PIck up where you left off with REBIRTH, the 2nd book in The Judas Syndrome Trilogy

COMING FALL 2010

Although Mike Poeltl never intended for The Judas Syndrome to be the first of a series, he caved in to reader demand in the spring of 2010 and began working on Rebirth, a continuation of the popular post-apocalyptic tale that one Facebook reviewer called “a stark and uncompromising vision of the future of our world.”

Narrated by Joel’s girlfriend Sara, Rebirth is a story of survival, betrayal, and hope. After giving birth to their son, whose evident purpose is to fulfill the destiny that Joel had forsaken, Sara realizes that her home is no longer a haven.

Menaced by a power-obsessed Earl and frightened by the deterioration of a once-tight group of comrades, she flees north- into a nihilistic world inhabited by dangerous nomads, new friends, and old enemies.

Early reviewers have commented that Rebirth, while a sequel, is a powerful story in its own right. Poeltl has confirmed that a third book, as of yet untitled, will complete the Judas Syndrome trilogy.

“The series will chronicle the struggles and sacrifices of two generations of post-Apocalypse survivors,” he said recently. “The sins of the father (Joel) fall upon his son and Sara both. The question is- will the legacy he left them ensure their survival or their doom?”

If you haven't yet read The Judas Syndrome, order it here.

More reviews of post apocalyptic fiction

Review by Roger Luton:

As one not prone to read apocalypic prose, The Judas Sydrome has made me a believer in the genre.

Michael's insight into human nature under pressure and uncertainty is a textbook on human behaviour and interdependancy. His comparison of the world outside and the world of the mind is spellbinding and the question throughout is ,which wi...ll collapse first.

The characters are strong and interesting. The action is non stop with unexpected twists and turns leaving one guessing at what might happen next. But your guess would be wrong. Michaels juxtaposition of good and evil is stark not only as it plays out on the physical landscape but more interesting on the landscape of the human mind.

The use of omenous apparitions adds great flavour to the plot and intriguingly blurs the line between fact and fantasy. The reader is constantly questioning, as are the characters, what these apparitions are, what power they have, and what part they will play in the groups ultimate triumph or demise.

Truly a rollercoaster ride of emotion, action, introspection and mystey, a ride I am glad I waited in line for. I am already queing up for the next book. Hold onto your hat!

For more visit the website or the facebook fan page or Goodreads.com

Apocalyptic mindset of todays population.

As a rule we pick up on what is hot or popular in entertainment, and enjoying a renaissance since the 50's and 60'sis apocalyptic fiction. We see it in all forms of entertainment, Movies, Books , games and music now more than ever before.

There has always existed the dark places in our minds, and what darker, more horrifying vision than that of our everyday being taken violently from us through some global catastrophe? It plays on the public consciousness and has seeped out into our most celebrated escapes, that being entertainment.

There will always be wars, famine and hate in the world. This is a constant, but what horrors await us when each of us is forced to survive in a world unfamiliar?

More Character Sketches of The Judas Syndrome Cast

Conner:

18 years old. 5'10", muscled upper body, and seemingly always sporting a tan, Conner is Joel’s best friend and Joel his. Athletically inclined, he would participate in school sports merely to pass the time and be granted excuses for leaving math or history class, frustrating his coaches who only saw potential in him as an athlete.

Conner does his best to be seen as someone who is down to earth. It's a quality that he'd always admired in his older brother but found he had to work at. Conner 'suffers' from a sixth sense type ability that makes it difficult to always seem accessible or approachable. He will find himself stuck in a moment, a déjà-vu, and in working through it he allows the déjà-vu to show him a future state.

He believes he obtained this ability from his grandmother on his mother’s side. He remembers stories; even premonitions she'd revealed to him and witnessed come to pass.

Conner gets that he's different but in getting that, he goes out of his way to be normal. Graduating high school is about as far as he wants to take his classroom education. Travel would compete with college in the fall and travel won out.
He is in no way ashamed of his lack in interest in furthering his education in such things as literature, history and science in the classroom. The world would teach him what he needed to know and feed his independence.

Earthy and tough, Conner ‘s character is a perfect complement to Joel’s, both friends realizing that upon their first meeting in the sandbox.

Sara:

18 years old at the beginning of The Judas Syndrome, Sara is the 'it' girl at her highschool. Beautiful, smart, athletic and engaging. Her populatrity was assured, but popularity does not impress Sara, determination and purpose impress and drive her. Her choice of a best friend in Julia, a specticled overacheiving book club type, pretty in an unorthadox way, gives us an idea of her value in popularity.

She is blessed with perfect features, a main of thick shiny brown hair and the body of a cheerleader. Standing at 5'8", Sara is taller than most of her girlfirends, but in no way uncomfortablein her own skin. The majority of her highschool career Sara dates a volleyball player and though he was driven, it proved not enough for her as she yearned for more intellectual stimulation.

Sara is a family oriented person who never complains about taking family vacations or trips to the beach with her mom and dad. She chererishes her time with them. That being said, she is a teenager and happily splits from the family unit when a party or other social event involving her friends comes up. She endulges in all the illegal fun her popular friend base enjoys, but rarely to excess.

Sara is a confident girl, secure in her choices and thoughful of her actions. She believes in Karma and is mindful of her spiritual nature. Raised in the Luthern faith, Sara was baptised as a baby, confirmed as a young teenager and has carried the Christian teachings close to her heart. She believes in God, but accepts that she is human and so imperfect.

Sara heads up the cast of Rebirth , telling her story in 1st person, advancing the story from its tragic beginings with The Judas Syndrome.


For more Character sketches of The Judas Syndrome cast visit the website

Movies featuring the apocalypose

Can anyone help me compile a more complete list of apocalyptic movies, books and Television?

2012 (Movie) Nine (movie-annimated) Resident Evil Extinction (Film) Children of Men (Film) Heroes (T.V.) The Road (Book/Movie) Jericho (T.V) The day after tomorrow (Movie) Armageddon (Movie) Left Behind (Book/T.V.) The Postman (Book/Movie) The Stand (Book/Mini Series) Mad Max/Road Warrior (Films) I am Legend (Film) 12 Monkeys (Film) 28 Days/Weeks later (Films)


Thanks!

The Judas Syndrome (Book 2009/Film 2012)

New website for The Judas Syndrome series

With the new look of The Judas Syndrome comes a new website to introduce the series of apocalyptic fiction for teens and adults alike.

The teenage characters that have found themselves at the end of an age struggle into adulthood prematurely as they fight to survive in a a dying world.

Vsit the new website for video trailers, character sketches, maps and more.
Read about the second installment of The Judas Syndrome series, Rebirth, and when it will be available for purchase.

Character sketch of Joel, The Judas Syndrome's main character

18 years old. Lean muscular build. Dirty blonde hair frames his handsome face as though worked into place. His style mirrors a favorite band, unkempt, with clean lines. Outwardly his mood reflects that of his deceased father, calm. But this calm he recognizes as little more than a mirage, his mother’s anxious nature prevalent in the back of his mind. A quiet intelligence radiates from him, he wins friends easily with little effort, a skill or trait not learned but rather something he’d been born with. He couldn’t recall a time where he made the first gesture of friendship. It went that way with girls as well. Joel had been single a total of 6 months throughout his high school career.

He finds himself the center of attention in many situations, not the least of which is making choices for his friends. He’d rather be the one making the decisions than following someone else’s anyways, and if his decisions and opinions could be projected onto his friends favorably, what’s the harm.

Joel is a compassionate person, focusing mainly on those who seemingly cannot help themselves. He feels a responsibility toward them, to help them, protect them, and is likely one of the reasons people are drawn to him.

His weakness is his mind. Anxiety overwhelms him, the physical stress of it at times paralyzing him. It comes without warning , his pulse quickens, pins and needles attack his extremities, the numbness in his face and the frightening certainty that death lurks around the corner. Though undiagnosed he fears the worst. He is very aware of this flaw in himself, and manages it as best he can, alone.

Though this dark secret he carries plagues him regularly, he keeps it from his mother, not to worry her, keeps it from his doctor and friends and buries it deep within himself, controlling the outbursts by self medicating with drugs and alcohol. Careful not to become dependent on the lifestyle, he practices deep breathing and daydreaming to calm the symptoms.

Regardless of the loss of his father and his anxiety disorder, Joel is a remarkably active and vibrant person, enjoying life as it comes and where it lulls, making something from nothing. He has never allowed his dark side to completely overwhelm his life, his motto, ‘shit happens, when you get a lemon, make lemonade.’ It has served him well through his high school career and he is ever hopeful it will serve him well into adulthood.

Watch for more character sketches of the other characters in http://www.the-judas-syndrome.com as they are released