Hunger, by Knut Hamsun. A review

Hunger, by Knut Hamsun. Review. By Michael Poeltl

This was a troubling tale of struggle, poverty and homelessness as seen through the eyes of a writer caught up in a depression. An excellent read.
It resonated with me because the writing is very similar to my own. It takes a first person telling, which offers deep insight into the protagonists state of mind.

For related reading visit: www.the-judas-syndrome.com

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The Realms of Imagination offers a myriad of sci-fi books written by author Steven Lake.

Steven describes his ideas on writing:

"I'm one who firmly believes in taking what you do best and sharing it with others. In my case that's writing. I do this because I love it, and I do it to share with others. In this case, anyone who reads my books. So grab one of my novels, find a comfy chair, and immerse yourself in the worlds these books bring to you...
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Save a tree, pick up Rebirth as an ebook

Pick up the continuing saga of life after the Apocalypse, with Rebirth, the second book in The Judas Syndrome series.

The book is available in every e-reader format on smashwords, and Kindle format on Amazon.

S.A.D. - Depression and the End Times

Imagine if you suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a mood disorder that hits those with normal mental health, causing depression at the onset of winter. The days are shorter. You wake up to darkness, and go home in darkness. Those of us that work in-doors are likely not to see the sun for stretches of a week at a time. Symptoms can range from a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, withdrawing from friends, family, and social activities to life ending anxiety. But winter is a tough season. It is cold, grey, and dark. Even those showing no signs of S.A.D. will lock themselves away in-doors, waiting out the season, not venturing out-doors unless it is absolutely necessary.

Now imagine everyone in the world suffered from S.A.D. What kind of a world would that be?

The end of the world offers its that very scenario, trapped inside, while a nuclear winter rages. Seasonal Affective Disorder could hardly represent the angst and horror those (un)lucky few survivors would suffer. Though all of the symptoms would apply, the idea that winter may never pass, that spring would never come, and that the summer months may exist only as a memory allows us to coin a new disorder in light of the end of the world: L.A.D. - Life Affective Disorder

Life Affective Disorder would encompass all of the aforementioned symptoms, one hundred fold. Thoughts of suicide would play out on the most resolute of individuals. Those left to exist in this nightmarish realm alone would almost certainly parish by their own hand. The (un)lucky few trapped with friends or family would fare much better, but for how long? With no end in sight, and no ability to forecast an end to this dark winter, L.A.D. would be rampant in every corner of the world a survivor, or group of survivors were found. The simple comforts we’d taken for granted gone, electricity, heat, clean water and food, depression would run rampant through the population.


Currently there are many different treatments for seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy: where the sufferer is exposed to false sunlight, antidepressants: which can artificially alter your mood, cognitive-behavioral therapy: where the patient is taught to think differently about a situation to alter their mood, and hormone therapy: where melatonin is released into the system.

To see the full S.A.D/L.A.D. article visit the website


Article Written by Michael Poeltl, Author and Expert on Post-Apocalyptic scenarios.

Review of The Passage, by Cronin

The Passage shares many aspects of The Judas Syndrome , for example; main character development prior to its explanation of how the end comes, and its use of multiple characters. The end having come from a plague rather than a nuclear holocaust allowed the planet to better sustain survivors in The Passage, offering an easier "afterlife" than the demoralized planet The Judas Syndrome left its surviving population.

That being said, both surviving communities were forced to push back attacking parties, in The Passage it was the infected humans bent on sucking the blood from their human counterparts, whereas in The Judas Syndrome those that survived were left to fight one another for what remaining resources there was left.

Both books offer up the intense anxiety survivors would experience after an Apocalypse of some design occurred, but the anxiety The Judas Syndrome creates is immediate whereas The Passage jumps ahead 100 years after the virals have already decimated the population. This broke up the anxiety (and the story) for me, and left me feeling like one book had ended while another was starting. Not a bad thing, but an interruption into a world I was just getting comfortable with.

All the same, The Passage was a good read with interesting characters, telling a story of survival and sorrow. If you enjoyed The Passage, then you will enjoy The Judas Syndrome also. If you enjoyed The Passage, then you will enjoy The Judas Syndrome

Excerpts from the 2nd novel in The Judas Syndrome series

Rebirth, the second book in the popular Apocalyptic fiction series, The Judas Syndrome, is now available exclusively through the author's website. Pick up where you left off, but before you do, read two excerpts from Rebirth - found here.