Cataclysm

Cataclysm (Definitive Edition) is a dystopian science-fiction, action and adventure novel by Darryl M. Finch-Ellis, first independently published on 5th of August 2017 through KDP on Amazon.co.uk. On the 22nd of September 2017, the structure of the novel was changed for easier reading and correction spelling mistakes, and re-released under the name of Cataclysm: Definitive Edition.

Darryl re-released Cataclysm: Definitive Edition for a finalised version on the 17th of July, 2019. This finalised version had been structured and proof-read completely by Larna Price, with new cover art done by Finch-Ellis himself.

Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (and the original) centers around three primary protagonists; Robert Charlton, Dr. William Samson and Katrina Davenport.

Dr. Will Samson hires Robert to take him to a northern city called New Haven, in hopes of discovering an industrial-sized water purifier. During the initial part of their journey, the doctor and his guide are shocked to find a stowaway in the form of a little girl, Katrina, hiding in the doctor's wagon.

The trio journey northwards with haste due to a tyrannical and psychotic warlord, Arch-Tiberius, marching north to conquer the lands of the D.T.U., enslave their citizens and take the Union's natural and powered resources for his own use in an attempt to eventually conquer all of the British Isles.

Cataclysm: Definitive Edition is 276 pages long.

Setting:
Cataclysm: Definitive Edition takes place in North-West England, in the year 2238. Britain is now fragmented and separated into smaller nations and territories, the two most successful, as of the beginning of the novel, being the D.T.U. (Democratic Trade Union) in the North-West and Old London, the remnants of the old British Government still based in London. Old London is also referred to as "The Remnant" and "The Crater", due to London having sunken into a huge crater from the change caused by the movement of the tectonic plates.

After a large asteroid hit the Arabian Desert in 2036, the world was astronomically devastated and changed, reminiscent of what happened during the extinction of the dinosaurs. The impact of the asteroid caused the tectonic plates to move in a great, erratic manner, which dramatically changed the landscape of Earth.

Gigantic earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed and reshaped the planet, cities crumbled and sank thousands of feet in the depths of the earth or were shot up miles into the air and became ingrained into mountain ranges. Many rivers and lakes dried up, and the climate became more thick and humid. Rain carried dirt and acid across the globe, and the earthquakes caused dormant volcanoes and nuclear plants to erupt, which further harmed the planet's atmosphere and life.

An immediate mass loss of life occurred; in an instant many species of animals across the globe were rendered extinct, zoos' and safaris' containments were destroyed, and wild animals roamed free in countries they were not native to. The loss of human life across the earth was in the billions, forcing humans to revert back to primitive lifestyles of the dark ages to survive, yet possessing modern technology which still remained.

Due to this radical change in 2036, the world's governments collapsed and humans began to form their own groups, trade networks and ways of survival. This way of living would become known throughout post-cataclysmic Britain as the Principles of Purgatory.

Across the rest of the world, certain places had been devastated harder than Britain. The impact of the asteroid obliterated nearly all life in Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Beirut and Somalia. Yellowstone erupted and wiped out most existence in North America. Volcanoes in Iceland, Lanzarote, Hawaii, Philippines, Indonesia and Barbados utterly destroy the islands, while volcanoes in Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador kill most the life in South America. The multitude of volcanoes in Italy took their toll on the surrounding countries of Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Malta and Montenegro.

All countries with nuclear bases and reactors suffered from these bases melting down on small scales to the scale of Chernobyl, causing varied effects and death tolls across the globe. The only areas least affected by this global cataclysmic event were most of Greenland, inner Australia, Alaska, far-eastern Russia and the northern tips of Scandinavia. Those who were on expeditions to the Antarctic and Antarctica were also not affected by this event, yet would eventually die from being stranded there.

Because of the mass amount of volcanoes erupting and nuclear bases melting down, the water sources of the globe had become contaminated and required water purifying systems or specialised scientific tablets, known simply as "water purifier tablets" to become drinkable. The rain always carried disease and acid, and the ash, smog and smoke had made it so that the sky was always covered in thick clouds; so thick that no direct sunlight has been seen on the planet since 2036, changing the natural hue of the earth to a sickly green.

Due to the world's governments collapsing, many of the surviving humans left on earth could not read or write. Remnants of governments and religious groups who were literate tried their best to educate those under their guidance and protection, however, many people did not have the time or patience to learn such a thing. Those who could read and write, especially in other languages, were highly valued by groups, governments and society in general.

Language took a back step in this world, with many people speaking in broken forms of their native tongues and rarely speaking in full, correct sentences, preferring to speak code words or slang. To aid in the readers of Cataclysm: Definitive Edition, Darryl has included a glossary at the back of the novel.

Plot Summary:
Warning: This section contains spoilers of the novel ahead, if you have not read the novel then it is advised you do not read the summary below.

The novel opens with Robert Charlton capturing a deformed deer with an old bear trap, lent to him by his friend, Big John. Once Robert arrives in Ipton, he sells the deer to a local shop owner and friend, Lee Burton, who also knows of the bet between Big John and Rob.

Robert spends a short time in Ipton and it is made apparent that the townspeople are gearing up to migrate north into the lands of the D.T.U. for protection, due to the maniacal forces of Arch-Tiberius' Horde preparing to march north from Wolfe's Fort, which was directly south of Ipton. Rob also gets into a heated confrontation, which leads to him shooting the Sheriff of Ipton, Freddy Coplan, in the leg.

The Mayor of Ipton and Doctor Will Samson manage to persuade Robert to take up the job of guiding the doctor from Ipton all the way to the Democratic Trade Union controlled city of New Haven.

While on their journey, the duo find a stowaway in the form of a little girl, Katrina Davenport. The newly formed trio begin to travel northwards, where they come across many different gangs and factions including the Roadside Trappers, Night Snakes, Clan Claw and the Skin-Crawlers, meeting characters such as Vanessa Campbell, Patrick Benson, Pvt. Nigel Vickers and Leroy J. Salvador along the way.

The group are led to the tunnels of the Black Mountains to avoid the war zone Buddington, after a deal made with Leroy and Patrick. During this, the group do not trust Leroy and Patrick, after they try to back out of the deal, their second attempt leads to a fight and Robert killing Patrick. Leroy is captured, and guides the group the rest of the way out to the northern entrance of the tunnels underneath the Black Mountains. After an altercation and firefight with Clan Claw, the group are saved by the D.T.U. A.A.V.R. (Armoured Assault Vehicle Rangers) and brought to Buddington.

Once making it out of Buddington having been jailed for not abiding by the Conscription Act, they are freed by Leroy and escape during a thunderstorm at the same time as a Clan Claw bombardment and attempted assault. Doc Samson is wounded in a firefight with mutineer D.T.U. soldiers, and later dies sneak attacking a Clan Claw patrol. While Leroy continues to follow the Principles of Purgatory, Robert turns his back on these laws he has followed almost his entire life and gives the doctor a proper funeral, allowing Katrina to say goodbye before Robert buries the doctor and uses Samson's own shotgun as a tombstone.

Eventually the remaining duo with Leroy are captured by Arch-Tiberius's scouts, led by the Kennel-Master, and are taken to the War Camp. It is here that Robert reunites with Nigel who helps him to escape, committing suicide to do so. Robert meets up with Leroy who has found and returns Robert's bolt-action rifle. Leroy continues to lead the revolt to escape and Robert frees Kat by killing the Kennel-Master, regains their belongings, then successfully escapes the War Camp.

The duo make it to Hale where they meet the married couple of Stephen McAthur and Lorraine McArthur. Stephen is a travelling priest, and offers to help Robert and Katrina. The duo explain what they have endured and where Arch-Tiberius was located, leading Stephen and Lorraine to offer the duo a ride to New Haven.

Robert and Katrina accept the offer and the new group travel to New Haven. Once in New Haven, the group find how dire the situation is between the D.T.U. citizens and the illegal immigrants who are fleeing the advancing forces of Arch-Tiberius and his Horde.

A full-scale riot breaks out, which causes the groups car to be destroyed, whereby Robert has to leave behind his Lee-Enfield in order to keep Katrina safe. Lorraine stays in an abandoned shop the group had laid low in to help nurse an injured and severely beaten Stephen. Robert continues onward to get Kat to safety.

Robert and Kat make it to the front entrance and main gate of the entrance to Inner New Haven, that is currently under lock down. The D.T.U.D.F. then open fire on the crowd that surrounds the gate after rumours of Arch-Tiberius having begun his invasion, as well as the rumours that the Horde used suicide bombers to get through barriers and heavily fortified gates and walls. This caused the crowd to riot. Robert is caught with a stray bullet from the firing squad, but persists to Katrina that he is fine and that he has been shot plenty of times before, pointing out that the bullet has gone straight through him.

Robert uses the system of streets, roads and alleyways to get to a lesser known supply gate. By that point however, Robert is feeling the effects of the bullet wound. He becomes very tired, finds it hard to breathe, and can hardly speak or shout from exhaustion. The guards and commanding officer atop the supply gate strongly attempt to make Robert turn away. Due to the heavy rain, darkness of night and poor quality of the floodlight, with the additional fact that Kat was hidden behind Rob for her own protection, the D.T.U. soldiers believed Robert was on his own.

Panic reigns supreme and two soldiers go against direct orders to rain down fire upon Robert. Rob is shot multiple times in the chest and begins to bleed to death. The commanding officer orders a ceasefire after realising Rob was protecting a young girl, and orders guards and medics to retrieve both Robert and Katrina and bring them inside to Inner New Haven. Laying on the concrete road, Robert lightly cries as he says his final words to Katrina, whom he had begun to call his daughter. There Robert takes his final breaths and dies from his wounds.

In the following and final chapter Katrina awakes in a hospital, devastated at the fact Robert was indeed dead, and thereafter visits Robert's grave, where she places a golden flower upon his tombstone. She holds onto the tombstone as a substitute for Robert's hand. Kat is then adopted by Stephen and Lorraine, also adopting Robert's last name and becoming; Katrina Charlton-McArthur. At the end of the novel Katrina clutches onto a clean bottle of water close to her heart and thanks both Robert and Doc Samson for all they had sacrificed for her during the course of the novel.

Background:
Darryl M. Finch-Ellis was inspired by a variety of sources, chief among them being the famous video-game series; Fallout, the cult classic film; Mad Max II: The Road Warrior and an array of old action and adventure films, majority being Spaghetti Western films involving Clint Eastwood, including; A Fistful Of Dollars and A Few Dollars More.

Informed he had minor-to-moderate dyslexia at Newall Green Sixth Form in 2012, and was even offered yellow coloured paper to write on during his years in college from 2012-2013. Darryl saw his dyslexia as a challenge as opposed to a handicap, desiring to be a full-time author since he was a child, with a vivid and vast imagination, Darryl decided to begin writing his very own novel.

Finch-Ellis desired to make a mature post-apocalyptic action and adventure story based in Britain, as opposed to a majority of these being based in the United States. Darryl desired an original concept for a global catastrophe, believing zombie pandemics, animal disease based pandemics, alien invasions and nuclear holocausts were not unique enough a backstory for the world he wished to create. He instead decided to have the world be devastated by an asteroid, paralleled to what reduced the dinosaurs to extinction, however the human race, unlike the dinosaurs, would survive the event, at the cost of billions of lives.

Eleven first draft chapters were completed before Darryl temporarily halted his writing to focus on his full-time work at Manchester Airport. It was not until his friends read his work and believed he had the potential to produce a great story. This motivated Darryl to complete the novel and go on to independently publish Cataclysm before he would contact any literary agents, testing his story to audiences on a global stage before going for official publication.

As of yet Cataclysm: Definitive Edition has not been picked up by any literary agencies.

Primary Protagonists:

 * Robert Charlton
 * Katrina Davenport
 * Doctor William Samson

Secondary Protagonists:

 * Leroy J. Salvador
 * Vanessa Campbell
 * Private Nigel Vickers
 * Father Stephen McArthur
 * Lorraine McArthur

Main Antagonists:

 * Warlord Arch-Tiberius
 * Sheriff Freddy Coplan
 * Sergeant Daniel Clifton

Minor Characters:
You can find a list of all the minor characters HERE.

Locations:
Below are the locations within Cataclysm: Definitive Edition that are mentioned in alphabetical order:

Locations Explored:

 * Black Mountains
 * Buddington
 * Byron's Mouth
 * Hale
 * Ipton
 * Lavender Checkpoint
 * Lempton
 * Moss Woods
 * New Haven
 * Skin-Crawler Territory
 * Tattered Woods
 * War Camp

Locations Mentioned:

 * Bone Glades - A location in the Independent Territories, the Bone Glades is a large hilly field area that sprawls for miles, north of Wolfe's Fort. It is the field where Daniel Clifton was murdered by Robert Chartlon during a mutiny.
 * Camp Blackwood - A working camp in the Midlands ran by Old London. This is where Robert was born to northern parents. Camp Blackwood was assaulted and destroyed by Wolfe's Company, who would go on to join the Skin-Crawlers.
 * Everpool - A place of contention between Clan Scouser and the Pool Crew, it is built upon the ruins of Liverpool and is mentioned in Vanessa Campbell's Pre-Book History.
 * Exodus - This is a town in the North-West under the control of the Democratic Trade Union.
 * Hell's Passage - The only known access between northern and southern England after the cataclysmic event. The passage has been given its name for being a war zone and highly dangerous place. During the year 2238, which the novel takes place in, Hell's Passage is majority under Old London's control.
 * New Calais - A manned outpost owned by the British Government, located somewhere in Normandy, France. This outpost is mentioned in Daniel Clifton's Pre-Book History.
 * Old London / The Crater - The original capital of the United Kingdom before the cataclysmic event, now ran by the old government, otherwise known as the Remnant, the current Prime Minister, Erich Godwinson, much like his predecessors, desires to reunite the U.K. under Old London's control.
 * Orshawe - A place in the Independent Territories from which Lorraine and her old gang came, Orshawe was mentioned in Lorraine's Pre-Book History.
 * Pine Pastures - A Mormon community in the North-East, past the Red Valley, mentioned in Leroy's Pre-Book History.
 * Pirate Town of Hampton - Located on the shores and ruins of Southampton, this town was a pirate hotbed, but was taken over by the British Government. Hampton is mentioned in Daniel Clifton's Pre-Book History.
 * Red Valley - Home of the Red Tribes, a coalition of tribes that live in the valley, these are highly hostile to the D.T.U. and tax all those who enter their lands. The Red Tribes make their profit mostly through a slavery trade with other factions, buying or capturing young children and able-bodied men or prime-aged women to sell on to Yorkshire or the North-East.
 * Ruins of Chester Zoo - Remnants of what was once Chester Zoo, the ruins are a few miles south-west of Ipton and were where Freddy's father was eaten by lions whilst on a hunting trip. The Ruins of Chester Zoo are mentioned in Freddy's Pre-Book History.
 * Shrewsbury Ruins - Once the town of Shrewsbury, now a ruin. This area is always being scavenged by prospectors and slavers. Robert has even prospected in this area on multiple occasions.
 * Shutter Town - A town under the control of the Democratic Trade Union.
 * Southwick - Located in Old London, Southwick is the remains of what is left of the location of Southwick after the cataclysmic event. This is mentioned in Daniel Clifton's Pre-Book History as being where he was born.
 * Tond - The Capital City of the Democratic Trade Union. Tond boasts the largest library in Northern England and has a very successful university.
 * Tradesville - The trade hub of the Democratic Trade Union, Tradesville is a very famous city throughout all of the British Isles and brings the D.T.U. much profit. Tradesville is where the McLevar Caravan Guard Headquarters are located.
 * Utopia - The birthplace of Arch-Tiberius, not much is known about this city, except it is located north of the D.T.U. territories and ruled by a king who is Arch-Tiberius's father. Utopia is rumoured to be based architecturally on ancient Roman and Greek buildings.
 * Wolfe's Fort - Originally built in 2225 to be an outpost for Old London to scout the North-West, to eventually conquer the area. The fort is named after the commander of the army based there called General Victor Wolfe. After the mutiny that led to General Wolfe's death, it was abandoned and Wolfe's Company became marauders and cannibals before they went to the Skin-Crawler Territory and offered the Flesh Lord tribute to join them, which the Skin-Crawlers allowed. The empty fort was later occupied by Daniel Clifton's Company in 2232. That was until Daniel was attacked by his own men, and later killed by Robert Charlton. The fort was once again abandoned until it was occupied by Arch-Tiberius in the early part of 2238.

Factions & Groups:
Within post-cataclysmic Britain there are several factions and groups that occupy their own territories, the factions and groups mentioned in the novel are listed below:

Factions & Groups Encountered:

 * D.T.U. (Democratic Trade Union)
 * Old London (British Government / The Remnant)
 * Arch-Tiberius' Horde
 * Night Snakes
 * Roadside Trappers
 * Clan Claw
 * Skin-Crawlers
 * I.T.T. (Independent Towns & Territories)

Factions & Groups Mentioned:

 * McLevar Caravan Guard - Ran by their founder George McLevar, the McL.C.G. was founded in 2202 and was there to protect independent traders from marauders and raiders. Eventually the contracts increased and grew until the McL.C.G. only took contracts from rich trade companies or individuals who could afford for the prices. George McLevar was the individual who gave Robert Charlton his D.T.U. citizenship. Named members of the McL.C.G., current or otherwise, are George McLevar, Robert Charlton, Leroy J. Salvador and Patrick Benson.
 * Red Valley Tribes - Are a coalition of separate tribes that occupy the Red Valley. The Red Tribes wear various coloured warpaint or woad, and are hostile to the D.T.U. They also tax all those who enter their territory. The tribes make their profit through a lucrative slave trade with the North-East and Yorkshire. Red Valley Slavers are seen as far south as the Shrewsbury Ruins. They also have a working relationship with the Night Snakes.
 * North Welsh Tribes - A confederation of smaller tribes, the North Welsh Tribes are battling for independence against the invading Old London forces. These tribes desire an independent Wales for the Welsh and speak only in their native language of Welsh, refusing to speak English.
 * Utopia - An independent Kingdom ruled by an unnamed king who is Arch-Tiberius's father. It is unknown of Utopia's alliances, however, it is known that they are located north of the D.T.U. and it seems that the two factions are not hostile towards one another. Utopia seems to be somewhere Arch-Tiberius desires to conquer, making Utopia and Arch-Tiberius' Horde are enemies.
 * Grant Caravan Guards Company - A defunct company that merged with the McLevar Caravan Guard, mentioned in Leroy's Pre-Book History.
 * Clan Scouser - A clan that rules over most of Everpool, mentioned in Vanessa's Pre-Book History, their primary colour is blue, reminiscent of Everton F.C.
 * The Pool Crew - A faction that is fighting with Clan Scouser over the ownership of Everpool, mentioned in Vanessa's Pre-Book History, their primary colour is red, reminiscent of Liverpool F.C.

Trivia:
Warning: This section contains spoilers of the novel ahead, if you have not read the novel then it is advised you do not read the trivia below.
 * Darryl M. Finch-Ellis has hinted he may do a "special edition" of Cataclysm somewhere down the line, which would include many more scenes.
 * It was Darryl M. Finch-Ellis's brother; Harvey Finch-Ellis who came up with the term "definitive edition" for the re-release of the novel.
 * The proof reader for the original Cataclysm was Monica Butterworth, Darryl's Nana.
 * The proof reader for Cataclysm: Definitive Edition was Larna Price, Darryl's fiancée and personal assistant.
 * Copies of Cataclysm have been sold in paperback and kindle format to buyers in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Poland, China, Iran, Australia and Canada.
 * Chapter 2: One Man's Spirit; is in reference to Robert’s moral standing in this world, as well as the bottle of blackjack, a dark spirit drink he acquires from Lee.
 * Chapter 6: Breaking The Law; is in reference to Dr. Will Samson breaking the laws / Principles of Purgatory, and is a homage to Judas Priest 's song with the same title.
 * Chapter 20: Can’t Catch Nowt; is in reference to when Lee and Big John believe that Robert couldn’t catch anything earlier on in the book with the old bear traps.
 * Chapter 23: A Dead Man's Hand; is in reference to the popular poker hand, where both Nigel Vickers and Lawman Hickok were both killed, held something valuable in their hands and both died bloody deaths.
 * Chapter 28: No Regrets; references not just Robert’s dying statement and what is written on his tombstone, but also the regret of C.O. Sharpe, who even relays to Robert “don’t make me do som’int I’m gon’na regret” which he inevitably does.
 * Cataclysm has undergone 3 iterations; the original, a revamped version later that same year, and then the final Definitive Edition in 2019.

The Principles Of Purgatory:
Below are the known laws that are within the Principles of Purgatory, stated or shown in the book, or confirmed by Finch-Ellis himself;
 * No funerals or burials for the dead.
 * Grabbing an unclaimed item and stating "claimed" means that the item in question now belongs to you, this is used mostly by prospectors.
 * Two eyes for an eye.
 * Teeth are legitimate currency.
 * Farmhouses are neutral grounds.
 * To parlay with a stranger, state "bread". If they respond with "butter", this means they have accepted your parlay.
 * A dead man has no property.
 * Never aid those who have crashed.
 * End the suffering of those who cannot end it themselves.
 * Leave behind hay for horses when you leave farmhouses.
 * A handshake is required before a deal of any sorts.
 * A tribute must be offered to share someone else's campfire.

The Soundtrack:
The novel contains songs, those that are played from Robert's MP3 player or the radio, and those referenced by characters throughout the novel are listed here below, in chronological order:
 * Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World – released 1985, written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley & Chris Hughes.


 * Kansas – Dust In The Wind – released in 1977, written by Kerry Livgren.


 * Kansas – Carry On My Wayward Son – released in 1976, written by Kerry Livgren.


 * Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven – released in 1971, written by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant.


 * Led Zeppelin – When The Levee Breaks – released in 1971, written by John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Memphis Minnie, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant.


 * Danzig – Killer Wolf – released in 1990, written by Glenn Danzig.


 * Jethro Tull – Bungle In The Jungle – released in 1974, written by Ian Anderson.


 * Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – released in 1966, written by Lee Hazlewood.


 * The Hollies – Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress – released in 1971, written by Allan Clarke, Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway.


 * The Doors – Roadhouse Blues – released in 1970, written by Jim Morrison.


 * Gary Jules – Mad World – released in 2001, written by Roland Orzabal.


 * Moody Blues – Night In White Satin – released in 1967, written by Justin Hayward.
 * Anvil – March Of The Crabs –  released 1982, instrumental by Robb Reiner, Dave Allison, Steve Kudlow & Ian Dickson.


 * The Animals – House Of The Rising Sun – released in 1964, written by Alan Price.

You can listen to the entire playlist, created on Finch-Ellis' YouTube Channel HERE
 * Van Halen – Everybody Wants Some – released in 1980, written by Michael Anthony, Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen & David Lee Roth.

Sequel:
A sequel for Cataclysm: Definitive Edition is in high demand by those who have read the novel. Darryl M. Finch-Ellis has neither confirmed nor denied a sequel is in the works and is open to the idea of one. Although the novel does well as a stand-alone, the ending has still left a few questions to be answered, such as, what did Robert write down for Katrina to read when she turns sixteen, what happens to Arch-Tiberius and his Horde, does Katrina find out the truth about her father, is there actually an industrial-sized water purifier machine within Inner New Haven, and for some readers if Robert Charlton is actually dead or faked his own death so that he could return to his life abiding by the Principles of Purgatory.

Release:
Cataclysm the original was released on 5th August, 2017, however, Darryl felt the structure and layout of the novel was not satisfactory. Other personal issues such as some pages not being well-liked by Darryl himself and some glaring spelling mistakes caused him to re-release the novel and correct the mistakes, as well as re-structure the layout of the paragraphs and chapters. The original Cataclysm received very low publicity or advertisement from Darryl due to him desiring to release and promote the Definitive Edition instead.

Cataclysm: Definitive Edition was released on 22nd of September, 2017. Initially Darryl struggled to think of a subtitle for this new edition of his novel, until his younger brother Harvey came up with the term "definitive edition" when the two spoke about Darryl's intentions to re-release the novel.

Finch-Ellis could not conclusively decide which genre Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (and the original) belonged to. Due to the dystopian world environment and futuristic sci-fi-esc feel to the water purifier tablets, Darryl opted to go with science-fiction as the primary genre for this novel.

Desiring to test out audiences and whether or not he could cut it as an author before going to literary agents, Darryl M. Finch-Ellis released Cataclysm and subsequently Cataclysm: Definitive Edition independently through K.D.P., who published the novel through Amazon and their own kindle based network.

When the Definitive Edition was re-published on the 22nd September, 2017, it was given a basic red cover design done through K.D.P.'s cover making services. On the 17th of July, 2019, after constant work spanning just under two years, Darryl M. Finch-Ellis re-released Cataclysm: Definitive Edition for a final time, with a finalised version and brand new cover, designed by Finch-Ellis himself. This version also underwent thorough proof-reading by Larna Price.

Critical Response:
Cataclysm (the original) gained positive feedback and reviews, with the only negatives being those which Darryl was already aware of, which in turn would motivate him to re-release the novel.

Before Cataclysm 's publication was stopped, it had received two 5 star reviews on Amazon.co.uk. You can still find these reviews HERE.

Cataclysm: Definitive Edition gained even more positive feedback and reviews from those who had read the novel. With Finch-Ellis being completely satisfied with this version of the novel it has steadily become more and more promoted and advertised through the independent promotional work of Darryl himself.

You can find all the reviews on Amazon HERE

Versions:

 * Cataclysm (released 5th August, 2017)
 * Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (released 22nd September, 2017)
 * Cataclysm: Definitive Edition - final version - (released 17th July, 2019)

Audio Book:
Darryl M. Finch-Ellis is currently working on an audio book with other artists and online personalities to create an audio book that is totally independent from KDP and Amazon.

The audio book will be released one chapter at a time on Darryl's personal YouTube channel and Soundcloud account before the final upload, which will be the entire audio book in one video on YouTube and one audio file on Soundcloud.

Darryl intends to also release this full version of an audio book onto audible.co.uk if the project is successful, this has been stated on Darryl's website on the "Current Projects" page.

Buying & Additional Links:
Darryl M. Finch-Ellis has additional social media accounts you can visit, as well as the Amazon pages to buy this novel from, the links are listed below:
 * Cataclysm's Amazon Page (U.K.)
 * Cataclysm's Amazon Page (U.S.)
 * Darryl's Official Website
 * Darryl's Official Facebook Page
 * Darryl's Official Twitter Page
 * Darryl's Official YouTube Account
 * Darryl's Official Instagram Account
 * Darryl's Official Soundcloud Account
 * Darryl's Official Patreon Account