This how the world ends, maybe not with a bang, nor a whimper but with plenty of diverse threads woven into an exciting tapestry of geopolitical, nationalist, political, personal conflict with the trademarked john Birmingham exploding goodness.
An exciting cast of characters coming through the unfolding catastrophic circumstances, from the first mild inconveniences that like the recession of water from a beach heralds the tsunami, through the tumultuous 'can things get worse' to the devastation that is, 'things got worse'. The fall begun by an organised attack on the backbone of the internet, that you discover a result of the decades of environmental ignorance finally driving the natural systems to the point of collapse, resulting in economic and social system soon caught in a death spiral which you can view from numerous distinct characters, each with their own unique voice and problems you are sure to find one you cheer for and one you hate.
Dispersed throughout the tale are interludes giving an insight into how the rest of the world is failing.
The excellent vocal choice for the audio format bringing the story a more dramatic feel, it resonates with the terrifying shockwave prescience I have not since experienced since John Brunner's 1972 work The Sheep look Up.
Buy it, listen to it, tremble at its terrifying immediacy, my only caveat it could have used zombies.

Zero Day Code: End of Days, Book 1
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Product details
Listening Length | 12 hours and 32 minutes |
---|---|
Author | John Birmingham |
Narrator | Rupert Degas |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 04 July 2019 |
Publisher | Audible Studios |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Original recording |
Language | English |
ASIN | B07T25H9YX |
Best Sellers Rank |
6 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
2 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) 2 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books) |
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4.6 out of 5
54 global ratings
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Reviewed in Australia on 5 July 2019
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Reviewed in Australia on 20 February 2021
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This is a brilliant and prescient book:I found the story engrossing, the action and pacing were perfect, and the characters engaging and really well developed. As always, the author’s dry wit and turn of phrase are a particular pleasure. I bolted through this in one very intense day, and plan to read it again... often, while I wait for the next book
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 22 February 2021
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I followed along on Patreon as JB was writing this. I joined Audible (true story) just to listen to the audiobook. And now I have a readable copy in my hot little hands!
Like a lot of other reviewers here, I'm a John Birmingham fan. Don't let that put you off. JB has done his homework and research. The setup that he puts together is entirely realistic, the societal decay predictable (and only a few steps past the insanity of 2020's COVID pandemic), and the characters - while some are definitely extreme or caricatures - fit the story like a glove.
If you enjoy apocalyptic fiction, this should absolutely be your jam (on delicious sourdough end-of-the-world toast.
Like a lot of other reviewers here, I'm a John Birmingham fan. Don't let that put you off. JB has done his homework and research. The setup that he puts together is entirely realistic, the societal decay predictable (and only a few steps past the insanity of 2020's COVID pandemic), and the characters - while some are definitely extreme or caricatures - fit the story like a glove.
If you enjoy apocalyptic fiction, this should absolutely be your jam (on delicious sourdough end-of-the-world toast.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 24 February 2021
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I was able to read an early draft of this book via John Birmingham's Patreon page during the period when the COVID-19 epidemic was starting to affect us in Australia and we were facing chronic shortages of .... toilet paper. Our daily struggles to source enough of this precious commodity added that extra delicious level of spice & realism to the slow, creeping catastrophic collapse of society portrayed in Zero Day Code.
The different character story lines and the gradual escalation from mere inconveniences to greater and greater levels of catastrophe make this book a real page turner. So check your canned soup and toilet paper stocks, charge your powerbank batteries, and settle in for a great read about how a missing muffin can become a portent of doom.
The different character story lines and the gradual escalation from mere inconveniences to greater and greater levels of catastrophe make this book a real page turner. So check your canned soup and toilet paper stocks, charge your powerbank batteries, and settle in for a great read about how a missing muffin can become a portent of doom.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 21 February 2021
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Stock up on non-perishable goods and be nice to your neighbours, the end of the world is only a mouse click away. When hostile hackers bring down the food system all hell breaks loose. A diverse cast of characters find themselves thrown into a fight for survival as the world collapses around them, while others decide they’re not going to let a good disaster go to waste. Birmingham’s brilliant dialogue hums throughout. Can’t wait for the next installment.
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Reviewed in Australia on 20 February 2021
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ZDC offers a disturbingly too easy to imagine version of the end of the world - not with a bang, but with the whimper of failing systems that have become essential to how most of us now live. Rather than the four horsemen of the apocalypse, something as innocuous as muffins not being delivered, or having to resort to using a ye olde manual credit card swipe machine could herald the breakdown of society. And then we're off on an exciting ride through a collapsing world, of people just trying to survive. Lots of the usual John Birmingham splodey goodness, a diverse and interesting group of characters, and hints of worse to come. Great page turner, and highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 25 February 2021
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Damn you, John Birmingham! I picked up this book, planning to wind-down for 20 minutes before bed. 2 hours later I was hopelessly hooked, jonesing for another chapter. Rarely do you find turbo-charged plot lines so skilfully woven with subtle character development and concrete but effortless world building. Just try putting it down - I dare you.
Reviewed in Australia on 21 February 2021
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A chilling and well wrought novel about the downfall of civilisation. Birmingham’s trademark wit and story craft make this the first in what will become a classic series. Highly recommended.
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