Pathogens by James Schannep

PATHOGENS: An Interactive Zombie Survival Gamebook by James Schannep

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't realize this going in, but I learned of it immediately after starting - this isn't like the normal 'you' choose your own adventure book. Instead of entering and darting around an adventure book starring yourself, here you enter and choose one of six characters to become.

And then still see 'you' being used. Thus negating some of the advantages that might have been inherent in having named characters to 'play' rather than 'just be yourself'.

As mentioned, six characters. 4 men, 2 women because . . . inequality is fun. I hadn't really planned to do it this way, but I ended up playing one of the women first then playing the last woman as my last character to play.

There are:
Men:
Sims - an older man who is a Sergeant in the Air Force national guard, though before the reader gets the idea that they'll be a rambo type - Sims has spent his career being a 'desk jockey'. When the zombification occurs, Sims is on a plane over the ocean. And before 'you' the reader get any choices, you land in a foreign land for some adventure there before, possibly, returning to the States.

Hefty - a very thin convict who has spent the last few years learning how to survive in prison. When the outbreak occurs, Hefty is in prison and must attempt to escape.

Ty - is a man working two jobs to try to get ahead in life and support his mother. Ty is the black man in this book. When the outbreak occurs, Ty is attempting to make his way to his bank teller job - though he'd overslept because of being tired from his call center job.

Lucas - is the trained martial arts expert, though one who also one who has never seen real combat. When the outbreak occurs, Lucas is in the middle of teaching his morning class - filled will youngsters, the oldest of which is 17. He, and the sister you see briefly, were born in Japan.

Women:
Cooper - is an auto mechanic who is tired of people being distracted by how beautiful she is, and rather wished she could have had better success in the motorcycle racing world that she is still somewhat trying to continue in. When the outbreak occurs she is at her job in the garage working on cars.

Rosie - the 17 year old daughter of a gun range owner. Her father has constantly tried to prepare her for something like the outbreak occurring. She has a brother and father to contend with.

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Personally - Lucas has the must interesting 'story up to outbreak', though his is a frustrating story to play once the outbreak does occur. Because you know he could do well out there, but he is reluctant to believe and . . . other stuff. Sims was the easiest to play, though that might be because I had played Cooper first and Sims second - and had meet Sims during my time with Cooper and 'knew' what to do with Sims to get him to his best outcome. That pre-knowledge eventually occurred again when I played Ty after playing Hefty, but very late in Ty's 'game'.

I mention because one of my status updates indicated the idea that maybe one of the problems of naming characters is that I'd run into them and see how they operate through someone else's eyes and what the 'best' things to do with that character might be. Though I came to realize that that only really worked with Sims.

In general I had two major problems with the book - even though you play a named character, it is still 'you' doing stuff. You as the character, but still using 'you' as the pronouns. That has always been my major problem with these kinds of books, the you part, because 'you' always does crazy stupid shit I'd never do and it's frustrating that I can't 'control' that, since I'm apparently 'you'. Going to all the trouble of creating six characters - it might have been better if their sections used their names instead of you. So I'd be controlling the characters.

I forgot what that other major problem was that I was going to mention, though I will note that I was frustrated by how 'everyone' (not really) seemed damned determined to 'get to town'. I don't bloody care what the emergency is - hurricane, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, space alien invasion, human alien invasion, giant frog invasion, zombie outbreak, vampire outbreak . . . ., which emergency occurs that triggers a 'must get to center of massive numbers of humans' response? Now there is protection that comes with being 'together', the 'circling the wagons' type of protection - but the equilivent of that in this book would have been to bunker down with others in a protected spot and aim your guns outward - not to travel long distances elsewhere.

Right. What else do I wish to note. Rosie is a horrible weak little girl sexist cliche. No matter which choices you choose. *shrugs* Unfortunate. Ty was a mama's boy, but strong determined efficient capable, good. In a way I'm surprised one of the paths for Rosie didn't consist of her tripping over her untied shoes and shooting herself while crying and blinded. I mean . . . shesh.

Rating: 3.44

June 1 2017



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