Cheating, Death
Teel McClanahan III is back. And this time, there very likely may be dead zombies everywhere. Cheating, Death starts now:
When the walking dead fill the streets, who can cheat death? Who can survive?
Featuring a zombie outbreak that devastates Denver, an indecisive adulterer, and a series of violent, disturbing, and perhaps even heart-rending events of the sort you’d expect when the dead rise up to eat the living, Cheating, Death is a roller-coaster ride through a horror show both of death and of the heart.
Cheating, Death is the fourth glimpse of the storybook universe first seen in Lost and Not Found, and gives a detailed look at the zombie outbreak that put the events of Forget What You Can’t Remember in motion. Listen to one for fun, then read and/or listen to them all to get the rest of the story.
We’re starting out with a single episode, though Teel is very good about putting new episodes up weekly until the book is finished. Grab a default feed to listen at his pace, or a custom feed to listen at your own.
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December 27th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Six chapters in and I’m sticking with it. Good Stuff.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Glad you’re enjoying it. Chapter 7 is where things really start to go downhill for everyone. I think you’ll be gruesomely satisfied.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:13 am
This is sort of a smaller take on the whole zombie genre.
It takes a dysfunctionally doomed family and surrounds them with doom. Does it find their strengths or their weaknesses?
I enjoyed the story very much..
But my only complaint might be that I never felt invested in any of the characters. None of them were very likable to me… so their fates and their impending peril were not as important to me as they could have been.
In the end it was kind of a dismal view of how self involved people have become.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:28 am
I’d agree with @Rosanna to some extent. I couldn’t really get attached to these characters.
Largely I found them just to pathetic to relate to. Once things started to really go down hill it seems they just ceased functioning. Sure there should be a bit of time to freak out, but then I want to see them taking life into their own hands and trying to save themselves, but I never really felt like they were all that endeared with living.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:05 am
This is a great book. It’s well written and the story is engaging. It’s pretty macabre but entertainingly so. The inept characters are believable and at times amusing. Thanks.
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:40 pm
This is one of those Zombie Novels that is not going to appeal to the hard core Zombie Freak. If you’re a casual reader of the genre like me you’ll find it entertaining and a different and original take on the Zombie genre. That said I have to agree with Chris and Rosanna I found neither of the main characters the least bit appealing, I wanted to go into the novel and smack both of them. Chris was right on target this is dysfunctional and doomed family that might or might not appeal to most people.
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
The last few sentences of the last episode had me wishing for about 10 minutes more of audio. After getting over the initial upset I definitely applaud your ability to leave your listeners wanting more. I look forward to listening to more of your work.
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
(Just looked at the end of the paperback to be sure.) I’m glad you enjoyed it and look forward to more – the novel Forget What You Can’t Remember (also on Podiobooks) is an entire book about the effects of the event that was about to make Stacy forget about Melvin… though, since I wrote Cheating, Death 2nd, Stacy isn’t in Forget What You Can’t Remember. If you read/listen to ForgetWYCR and still want to know what happened to Stacy, let me know – maybe I’ll write her a short story.
November 15th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Fantastic-but-don’t forget-this is BOOK 4-the whole forgetWYCR saga is truly worth your time
March 21st, 2011 at 7:10 am
This was the first of your books i’ve read it was amazing! please tell me what the other 3 are! (I’m about 1/3 of the way threw Forget WYCR.)
March 21st, 2011 at 11:13 am
The 4 (or 5) books in the Lost and Not Found universe include: Lost and Not Found, Forget What You Can’t Remember, More Lost Memories, Cheating, Death, and the Lost and Not Found – Director’s Cut. If you read/listen to Lost and Not Found and More Lost Memories, you’ve read/heard everything in the Lost and Not Found – Director’s Cut. No two of these books are even close to the same genre, just set in the same universe, and with overlapping characters/settings/events.
August 15th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
I love zombie books & this one is at the top of my list. My BIG BIG BIG problem with the book is the narrator (author). I guess because I’m a busy mom and “listen” to all my books but narrators can make or break one! He’s either, singing the words out, being VERY pretentious, slurring or maybe he’s just apathetic. Alot of the words are not pronounced all the way out & the endings dropped. I’m not talking about runnin vs running. But “you should” becomes “you shul” “offering is offing” “manage is maaege” “monster is moner” and it is driving me mad. Even more annoying is the snooty accent of EVERY character when they speak. Even kids & the two thugs Theo & Stink. They all sound like they are wrapped in a silk robe, sniffing brandy & listening to Barbara Streisand soundtracks. It’s not one or two chapters either but throughout. It’s sad really because I like the book so well. I have to take it in stages so I don’t give up all together. I will NOT listen to another book “read” by this author but would certain purchase a hard copy!
August 16th, 2011 at 12:02 am
oh my gosh i agree about the narration! i finally put it down. the book is great but i just cannot listen to this narrator. i wonder if he is just tired? it seems like he is tired and does not pronounce his words right. i think the singing that you are talking about goes hand in hand with the uppity way he speaks. the characters just are not believable, how could they be when a child talks like he is heir to the thrown lol. great book though i love it. by the way, my husband watches this cartoon called the twisted whiskers and there’s a cat called mr. mewser who lives with is enslaved mice in a big mansion. that is who the author reminds me of lol. let me say there is no way i would ever attempt to narrate so i commend anyone for doing so………….but i agree, i think i will opt for the hard copy next time.
August 16th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Thanks for the feedback; I’ll certainly try to pay closer attention to enunciation when recording future books, and will give the issue of a “snooty/uppity” tone careful consideration while listening to this book (and other of my books) again. I certainly didn’t intend for every character to come across that way, though in this book … almost all of them are supposed to come across as self-centered, self-righteous, and generally as though they think they’re the only person in the world who matters. You’re supposed to hate just about everyone in the book, and be either apathetic or glad when they die.
Of course, you can easily get a hard copy of Cheating, Death (or any of my books) – I recommend using the Amazon link on the Podiobooks.com page, so Podiobooks gets a cut of the sale! Cheating, Death is only $9.99 in paperback, and is currently $3.99 as an eBook, and if you can’t afford those prices, all my books are available as free eBooks at modernevil.com… and then you can enjoy my stories without having to listen to my narration.
August 16th, 2011 at 11:30 pm
thanks Teel! wow, an author that listens to his audience. i’m impressed! i love this book like everyone else, like I said you’re a great author but dude – find someone else to narrate & spend your time creating. that is definitely where your talent is. i actually have an email into amazon. I have both this book and forget what you can’t remember in my cart and it says one available for each but won’t let me purchase saying they’re out. grrr we’re amazon prime members so the price isn’t bad at all with the free shipping. (i checked audible first for an audio book and uh hum same narrator lol) can’t wait to get them and read next week on vacation. you should definitely write more horror just please no vampires i am so tired of vampires. thanks again love your work (just not your voice lol)
August 19th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
I don’t know why Amazon would do that; I’ve just emailed my distributor to see if there’s a problem on my end. Hopefully it’ll be resolved in time for your vacation! Oh, and sorry to disappoint you, but I’m already hard at work on a dystopian/vampire duology, which I’m aiming to have ready by the end of the year – hopefully what I have in mind will be interesting and different enough from the other vampire books out there to interest you, though!
October 15th, 2012 at 1:38 am
Hey teel.. Just finished cheating death thought it was amazing!!
You really feel for mel but in the same time too you start thinking .. The way people think the grass is always greener in the other side.. life’s too short I think! Anyway again a wonderful listen thanks