressive. I certainly kept reading at the brisk pace the prose encourages. However I was somewhat disappointed by the end.
Of the 4 this is the one I think I won’t be reading again (for a while). For me Outpost was the best, then Juggernaut then Terminus. I am unhappily aware that this sequence is chronological. However I am reassured by the fact that all the books are leagues ahead of most of the competition.
I would love to see some drawing together of the threads in the next outing- something which takes us a little deeper. I thrilled to the suggestion of a deep history (involving Samurais!) and the connection to the other books via the half-skull insignia.
Can’t wait for the next one; Adam Baker is a writing genius!!
July 18, 2014
Two stars.
Now I've read the entire series and I'm a big fan of juggernaut and terminus was a claustrophobic roller coaster adventure.
But Impact does not, in my opinion add anything new, another brave female, more government medical experiments that went wrong and an all conquering virus.
I was hoping for abit more expansion with this one, but I guess we will have to wait till next year. Over all some good moments but a sense of read it all before.
Now I've read the entire series and I'm a big fan of juggernaut and terminus was a claustrophobic roller coaster adventure.
But Impact does not, in my opinion add anything new, another brave female, more government medical experiments that went wrong and an all conquering virus.
I was hoping for abit more expansion with this one, but I guess we will have to wait till next year. Over all some good moments but a sense of read it all before.
July 22, 2025
The third in the “Outpost” series. A very good read right up until the end. The finale really didn't work for me.
It was very much a case of WTF?
I don’t know if the author was rushed to get it out ASAP, if he didn't care or if he was trying to hint at something for the next book, but it didn’t work. It’s a zombie book so plausibility is never a strong point, but there are too many inconsistencies at the end.
It’s a shame as until the final 30 pages it was really building up superbly.
It’s still worth reading, if you like Zombie books, but be prepared for some head scratching at the very end.
It was very much a case of WTF?
I don’t know if the author was rushed to get it out ASAP, if he didn't care or if he was trying to hint at something for the next book, but it didn’t work. It’s a zombie book so plausibility is never a strong point, but there are too many inconsistencies at the end.
It’s a shame as until the final 30 pages it was really building up superbly.
It’s still worth reading, if you like Zombie books, but be prepared for some head scratching at the very end.
January 24, 2024
Having now read all the released Outpost books I've come to expect there to be no happy ending, and to have every breakthrough for the characters ultimately result in more pain and suffering.
This book is no exception. Everything goes wrong and no one catches any lucky breaks.
For better or worse this book is like the others in that it is pretty insular and doesn't give too much about the wider world, and really doesn't function much as a series. I'm still waiting to hear about a floating oil rig coming home to save the day.
This book is no exception. Everything goes wrong and no one catches any lucky breaks.
For better or worse this book is like the others in that it is pretty insular and doesn't give too much about the wider world, and really doesn't function much as a series. I'm still waiting to hear about a floating oil rig coming home to save the day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2020
Impact continued this interesting series pretty well, and I enjoyed the action and suspense. My only critique is that at this stage in the series I'm craving more info on the virus, or even the beginnings of a turning point in combating it, but each book is doomier than the next! I'm impressed that the author manages that considering civilization has collapsed at this point. Still it keeps me itching to learn more and wanting to read more stories set in this world.
June 22, 2017
If you haven't read Adam Baker's incredible Outpost trilogy, i suggest you pick up a large stone and punch yourself in the head several times.
This is a triumph in undead engineering.
Book 3 has a few nice twists, but the writing, and characters are just as superb.
This is a triumph in undead engineering.
Book 3 has a few nice twists, but the writing, and characters are just as superb.
July 3, 2018
Terse toughs tackle techno-zonbies after crashing in the desert with a nuclear missile and not much hope of rescue.
March 3, 2019
Well crafted claustrophobic horror tale. Nice blend of military and horror.
March 21, 2019
If you have read Outpost, the first of this series, there is no real point in reading this or the other book as they are essentially the same, only the names and locale have changed.
February 21, 2020
3.5 Good setup, too much running backwards and forwards in the middle. Not the best end. Good witing style though.
April 23, 2020
3.5 stars
January 9, 2023
Ahhhh. Would have been a 5 star read like Terminus, the second book of this trilogy, but the ending let it down for me.
September 25, 2025
Zombondos
May 14, 2021
Well, what the frig. I’m so glad I decided to continue on with this series in spite of reviews stating it was heavy with military jargon. That was my major complaint about Juggernaut (book #0.5), so I was a bit leery of starting Impact. But this third book was actually my favourite. There are some great characters introduced, including Frost, our tough-as-nails heroine. And I’ve been waiting for these zombies to evolve; to do something more interesting since the book one. So having them tunnel through the sand like Graboids was a pretty awesome development. Not to mention that the virus now seems to have figured out how to manipulate human vocal chords to create intelligible speech. Or, at the very least, to have allowed a tiny part of the host’s consciousness to remain intact enough to manage speech. Either way, there’s something sublimely creepy about a talking zombie.
The ending, however, is no ending at all. I definitely have some questions. Numerous times throughout the books, it’s strongly hinted that the virus acts as a “hive mind”. So, if this more conscious strain of the virus is actually the leader (queen?), and it leaves via nuclear bomb portal to another universe/dimension....that leads me to believe the rest of the virus that has been left behind would then become inert & die out. Which leads me to believe that the stragglers of humanity would be able to rebuild society....outside of the major cities which are now all radioactive. And what becomes of Frost? After all that, I’m definitely rooting for her to make it out of the desert.
So, that’s why, even though I really enjoyed this book, I’ve given a 4 star rating rather than a 5. I honestly prefer my reads to have definitive endings when there are no more books forthcoming.
The ending, however, is no ending at all. I definitely have some questions. Numerous times throughout the books, it’s strongly hinted that the virus acts as a “hive mind”. So, if this more conscious strain of the virus is actually the leader (queen?), and it leaves via nuclear bomb portal to another universe/dimension....that leads me to believe the rest of the virus that has been left behind would then become inert & die out. Which leads me to believe that the stragglers of humanity would be able to rebuild society....outside of the major cities which are now all radioactive. And what becomes of Frost? After all that, I’m definitely rooting for her to make it out of the desert.
So, that’s why, even though I really enjoyed this book, I’ve given a 4 star rating rather than a 5. I honestly prefer my reads to have definitive endings when there are no more books forthcoming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2017
Started OK but faded to bleurgh...much like this series. 'Outpost' & 'Juggernaut' were good but this & 'Terminus' just felt like a tired rehash. Who'd have thought an apocalyptic horror story could be boring? The "characters" are just zombie fodder while the Ripley-ish heroine isn't much better. I was almost rooting for the zombies.
October 30, 2014
The world is overrun by an unimaginable horror. The few surviving humans are scattered in tiny outposts across the world, hoping for reprieve - or death. Waiting on the runway of the abandoned Las Vegas airport sits the B-52 bomber Liberty Bell, revving up for its last, desperate mission. On board - six crew members and one 10-kiloton nuclear payload. The target is a secret compound in the middle of the world's most inhospitable desert.
All the crew have to do is drop the bomb and head to safety.
But when the Liberty Bell crashes, the surviving crew are stranded in the most remote corner of Death Valley. They're alone in an alien environment, their only shelter the wreckage of their giant aircraft, with no hope of rescue. And death is creeping towards them from the place they sought to destroy - and may already reside beneath their feet in the burning desert sands.
Lock and load bitches!
Adam Baker's Outpost series is one of my guilty pleasures....fast paced, compulsive and enormous fun!
All the crew have to do is drop the bomb and head to safety.
But when the Liberty Bell crashes, the surviving crew are stranded in the most remote corner of Death Valley. They're alone in an alien environment, their only shelter the wreckage of their giant aircraft, with no hope of rescue. And death is creeping towards them from the place they sought to destroy - and may already reside beneath their feet in the burning desert sands.
Lock and load bitches!
Adam Baker's Outpost series is one of my guilty pleasures....fast paced, compulsive and enormous fun!
August 16, 2017
Very bleak and violent and dark, just like its predecessors, but I was a little disappointed with the ending. As much as I enjoyed Impact and Terminus, they don't have the re-read quality Juggernaut and Outpost do. The characters of those books were more engaging, perhaps because Baker doesn't give the readers time to bond with these characters the way he did with Juggernaut and Outpost. Who knows? Maybe when I eventually re-read the first two again I'll feel inspired to read the last two.
January 8, 2015
3.5 stars. Although overall it's another completely different and interesting angle of the apocalypse seen in the first two books, and the tale is well-told with some genuinely creepy moments, it does start to feel a little "more of the same" by the end. Hopefully Mr. Baker moves on to other stories now rather than beating this one into the ground.
March 8, 2015
An intense post apocalyptic action thriller. Sort of. Very tense. I invested in the characters fairly quickly. To the extent that I was flipping forward a few pages to see if they were still around. Always the sign of a good book and a good writer in my view. Read in three days, with lots of living inbetween.
May 26, 2015
Hmm.
This fourth book really adds nothing new, with the exception of trenchman all the human characters are selfish and out for themselves. More government cock ups are revealed and head shots to the zombies don't seem to work anymore. Even though they did in his previous novels.
I'm not sure wear baker is going with this series and I wonder if he does.
This fourth book really adds nothing new, with the exception of trenchman all the human characters are selfish and out for themselves. More government cock ups are revealed and head shots to the zombies don't seem to work anymore. Even though they did in his previous novels.
I'm not sure wear baker is going with this series and I wonder if he does.
July 27, 2015
Read this book all in one sitting, it was so good. It took a couple of pages to get used to his punchy, to-the-point writing style, but this style made me feel like I was watching a movie when I read it. Bit of a twist on the usual zombie theme, very enjoyable read, I'm going to go read all his other books now.
December 30, 2014
Although not as good as the first book on this theme, this book still galloped along at a frantic pace, innovative and entertaining as ever. I hope this series continues on and on. The first book remains a classic though.
January 31, 2015
A cheeky coming of age story with a pinch of zombie apocalyptic zeitgeist thrown in for good measure.
Set amongst the beauty of the scenic American landscape, 'Impact' is a heroic tale of redemption and true love.
Recommended for those who enjoyed 'Gone with the wind' or 'Forrest Gump.'
Set amongst the beauty of the scenic American landscape, 'Impact' is a heroic tale of redemption and true love.
Recommended for those who enjoyed 'Gone with the wind' or 'Forrest Gump.'
Read
July 3, 2015Pure summer escapism
Sort of Lone Survivor meets the Terminator in the Walking Dead. Don't look here for deep insight into the meaning of life but it's another distracting read from the Adam Baker virus series.
Sort of Lone Survivor meets the Terminator in the Walking Dead. Don't look here for deep insight into the meaning of life but it's another distracting read from the Adam Baker virus series.
September 27, 2016
Possibly my favourite of the series of books started with Outpost. I particularly like that the author avoids obvious links within the series. This is dark and claustrophic and written with Baker's distinct style which I also enjoy greatly.
July 24, 2014
nowhere near as good as the others in the series, basically more of the same while lacking the excitement of the previous instalments.
July 28, 2014
I love Baker's books, really, but it seems they are falling into a painfully predictable formula, down to know who is going to life and who isn't.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews