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Mountain Man #0.5
The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story
1 hr and 37 mins
"Mountain Man" Augustus Berry is a survivor in undead suburbia. He scavenges what he can from what's left over. He is very careful in what he does and where he goes, taking no chances, no unnecessary risks, and weighing every choice...until he decides to visit the hospital at the edge of town, and experiences terror the likes he's never encountered before. A short story of approximately 9,500 words. The first story of the "Mountain Man" series. Contains language and graphic violence. If you enjoy this, check out the rest of the series.
"Mountain Man" Augustus Berry is a survivor in undead suburbia. He scavenges what he can from what's left over. He is very careful in what he does and where he goes, taking no chances, no unnecessary risks, and weighing every choice...until he decides to visit the hospital at the edge of town, and experiences terror the likes he's never encountered before. A short story of approximately 9,500 words. The first story of the "Mountain Man" series. Contains language and graphic violence. If you enjoy this, check out the rest of the series.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 2, 2012
About the author
Keith C. Blackmore
38 books855 followersBooks are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
January 6, 2023
That was weird. What did I listen to, lol?
Augustus "Gus" Berry looks for supplies at a hospital during a zombie apocalypse. I must say this was the most unique ending ev-ver! Going to try book #1 just to be sure and it's "free".
🎧1Hr/RC Bray
Augustus "Gus" Berry looks for supplies at a hospital during a zombie apocalypse. I must say this was the most unique ending ev-ver! Going to try book #1 just to be sure and it's "free".
🎧1Hr/RC Bray
November 10, 2021
4 Stars
Goodness gracious. That certainly kicked my heart rate up several notches!
In the spirit of The Walking Dead, this will surely put you on edge as we’re introduced to Gus, solitary survivor who‘s just trying to live another day in the zombie apocalypse. He comes across a seemingly abandoned hospital, and he’s hoping for no trouble and some much needed supplies. Yeah… that’s wishful thinking.
Plenty of horror and suspense here. This little scenario hasn’t been witnessed through my TV viewing of 7 seasons of TWD, so I was freshly terrified while all the more reluctantly compelled to check the next story out.
Someday. Maybe. We’ll see.
*available for free with an audible.com subscription*
Goodness gracious. That certainly kicked my heart rate up several notches!
In the spirit of The Walking Dead, this will surely put you on edge as we’re introduced to Gus, solitary survivor who‘s just trying to live another day in the zombie apocalypse. He comes across a seemingly abandoned hospital, and he’s hoping for no trouble and some much needed supplies. Yeah… that’s wishful thinking.
Plenty of horror and suspense here. This little scenario hasn’t been witnessed through my TV viewing of 7 seasons of TWD, so I was freshly terrified while all the more reluctantly compelled to check the next story out.
Someday. Maybe. We’ll see.
*available for free with an audible.com subscription*
December 28, 2017
The Hospital: The FREE Short Story: The First Mountain Man Story
By: Keith C. Blackmore
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
Series: Mountain Man, Book 1.5
This is just a short story but boy it had me glued to my tablet! It was suspense-filled and terrifying! A great short horror story! To make it even better, it had RC Bray narrating!!! He is my favorite narrator and he masters the horror book as well as the comedy I am accustom to listening to. Wow, great combo. Great short and great narrator.
This is also FREE!!!
By: Keith C. Blackmore
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
Series: Mountain Man, Book 1.5
This is just a short story but boy it had me glued to my tablet! It was suspense-filled and terrifying! A great short horror story! To make it even better, it had RC Bray narrating!!! He is my favorite narrator and he masters the horror book as well as the comedy I am accustom to listening to. Wow, great combo. Great short and great narrator.
This is also FREE!!!
August 30, 2020
This was my first audiobook experience! I was sceptical at first because the narrator's voice was kind of monotonous, but once Alice came along I was in stitches over it.
So WOW how does one even review an audio?
The story: It's obviously a prequel to another series (which I've never heard of but will investigate after this so please chime in if you know it) so it's just a short lil horror story about a dude who gets more than he bargained for when he scavenges a hospital for supplies in a post-apocalyptic world.
The story itself was okay - I feel like it would have been quite ominous on paper but the language would have thrown me off. Gus seems like kind of a d*ck? So I wasn't really sold on rooting for him. It was a bit of a 2-star story I think, to be honest.
But the audio ... omg it was fkng HILARIOUS. The voices had me pissing myself laughing and Alice was totally creepy in a YIKES kinda way. It turned the coarse language into more of a dark comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't horror really, but it was hella creepy at times.
I found, with audio, it was harder to kind of immerse myself in the storytelling aspects - I think the first lil bit where he's gathering supplies would have worked better on paper, building the tension, but on audio it was kind of dull. I found it a lot harder to picture everything. But the narrator really made old Alice come alive and her screeching was just far more entertaining than I think it would be on paper. I think I probably would have rolled my eyes a lot at the excessive language, but listening to it was brilliant. Gus I could take or leave. Whatever. *shrugs*
The bookends of the story were mostly kinda ehhhh but that middle section featuring Alice was a highlight for sure. I don't know that it ever really made a lot of sense to me, or that I followed it quite as well as I would have on paper, but for my first audio it wasn't terrible.
I listened to a free download on Audible
So WOW how does one even review an audio?
The story: It's obviously a prequel to another series (which I've never heard of but will investigate after this so please chime in if you know it) so it's just a short lil horror story about a dude who gets more than he bargained for when he scavenges a hospital for supplies in a post-apocalyptic world.
The story itself was okay - I feel like it would have been quite ominous on paper but the language would have thrown me off. Gus seems like kind of a d*ck? So I wasn't really sold on rooting for him. It was a bit of a 2-star story I think, to be honest.
But the audio ... omg it was fkng HILARIOUS. The voices had me pissing myself laughing and Alice was totally creepy in a YIKES kinda way. It turned the coarse language into more of a dark comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't horror really, but it was hella creepy at times.
I found, with audio, it was harder to kind of immerse myself in the storytelling aspects - I think the first lil bit where he's gathering supplies would have worked better on paper, building the tension, but on audio it was kind of dull. I found it a lot harder to picture everything. But the narrator really made old Alice come alive and her screeching was just far more entertaining than I think it would be on paper. I think I probably would have rolled my eyes a lot at the excessive language, but listening to it was brilliant. Gus I could take or leave. Whatever. *shrugs*
The bookends of the story were mostly kinda ehhhh but that middle section featuring Alice was a highlight for sure. I don't know that it ever really made a lot of sense to me, or that I followed it quite as well as I would have on paper, but for my first audio it wasn't terrible.
I listened to a free download on Audible
September 13, 2019
I don't remember much from this audiobook. The only thing still fresh in my mind is that I fell asleep while listening to it. Yes, it was that bad.
The audiobook was pretty awful, I didn't like the narrator. The story was forgettable although it had potential to be something else, but the author turned it into a slow, repetitive story. Honestly, I did have some expectations for this, now I don't see myself reading the rest books of the series.
I don't recommend it but if you want to give it a try you can get it for FREE here.
The audiobook was pretty awful, I didn't like the narrator. The story was forgettable although it had potential to be something else, but the author turned it into a slow, repetitive story. Honestly, I did have some expectations for this, now I don't see myself reading the rest books of the series.
I don't recommend it but if you want to give it a try you can get it for FREE here.
January 28, 2016
2.5 stars
This audiobook is an introduction to the Mountain Man series and it's still free on Audible. The plot is fast, tense, disturbing and perfect for a short horror story. The narrative and characters are just too raw and uncomfortable for me, I don't like reading about characters who shit or piss on themselves or to be confronted with the reality of lack of hygiene in such a blatant way. The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story is a thrilling read but I don't think this series is for me and so I'm giving it a miss.
This audiobook is an introduction to the Mountain Man series and it's still free on Audible. The plot is fast, tense, disturbing and perfect for a short horror story. The narrative and characters are just too raw and uncomfortable for me, I don't like reading about characters who shit or piss on themselves or to be confronted with the reality of lack of hygiene in such a blatant way. The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story is a thrilling read but I don't think this series is for me and so I'm giving it a miss.
October 28, 2014
More zombie fare here. A short story that gives one pause to consider - do the dead sleep? Augustus (think Mad Max gone to fat), intent on pilfering supplies from an abandoned hospital, is delighted to find a sizeable stash of toilet paper. Just like gold these days, yes, it is. His joy is short-lived when he runs into Nurse Alice, who has stayed behind to take care of the little ones. Crazy Nurse Alice makes Nurse Ratched seem positively angelic. And she has a nursery full of hungry mouths to feed.
February 28, 2015
I loved this sick little story. I guess I needed a quick zombie fix.
October 23, 2014
3.5 stars, rounded up!
This was a free audiobook that I downloaded some time ago, due to a friend's review. (B & B, I'm looking at you!)
This was a quick listen, gruesome and lots of fun!
It did make me interested in checking out more of Mr. Blackmore's work.
Recommended to fans of short stories, as long as you're okay with lots of gore!
This was a free audiobook that I downloaded some time ago, due to a friend's review. (B & B, I'm looking at you!)
This was a quick listen, gruesome and lots of fun!
It did make me interested in checking out more of Mr. Blackmore's work.
Recommended to fans of short stories, as long as you're okay with lots of gore!
October 14, 2022
This is the first prequel to the Mountain Man series. That being said, I'm glad I read this after I read book one, Mountain Man. I was able to appreciate Gus and how he reacted to this first trip to the hospital, because I had already seen how he reacted to going into the city.
although the story is approximately 29 pages long, it is pretty gory and doesn't pull any punches.
although the story is approximately 29 pages long, it is pretty gory and doesn't pull any punches.
December 22, 2016
I downloaded this a million years ago but finally got around to listening to it today. It was terrifying, so disturbingly good and is still Free on Audible. It’s only an hour and ½ long so you’ll get through it in no time at all. Go get it.
Apparently this story is a prequel to a series of books set in this same zombie apocalypse stricken world. Or maybe it’s just set in the same world. I don’t really know. What I do know is that you don’t have to read the others before listening to The Hospital. It completely stands alone and is completely creepy.
Gus is the protagonist. He is just a regular guy trying to stay alive and avoid becoming dinner for the walking corpses. He was a big guy when things went bad and even now, half starved, he’s still got a good bit of meat on him. He’s bald, he spits, he drinks too much booze and he has stinky accidents in his pants like any normal scared-out-of his-wits person would in this situation. What’s not to like?
Anyway, this story follows Gus as he loots a hospital. He’s rather surprised by how much good stuff is just lying about but he doesn’t think too hard on it. He’s just thankful he’s found it. He’ll regret this later, after he loses a little of his meat . . .
This story was short but it packed a gruesome punch. Gus ends up finding more than he bargained for and what happens next is extremely horrifying and kind of funny, if you're strange like me. I won’t forget this one anytime soon. The narrator was perfect for the part and did a fabulous job with Gus and the one other character. This is good gory stuff and I hope to revisit this author and Gus again.
And if’n you are one of those who must know the spoiler and decide to click below don’t be blaming me if you never sleep again.
Apparently this story is a prequel to a series of books set in this same zombie apocalypse stricken world. Or maybe it’s just set in the same world. I don’t really know. What I do know is that you don’t have to read the others before listening to The Hospital. It completely stands alone and is completely creepy.
Gus is the protagonist. He is just a regular guy trying to stay alive and avoid becoming dinner for the walking corpses. He was a big guy when things went bad and even now, half starved, he’s still got a good bit of meat on him. He’s bald, he spits, he drinks too much booze and he has stinky accidents in his pants like any normal scared-out-of his-wits person would in this situation. What’s not to like?
Anyway, this story follows Gus as he loots a hospital. He’s rather surprised by how much good stuff is just lying about but he doesn’t think too hard on it. He’s just thankful he’s found it. He’ll regret this later, after he loses a little of his meat . . .
This story was short but it packed a gruesome punch. Gus ends up finding more than he bargained for and what happens next is extremely horrifying and kind of funny, if you're strange like me. I won’t forget this one anytime soon. The narrator was perfect for the part and did a fabulous job with Gus and the one other character. This is good gory stuff and I hope to revisit this author and Gus again.
And if’n you are one of those who must know the spoiler and decide to click below don’t be blaming me if you never sleep again.
May 21, 2023
Feel sort or cheated. On audible the actual story is only about an hour then the rest is a preview of book 1.
It was an interesting story though aliens extremely short. The first 2 books in the series are included in audible membership so I'll definitely be giving them a listen
It was an interesting story though aliens extremely short. The first 2 books in the series are included in audible membership so I'll definitely be giving them a listen
May 21, 2018
Nice intro to a series about a mountainman living through the zombie apocalypse.
Will I pick up the series? Probably not. But it was interesting enough and yucky and had some zombie nastiness that I hadn‘t come across before.
Free on audible.
Will I pick up the series? Probably not. But it was interesting enough and yucky and had some zombie nastiness that I hadn‘t come across before.
Free on audible.
April 12, 2014
Not good. Pretty average post zombie apocalypse story with few actual zombies. Any tension that could have been built up through story was cancelled out by the unnecessarily graphic imagery (a naked overweight alcoholic biker defecating himself while being swarmed by infant zombies?) This story was basically a series of cheap horrors with little to no actual substance.
May 15, 2019
5 stars audio!!!
5 crude, gruesome and humorous stars story!
5 crude, gruesome and humorous stars story!
October 20, 2019
I got this short audiobook for free off audible and was surprised with how good it was for a freebie. Perfect pick if your looking for a short horror story.
September 4, 2014
The Hospital is a prequel to Mountain Man series. I rarely listen to books, but picked this one because it was short and free. The narrator is great and thanks to him I enjoyed it.
Gus Berry is on his own in a zombie infested world. Occasionally, he comes to the city to get anything he can find. He finds a lot more than he expected in the hospital. He is not unarmed, he is aware of the danger, but what he finds is pretty bad.
This story is both disturbing and occasionally funny. I am not sure if I want to read about someone like Gus. No particular reason except I find him kind of repulsive. I might check the first book in the series just to see.
Gus Berry is on his own in a zombie infested world. Occasionally, he comes to the city to get anything he can find. He finds a lot more than he expected in the hospital. He is not unarmed, he is aware of the danger, but what he finds is pretty bad.
This story is both disturbing and occasionally funny. I am not sure if I want to read about someone like Gus. No particular reason except I find him kind of repulsive. I might check the first book in the series just to see.
June 8, 2017
A gory short story
Rating 3/5
A good start followed by some intense gory moments. However there was no much character building. But for a short story it was OK.
Rating 3/5
A good start followed by some intense gory moments. However there was no much character building. But for a short story it was OK.
May 15, 2019
On the recommendation of a friend, I checked out this novelette/short story. It's meant to serve as a teaser into a longer series known as The Mountain Man series. It turns out, it wasn't my cup of tea.
Lots of errors in the beginning, like the editor skipped the first five pages. Story tightens up mid-way and becomes interesting. By the end its every other zombie story I've read before. This is an introduction to a longer series. If you're into zombies this could be for you.
It's not for me unfortunately.
Lots of errors in the beginning, like the editor skipped the first five pages. Story tightens up mid-way and becomes interesting. By the end its every other zombie story I've read before. This is an introduction to a longer series. If you're into zombies this could be for you.
It's not for me unfortunately.
November 23, 2014
Nice intro to his work and probably a good zombie series. If I'm ever interested in another zombie series, I would probably check out his Mountain Man books.
March 6, 2021
This is a prequel to the Mountain Man series. I've been very curious about these books, since I love zombie stories. This freebie prequel was hanging out in my Audible library, so I decided the best place to start is at the very beginning.
This is the first book by Keith Blackmore I've read. I enjoyed the awesome zombie story, but also the gritty reality of this prequel tale. Augustus "Gus'' Berry scavenges for supplies where he can and is very careful. This time, he scouts out a hospital building. He's dressed for a supply run and armed.... The first trip into the abandoned hospital nets him a good bit of supplies....so he decides to make a second trip. The second trip does not go as smoothly as the first.....and Gus finds himself in a bit of a mess.
Great story! And a nice introduction to Blackmore's writing. Gus is not a pretty character -- he's a slightly overweight former "good ol' boy'' just trying to survive. At least that's the impression I get from this introductory story. I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series!
I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by R.C. Bray. Bray did a great job of narrating! This story had some really disturbing events, and Bray really brought out the feel and tension of the scene and the earthy grit of Augustus Berry.
This story was a ball-breaking, pants shitting good time....literally. Poor Gus! I can't wait to read more of this series!
**I voluntarily downloaded and listened to free copy of this short story from Audible. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.**
This is the first book by Keith Blackmore I've read. I enjoyed the awesome zombie story, but also the gritty reality of this prequel tale. Augustus "Gus'' Berry scavenges for supplies where he can and is very careful. This time, he scouts out a hospital building. He's dressed for a supply run and armed.... The first trip into the abandoned hospital nets him a good bit of supplies....so he decides to make a second trip. The second trip does not go as smoothly as the first.....and Gus finds himself in a bit of a mess.
Great story! And a nice introduction to Blackmore's writing. Gus is not a pretty character -- he's a slightly overweight former "good ol' boy'' just trying to survive. At least that's the impression I get from this introductory story. I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series!
I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by R.C. Bray. Bray did a great job of narrating! This story had some really disturbing events, and Bray really brought out the feel and tension of the scene and the earthy grit of Augustus Berry.
This story was a ball-breaking, pants shitting good time....literally. Poor Gus! I can't wait to read more of this series!
**I voluntarily downloaded and listened to free copy of this short story from Audible. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.**
April 2, 2014
My full The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story audiobook review can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
My only complaint about The Hospital is that its too short. Blackmore introduces us to a world that has been ravaged by some sort of plague, thank you for not getting into it, the type of world that I have become accustomed to. The Mountain Man Augustus Berry, star of the series, reminds me of a character that I know of but cannot for the life of me remember who, there is a reason he is a survivor, let me leave it at that. This is a short account of one of his scavenging run where he decided to scour a hospital for supplies. Here he encounters a demented crazy woman and finds that there are many thing much more frightening that the undead. If you are like me and want another zombie series to listen to, please join me and check out the rest of the series in the very near future.
Audiobook purchased by me.
My only complaint about The Hospital is that its too short. Blackmore introduces us to a world that has been ravaged by some sort of plague, thank you for not getting into it, the type of world that I have become accustomed to. The Mountain Man Augustus Berry, star of the series, reminds me of a character that I know of but cannot for the life of me remember who, there is a reason he is a survivor, let me leave it at that. This is a short account of one of his scavenging run where he decided to scour a hospital for supplies. Here he encounters a demented crazy woman and finds that there are many thing much more frightening that the undead. If you are like me and want another zombie series to listen to, please join me and check out the rest of the series in the very near future.
Audiobook purchased by me.
July 18, 2022
A short afternoon read. I thought I’d try it and see if I wanted to check out more of the series. This book didn’t necessarily make me want to do that
July 27, 2017
This started out promising, then got kind of weird... I love a good zombie book or movie but this one was a little odd. But I will say the narrator was great! It sounded a lot like the guy that narrated 'The Martian'.
Update: it IS the same narrator as The Martian! :)
Update: it IS the same narrator as The Martian! :)
November 4, 2021
Just a quick little prequel story about Gus aka Mountain Man checking out a hospital in search of medical supplies during a zombie apocalypse. Some serious creepy characters in this one!! Still loving this series - next will be another full length one because this one was just not enough.
October 25, 2021
Yikes! So gory and disgusting. I guess that's how a zombie - apocalypse story should be.
December 29, 2021
I had not listened to an audio book from R.C Bray, nor had I read a book from the series in a while! It was a pleasure to get back to both !
October 4, 2019
Creepy and gross story, as usual in Blackmore's mountain man universe.
Fun.
Fun.
December 21, 2020
This is so spicy, lol. It really shows how sick and twisted a person can be. Very colorful descriptions and verbage used. I'm easy to please tho, I love zombie stuff.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews