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Alpha Beta Gamma Kill: post-apocalyptic short stories: Cyberpunk - Chaos Halo 1.0 Kindle Edition

by Mark Cassell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
"An enjoyable sci-fi romp." - Amazon reviewer

Welcome to the Chaos Halo ...

In a disturbed future, remnants of the human race starve while a new world authority strangles freedom. Abigale – part human, part something else – escapes their control, and combating the militia she begins to uncover her origins, taking her beyond the city walls and into a scorched Earth.

With a blend of cyberpunk and science fiction, this dystopian future unearths secrets that other worlds needed forgotten.

Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill is a collection of six stories, including the first episodes of a speculative fiction saga in association with Future Chronicles Photography.

Episode 0: Domino
Episode 1: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill
Episode 2: Patient Zero
Episode 3: Eye-Tech
Episode 4: Salamandrine Fires
Episode 5: Triber Kuo

"As I am already a fan of Mark Cassell's horror writing, I was curious how he wrote in the sci-fiction genre - just as well, it turns out. Chaos Halo 1.0 is a fast paced tale of a futuristic dystopian tech world. The lead character Abigale, who herself is not fully human, is trying to work out how to help the poor people who have been downtrodden by The Hilt, and suffering from some kind of virus. Throw in some ancient alien technology and a couple of interesting support characters, plus a bad guy who is made of fire, and you have an intriguing story." - Five-star reviewer.

"So, how does Mr Cassell deal with switching from horror to cyberpunk dystopian sci-fi? Very well I have to say. I have read quite a bit of his stuff now and have come to recognise a distinct style to his writing. None of it was evident in this though. It is totally different from anything I have read of his to date.

He makes the change very seamless though. You would not for one-minute think that he did not write in this genre all the time. His use of narrative when talking about the weapons and technology involved, makes you think that it all really exists, and more to the point, is possible. His use of descriptive passages to describe the world we are running around in is perfect in giving you a picture in your mind of how it might look. His, although limited because of how short the book is, back story of each character, builds them into solid and believable people. All in all, a damn fine job." - Four-star reviewer.

Interview with the author:

Can you give us a little bit of insight into these characters?

MC: I’ll talk about Abigale, the star of the ‘Chaos Halo’ series. From the outset, I settled comfortably into her boots. It’s fun painting her human, yet violent, image. She’s troubled by her Halo, that we’ve already established, but what are those strange glyphs that plague her periphery? Then there’s Quiver, her new buddy — indeed, her first real friend in that ruined city tight in the Hilt’s fist. There’s more to him than you’d think and more than even he’d be happy to admit. What do I love about them? Abi, because she’s more human than human, and Quiver because that dude could be seen as clueless but has a depth we’re yet to visit. I’m gonna have fun with him.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing these characters?

MC: Really? You’re going to ask that when you already have some great models? I honestly have no idea, sorry. Maybe I’ll go old school and suggest Brigitte Nielson for Abi and Steve Buscemi for Quiver. Haha!

Anything more you'd like to tell us about this new science fiction series?

MC: Well, someone recently said it's like "Blade Runner meets Mad Max … with a cyborg chick." And I thought that was a pretty fair comment.


Categories for Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill
- post apocalyptic
- dystopian sci fi
- cyberpunk
- short science fiction stories
- sci fi collections
- metaphysical & visionary
- apocalypse stories
Read more
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  1. Print length
    67 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    April 30, 2016
  5. File size
    9.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Cassell lives in a rural part of the UK where he often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. Primarily a horror writer, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and SF stories have featured in several anthologies and ezines. His best-selling debut novel, The Shadow Fabric, is closely followed by the popular short story collection, Sinister Stitches, and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos of demons, devices, and deceit.

The dystopian sci-fi short story collection, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill, is in association with Future Chronicles Photography where he works closely with their models and cosplayers.

His work has been compared with British horror authors such as James Herbert, Clive Barker, Dennis Wheatley, and Brian Lumley. Also, his influences spread over to the US where he admits to having been first inspired by Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Dan Simmons, and H P Lovecraft.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BSS2PH8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Herbs House
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 30, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 9.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 67 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Mark Cassell

Mark Cassell

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Mark Cassell lives on the south-east coast of the United Kingdom with his wife and many animals. His jobs have included baker, lab technician, driving instructor, actor, and was once a spotlight operator for an Elvis Presley impersonator.

As the author of the best-selling Shadow Fabric mythos, he’s written under several pen names with over 150 stories published in magazines and anthologies. Though his passion remains embedded in dark fantasy and horror, he’s written steampunk, fantasy and sci-fi, and regularly crosses the blurry lines between genres.

Most recently he’s seen publication in the children’s market. In particular, a Would You Rather game book series that has proven popular, and a successful range of pirate activity books. Mark often says how the “Pirate Thing” is a latent interest that will always astonish him.

A proud addition to his bibliography is through Caffeine Nights Publishing with the horror novel, Parasite Crop. Since signing that contract, he remains humbled in the knowledge he now shares the same publisher as one of his literary heroes from the late-1980s, a bygone time when he sneakily read novels at the back of school classrooms.

Incidentally, Mark never got caught.

~

More about the author can be found at www.MarkCassell.co.uk

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
11 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Bonnie Racki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I found the story interesting and I love how futuristic it is. I hope Toothpick comes back into play, it sounds like a sick cannon. I can't wait to read more of this series.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Confessions of a Reviewer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The start of what could be a great series!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2017
    Abigail is on the run from the authorities. She has something they want. Or should she say that she is something they want. Part human, part cyborg she constantly tries to stay one step ahead of the game in her quest to help the downtrodden, in their battle to survive.

    When she meets Quiver, he thinks he can help her find the answers she needs. He should know because he…..

    That’s another little nugget that needs to be kept secret.

    This one centres on Abigail and Quiver as the main two characters for most of the story. Others flit in and out but they are the stars if you like. Abigail is a bit of an enigma. You don’t know how old she is or where she came from other than the fact she was manufactured in some way. She is an extremely strong willed individual and seems to have the fighting skills and knowledge to back that strong will up. She is very focused on what she wants to do. Quiver is also a bit of an enigma. He used to work for the authorities and seems to possess everything there is to know about technology in this dystopian world.

    The plot is a bit more complicated. People are getting sick and Abigail and Quiver know the authorities are responsible for it. They aim to stop them but need to figure out how to do this. That’s about the height of it.

    So, how does Mr Cassell deal with switching from horror to cyberpunk dystopian sci-fi? Very well I have to say. I have read quite a bit of his stuff now and have come to recognise a distinct style to his writing. None of it was evident in this though. It is totally different from anything I have read of his to date.

    He makes the change very seamless though. You would not for one-minute think that he did not write in this genre all the time. His use of narrative when talking about the weapons and technology involved, makes you think that it all really exists, and more to the point, is possible. His use of descriptive passages to describe the world we are running around in is perfect in giving you a picture in your mind of how it might look. His, although limited because of how short the book is, back story of each character, builds them into solid and believable people. All in all, a damn fine job.

    But, can I be critical for a moment? This story is broken into six individual stories within the main big story. This made things feel a little bit disjointed and rushed for my liking. You could eventually see where everything came together, but it could have been a bit smoother for me, rather than jumping from one scene to another the way it did. I understand that each chapter is called an episode as if it is a series on TV, but they generally flow better into each other. This is the only reason I would knock a star off.

    It leaves you on the mother of all cliff-hangers and I will be honest and say that I am looking forward to the next instalment. I would just hope it is beefed up a little.

    To summarise: an enjoyable sci-fi romp that certainly has potential to expand and turn into something great.

    General rating:
    ☆☆☆☆ that little lack of flow cost a star.

    Sci-Fi rating:
    ☆☆☆☆ certainly not of this world!
    Helpful
     Report
  • MarkMJ Green
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mutrients, eyeballs and a burning man.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2018
    It’s been a few years since I’ve dipped into the realm of sci-fi, with the last books I read being Hugh Howey’s, Wool trilogy. There’s no particular reason for why I don’t often read sci-fi other than I do tend to lose interest when I start a book only to find that the author has gotten carried away with creating so many bizarrely named races, planets, cities etc. Trying to get your head around some of the linguistic nightmares that can occur with those things is just a nightmare that halts the narrative, not to mention when various futuristic technologies getinvolved and it’s easy for the whole thing to degenerate into a meandering and meaningless waffle.

    Happily though, that doesn’t happen with Chaos Halo 1.0

    Chaos Halo 1.0 is a collection of short interconnected stories that centre on ABG1; or Abigale as she has named herself. Over the course of the stories we learn about Abigale herself and the rather dystopian world that she inhabits, and even though it does tread ground that we’re probably all familiar with as our genetically enhanced/lab grown hero struggles with a new power that she has obtained whilst trying to evade the corrupt corporation that created her and rules over the populace, leaving the poor to eke out a miserable existence in what for them, is a rather dystopian society.
    Rather than having these familiar staples feel old however, they have a certain familiar accessibility to them whereby the story doesn’t need to be over explained or get bogged down in those aforementioned linguistic nightmares of future technobabble; making it a very quick yet entertaining read.

    Everything makes sense and even though the chapters (or episodes as they have been called) are quite short they are really entertaining. In fact the only real downside for me was the slightly episodic nature of the story.
    Each episode is told in such a way that the interconnecting parts to each section feel a little incomplete. It’s a bit like turning on the TV to watch your favourite show, only to find out that you missed the opening sequence and then you had to go out before it was finished, so although you caught some of the narrative and some really good action sequences, the overarching story that ties it all together is forever out of your grasp, leaving you to try and fill in the blanks. Now there’s nothing wrong with that and as I’ve said, it’s really entertaining; it’s just that I got into the characters and the world and I just wanted more.

    Actually there was one episode that didn’t quite make sense to me and that was the third one, which culminates in a man who had been hoarding what passes for food in those parts (mutrient tablets) having his eyeballs eaten by an elderly lady. I’m not sure why this happened as his vehicle was stuffed full with mutrient pills, so either they taste so disgusting that raw eyeballs are preferable (although I don’t recall there being a prevalence of cannibalism being mentioned), or the alternative is that it’s just this particular ladies ‘thing.’ Which I kind of prefer because in my mind I could picture someone looking at her in disgust and complaining that “Ethel’s eating eyeballs again.” Like it’s a regular thing that she does and they all just put up with it because, well it’s Ethel; and everyone likes Ethel because she bakes the best mutrient pies you’ve ever tasted, so they just tolerate it. Then again I could just be overthinking it.

    After this little dip though the episodes really ratchet things up with the introduction of a character known as Salamandrine. These parts were a real highlight for me with the character reminding me of the man on Fire from Metal Gear Solid V and I just couldn’t read them quick enough.
    Mark’s ability to write a credible and interesting sci-fi story in addition to his horror titles is a pleasant delight and it’s nice to see an author tackling different genres and branching out, especially at this early stage in his career.

    The resurgence of some really enjoyable sci-fi shows on TV lately, such The Expanse, Killjoys and Dark Matter has piqued my interest in sci-fi again, with Mark’s Chaos Halo fitting right in alongside those shows with its episodic nature giving it almost a TV series sort of feel; as long as it keeps going and doesn’t disappear like Firefly, then I’ll be a happy man.

    Overall this is a thoroughly good book that I really enjoyed and it’s left me wanting more and I’ll definitely be getting Chaos Halo 2.0 when it’s out.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Adrian Shotbolt
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cool dystopian Sci-Fi
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2016
    Mark Cassell escapes the Shadow Fabric and turns his hand to writing science fiction with pleasing results. Broken up into six parts ‘Chaos Halo: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kill’ follows the story of Abigail; A sort of cyborg who escapes from the ruling power and goes on a bloody mission through a future landscape to find out the truth about herself and the rulers of the cities.
    This is a fast and furious collection that features some cool technology, heads exploding into red mist and plenty of action. More is revealed about our protagonist throughout the story as she teams up with another cyborg type character called Quiver who also used to work for the powers that be.
    This was a good escape for an hour or so. The world is quite well fleshed out considering the books short length. There are some cool ideas and characters and I did enjoy the books setting. There is an overarching theme of struggle between the classes. The rich dine on fine foods and live in the city whilst the poor survive on animals and ‘mutritions’ – a sort of food tablet.
    Mark Cassell isn’t afraid to try something different and ‘Chaos Halo’ is an entertaining future romp. I did wish it was a little longer but there is more to come from Abigail and co.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • M Aldeburgh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced sci-fi
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    As I am already a fan of Mark Cassell's horror writing, I was curious how he wrote in the sci-fiction genre - just as well, it turns out.

    Chaos Halo 1.0 is a fast paced tale of a futuristic dystopian tech world. The lead character Abigale, who herself is not fully human, is trying to work out how to help the poor people who have been downtrodden by The Hilt, and suffering from some kind of virus. Throw in some ancient alien technology and a couple of interesting support characters, plus a bad guy who is made of fire, and you have an intriguing story.

    It ends on a big cliff hanger. I avidly await Chaos Halo 2.
    Report
  • Adrian Shotbolt
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cool read.
    Reviewed in Australia on June 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Mark Cassell escapes the Shadow Fabric and turns his hand to writing science fiction with pleasing results. Broken up into six parts ‘Chaos Halo: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kill’ follows the story of Abigail; A sort of cyborg who escapes from the ruling power and goes on a bloody mission through a future landscape to find out the truth about herself and the rulers of the cities.
    This is a fast and furious collection that features some cool technology, heads exploding into red mist and plenty of action. More is revealed about our protagonist throughout the story as she teams up with another cyborg type character called Quiver who also used to work for the powers that be.
    This was a good escape for an hour or so. The world is quite well fleshed out considering the books short length. There are some cool ideas and characters and I did enjoy the books setting. There is an overarching theme of struggle between the classes. The rich dine on fine foods and live in the city whilst the poor survive on animals and ‘mutritions’ – a sort of food tablet.
    Mark Cassell isn’t afraid to try something different and ‘Chaos Halo’ is an entertaining future romp. I did wish it was a little longer but there is more to come from Abigail and co.
    Report
  • MarkMJ Green
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mutrients, eyeballs and a burning man.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It’s been a few years since I’ve dipped into the realm of sci-fi, with the last books I read being Hugh Howey’s, Wool trilogy. There’s no particular reason for why I don’t often read sci-fi other than I do tend to lose interest when I start a book only to find that the author has gotten carried away with creating so many bizarrely named races, planets, cities etc. Trying to get your head around some of the linguistic nightmares that can occur with those things is just a nightmare that halts the narrative, not to mention when various futuristic technologies getinvolved and it’s easy for the whole thing to degenerate into a meandering and meaningless waffle.

    Happily though, that doesn’t happen with Chaos Halo 1.0

    Chaos Halo 1.0 is a collection of short interconnected stories that centre on ABG1; or Abigale as she has named herself. Over the course of the stories we learn about Abigale herself and the rather dystopian world that she inhabits, and even though it does tread ground that we’re probably all familiar with as our genetically enhanced/lab grown hero struggles with a new power that she has obtained whilst trying to evade the corrupt corporation that created her and rules over the populace, leaving the poor to eke out a miserable existence in what for them, is a rather dystopian society.
    Rather than having these familiar staples feel old however, they have a certain familiar accessibility to them whereby the story doesn’t need to be over explained or get bogged down in those aforementioned linguistic nightmares of future technobabble; making it a very quick yet entertaining read.

    Everything makes sense and even though the chapters (or episodes as they have been called) are quite short they are really entertaining. In fact the only real downside for me was the slightly episodic nature of the story.
    Each episode is told in such a way that the interconnecting parts to each section feel a little incomplete. It’s a bit like turning on the TV to watch your favourite show, only to find out that you missed the opening sequence and then you had to go out before it was finished, so although you caught some of the narrative and some really good action sequences, the overarching story that ties it all together is forever out of your grasp, leaving you to try and fill in the blanks. Now there’s nothing wrong with that and as I’ve said, it’s really entertaining; it’s just that I got into the characters and the world and I just wanted more.

    Actually there was one episode that didn’t quite make sense to me and that was the third one, which culminates in a man who had been hoarding what passes for food in those parts (mutrient tablets) having his eyeballs eaten by an elderly lady. I’m not sure why this happened as his vehicle was stuffed full with mutrient pills, so either they taste so disgusting that raw eyeballs are preferable (although I don’t recall there being a prevalence of cannibalism being mentioned), or the alternative is that it’s just this particular ladies ‘thing.’ Which I kind of prefer because in my mind I could picture someone looking at her in disgust and complaining that “Ethel’s eating eyeballs again.” Like it’s a regular thing that she does and they all just put up with it because, well it’s Ethel; and everyone likes Ethel because she bakes the best mutrient pies you’ve ever tasted, so they just tolerate it. Then again I could just be overthinking it.

    After this little dip though the episodes really ratchet things up with the introduction of a character known as Salamandrine. These parts were a real highlight for me with the character reminding me of the man on Fire from Metal Gear Solid V and I just couldn’t read them quick enough.
    Mark’s ability to write a credible and interesting sci-fi story in addition to his horror titles is a pleasant delight and it’s nice to see an author tackling different genres and branching out, especially at this early stage in his career.

    The resurgence of some really enjoyable sci-fi shows on TV lately, such The Expanse, Killjoys and Dark Matter has piqued my interest in sci-fi again, with Mark’s Chaos Halo fitting right in alongside those shows with its episodic nature giving it almost a TV series sort of feel; as long as it keeps going and doesn’t disappear like Firefly, then I’ll be a happy man.

    Overall this is a thoroughly good book that I really enjoyed and it’s left me wanting more and I’ll definitely be getting Chaos Halo 2.0 when it’s out.
    Report
  • Rob Scholten
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A really good read. Engaging and immersive as are the rest of Mark’s books. Well worth a read. Just waiting on more of the same...
    Report

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