Virus: Earth's Last Battle

De: Ray Jay Perreault

Narrado por: George Napier

This is the second book in the Virus series, which parallels the SIMPOC series.

A suspicious virus has killed 99.99997 percent of the people. A ruthless warlord who moved into the White House attacked the government at Camp David. The president moved the remaining government to an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic and left a military unit to deal with the warlord.

The decimated US Navy is still functional. They must defend themselves from the remnants of militaries with a grudge against the US that use the opportunity to get revenge.

Joan Herl and her remaining space station Oasis crew returned to Earth, and a computer playing by different rules attacked them. Their only ally was the first thinking computer SIMPOC and his surrogate Alpha. Dr. Julius, who was one of the moon colony crew members, steals the research for thinking computers, and with his expertise he creates another computer that rivals SIMPOC and who starts making its own plans.

Eventually, they all find out why the virus started and who is responsible.

©2015 Raymond J Perrealt (P)2017 Raymond J Perreault

Entertaining SciFi story

This audiobook is a variation of the SIMPOC story but told from the human POV rather that the AI’s. A virus has wiped out most of the worlds population and this story details how the remaining populous, both on Earth and in space, cope with the devolution of society and the prominence of intelligent computers. An entertaining SciFi story that’s a bit slow in the beginning but soon heats up. The narrator did a good job but I did find the background beeps and noises a bit distracting. It is a well written story that has some great surprises.

Thought-Provoking and Thrilling

Brilliant AI Concept: Perreault masterfully explores the ethics of AI alongside a thrilling virus apocalypse. Napier’s narration makes the twists even more captivating. Highly recommended for sci-fi lovers!

Great Book

I love this book, it's very informational. It shows you yourself, which could be enlightening moment to better ones self.

Virus

The virus is a bit tough topic. A terrible virus has killed most of the people. Whether you're a sci fi fan this is fun to listen .

AIs Viruses and Aliens - This Story Has Everything

A well written story by an author who really knows his stuff. The story line is very complex with multiple characters and settings spanning from Earth to Mars so it takes awhile to get everything sorted out.
The characters are well voiced and once you figure out who goes where, it's a great story that you'll hate to have to turn off.
in the Epilogue, Perreault promises a second story. I'll be very interested in seeing where this one goes.

A Riveting Tale of Survival and AI Power Struggles

I was blown away by "Virus: Earth's Last Battle". Ray Jay Perreault’s world-building is fantastic, creating a complex scenario where humans and AI are fighting for control of a virus-ravaged Earth. The storyline is full of twists, especially with the new rival AI systems. George Napier does an incredible job narrating this thrilling and unpredictable audiobook. This is one of the best sci-fi audiobooks I’ve listened to recently!

This audio book is great.

Not only is the story well written and plausible, but the narration is spot on. If you wonder what could happen, here is one answer for you. I received this audio book for free at my request and voluntarily reviewed.

Human side to SIMPOC 2

This book is the continuation to ‘Virus: 72 Hours to Live‘, and the human side of ‘SIMPOC 2‘. Here we witness how the humans left on Earth get ready for what is coming.

I always enjoy Perreault’s books. He proposes a believable scenarios with down to earth characters. I remember enjoying the SIMPOC novels, and the Virus series is an expansion of it. I missed some of the technical aspects from SIMPOC but I think the Virus series is more approachable for the general public.

There are several events happening in parallel, and the tension is palpable for most of the book. I grew especially attached to Joan and her husband. I found it a bit surprising that SIMPOC 2 and this book tell the same events from different POV’s (AI’s vs. humans) and the length of the later is three times of SIMPOC 2. In my opinion, this book drags a bit in some parts, and the surprise factor is mostly gone if you have read SIMPOC 2. Nevertheless, both novels complement each other well, but I still prefer the ones from the AI’s POV.

The first book and both SIMPOC novels had been narrated by Zachary Johnson, so I was surprised that for this one Perreault decided to change and have a completely different production, with several narrators and sound effects. The background sounds were lower than in other audiobooks, which I am glad for, but the sound effects applied to some of the voices sacrificed intelligibility. For me, an audiobook is something that I can listen to at any time of the day, and that allows me to multitask. If sound FX and other things like music are introduced, it becomes a different kind of product, to be listened in a quiet environment and a different level of attention. Sadly, this is just not for me, but I see the appeal that it can have for some people.

The book ends on a cliffanger, like SIMPOC 2. I am anxious to know what’s next, I’m sure Perreault has something good in store for us.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Good story but sound effects can be annoying

Ray Jay Perreault writes good sci-fi. He has good ideas and does a reasonable job executing those ideas to his readers/listeners. I do think he needs better editors. As with most of his stories this one is full of inconsistencies. This one even goes so far as to get events counting aliens out of order. 12 plus 12 is not 36 and the second 12 passing the moon is in the story well before the second 12 is entering the solar system.
Other than these somewhat minor points, I think these stories are well worth listening to. They are creative and action packed and the plot keeps moving nicely.

This audiobook was a move in a new direction for the narration. George Napier and Soundware Media did a full sound effect production for this book. Most were appropriate however there was just too much noise most of the time to make for a good listen. It was a good attempt but just maybe it went overboard on the sound effects. One truly odd note was a phone ringing in the background. No one answered it and it did not fit in the story. (Most of the population is dead… who’s calling who?)

I was offered a free copy of this book in audio format by the author in exchange for an honest review.

An Action-Packed Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

"Virus: Earth's Last Battle" had me hooked from start to finish. Ray Jay Perreault continues to build on the suspense and action from the first book, and the political and military conflicts are expertly done. The threat of rival thinking computers adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. George Napier's narration brings the characters and their struggles to life with energy and precision. A must-listen for post-apocalyptic sci-fi fans!