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The Monster Librarian Presents:

Reviews of Zombie Fiction

Some are slow, some are fast….some are chatty, some moan, and some are dead silent… the thing that they all have in common is that they are dead and would like you to join them for dinner.  There has been a recent resurgence in zombie books, movies, and video games.  A list of various zombie titles can be found here.  

 

A list of zombie graphic novels is here

 

Xombie: Dead on Arrival by James Farr*New Review

Epic Level, 2007

ISBN: 78097972802

Available: New

    Xombie: Dead on Arrival is based on Jamie Farr’s Flash-animated serial Xombie. Xombie is the tale of Dirge, a sentient and very intelligent zombie, and his zombified dog Cerberus, who find Zoe, a small girl separated from her family during a zombie plague.  The book follows the serial’s storyline of Dirge and Zoe’s search for a human outpost.  Along the way they cross paths with a female Egyptian mummy named Nephthys and her pet raptor, as well as hostile aliens and hordes of undead.  Told in a visually rich diary format, it is a fun read with an imaginative twist on the zombie genre.  While the book can stand alone, it also works well as a complement to the flash serial, and vice versa- both are good fun. Fans of the serial will see a new approach to familiar material, but readers newly introduced to the story should try out the book first and then go here to see the continued adventures. Recommended.

Contains: Zombie violence

Note: Xombie also has a comic line from Devil's Due Publishing

 

Bits of the Dead edited by Keith Gouveia*New Review

Coscom Entertainment, 2008

ISBN:9781897217818

Available New

    Bits of the Dead is a package of zombie bonbons, with little bite size pieces of zombie goodness that you can devour quickly… and you can’t eat just one.  The stories in this collection range from one to three pages in length. While I was initially leery of a collection of super short zombie stories, I was pleasantly surprised. I was impressed with the quality stories the authors wrote with such a limited word count.  A wide variety of horror authors, both well known and new, contributed to the collection. The stories range all over the spectrum of zombie fiction, and there is enough variety that even the most well read zombie fiend will find something new.  In short, Bits of the Dead is more than simply a novel idea for a zombie anthology… it’s the best kind of mind candy.  I recommend  Bits of the Dead to fans of the zombie genre in particular and horror readers in general. 

Contains: gore

 

Axiom-Man: The Dead Land by A.P. Fuchs*New Review

Coscom Entertainment, 2008

ISBN: 9781897217832

Available: New

    When a boy disappears from his bed in the middle of the night, Axiom-Man shows up to help, only to be pulled into an alternate world while examining the boy’s closet. The city is Winnipeg, but not the one that Axiom-Man is familiar with. This Winnipeg is a ghost town of deserted streets and abandoned cars. Just as Axiom-Man begins to fear that he is the only one left in this desolate world he finds a man beating a garbage can. It’s not any sort of human that Axiom-Man has ever run into before, though. This man is dead, and he has lots of friends.

 

    Axiom-Man The Dead Land  is a unique take on the zombie genre, as it pits a superhero against the ranks of undead. These zombies are the classic Romero style monster, but these creatures will exhume more than one surprise. A.P. Fuchs presents a believable superhero tale that still has the punch of a comic book. Fuchs doesn’t hold back on the zombies, either, as the reader witnesses what happens when a superhero unleashes all of his power against rotten flesh and brittle bones. I would certainly recommend Axiom-Man The Dead Land for both a superhero collection or to add to a zombie book section.

Contains: violence

Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

Thunder and Ashes (Morningstar Strain) by Z.A. Recht

Permuted Press, 2008

ISBN: 1934861014

Available: New

    Thunder and Ashes is the sequel to Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Strain, Z.A. Recht’s tale of a worldwide zombie apocalypse caused by a virus named the Morningstar Strain, and readers would definitely benefit by reading the first book before trying this one.  Thunder and Ashes picks right up where Plague of the Dead  left off, with General Sherman taking a group of survivors to Omaha, where he hopes to meet up with Anna Demilio and Agent Mason, who are traveling from the East with rogue government agents hot on their heels.  On his way to Omaha, General Sherman comes across a small town that has survived the zombie outbreak and is now being harassed by a group of living raiders.

   

    While the first Morningstar Strain book was about a global zombie epidemic, Thunder and Ashes brings the Morningstar storyline to a much more local level.   Recht keeps the action and the plot flowing very well, but with the main plot lines being Sherman’s and Demilio’s journey to Omaha, the bigger problem is human beings, and not the zombie menace.  Some fans of the zombie genre might be a bit disappointed that their favorite undead seem to take a back seat to a group of living ne’er do-wells. The bottom line, though, is that while Recht has narrowed the scope of his zombie tale, he writes a compelling bit of action and suspense, dealing with a familiar theme of zombie apocalyptic fiction- that humanity can be just as horrifying as the mindless, hungry, dead.  

Recommended.

 

 

 

Empire by David Dunwoody

Permuted Press, 2008

ISBN: 1934861022

Availability: New

     David Dunwoody introduces new and imaginative concepts into the zombie subgenre in Empire. The zombies he imagines are unique, because when they feed they actually regenerate, look more human, and regain a semblance of intelligence. Dunwoody also includes as a character the physical manifestation of death, who has appeared in one of his previous short stories.

      The novel’s premise is that a zombie plague has broken out, leaving a handful of survivors to deal with the undead.  Death, who finds zombies abhorrent because they are undead, meets with the band of survivors who are trying to survive an onslaught of zombies guided by Baron Tetch, a man who seeks to create a zombie empire.  All this takes place in Jefferson Harbor, Louisiana, one hundred years from the beginning of the zombie outbreak.

     The frustrating thing about Empire is how crowded it feels. The various plot threads aren’t explored as they could be, and there are too many elements that don’t get the attention they deserve.   There are many interesting plot lines and characters and one could easily see them being expanded into their own books, set within Dunwoody’s universe.   The ending does leave room for a sequel and it would be nice to see more development of some characters and concepts that Dunwoody has introduced.   While Empire could have been a stronger story by not being so ambitious in all it was trying to include, it is still well worth reading for fans of zombie fiction looking for something new.  Recommended for public libraries, while not a core title it is worth adding to support a population.

Note: Dunwoody's Death character was first introduced in the short story "Browlee's Blue Flame" in The Undead, volume 3:  Flesh Feast

 

Contains: Violence and gore.

 

 

Every Sigh, The End. (a novel about zombies) by Jason S. Hornsby *New Review
Permuted Press, 2006, 2007
ISBN: 978097897078950595
Available: New

    Ross Orringer is a loser who smokes weed, sleeps with underage girls, and sells unauthorized copies of cult horror movies. Or is he? The author hints that he may be someone else entirely. The first hundred pages describe Ross’ life in tedious detail, so readers will have to wait awhile to get to the action.

    Once the zombies arrive, however, hold onto your hat. They attack during a New Year’s party and keep attacking through the rest of the book.  There is more than enough graphic violence and gore to keep the veteran zombie story reader interested. The zombie passages are standouts, comparable to scenes by Max Brooks and George Romero. What makes this novel different is that cameramen converge on the party, filming the zombie attack as part of a new reality show. As the novel progresses, Ross learns that the zombie attack and the reality show are both part of an experiment by a “shadow agency” of the government, along the lines of The X-files.. Hornsby’s imaginative writing can be gripping when he shoots straight. However, he often interrupts the action to provide exposition, and in the end fails to use this background to tie up his loose ends. This leaves the reader confused, and, ultimately, unsatisfied.  The writing is self-conscious in places as well, referencing the importance of horror, and of zombies specifically, to literature and culture. This is intrusive, disrupting the reader’s engagement with the text.

In Every Sigh, The End, Hornsby has offered us an intriguing premise, and some excellent writing.  While zombie fans will enjoy the attack scenes, the overall novel is disorienting and disappointing.

Contains: Violence, gore.

Review by "Horror Master"

 

 

The Unblemished by Conrad Williams

Virgin Books, 2008

ISBN: 9780753513514

Available: Pre-order (April 2008)

            Conrad Williams intertwines two tales that lead to the eventual down fall of London in The Unblemished.  The first story introduces the reader to Bo Mulvey, a photographer who receives a map from a stranger that is needed for a race of creatures to start their conquest of London.  The second story is that of Sarah Hickman, who, along with her daughter Claire, is being pursued by a psychopath.  As the action moves along, London is infiltrated with inhuman beings with an urge to dine on human flesh and seek revenge on a city that has wronged them in the past. All come together in a terrifying tale of violence and determination to survive.  Williams’ writing is engaging, and he does a fantastic job of painting a picture through his writing through out the story. His portrait of a London is chaos is effective and will satisfy those who enjoy zombie and apocalyptic tales. Even those who might not normally read zombie horror may enjoy The Unblemished, as the strength of Williams’ writing a wide range of readers into the story very effectively. Highly Recommended for public libraries.

Contains: Gore, torture, violence

Note: Winner of the 2007 International Horror Guild Award for Best Novel

Note the 2nd:  Condrad's creatures are not zombies, nor are they rabid diseased people such as in 28 Days Latter but they produce some of the same mindless animalistic violence that fans of zombie fiction will enjoy.

 

 

 

The Undead, volume 3:  Flesh Feast  ed. by D.L. Snell and Travis Adkins

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 0978970756

Available: New

Flesh Feast is the third volume of zombie short stories edited by genre veterans D.L. Snell and Travis Adkins. The book starts off strong with “Street Smarts,” a tale of a young man learning how to survive in a zombie filled world. It has a variety of stories, ranging from the bizarre and grotesque to thoughtful and entertaining, with space for both the disturbing induction of a new recruit to a zombie disposal squad  and a zombie Santa Claus. "Brownlee’s Blue Flame" by David Dunwoody is a standout story, and readers are in for a special treat with Tim Curran’s novella of zombies in the Old West, “The Legend of Black Betty.” Flesh Feast is a solid collection that zombie lovers will enjoy. Recommended for public library collections.

Contains: Necrophilia, Gore, Violence
Contains stories:
Street Smarts by Steven Cavanagh
Adam Repentant by Matthew Masucci
Memory Bones by Michael Stone
Spoiled Meat by Ryan C. Thomas
Basic Training by Rick Moore
Deadtown Taxi by Matthew Bey
Killing the Witch by A.C. Wise
Fetalfield-Gigolo by Andre Duza
Under an Invisible Shadow by David Bain
IIe Faim by Eric Turowski
Browlee's Blue Flame by David Dunwoody
As the Day Would Quake by Scott Standridge
Wall-Eyed by Kriscinda Meadows
The Legend of Black Betty by Tim Curran
 
 

 

History is Dead edited by Kim Paffenroth*New Review

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 0978970799

Available: New

        The zombie stories collected here by editor Kim Paffenroth all take place in the past, in different times and places. Linda Donahue’s intriguing A Cure for All Ills is set in plague-ridden London in 1665, while Juleigh Hobson-Howard’ s “Hell Soldiers” takes place during the Civil War. Standout stories include Ed Turner’s “Edison’s Dead Men” and Jenny Ashford’s “The Anatomy Lesson.” Many of the tales have unique twists that capture the imagination. The stories are diverse, well written, and interesting enough to keep even the most jaded zombie book reader glued to the book.  It’s also noteworthy that seven of the twenty-one stories are by women, an unusually high number this reviewer has rarely seen in the zombie subgenre.  Highly recommended for public library collections.

Contains: Gore, murder, violence

Contains stories:

The Reluctant Prometheus by David Dunwoody

The Gingerbread Man by Paula R. Stiles

The Barrow Maid by Christine Morgan

Harimoto by Scott A. Johnson

The Moribund Room by Carole Lanham

Theater is Dead by Raoul Wainscoting

The Anatomy Lesson by Jenny Ashford

A Touch of the Divine by Patrick Rutgliano

A Cure for all Ills by Linda Donahue

Society and Sickness by Leila Eadie

Summer of 1816 by James Roy Daley

The Hell Soldiers by Juleigh Howard-Hobson

Junebug by Rebecca Brock

Starvation Army by Joe McKinney

Pegleg and Paddy Save the World by Johnathan Maberry

The Third Option by Derek Gunn

The Loaned Ranger by John Peel

Awake in the Abyss by Rick Moore

The Travellin' Show by Douglas Hutcheson

Edison's Dead Men by Ed Turner

 

 

 

Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN:9780978970772

Availability: New

            Permuted Press has released a re-edited, repackaged version of Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne which was originally published through Lulu.com.  Told in the first person, as a journal, Day by Day Armageddon is the story of a Navy pilot caught in the middle of a zombie outbreak, who encounters other survivors seeking a safe place to hide.  The survivors soon discover that the dead aren’t the only thing that that they need to fear.  Permuted Press has done an excellent job of using the journal format in the design of the book. The pages are filled with notes, hand-drawn maps, and other little asides. The zombies are the relatively slow moving Romeroesque kind, but the book clearly indicates that there will be a sequel, and hints that readers might see something a little different.  Bourne spins a good zombie story that zombie fans will appreciate.Readers advisory note:  This book may be appreciated by readers who enjoyed Max Brooks’ World War Z. Recommended. 

Contains: Gore

 

 

The Undead Volume 2: Skin and Bones edited by D.L. Snell and Travis Adkins

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 0978970748

Available: New

          This is the second collection of zombie stories edited by D.L. Snell and Travis Adkins.  Many of the included authors will be familiar with readers of the genre. The editors present a wide variety of approaches to the zombie tale. For instance, “Agent Red” by Philip Hansen treats the subject seriously, while other stories, such as Joel A. Sutherland’s “Something Fishy This Way Comes,” where a boy’s zombie apocalypse begins with his dead pet goldfish, are more tongue and cheek. Overall the stories are strong, and while not every story will appeal to every reader, there should be something for everyone. Recommended for library acquisition.  Volume 1 has been previously reviewed here. Volume 2 will be followed by The Undead Volume 3: Flesh Feast. Contains: Violence, gore.

Contains:
Cyclopean by David Wellington

The Abbot and the Dragon by David Dunwoody

The Wranglers y Eric S. Brown

Casual Friday by Matther Shepard

Agent Red by Philip Hansen

Something Fishy This Way Comes by Joel A. Sutherland

The Finger by Matt Hults

Food for the Dead by Meghan Jurado

The Traumatized Generation by Murray Leeder

Alive Eye for the Dead Guy y Ryan C. Thomas

‘Til the Lord Comes  by Scott Standridge

Ravenous Angels by A. Kiwi Courters

Misfortune by Vince Churchill

Skin and Bones by D.L. Snell

 

Deadneck Hootenanny by Mark Justice

Novello Publishers, 2007

ISBN: N/A

Available: Used

          In the small town of Possum Hollow, Frank Sparks finds himself in the midst of a zombie outbreak.   After the whole town has been zombified, the town’s now dead residents who still have their faculties try to decide on how to go forward.   Frank and his friends have a the deck stacked against them having to face decay, the U.S government, and even aliens.  Deadneck Hootenanny is a hilarious enjoyable zombie tale that leave the reader in stitches. Unfortunately, Deadneck Hootenanny was done as a limited print run of 125 titles. Recommended

Contains: zombie violence and gore

 

 

Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Species by Michael McBride

Elder Signs Press, 2007

ISBN: 097798768X

Available: New and Used

            Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Species is comprised of the original novel Species and the sequel Species: The Hive. The basic premise behind Species is that alien organisms have landed on earth in a meteor shower that results in the deaths of almost all humans.  The aliens choose the dead humans as their hosts, reanimating their bodies and modifying them to make them more deadly.  A small group of survivors on the run from these alien zombies are accompanied by a small boy, William, who has a special connection to the creatures.   McBride does a fine job of making his characters work and exercises his excellent imagination in this unique apocalyptic zombie title. A minor flaw is the pacing: it seems like it takes McBride a great deal of text to get readers where he wants them to go. An additional frustration is the treatment of William’s character by the other survivors. Although William warns them of danger many times, he is repeatedly ignored.   McBride has written a good story that, if told in a more efficient manner, would have been even better. For the zombie lover looking for a new take on the dead, Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Species makes for an entertaining read. 

Contains: some gore

 

 

Rise and Walk by Gregory Solis

Hadrian Publishing, 2007

ISBN: 9781430306009

Available: New

    A group of college students are on a geology expedition in the mountains when a meteorite crashes to earth nearby. All hell breaks loose when the students retrieve the fragment at their professor’s insistence. The dead start to rise, and it doesn’t take long for them to follow their senses to a campground and begin infecting the unwary campers. The story focuses on two adventurous paintball champions and two women who work in the campground store, as they struggle to escape the camp and battle their way off the mountain and back to civilization. The tension is further increased by the paintball champions’ rival, a spoiled man who cheats them out of a paintball victory and then hunts them down to gloat about it. Rise and Walk is an action packed zombie story with a villain that the reader will dislike more than the zombies. The two paintball champions as tough men who know what they are doing in on the battlefield, but the author adds some realism by giving them human flaws. The point of view shifts between the characters are a little disorienting, but the book is still a good read. Recommended for public and private libraries building zombie horror collections.

Contains: Violence, Gore

Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

Zombies II: Inhuman by Eric S. Brown

Naked Snake Press, 2007

ISBN: 9781424333639

Available: New

    Zombies II: Inhuman is a dessert buffet of zombie short stories. This chapbook, in its 31 pages, includes tales of superhumans in a world filled with zombies, such as “Evolution Like Lightning,” “Ghost,” and “Inhuman,” the title story. “Reapers At The Door” and “With the End in Sight” are a futuristic science fiction zombie stories.  Also in this chapbook are “Deadlier Country,” about a zombie plague that consists of more than just humans; “Deadtown,” a Wild West zombie tale; and “Sunday Watch,” a traditional zombie tale.  The brief stories are well-written, and showcase Brown’s creativity.  Zombies II: Inhuman sports an eye catching cover, and Brown’s solid writing makes this an excellent choice for fans of the zombie subgenre. Unfortunately for most public libraries, it is questionable whether it could survive for long in circulation. 

Contains: gore, murder, violence.

 

 

 

Dead Sea by Brian Keene

Leisure, 2007

ISBN: 084395860X

Available: New

     In Dead Sea, a deadly virus that brings its victims back to “life” as flesh craving zombies is brought to New York City by rats. The virus spreads through the human and animal population in an apocalyptic bloodbath. In the midst of this chaos, Lamar Reed is trying to save himself and two small children.  Reed thinks he has found salvation in the form of a coast guard cutter turned into a museum, but finds he is mistaken in thinking he can leave the horror by going onto the open seas.  Keene’s lead character is a middle aged gay black man, unusual for mainstream horror. However, although his race and sexual orientation occasionally come into play, the real focus is on the zombies. Dead Sea is a treat for zombie lovers who like the old shuffling dead. The plot is fast-paced, and Keene dives right in.  Readers’ advisory note: Dead Sea is unrelated to  Keene’s zombie novel The Rising, or its sequel, City of the Dead. Recommended for public libraries and as part of a core collection f zombie fiction:   

Contains: Violence and gore

 

 

 

 

Autumn: Purification by David Moody

Infected Books, 2005

ISBN: 0955005124

 Available: New and Used

    Autumn: Purification picks up where Autumn: The City left off. The survivors are being held in an underground military base. When the base becomes overwhelmed with the dead, they run until they meet up with a new group of survivors. These survivors have a game plan for long term survival and the means to accomplish it. All they need is a little time. Out of all the Autumn books this one seems to be the best developed, with characters that are varied and believable and a story that steadily builds to an exciting conclusion. Some of the questions from the other Autumn books are answered, and the book reaches a solid conclusion. This third book in the Autumn series is a must: the series isn’t complete without it, The book could possibly stand on it’s own, but the story does rely heavily on the prior books. Like the other books in this series, Autumn: Purification would make a nice addition to zombie or general horror collections in public and private libraries.

Contains: Gore, Violence

Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

Autumn: The City by David Moody

Infected Books, 2005

ISBN: 0955005116

Available:New and Used

    Autumn: The City starts off at the same spot that the first book started, moments before a devastating plague infects the population. This time the story is told from the viewpoint of different people trapped within a busy metropolis. Millions lie in the silent streets of a once busy city as the few survivors hide inside their office complexes and places of business. The story continues to unfold as the dead begin shuffling around and the survivors try and figure out what is going on and what they should do. The first part of the story centers around a group of people trapped within a college campus, a woman who barricades herself on the top floor of an office building, a night worker, a teenage girl who has lost both parents, and a fearful music shop sales assistant, all facing the horrors of a world torn apart and the quest for other survivors. The second part of the book begins to pick up where the first book left off. Michael and Emma are surviving in a mobile home where silence is the key to their survival. The story becomes more interesting as a group of the military begin exploring the world outside of their plague-free underground bunker. Unlike the other survivors they still cannot breathe the tainted air without suffering from the horrifying plague and must wear sealed, protective equipment just to step outside their safe underground dwelling. When a soldier finds his way to the campus and lets city survivors know that the military exists in an underground bunker outside of the city, the people begin to have hope of escape. The story builds momentum as the survivors come together at the college campus and are forced to either evacuate the city or be swamped by legions of undead. Autumn: The City is an apocalyptic tale about the survival of the hopeless. The characters range from those who are fighting to survive to those who have given up and are simply waiting for the world to end. There are horrifying moments and touching moments, and enough action and story twists to make the reader wonder what will happen next. Recommended for any library with a zombie horror collection and for public libraries building their general horror section.

Contains: Gore, Violence, Sex 

Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

Monster Island: A Zombie Novel  by David Wellington 

Thunder's Mouth Press, April, 2006

ISBN: 1560258500

Available: New and Used

    A zombie plague has destroyed most of the civilized world, with the remaining population of the living in Africa.  In order to assure his daughter’s future, former UN Weapons inspector Dekalb travels to New York City in search of AIDS drugs with a team of teenage girl soldiers.  There they run into a horde of shuffling mindless hungry undead, as well as Gary, a zombie who still has his intellect. Monster Island is another fine addition to the zombie fiction genre.  The story is fast paced and action packed.  Although the title and plot summary make it seem like the book belongs to the horror/humor cross-genre, it is a serious zombie novel.  Wellington gives us an engaging read in the first part of his zombie trilogy. Monster Island is followed by Monster Nation and Monster Planet. Contains violence and gore

 

 

Autumn by David Moody

Infected Books, 2005

ISBN: 0955005108

Available: New and Used 

    One person begins to cough and hack, his airways swelling up, cracking and bleeding, and suffocating to death. Within twenty-four hours the world becomes a silent graveyard. A few lucky survivors seem to be immune to this sickness. They think the worst is behind them, but they are wrong. Within a week the dead begin to stand and shuffle harmlessly around. Within two weeks the reanimated corpses are actively seeking human flesh. Autumn follows the struggle of three survivors as they search for a new home and struggle for food and supplies. The zombies are the classical slow moving variety, who singly are easily overcome, but en masse are unstoppable. Adding to the tension of the book, the three survivors have completely different personalities, so on top of dealing with day-to-day survival, they must also overcome their differences. Autumn is a must have for any library with a collection of zombie books. Strongly recommended for any public library looking to strengthen their horror collection.

 Contains: Gore, Violence Review by Bret Jordan

 

The Queen by Eric S. Brown

Naked Snake Press, 2007

ISBN: 1411670639

Available: New 

    The zombies in The Queen  have taken over the world from the living. Brown’s zombies are intelligent, organized, and able to plan, with some being able to speak, and all hungering for human flesh.  These zombies have even established camps to keep a breeding population of humans.  In The Queen, we meet Scott, a human captured by the zombies and sent to a camp, and Hannah, one of the few remaining free living people, who is trying to flee with her family before the encroaching zombies find them, Scott and Hannah both cross paths with Captain Steven of  the Queen,  a former luxury cruise liner that is humanity’s last hope for surviving the zombie plague. Eric Brown has written a fast-paced chapbook that fits a great deal of story into a few short pages, and there are enough possibilities and in Brown’s zombie universe to merit expanding  The Queen into a full length book. A complementary title about trying to survive a zombie plague via boat would be Brian Keene’s Dead Sea, although the zombies in Keene’s book are more of  the Romeroesque slow mindless type. The Queen is a great choice for anyone needing a quick zombie fix. Recommended. Contains: violence and a little gore.

 

 

 

Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines by D. L. Snell

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 0978970713

Available: New

    The world is over. Zombies have taken over the planet and all that remains are small groups of survivors, and the City of Roses, a barbwire shrouded haven for vampires and their flocks of human cattle. Shade, the empress of the vampires, is trying to keep the city alive in the face of the extinction of their food source and the ever-pressing zombie hordes. Her top military advisor, General Frost, is recommending they start over by moving their clan and their flock to an island off the coast, where the humans can run free to be hunted like they were meant to be. It is a plan that he will do anything to accomplish. Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines is an amped-up, zombie/vampire tale filled with adventure and gore, with a bit of Cthulhu thrown in. The amount of gore in this story will even make the most hardened of stomachs roll, the adventure will keep the reader on the edge of their seat from the first page to the last, and the twists and turns in the plot will keep the reader wondering what will happen next. The constant references to and descriptions of sex are distracting, but that doesn’t stop Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines from being a unique and action packed read. Recommended for personal and public library collections. Review by Bret Jordan

Contains: Explicit Sex, Rape, Torture, Explicit Gore, and Violence

 

 

 

 

 

Dead City by Joe McKinney

Pinnacle Books, 2006

ISBN: 0786017813

Available: New and Used

    Joe McKinney gives us another entry in the Romeroesque style of zombie horror novel, with fairly slow plodding mindless zombies.  San Antonio cop Eddie Hudson suddenly finds himself in the middle of a zombie plague apparently originating  from hurricane ravaged areas of Houston that has quickly spread to San Antonio.  As the city starts to crumble around him, Eddie searches for his wife and child with a horde of the hungry dead following him.   Dead City is a fast-paced good zombie read, although it doesn't break any new ground.  My one small gripe is after a while it becomes tiring to hear the main character continually ask where the horde of zombies is coming from.  For those looking for a new twist on the zombie tale, as the police would say, "there is nothing to see here,  move along," but for those readers looking for a well-written zombie yarn in familiar territory, or an introduction to the genre, Joe McKinney delivers.  Contains: Gore, violence

 

 

Dying To Live  by Kim Paffenroth

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 097897073x

Available: New

    Dying to Live is set in a world where zombies have overrun the living.   Jonah Caine, at sea when the zombie plague broke, has returned to land to search for his family.  Unable to find them, Jonah travels alone across the country. His journey leads to a small community of the living, led by an enigmatic philosopher trying to rebuild society with new rules for the zombie ridden world, and a soldier who is responsible for protecting the community,     Just as Jonah starts getting used to the idea of living in a community, he must face a vicious threat beyond the undead: another group of survivors.     Dying to Live takes a different look at the "world overrun by zombies" scenario by concentrating on what happens to the surviving pockets of humanity in that world, what type of society might they form, and what happens when all the old rules fly out the window. Paffenroth takes a thoughtful and intelligent look at the possibilities, while keeping the plot moving, although it would have been interesting to see him elaborate further on other aspects, rituals, and rules that might have developed in Jonah's community.   The zombies in the book are slow and mindless, with attributes typical to current zombie literature. They provide a backdrop for some of the action and gore, but are not central to the story.  However,  the unique twists and turns of Paffernoth's story will  satisfy even the most well-read fans of the zombie subgenre.  Recommended. Contains: Gore, violence, rape.

 

Monster Nation: A Zombie Novel by David Wellington

Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006
ISBN: 1560258667

Available :New and Used

    Monster Nation tells  of a zombie epidemic that is slowly spreading across the United States.   It is up to Captain Bannerman Clark to try to contain the zombie threat and find out the cause, with the help of Nilla, a zombie girl who has retained her intelligence but has amnesia and is herself trying to find out what her role is in this nightmare.   The zombies in Monster Nation are the relatively slow mindless types, and die with the usual shot to the brain.     The character of Clark is developed a little more than the standard army commander character in a zombie book, but ultimately his character's presence doesn't really differentiate the book from other zombie titles.   What makes Monster Nation different from other zombie books is the character of Nilla, who is tormented by not knowing her name or her past and caught between the world of the living and the dead.  Wellington's development of her character gives zombie readers a new angle on a familiar storyline.   Contains: gore and violence. 

 

The Night Boat by Robert R. McCammon

Pocket Books, 1980

ISBN: 067173281

Available: Used

     On the little Caribbean island of Conquina, local inn owner and wreck diver David Moore accidentally uncovers a German submarine thought to be lost during a naval fight during World War II.   When an old depth charge explodes, releasing the sub from its watery grave, it is towed into the boat repair yard.   What the residents of Conquina don’t know is that the crew members have become mummified zombies thirsting for human blood.  It is up to Moore and island constable Steven Kip to stop the zombies before the island is destroyed.   Zombie aficionados will be interested to know that these zombies are relatively fast, can use tools, and have some form of intelligence in addition to their thirst for human blood and flesh. McCammon has produced a very readable zombie tale, an enjoyable fast paced romp that gets the reader flipping through the pages. Although the book is unfortunately out of print, used copies of the reissue paperback can be easily found. Contains: gore, violence.

 

 

 

Down the Road: On the Last Day by Bowie Ibarra

Permuted Press, 2007

ISBN: 0978970721

Available: New

     Down the Road: On the Last Day tells the tale of a world where a virus causes the dead to come back to life to eat other people, both living and dead. The story focuses on the small Texas town of Beeville, where local law enforcement and volunteers have kept the local zombie population in check. However, a ruthless UN military commander is sending everyone to internment camps and dealing with dissenters with lethal force.   An interesting stylistic move on Ibarra’s part is that each chapter is narrated by a different character, either a visitor to or resident of Beeville. This method of telling the story does have disadvantages: some characters are more fleshed out than others, so it’s hit and miss as to how well you get to know them and whether you care about their fate.   Ibarra’s zombies are traditional Night of the Living Dead types- slow, awkward, and mindless, but deadly none the less.   Ibarra’s story doesn’t break into any new territory, instead going back to basics. Definitely an entertaining read, especially for fans of the zombies in the original version of the movie Night of the Living Dead. Down the Road: On the Last Day is a sequel to Ibarra’s previous novel, Down the Road, but works fine as a stand alone novel as well. Contains: Violence, murder.

 

 

The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth by Vince Churchill

Booklocker.com, Inc, 2002

ISBN: 1591130409

Available: New

Gale is the leader of a band of mercenaries, a hard-core group earning money by doing dangerous jobs that require their unique expertise. They accept a job to bring back survivors from the colony of Avaric, where a strange plague, which forces its victims to commit vile acts, has devastated the population. In addition to completing the job, Gale must deal with the anger and resentment he feels about the loss of his girlfriend on an earlier mission. The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth is a unique blend of science fiction and horror with a fast-paced style and loads of action. It is a well-written book with characters who are often larger than life. There was more than a couple of times when I shuddered with anticipation, knowing what was in store for the zombie attacks. Gale’s flashbacks to a previous mission that had gone terribly wrong are also very powerful. A minor complaint I have with this book is that the pages have very narrow margins, meaning that some words are folded into the spine, making it difficult to read. However, the action and excitement of this book made it worthwhile to deal with this inconvenience. I would recommend this book for any library whether it be personal or public. Contains: Gore, Violence, Sex.  Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

Day by Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne

Lulu.com, 2004

ISBN: 1411608313

Available: New and Used 

    Day by Day Armageddon is written in the style of a journal by an enlisted man, on leave from the Navy, and tells us of his daily struggle to survive in a dead world gone mad. For five months the reader travels with this soldier by foot, car, and plane, as he crosses from his home in Arkansas to the coast of Texas.  The narrator is familiar with combat, combat strategies, and lethal hardware, but he is still a man who is afraid of tomorrow, a man who often wonders if the dead are the lucky ones. He is joined in his struggles by other stragglers who do a wonderful job of filling out the book, revealing aspects to the story that would not otherwise be addressed by the main character. I liked the fact that the story was told in a military, no-nonsense way, but the main character does not come across as a bloodthirsty warrior in a tough guy story. He is a man with depth and feelings, and remorse for what he has to do, but he does these things nonetheless to survive. This book would make an excellent addition to a zombie section of a library, or anyone’s own home collection.

Contains: Violence, Gore

Review by Bret Jordan

One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon
Leisure Books, 2000
ISBN: 0843946903
Available: New and Used
    When black rain begins to fall on the town of Bixby, all hell breaks loose. Anyone touched by the foul rain turns into a homicidal maniac. The story centers on several different characters, a police officer, a pizza delivery girl, an older married couple during a night on the town, and a babysitter and her boyfriend as they deal with a world falling apart. The characters are well-conceived and believable. I loved the heroes and heroines, felt compassion for the victims, and hated the bad guys with a passion. The story is action packed from the start. It takes off and doesn’t let up. There is plenty of action and terror, and a surprise around almost every corner. The book had a zombie-like feel to it, almost on a mini apocalyptic level. Librarians and readers should note that this title contains gratuitous nudity and sex that does not serve to advance the story. Still, One Rainy Night is well written and thought out, and those brave enough to try it will find that it is well worth reading. Review by Bret Jordan
 

 

The Undead: Zombie Anthology edited by D. L. Snell and Elija Hall *New Review
Permuted Press, 2005
ISBN: 0976555948
Available: New
    The Undead: Zombie Anthology is best described as a cornucopia of zombie mayhem. The collection of twenty-three short stories includes a forward by Tracy Adkins, author of Twilight of the Dead, and an afterward by Brian Keene, author of Conqueror Worms. The tales span a variety of topics, from the depraved depths of a man's love with his zombie ex-girlfriend to the story of a blind African American girl who not only has to deal with a world full of zombies, but also the racism and lack of human decency in some of the living. The stories range from good to fantastic. There were no bad ones in this anthology. My personal favorite was the action packed story Undead Prometheus by Rob Morganbesser. Zombies aren't the only monsters that grace this anthology; one story is about a werewolf caught in the midst of zombie carnage, while another story stars Frankenstein as a main character. Stories Include:
Chuy and the Fish by David Wellington
Pale Moonlight by D. L. Snell
Hotline by Russell Calhoun
Home by David Moody
Reapers at the Door by Eric S. Brown
The Diabolical Plan by Derek Gunn
Dead World by Meghan Jurado
Two Confessions by E. W. Norton
13 Ways of Looking at the Living Dead by Eric Pape
Grinning Samuel by David Dunwoody
Ann at Twilight by Brent Zirnheld
The Last Living Man by Kevin L. Donihe
Only Begotten by Rebecca Lloyd
Undead Prometheus by Rob Morganbesser
Hell and Back by Vince Churchill
The Dead Life by Mike Watt
Donovan's Leg by Eric Shapiro
Cold as he Wishes by C. M. Shevlin
Death Row by James Reilly
Existence by John Hubbard
Graveyard Slot by Cavan Scott
The Project by Pasquale J. Morrone
Like Chicken for Deadfucks by Andre Duza
Contains: Violence, Gore, Sex
Review by Bret Jordan

 

Down the Road by Bowie Ibarra
Permuted Press, 2006
ISBN: 0976555980
Available: New
    Down the Road is the story of George Zaragosa, a schoolteacher trying to live through a zombie apocalypse while traveling from his home in Austin, Texas to the town he was raised in. The normally short trip becomes a harrowing ordeal as he has to deal with zombies, FEMA, and small time crime lords who are trying to make a name for themselves in the chaotic new world order. Along with these problems, the main character is haunted by the recent murder of his fiancé. Down the Road is full of action, unexpected twists, and surprises that will leave your hair standing on end. Having lived through Hurricane Rita myself, and seen how the government handled that disaster, I can honestly say that Mr. Ibarra wasn’t far off in how the government would handle such a crisis. My only complaint would be that occasionally the main character’s actions toward government officials are harsher and more remorseless than I would expect, especially for a schoolteacher. Contains: Gore, sex, violence. Review by Bret Jordan
 

Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
Leisure Books 2001

ISBN: 0843948256

Available: New and Used
    Blood Crazy is a tale of the collapse of civilization in a zombie style apocalypse, where parents rise up one day and have a desire to kill anyone under the age of twenty, especially their own children. The story centers around a fellow named Nick who is struggling to survive in a world that has become barbaric and brutal from both the now zombified adults and bully children who are more vicious than the zombies at times. The characters are well written and believable. Mr. Clark did an excellent job of following the main character through the story and showing how he goes from being a self-centered teenager to being a leader of a new community in a new world. As the reader you really develop link with the characters in this book. During much of the book I worried right along with Nick as to what would happen to his new friends. The surviving teens in the book are very believable and scary, and they steadily get worse as the book progresses. By the end of the book they are more vile than the zombies, and hated twice as much. One last thing to be pointed out is the horror factor. The book is scary! There is a scene at a farmhouse that truly gave me the jitters, and not too many books have done that.  All in all it was a fantastic book and one that I am proud to have in my personal library. Contains: violence and gore. Review by Bret Jordan .
 

 

The Morningstar Strain: Plague of the Dead by Z A Recht

Permuted Press, 2006

ISBN: 0978970705

Available: New

    Permuted Press provides zombie lovers with another fix in Plague of the Dead, a tale of the Morningstar virus, which causes the infected to go berserk and violently attack any non-infected person in the area.  To make matters worse, when a person infected with the Morningstar virus dies, the virus keeps the body functioning, creating a slow-moving zombie.  The viral plague starts in Africa and threatens to spread across the globe.   The story focuses on two military officers who have to deal with the plague.   Major General Francis Sherman is in charge of a military operation to cordon off the spread of the disease from Africa to the Middle East through the only land bridge, and Colonel Anne Demelio, works with the US Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Disease and is trying to warn the public with the help of a television reporter.    The reader gets to know and appreciate Sherman, but Demelio's character isn't fleshed out as much.    The book starts off with e-mail correspondences between Sherman and Demelio, which give the reader needed background on  the virus and the political atmosphere.  Recht then throws the story into full gear, and zombie mayhem ensues.   The story feels like a combination of the films 28 Days Later and Day of the Dead, as the characters face both the rampaging living infected "sprinters" and the slow moving dead "shamblers".   Ultimately,  Plague of the Dead is a gripping read from start to finish, with interesting characters and a fast-moving plot.  The ending does have a "to be continued" feel to it, which suggests a sequel might be in the works.   Recommended.  Contains: violence, gore, and description of torture/interrogation.

 

 

The Resurrection and the Life by Brian Keene with woodblock images by George Walker

Biting Dog Press, 2006

ISBN:N/A

Available: New

    In the novella,  The Resurrection and the Life,  Brian Keene presents a new twist on the zombie tale . He gives us a tale of Ob the demon responsible for the zombie outbreak in Keene's books The Rising and City of the Dead, set in biblical times.     The story is focused around Jesus Christ's resurrection of Lazarus. When Christ goes to bring back Lazarus after he dies he finds Ob there instead.    The Resurrection and the Life is a respectful treatment of the Lazarus story, written in a style that will be recoginzed by readers familiar with the language and feel of the Bible. It truly shows Keene's maturity and flexibility as an author.  The woodblock images by George Walker are beautiful and lend to the overall feel  of the book.  The book and the story itself combine to form a beautiful work of art. The Resurrection and the Life is a strong reason why libraries should be active in the acquisition in of small press titles.  I feel fortunate that I was able to review this title as Biting Dog Press indicates that this is a limited release of 250 copies.  In the debate on whether to "give them what they want" or "give them what they need" this small press title, like many others reviewed here, fits in both categories. It is a book by a popular author of the genre that would not be available in mass publication, a well done piece of writing that will make people think in a new way. Libraries are in a unique position to make some of these limited release works, such as he Resurrection and the Life, widely available to the reading public.

 

I

World War Z; An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Crown, September, 2006
ISBN: 0307346609

Available: New

    World War Z tells the tale of the beginning, middle, and conclusion of a zombie plague that sweeps the world, told in interview format. The interviewer travels to various parts of the world, talking with survivors who played many different parts in the zombie uprising.     From a Chinese doctor who witnessed the initial outbreak to a soldier who was at a crucial battle in New York, the stories are told in a way that effectively pieces together the zombie apocalypse.  In the world of zombie books, and there are many, finding a new and different way to tell the story is crucial. Brooks' interview format allows him to effectively take the reader all over the world and introduce many different characters as he moves the story along. From response to its release, World War Z is the next big zombie book. Currently sitting at #52 in the Amazon sales, libraries should definitely have this as part of their horror collection.  In addition, this also becomes an opportunity to bring out other zombie related books and titles as part of a zombie display.  World War Z could also be used as a bridge book both for bringing non-horror readers to horror,  and for connecting horror readers with other fiction and non-fiction written in a similar format.   Contains: violence and gore. 

 

The first comic strip to be set in a public library,Unshelved, recently did a Book Club strip on World War Z, check it out here.

 

 

Song of the Living Dead by Soren Narnia  

iUniverse, September, 2003
ISBN 059528924X
Availability: new and used
    Before there was Max Brooks's World War Z, there was Song of the Living Dead, Soren Narnia's oral history of a zombie plague which also happened to bring out the worst aspects of modern day America and its population. In this book, the author keeps the gore to a minimum and focuses instead on caustic satire and human drama. As politicians, military officials, and social historians comment on the crisis, the story follows unemployed waiter Lionel Gathers and his close friends as they drive across the country both fleeing and embracing the disaster. The novel's balance of humor and darkness keeps the pages turning until the ending laced with bitterness and personal tragedy. This unusual finale is just one of the twists which make the slim Song of the Living Dead something a little more weighty than the typical zombie novel. Contains some graphic violence. Entry by Stan Lahn
 

 

Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Steve Vernon

KHP Publisher, October, 2004
ISBN: 097476809X

Available: New and Used

    Steve Vernon spins a tale of zombie fun in the Old West.  Bank robber Jonah Walker, on the run, finds himself in the sights of undead gunman Leadbetter and a group of zombie crawlers.  It is up to Jonah, Zachaeus, and the camel Two Bump to face the horde of undead, Leadbetter, and their master, Moon Man.  At just over 100 pages ,the story moves quickly.  It is a true illustration of Vernon's talent as a writer and storyteller that he has packed so much into a short story that flows so well (and managed to include a zombified head as another player in the story).  Long Horn, Big Shaggy is an entertaining  zombie romp with the right mixture of horror and humor, and makes for an easy and enjoyable read. This novella has the potential to attract a slightly wider scope of readers than most zombie stories and is recommended for general library collections. Contains:  violence and gore.

 

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

Three Rivers Press, September, 2003
ISBN: 1400049628

Available: New and Used

      Brooks has written a guide for those who find themselves in a world overrun by zombies. He details the phases of a zombie outbreak, discusses various weapons and their effectiveness in killing zombies, expounds on zombie hunting strategies, and explains how to defend yourself during a zombie attack.   This book was written with tongue firmly planted in cheek and is utterly enjoyable.  It makes the perfect reading material for fans of the zombie subgenre. However, readers unfamiliar with zombie books and movies may not "get" the book.  Brooks has touched upon many plot staples and zombie attributes found in zombie books and movies.  While not a true horror book, this guide will be a welcome addition to any zombie fiction collection. Recommended for fans of the zombie subgenre, and for libraries building zombie fiction collections.  Brooks has since come out with another zombie book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War .

 

  Mondo Zombie edited by John Skipp
Cemetery Dance Publications, June, 2006
ISBN: 1587670402

Available:New
    The zombies are loose again!! Mondo Zombie is an anthology of 27 short stories from various authors covering tales about the living dead and the humans that have to deal with them. There is such wild variation in the stories from wrestling zombies, to zombie presidents, to my favorite samurai zombies.  As in other collections of zombie stories, there are a wide variety of tales here that thankfully give us something other than the same old same old. As with any collection of short stories there are some hits and misses but the overall quality of the writing  is great and there are sure to  be a few tales that will appeal to any zombie fan. I would recommend the book for fans of the zombie genre and for collections for libraries. The book makes an excellent addition to the Book of All Flesh, Book of More Flesh and Book of Final Flesh zombie anthologies. Stories include:

Anne Abrams - "Next To Godliness"
Jay Alamares - "Rise"
Richard Laymon - "The Living Dead"
Caitlin R. Kiernan - "Two Worlds. And In Between"
Lucy Taylor - "Fuck The Dead"
Jack Ketchum - "The Visitor"
Marc Levinthal - "Kids"
Adam-Troy Castro - "From Hell It Came"
Yvonne Navarro - "Feeding The Dead Inside"
Robert Bloch - "Maternal Instinct"
Dana Fredsti - "You'll Never Be Lunch In This Town Again"
Ian McDowell - "Dead Loves"
John Skipp & Marc Levinthal - "God Save The Queen"
Simon McCaffery - "Connections"
Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem - "Pit's Edge"
Jack Ketchum - "Twins"
Robert Devereaux - "Holy Fast, Holy Feast"
Lisa Morton - "Sparks Fly Upward"
Del James - "Eye Gouge"
Nancy Kilpatrick - "Going Down"
Stephen L. Antczak & Gregory Nicoll - "Levanta Muertos"
Brian Hodge - "Naked Lunchmeat"
Buddy Martinez - "Anonymous"
Terry Morgan & Christopher Morgan - "Zaambi"
M. Christian - "The Buried And The Dead"
Douglas E. Winter - "The Zombies Of Madison County"
Adam-Troy Castro - "Dead Like Me"

Recommended as a core to a zombie collection. Contains: violence, gore, incest, graphic sexual passages.
 

 

 

Deathbringer by Bryan Smith

Leisure Books, February, 2006
ISBN: 0843956771

Available: New and Used

    Here is a story that could have gone either in the supernatural/occult or the zombie area.  I chose zombies becasue they are the creatures that our main characters have to deal with throughout the book.  An entity called the Deathbringer comes into the small town of Dandridge and proceeds to kill a number of the townsfolk, bring them back, and set them loose on the town to kill.  Meanwhile, Melinda, a psychotic teen who had gone on a murdering rampage must deal with her victims coming back with the intent to seek revenge on her.  She joins forces with the husband of one of her victims, his ex-girlfriend, and his best friend to try to ward off the teeming dead. Finally, a stranger comes into town seeking to halt the Deathbringer's trail of terror.   It struck me that there are some  similarities between this book and Edward Lee's Messenger, but Smith makes this story his own and the character that steals the story is the off balance Melinda who seem to cause more problems than the zombies themselves.    Contains: gore, violence, murder.

 

Xombies by Walter Greatshell

Berkley, August, 2004
ISBN: 0425197441

Available: Used

    In Xombies, a release of the chemical Agent X turns people into crazed killers. The Agent X infection spreads throughout the county as only a few people are unaffected.  Teen Lulu and her father seek to flee the world teaming maniacs  find themselves on a submarine heading for a base in the Arctic only to find a different type of horror awaits them when they arrive.   Greatshell's book is just as much science fiction as it is horror and he creatively blends to two genres together.  Greatshell does a great job of developing Lulu as a character and his strong writing makes this an enjoyable apocalyptic tale.   This book would make a good addition to a zombie collection.  Contains: violence 

 

Wetworks by Philip Nutman

Jove Books, June, 1993

ISBN: 0515111155

Available: Used only

The Breeze Horror by Candace Caponegro

Onyx Books, January, 1988

ISBN: 0451400755

Available: Used only

The Breeze Horror tells of the aftermath when a space shuttle carrying waste explodes in the atmosphere causing toxic rain to fall. Those exposed to the rain either die or become a pseudo-zombie creature that becomes impossible to kill.  These creatures retain their memories and intellect, but are angry and malevolent.  The story concentrates on the events on Breeze Island that has become isolated, where the residents who found shelter form the rain must contend with the mutated creatures.    The Breeze Horror is another fine entry in the apocalyptic/zombie genre, the plot moves along at a good pace and has enough twists that will keep the reader entertained. Recommended as an addition to a zombie book collection.  Contains violence, torture, a rape scene, language.

 

 

Project Phoenix: Dead Rising by Darrin Patterson

Writers Club Press, July, 2000)

ISBN: 0595100082

Available: New and used.

Project Phoenix is a zombie book along the older vein of the non-talking hungry dead.  It is about a military experiment that goes wrong that causes the dead to rise and attack the living.  The dead return in a small Midwestern town and unleash much mayhem.   There is a lot of reading here, and it almost seems that the book could have been split into two tighter books.  This story doesn't cover new ground in the zombie genre and wouldn't be considered a core zombie book it is  more for those who have read most of the others and need another zombie story for the fix. For libraries there are better titles to spend your colelction development money on in the zombie subgenre.   Movie tie in: Return of the Living Dead.  Contains violence and gore.

 

The Rising by Brian Keene

Leisure Books, January 1, 2004

ISBN: 0843952016

Available: New and used.

Oh those crazy scientists, once again having fun experimenting where they naught ought to.  This time they let loose a phenomena that raises the dead, not just human corpses but also animals. These aren’t the normal slow-shuffling dead, rather they are intelligent, fast, cunning zombies that hunt the living.  The story follows the plight of Jim Thurmond, who receives a call from his son in New Jersey who has escaped the initial onslaught of the dead.  It is now up to Thurmond ,with the help of others he meets along the way, to rescue his son.   Followed by City of the Dead.   Consider this part of a core zombie collection. Contains violence and gore.

 

City of the Dead by Brian Keene

Leisure Books, May 31, 2005
ISBN: 0843954159

Available: New and used.

       Sequel to The Rising, follows the continued story of Jim Thurmon, his son, Martin, Frankie as they try to continue to survive in a world over run by the reanimated dead controlled by demons from another dimension.  As the zombies continue their task of destroying all of the living.  Jim and crew find themselves in a luxury tower that has been fortified to hold off the dead and provide a sanctuary for the few living left.  The tower is run by a controlling billionaire who financed it and runs it as his own personal kingdom.  Readily available for new and used purchase. Add this to a core zombie collection.  Movie tie in: Land of the Dead Contains: Violence

 

 

 

Twilight of the Dead by Travis Adkins

Authorhouse, May 30, 2005

ISBN: 1420853244

Available: New

   This story follows Courtney Colvins, a teenager who has to deal with a new world overrun by the living dead.  The story runs from the very beginning of the zombie plague to the point where there are only small pockets of humanity left.    We follow Courtney as she has to quickly grow up and learn new skills to survive.  A different look at the zombie genre that focuses on how it would be for a teenage girl to grow up in a zombie infested world.  Adkins starts the reader from the intial outbreak of the zombies to the point where they have taken over most of the world.  He does a great job of showing how Courtney grows and and adapts to survive in a new and hostle world.  A recommended addition to a zombie collection.  Contains violence and a few sexual situations.     The books was intially published through authorhouse but is now being printed in a special edition by Permuted Press.

 

 

The Deadlands by Scott A. Johnson
Harbor House, September 30, 2005
ISBN: 1891799304

Available: New and Used
    The Deadlands is set in a post apocalyptic world where the mindless dead wander the surface and humans live in small underground communities. All seems normal for Christian and Cadence a brother and sister who live in an underground town called Down-Town. When communication is lost with a neighboring town Christian and Cadence find that the town had been destroyed by the zombies working in a more coordinated way than ever before.   Johnson gives a strong story in a post apocolypic zombie world that is different enough to distinguish it from other zombie books and readers of the genre will enjoy. A recommended addition to a zombie collection. Contains Violence and a rape scene.

 

 

Cell: A Novel by Stephen King
Scribner, January 24, 2006
ISBN: 0743292332

Available: New and used.
    Cell while technically not a zombie novel fits in to the category just the same. The story is about Clay Riddell who is trying find his wife and child after an event called the Pulse turns everyone talking on a cell phone into a crazed killer. Clay runs into other normal people in his quest as he tries to flee a disintegrating Boston. What makes this different than the typical zombie book is that there is an evolution or development in the impacted "phoners" that is interesting to watch through out the story. A solid story and fun read. Another book that is for a core zombie collection. Contains: violence

 

Aftermath of the Dead by Gregory Smith
Apocalypse End: Reign of the Dead by Len Barhardt
Autum by David Moody
Autumn: The City by David Moody
Autumn: The Human Condition by David Moody
Autumn: The Purification by David Moody
Book of All Flesh by James Lowder(ed)
Book of Final Flesh by James Lowder(ed)
Book of More Flesh by James Lowder(ed)
Book of the Dead by John Skipp and Craig Spector
Book of the Dead 2: Still Dead by John Skipp and Craig Spector
Cell: A Novel by Stephen King
City of the Dead by Brian Keene
Cobble by Eric S, Brown and Susan Brydenbaugh
Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne
Dead City by Joe McKinney
Dead Earth: The Green Dawn by Mark Justice and David Wilbanks
Deathbringer by Bryan Smith
Down the Road: A Zombie Horror Story by Bowie Ibarra
Every Sigh, The End: A Novel. About Zombies by Jason S. Hornsby
Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Steve Vernon
Mondo Zombie by John Skipp(ed)
Monster Island by David Wellington
Monster Nation by David Wellington
Red Agent by Philip Hansen
Reign of the Dead by Len Barhardt
Resurrection Dreams by Richard Laymon
Risen by J, Knight
Still Dead by Eric S, Brown
The Breeze Horror by Candace Caponegro
The Dead by Mark E. Rogers
The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth by Vince Churchill
The Deadlands by Scott A. Johnson
The Mammoth Book of Zombies by Stephen Jones
The Queen by Eric S, Brown
The Rising by Brian Keene
The Sinister Mr. Corpse by Jeff Strand
The Ultimate Zombie by Byron Preiss
The Undead by D.L. Snell and Elija Hall
The Undead: Zombie Anthology by Brian Keene
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
Twilight of the Dead by Travis Adkins
Wetworks by Philip Nutman
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Xombies by Walter Greatshell
Zombie Jam by David J. Schow
Zombies in My Hometown by Gary Wedlund
Zombies!: Feast by Shane McCarthy
Zombies: The War Stories by Eric S, Brown

 

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Zombie books sorted alphabetically by author's last name:

Twilight of the Dead by Adkins , Travis
Apocalypse End: Reign of the Dead by Barhardt , Len
Reign of the Dead by Barhardt , Len
Day by Day Armageddon by Bourne , J.L.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Brooks , Max
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Brooks , Max
Cobble by Brown , Eric S, and Susan Brydenbaugh
Still Dead by Brown , Eric S,
The Queen by Brown , Eric S,
Zombies: The War Stories by Brown , Eric S,
The Breeze Horror by Caponegro , Candace
The Dead Shall Inherit the Earth by Churchill , Vince
Xombies by Greatshell , Walter
Red Agent by Hansen , Philip
Every Sigh, The End: A Novel. About Zombies by Hornsby , Jason S.
Down the Road: A Zombie Horror Story by Ibarra , Bowie
The Deadlands by Johnson , Scott A.
The Mammoth Book of Zombies by Jones , Stephen
Dead Earth: The Green Dawn by Justice , Mark and David Wilbanks
City of the Dead by Keene , Brian
The Rising by Keene , Brian
The Undead: Zombie Anthology by Keene , Brian
Cell: A Novel by King , Stephen
Risen by Knight , J,
Resurrection Dreams by Laymon , Richard
Book of All Flesh by Lowder(ed) , James
Book of Final Flesh by Lowder(ed) , James
Book of More Flesh by Lowder(ed) , James
Zombies!: Feast by McCarthy , Shane
Dead City by McKinney , Joe
Autum by Moody , David
Autumn: The City by Moody , David
Autumn: The Human Condition by Moody , David
Autumn: The Purification by Moody , David
Wetworks by Nutman , Philip
The Ultimate Zombie by Preiss , Byron
The Dead by Rogers , Mark E.
Zombie Jam by Schow , David J.
Book of the Dead 2: Still Dead by Skipp , John and Craig Spector
Book of the Dead by Skipp , John and Craig Spector
Mondo Zombie by Skipp(ed) , John
Aftermath of the Dead by Smith , Gregory
Deathbringer by Smith , Bryan
The Undead by Snell , D.L. and Elija Hall
The Sinister Mr. Corpse by Strand , Jeff
Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Vernon , Steve
Zombies in My Hometown by Wedlund , Gary
Monster Island by Wellington , David
Monster Nation by Wellington , David

 

 

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