So, to whet your appetites, here’s the blurb…

“It’s been almost one hundred days since a killer disease wiped out 99% of the population. Three months since the dead reanimated. Survivors are few and far between now, and those who remain stick together to give themselves the best possible chance of continuing to stay alive. They are the last of the living.

A band of refugees has taken shelter in a medieval castle – a fortress that has stood strong for hundreds of years. Besieged by the dead, they only emerge when it’s absolutely necessary. As autumn turns to winter, however, the balance of power slowly begins to shift.

The unexpected appearance of survivors from another group changes everything. They bring choice, and an alternative way of life which is a far cry from the world everyone has been forced to leave behind. Society as we know it has crumbled beyond repair and things will never be the same again. Some people are ready to embrace this change, others can’t let go of the past. The choice is divisive.

Are we entering mankind’s final days? In the aftermath of the disease, will the last survivors destroy each other, or will the dead destroy them all?”

Just to clear up any confusion, this is very definitely the final book in the AUTUMN timeline. There are a few more short stories to share, but is the last chapter in the series. And yes, in case you’re wondering, the ‘survivors from another group’ mentioned in the blurb are from the island of Cormansey…

Next week I’ll introduce you to one of the key characters from the book, and those of you who read THE HUMAN CONDITION first time around might remember him!

AUTUMN: AFTERMATH is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

By the way, if you’re interested in signed foreign editions of the AUTUMN and HATER books, you can find some of those listed over at www.infectedbooks.co.uk too.

Finally for today, thanks to my good friend and web guru Rich Grundy, I have a new tool for those trying to locate specific eBook editions of my books. Check it out below:

Pick the book you’re after, chose your country and the eBook platform you use, then press ‘Go’. Simple! You can find this widget at www.infectedbooks.co.uk.

Autumn: Disintegration now available (again!) is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

By the way, apologies to those of you in the UK who’ve had trouble getting hold of AUTUMN: DISINTEGRATION since its release at the end of last month. I can’t help feeling a little smug about this – the book sold out! A new printing is underway, and I’ll post here again when it becomes available again. Sincere thanks to everyone who picked it up.

As always, you can find out more about the AUTUMN series over at www.lastoftheliving.net. There’ll be some new free fiction appearing there next week.

AUTUMN: THE CITY – UK mass market paperback out today is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

AUTUMN: DISINTEGRATION is, at long, long last, released in the UK today. I’ve already talked a lot about the book and the reasons for its numerous delays (click here for a reminder), so today I just want to concentrate on the positive news that the book is finally out. For a reminder of the plot of the new novel and to understand how it fits in with the rest of the AUTUMN books, click here.

A limited number of signed copies of the UK hardcover edition are now available from Infected Books. Click here for more details.

Thanks again for all your support throughout 2011. I’ll be back very early in 2012 with loads of good stuff. Until then, enjoy DISINTEGRATION and have a Happy New Year!

Autumn: Disintegration released in the UK today is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

But just looking back over 2011 for a moment, I’m amazed how many releases I managed to chalk up: In the US, AUTUMN: THE CITY, AUTUMN: PURIFICATION, AUTUMN: DISINTEGRATION and THEM OR US were all released, along with the mass-market edition of DOG BLOOD. It was the same in the UK, along with a mass-market edition of AUTUMN as well. Elsewhere, SEPTIEMBRE ZOMBIE and CIUDAD ZOMBIE were released in Spain, and translations of HATER appeared in Romania, Japan and Italy. Oh, and there was THE MONSTER’S CORNER anthology, and my story for the recent SFX ZOMBIE SPECIAL. See what I mean? It’s been a busy year! And that’s before I start talking about the events and signings and interviews and meetings and website launches etc. etc. 2011 has been a blast, and thanks to everyone who has been a part of it.

This won’t be my last post of the year, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Happy Christmas. Whatever you celebrate, wherever you are, have fun! I’ll leave you with a festive treat. Remember back in October when Wayne Simmons, Jasper Bark and I ended up holed-up in Leicester, surrounded by zombies, discussing our love for the genre and our favoured survival techniques? Well here’s the video evidence.

It’s very tongue in cheek and everyone had a huge amount of fun on the day. Thanks to Vince, Adele, and all involved with Un:Bound Video Editions.

Happy Holidays (and Christmas Zombies!) is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

Library Journal said: “In Disintegration, the best installment, Moody ventures into Lord of the Flies territory. The juxtaposition of the two groups of survivors and the consequent tension between them produces excruciating suspense not seen before in the series. The ending is utterly chilling…”

28dayslateranalysis.com said: “The wait was well worth it.”

And after keeping you waiting for several years too many, I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Please grab the book and let me know. The UK edition, by the way, is out on December 29th. Apologies for the extra delay, UK readers.

Coming soon – more short stories featuring the new characters from DISINTEGRATION, a chance to win some original AUTUMN artwork, and your first glimpse into the dead world of AUTUMN: AFTERMATH.

AUTUMN: DISINTEGRATION – out now is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

First announced back in 2006, the book has been a long, long time coming and I hope you enjoy it. To tide you over the last few days, click the ‘Read More’ link below and read the first chapter which features Webb, the lovely chap we met over at www.lastoftheliving.net a while back.

Autumn: Disintegration – read the first chapter is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

First up is WEBB. You’ll not have come across him before, but you’ll know all about him by the end of the year, because he’s one of the central characters in AUTUMN: DISINTEGRATION. He’s not a nice chap.

Then we have PENELOPE STREET. Even though she’s survived the infection, Penelope’s in a particularly awful position, and there’s absolutely nothing she can do about it.

And finally, ANNIE NELSON, a character who first appeared in the Whitchurch Community Centre along with Michael, Carl and Emma in AUTUMN.

Beginning to Disintegrate… is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

I first became aware of Antony several years ago when he sent me a few illustrations inspired by AUTUMN (you can see a gallery at the end of this post). A zombie-junkie before the undead were anywhere near as popular as they are today, he told me that back then “…you really had to look for it. A few years ago there seemed to be a barrage of zombie books emerging from the grave, and Autumn was one of them. The book was released free, so I downloaded, printed and was completely absorbed after the first few pages.”

As you’ll see from the before/after pictures after the break (click to enlarge), Antony’s style really lends itself well to creating post-apocalyptic imagery.

A horror fan from a very early age, his fascination with the genre continued as he began to work in film, photography and design, going on to study Graphic Design at university. These studies offered him a chance to experiment, which is clearly visible in his work on www.lastoftheliving.net: “I try to convey a whole story and really capture the atmosphere and feeling in just one picture. It was a challenge, but sometimes great images can come out of the limitations you set within a project.”

“I like to create an image that takes a little while to sink in. Something you have to look at a few times and notice small details here and there. I normally start with several images of the same location, then layer them together with textures and images from my stock of dirty grunge and broken things! I have a lot of reference images of damage and broken landscapes.”

I asked Antony about his influences. He cites directors such as Romero, Tarantino and Eli Roth, and authors he grew up reading such as Richard Laymon and Dean Koontz. Much of his inspiration comes from films, but he’s equally likely to be influenced by books and video games. “Modern video games have really taken a cinematic turn. Back in the 90’s games were just games… Today they are all the best bits from films and books, totally immersive, creating a world you become a part of. The Bioshock series blew me away. The world they created was so rich you just became totally absorbed.”

Many thanks to Antony for the superb artwork he’s created for www.lastoftheliving.net. I hope there will be much more to come. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to read THE GARDEN SHED. In the meantime, you can contact Antony and find out more about his work at www.blackpapersky.co.uk.

The Autumn artists – Antony White is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series

Completely coincidentally, a new mass-market paperback version of AUTUMN has been released in the UK this week by Gollancz (with the rest of the books to follow in this format a year after the hardback releases – next February for THE CITY, April for PURIFICATION etc.).

To celebrate the new edition and the ten year anniversary of the book, I thought it would be a good to share a brand new, previously unpublished AUTUMN short story with you. Have you ever wondered what happened to Michael and Emma in the week or so between the end of the first book and their eventual re-appearance in THE CITY? Head over to www.lastoftheliving.net and read Breaking Point to find out. I hope you enjoy it.

A new edition of AUTUMN and a brand new free story is a post from: David Moody - author of HATER, DOG BLOOD and the AUTUMN series