The Deading by Nicholas Belardes

The Deading draws comparisons to Stephen King’s Under the Dome and The Last of Us, crafting a harrowing dystopian narrative set in a seaside town ravaged by a mysterious ocean-borne contagion.

In Baywood, a small fishing community known for its aging birdwatchers and oyster farms, an insidious threat emerges from the ocean depths. Sea snails begin washing ashore, attacking whatever they latch onto, heralding a sinister infection that soon spreads to the town’s wildlife, seascapes, and eventually, its people.

The infection triggers a phenomenon known as “deading,” where afflicted residents collapse and die, only to rise again, grotesquely transformed in body and mind. With the town quarantined by the government, the uninfected, including introverted bird enthusiast Blas and his jaded older brother Chango, realize Baywood may be the epicenter of a cataclysmic shift in life as they know it.

As the infection spreads, Baywood descends into chaos, with the death-worshiping Risers enforcing disturbing beliefs and autocratic rituals. Amid paranoia and isolation, Blas, Chango, and the remaining uninfected must navigate a landscape of escalating tension and fear, forced to decide how to survive, find solace, and choose whether to betray or trust those closest to them.

The Deading captures the claustrophobic and haunting disintegration of society, weaving a lyrical tale of horror, survival, and adaptation. Amidst the terror, the novel poignantly explores unexpected connections between humans and nature, offering a melancholic reflection on finding solace in the most dire of circumstances. ❤️📚❤️