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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

 

 

Deadfall by Shaun Jeffery*New Review

Leucrota Press, 2010

ISBN: 9780982471340

Available: New and Used

    Security consultant Amber Redgrave is having a bad day.  Her latest client was killed on her watch, and she’s been told by her “boss”, John Richmond, that she should take a break from her job.  This doesn’t set well with her, however, so when an emergency call comes in about the rescue mission Richmond is getting ready to go on, she talks herself up and onto the rescue team without his knowledge.  Needless to say, once Richmond shows up at the meet-up point and realizes Redgrave is there, he is not happy, but it is too late to find anyone else at that point.  The team is briefed on their mission, rescuing two children held hostage at an abandoned mining village, and then are on their way.  Once at their destination, the team doesn’t find what they are expecting, however.  Instead, all seems quiet… until the undead start coming out to attack!
Putting a fresh new spin on the zombie sub-genre, Shaun Jeffrey has created a new species of zombies.  Jeffrey’s zombies don’t shamble about slowly and stiffly.  They move fast and will hunt you down!  And that’s not the ONLY thing special about these zombies, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.  Following up his previous release, The Kult, Jeffrey has managed to come up with yet another story that will leave readers flipping the pages frantically to see what will happen next.  For both zombie fans and those who aren’t, this is a thriller novel that you don’t want to miss.  Shaun Jeffrey is an author to be remembered in the horror industry as his novels keep you on the edge of your seat.  Highly recommended!
Contains:  Adult language, Violence, Mild Gore
Review by Rhonda Wilson

 

Beyond Exile (Day by Day Armageddon Series) by J. L. Bourne*New Review

Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 2010

ISBN: 9781439177532

Available: New

    Day by Day Armageddon was a refreshing, riveting, entry in the ever-growing zombie genre.   Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile give us a continuation of tale of our survivor. After he and a small band of survivors have successfully survived an attack by marauders he finds a small group of Marines who are in need of leadership, and discovers that there is still a remnant of the U.S. Military left.  He also is discovering more and more that the zombies that come from the irradiated lands seem to be disturbingly faster and possibly smarter than the other zombies.
    Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile is written in the same first person diary journal format.  Bourne continues his world building and I suspect that the direction he has decided to take this book will leave fans of the first title to either love it or hate it.  Bourne leaves more questions than answers with mysterious high tech weapons drops, continued insinuations that the zombies from the radioactive land are more than they appear to be, and at the very end, hints that the source of the zombie plague will be a stretch of the imagination.     The pacing is good and the action keeps rolling along, and the book does have moments where it reverts to the original lone man in a world filled with zombies from the first book, which Bourne does very well.   In this book our character ends up with more people to command and more resources at his control, so in some ways it has a very different feel than the first.   I was a fan of his first book, and I would say that libraries should include this sequel so that fans and readers will get a chance to decide for themselves whether they like the direction Bourne is taking this tale.
Contains violence, and gore.

 

 

Sex in the Time of Zombies by William Todd Rose

Ebook edition 124 pages

Sex in the Time of Zombies is not a book of erotic horror. The title refers to the lengths some people will go to for survival. The book is a collection of seven short stories that take place at various times during and after a zombie apocalypse. They are laid out in chronological order from the very beginning to some years later. The stories don’t deal with the zombies as much as the effect they have on the living. We see the collapse of civilization—not just the physical collapse but the psychological collapse of the survivors. How do you cope when you can’t even hear the zombies coming? When the zombies are fresh they’re fast….they slow down as they rot and they make no sound. There is no moaning or groaning. They surround their prey before taking them down.

My favorite stories out of the seven are the last two. “Hips” tells the story of a woman, her boyfriend Jeremy and her mother, fighting for survival, who are found by a man from a colony called The Garden. He convinces them to come back with him by telling them about the lofty ambitions of The Garden. They are gathering as many survivors as they can find to someday rebuild society. They wish to build an army and finally wipe out the zombies. What the woman, ultimately called Hips by the men discovers is that women are held captive and forced to “mate” with every man in the colony until they become pregnant. Rape is justified by proclaiming it is for the survival of the human race. I sympathized with her and understood her decision to end her torture.

“Skinning the Freshy” is the last story in the collection, and is set some years after the apocalypse has happened. It takes place in Free Town, formerly a walled junkyard, which, since the apocalypse, has become a safe shantytown for many families. Most of the children know nothing of the world before the zombies. They play a game called Refugees vs. Rotters—half are living, half are undead and if you’re tagged by the undead you become one of them. As they grow up some join gangs.

Unfortunately for the main character, Smitty, the initiation for the gang he wants to join will ultimately end up in his banishment from the safety of Free Town.

There isn’t a bad story here. “Food Whore” tells about the women who sell sex for food and water; “Tender is the Nightmare” is about a couple who consummate their relationship with zombies pounding on their trailer trying to get in; and “Night of the Living Furries” has a former Army corporal looking for a safe place to sleep for the night and finding a convention of “Furries” all turned to zombies. I laughed my butt off reading that one! “Dance with the Dead” starts it all off with a stripper hell bent on survival at the beginning of the apocalypse, and “Tiffany Shepis and the Fanboy of the Apocalypse” about a stalker so obsessed with his favorite scream queen he’s oblivious to the zombies closing in. That was another one I laughed while reading. This is the second book I’ve read by William Todd Rose and I thoroughly enjoy his writing style. I highly recommend Sex in the Time of Zombies to any horror fan.

 

Contains sex, violence, and mild language.

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

Zombie Zoology by Tim Curran, Ryan C. Thomas, et al.

Severed Press 2010

ISBN 978-0-9806065-9-1

Available: New

 

            Zombie Zoology, an anthology by Severed Press, is no ordinary zombie anthology.  There are no human zombies here….it’s all Mother Nature’s finest creatures hungry for the taste of flesh.  If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the animals during a zombie apocalypse, wonder no more.  From a failed NASA experiment on the old Skylab, to a boy and his horse, as and a pet goat that won’t die, there’s something here for everyone.

            The first story in the anthology and one of my favorites is “Monkey House” by Tim Curran.  The Necros-3 virus has killed off and then reanimated two-thirds of the world’s population, but through the efforts of the military and scientists creating an anti-viral for the survivors, people are starting to come out of hiding and are talking about rebuilding.  Emma and Gus have managed to survive in their fortified home and Emma is ready to move on to Ft. Kendrix even if it means leaving Gus behind.  What they discover, to their horror is the virus has apparently jumped species and everyone forgot about the Primate Research Center.  This is a great story, and the end is priceless.

            Another favorite of mine is “One Man and His Dog” by Wayne Goodchild.  While doing a job at the Kelson house, exterminator Burt finds a large pale cockroach that he thinks is too beautiful to kill.  He spares it and finds that the three-inch bug is smart and eats other bugs—providing Burt with a chemical free way to run his exterminating business.  Connor, Burt’s only employee isn’t so sure.  The two men soon discover that this is no ordinary roach, and eradicating other bugs is not what it has in mind.  This story really freaked me out along with “The Roo” by Anthony Wedd, about a couple of travelers in the Outback whose car accident exposes them to something horrifying; and “SWAT” by Brian Pinkerton about a SWAT team sent into Clarkson in the swamps of Louisiana to control a zombie outbreak that they soon find is being spread by mosquitoes.  All three of these stories gave me the creepy-crawlies and they’ll do the same for you.

            One other story I liked but found very disturbing is “Dead Dog Tired” by Anthony Giangregorio.  In this story we learn that Rufus’ wife divorced him because he abused her but he fought her in court for custody of her beloved pit bull and won.  To punish his ex-wife for leaving him, Rufus allows the dog to starve to death over a period of four days and even enjoys it.  Now I despise anyone who abuses a dog and reading this story really bothered me…even after the dog becomes reanimated.  Anthony Giangregorio gets total props for making me uncomfortable while reading his story.

             I didn’t care for “Why the Wild Things Are” by Carl Barker, only because I didn’t think it flowed as well as the other stories.  A story about local wildlife turning into zombies and the government’s response, I found myself losing interest while reading about how it happened via a newspaper article along with the main character (he’d read it repeatedly).  I also wasn’t crazy about “The Yule Cat” by Ted Wenskus, about a story told about a cat that eats little children in Iceland who don’t wear the knitted garments given them at Christmas.  I was a bit confused when Jon, the protagonist, finally finds a whole family of these cats living in a volcano.  I think a single cat would have fit the story better.  With these two exceptions I loved this very unique anthology and highly recommend it.  It will make you think as well as make you squirm. 

Contains moderate use of language and lots of gore.

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

 

Better off Alone by Yolanda Sfetsos

Damnation Books, 2009

ISBN: 9781615720514

Available: Digital Only

       Better off Alone is definitely a horror bite, clocking in at about 40 pages. It is set in a post-zombie uprising world, where the main character, Nell, escapes her basement stronghold after an attack, and stumbles into a band of survivors with a dark secret. She wants to rescue Todd, the man who kept her hopes up over the last month through email, but first she has to survive her rescuers.

      Better off Alone is ultimately incomplete. There are many potentially interesting things mentioned, but then abandoned, and even the description and storytelling itself feels unfinished. Sfetsos flirts with a good story here, but doesn't quite deliver. As for its place in collections, those libraries with booming digital collections and lendings might find this tale popular, especially if zombie stories are in high demand, but if not, then it's best to wait for Sfetsos's next published work.

Contains: some gore

Review by Michele Lee

 

Valley of the Dead by Kim Paffenroth

Trade Paperback: Permuted Press, 2010

Limited: Cargo Cult Press, 2009

ISBN: (Trade) 978-1934861318

Available: New

           

            Valley of the Dead is classic Paffenroth, a moody, dark, delicate blend of religion and zombies. In this "True Story" version of Dante's Inferno, it's easy to see why Paffenroth is drawn to horror and religion simultaneously. Valley of the Dead is a deceptively straightforward tale. Dante, author and narrator of the classic fourteenth century epic poem The Inferno, finds himself wandering in a strange valley filled with people besieged by a plague of the undead, who live their lives with a fierce, often sinful, form of passion. Paffenroth really captures the original feel of horror, beauty and devotion from Dante's Divine Comedy with sweeping strokes that simply should not be missed by true horror fans.

            The zombies themselves are also metaphors, filled with "rage at [the living], with seething jealousy that they were alive, and overwhelming frustration that [the zombie] could not make them dead." Oversensitive, depressed and caught up in hell on earth, Dante sees the worst humanity has to offer, where undeath just seems like a blessed end to a pitiful life.

            Highly recommended, no, essential for public collections as an example of the depth and soul horror tales can possess.

            Contains: Violence, language, gore

 

 

Tooth And Nail by Craig Dilouie

Schmidt Haus Books, 2010

ISBN-13: 978-1930486980

Available: New

            In Tooth and Nail,  a widespread plague immobilizes the United States and the military units abroad are recalled to help maintain order. What starts out as a humanitarian mission for Lieutenant Todd Bowman and his unit, though, turns into a fight for survival when they are trapped in New York City while a second plague sweeps through, turning its victims into mindless violent animals, or "mad dogs".
            The victims of the “mad dog” plague will seem familiar to those who have watched the movie 28 Days Later.  While not technically zombies, they serve that role for practical purposes.  While the book fits into the well-worn genre of zombie fiction, with plenty of action and gore, Tooth and Nail seems to defy traditional storytelling. While there are few characters that I would consider memorable or well developed, Dilouie's thoughtful and unusual approach to the material had me turning pages. He examines what happens to the military as there is a breakdown in civilization, as Bowman and his unit tackle an impossible situation.   For those fans of zombie fiction will find Tooth and Mail to be a satisfying read with plenty of action.  Recommended.  This would be a recommended read for those who enjoyed Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne.

 

 

Zombie World: Books 1 and 2  By Keith Adam Luethke and Lester Crowley

Createspace, 2010

ISBN: 9781451587111

Available: New

The zombie apocalypse is a few years old, and pockets of humanity are trying to survive.  There are the Survivors who barricade themselves inside fortified structures with guns and supplies; the Marauders, a biker gang who move from camp to camp scavenging and stealing whatever they can; and the Watchers, men who also scavenge and steal, as well as kidnap and rape, though they believe they’re doing what’s necessary for the survival of the human race.  Then there are the individuals like Alex.  He is alone in this world. His uncle, his only surviving relative, was murdered in front of him by Graves, the leader of the Marauders. Alex's goal is to survive long enough to get his revenge and kill the man who killed his uncle.  Along the way he meets up with Joelle and Sarah, also Marauders, but taken captive by the Watchers.  He decides to help them escape in the hopes that they’ll lead him right to the Marauders and Graves.  Can they overcome hungry zombie hordes and dangerous people to finally reach the gang?

            I love post-apocalyptic stories, especially the ones with zombies.  This one was pretty good.  I usually like an explanation as to how the world ended and there isn’t one here….but I really did like that Zombie World focused more on the people trying to stay alive after the end of the world.  I liked the characters as well, especially Alex and Joelle.  I also enjoyed the social commentary….zombies may have overrun the planet, but there will always be bad people out for themselves to take advantage of a world gone to hell.  The apocalypse doesn’t seem to have an effect on human nature in that regard.  The bikers and the Watchers want food, guns, women, and power and now they just take what they want without any authority to stop them.  They ARE the authority, it seems. The Survivors just want to be left in peace, but that won’t happen.  The biggest issue I had with Zombie World was that the end moved a little too fast.  Joelle’s “confession” seemed to come out of nowhere.  I was expecting a more dramatic showdown between Alex and Graves.  It was too neat for me.  I think with a story like this, a few loose ends are a good thing, especially when it’s an ongoing scenario, because that leaves something to the reader's imagination…in this case the fight for human survival in a post-apocalyptic world.  Overall, I highly recommend Zombie World: Books 1 and 2 to any fan of horror.

Contains violence, gore, and some mild sexual content.

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

 

The Zombie Cookbook edited by Kim Richards
Damnation Books, 2009
ISBN:  9781615720361
Available:  Used and New

        The Zombie Cookbook is an enjoyable collection of short stories by a variety of authors. Some of my personal favorites include "A Zombie's APB", by Cinsearae Santiago, the story of a disgruntled zombie; "Secret Ingredient", by Lisa Haselton, in which a husband hires on a zombie to help his wife run her restaurant; and "My Big Fat Zombie Wedding", by Karina Fabian, which tells a story of a girl falling in love with a zombie and trying to gain her family's acceptance of the situation.  In addition to the short stories, several pieces of zombie artwork are included, and recipes are sprinkled within for the daring reader to use their brains to make, literally.  The Zombie Cookbook is a must-have for zombie enthusiasts, and also a welcome addition to the collections of all horror fans.  I would recommend it for all library collections. 

Contents:
Forward by members of the metal band, The Zombie Cookbook.
Wokking Dead By Karina L. Fabian
Secret Ingredient by Lisa Haselton
A Zombie Named Clete By Lisa Haselton
Beer-Battered Zombie with Butternut Squash By Becca Butcher
The Right Recipe By Lin Neiswender
Quick & Easy Zombie Pastie by Kate Sender
Express Cuisine by Dawn Marshallsay
Brain Food By Carla Girtman
Brain Salad for Dummies by Scott Virtes
A Zombie’s APB By Cinsearae Santiago
My Big Fat Zombie Wedding by Karina Fabian

Review by Rhonda Wilson

 

The Changed by BJ Burrow
Apex Publications, 2009
ISBN: 9780982159675
Available: New

    The blurb on the back of The Changed will have you believe that it's about zombies, but not a zombie apocalypse book. Don't be fooled- hese zombies rot, gnaw human prey and will devastate the world we know... they just might not kill us. The Changed follows a handful of characters, some alive, some dead, who have "changed" into something else. Retaining their personalities and skills (and with the help of  embalmers, retaining their bits as well), the Changed quickly become the world's largest minority, facing prejudice and oppression, plus flamethrowers. With open hunting season declared by the military (shown more as bullies than any kind of defense against the invasion) these undead can't be sure who are their friends, and who are their foes. Then Chris changes. A middle-of-the-road, plain-looking man, he finally finds a political cause that inspires him. Chris quickly organizes a new political party, The Changed, fronted by a shock jock DJ recently fired for having the gall to die. The whole landscape of America changes as The Changed party not only grows in number and drive, but becomes the only surety the living have to look forward to- how do you fight death itself?   The Changed still manages to give zombie fans plenty of their favorite elements. There is a sort-of apocalypse, and plenty of violence and gore, and there are tongue-in-cheek asides hinting at what pop culture would be like if the undead walked. The Changed is an excellent addition to the zombie genre, something new and fun in a tiring routine. Recommended for public and private collections- it's an excellent read through and through.

Review by Michele Lee

 

 

Xombies: Apocalypticon by Walter Greatshell
Ace Books, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-441-01845-1
Available: New

    In Xombies: Apocalypse Blues, Agent X wiped out most of human life on earth, creating blue-skinned, undead creatures that ravaged the living, adding to their numbers. In this sequel, teenaged Sal DeLuca and the remaining survivors from the first book are trapped aboard a submarine, with dwindling resources, flaring tempers, and a group of "tame" xombies. When the sub stops off the coast of Providence and sends a foraging party ashore, they discover that the deadly xombies are not the only thing that they have to fear.
Xombies:Apocalypticon picks up right where the previous book left off. Greatshell gives enough backstory that those who haven't read the first book, should have no problem following along. There are some good characters and great action scenes. There are chapters that had me turning the pages faster and faster, wanting to know what was going to happen. Occasionally, I found some chapters slowing things down. The scenes on land were great, but the scenes on the submarine just bogged things down. There are some far out ideas thrown around. Some work, some fall flat, and one tells me that there must be another book on the way.
    Fans of the original book should enjoy this one, and zombie fans looking for something different may enjoy it as well. Recommended for libraries and horror fans.
Contains: Strong language, violence and gore.
Review by Erik Smith

 

 

 

Revolution of the Dead by Anthony Giangregorio

Living Dead Press, 2009

ISBN 10: 1-935458-17-5

Available: New and Used

       Five years ago, a deadly plague killed off 97% of the world’s population.  Society virtually collapsed; there was no one left to run the power plants, to harvest the crops, to pick up the garbage.  More importantly, there was no one left to bury the dead.  Science eventually came to the rescue, with a way to reanimate the dead.  Someone realized that the reanimated corpses are docile and with some training can be used as cheap labor. The menial jobs are filled, leaving the remaining population free to get back to some semblance of the lives they used to have. Soon, reanimated corpses were mowing our lawns, walking our dogs, and serving us our burgers and lattes.  Civilization was slowly making a comeback, although it would still take some time.  One day, however, something changed.  The dead refused to be our slaves any longer.  The dead revolted.

            The core story of Revolution of the Dead is fantastic. Throughout history, people have revolted against those that would use them; the zombies are no different.  Even the way the revolt begins is brilliant….how could it NOT happen?  Humans have a way of bringing about their own destruction, yet, by some bit of luck, avoiding total annihilation at the last minute.

            Although I really did love the story and all the gore, I think Revolution of the Dead would have been better as a novella. I thought there were some unnecessary elements that bogged things down, and there was a little too much repetition in regard to the zombie attacks on the police or military, which disrupted the flow of the story for me. I do think there is a lesson here about we’re headed as a society.  Overall, I’d say Revolution of the Dead is a little better than average. 

   There’s also a bonus short story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Contains: a lot of gore

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

 

 

 

The Best of All Flesh: Zombie Anthology edited by James Lowder

Elder Signs Press, 2010

ISBN:  1934501166

Available: New

   In 2001,  before the recent great wave of zombie  popularity, James Lowder started publishing a series of zombie anthologies through Eden Press. These were titled The Book of All Flesh, The Book of More Flesh, and The Book of Final Flesh.  The first two titles are out of print, and the third is still available.  The series presented zombie tales from a variety of viewpoints and time periods, with tales written by both established horror authors and new names.  Since the first two titles are out of print, and are only available used at significant prices, it is fortunate that Elder Signs Press has brought Mr. Lowder back to pick out his favorite stories from the anthologies for a new one, The Best of All Flesh. 

    As with the other titles in the Books of Flesh series, The Best of All Flesh has a wide variety of tales that go beyond the standard "crunch and munch", which makes the book a worthwhile read for those who might not normally read zombie titles or for those zombie readers looking for something new.  Many zombie anthologies have been released over the past few years, and the market has become somewhat crowded.   The Best of All Flesh is one of the stronger titles out there, offering a good variety of tales, with strong writing by both well-established horror authors such as Tom Piccirilli and newer but talented voices.  My only complaint about the book is the cover, which looks like it came from a video game, especially when compared to the more effective covers of the original series.  The Best of All Flesh is highly recommended and belongs with core zombie anthology titles Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead edited by John Skipp and The World Is Dead edited by Kim Paffenroth.  

Contains: Violence and gore, implications of necrophilia.

 

 

Dead America by Luke Keioskie

Severed Press 2009

ISBN: 978-0-9806065-2-2

Available: New and Used

    Dead America takes place in a world where the newly dead reanimate.  It started twenty years ago and no one knows why.  They don’t want to eat our brains, though.  They want equal rights.  They are Dead Americans. 
    Jon Faraday is a private investigator hired to find Cherry, a missing runaway. That missing girl turns up dead... and stays that way. Faraday is determined to find out what happened, even if it means butting heads with NYPD detective Ray Gannon—his ex-partner.  When the Arnie twins, a pair of mixed life brothers, turn up at multiple crime scenes, Faraday begins to ask more questions.  When he has multiple run-ins with a couple of z-boys, undead gangsters who work for the biggest undead crime lord in the city, Grandpa Hob, Faraday realizes it’s not just a coincidence.  What’s the connection between Grandpa Hob, the Arnie twins, and a dead girl with an unknown substance in her system? 

    What a great story….the concept is brilliant.  The zombies don’t want to eat us, they want to be able to work, to marry, to do whatever they did when they were alive.  They don’t want to be called zombies, either.  Luke Keioskie has taken crime noir and turned it on its head.  He’s thought of everything, a Life Supremacist group, dead rights lobby groups, and an undead crime boss.  It’s a really good crime story that has been tweaked with the added element of zombies….and it works well.  For those who say zombies are played out, here’s an example of why they aren’t, and why zombies is still my favorite sub-genre in horror lit. Readers advisory note: Readers who enjoyed Generation Dead by Dan Waters may also like Dead America.
Contains references to sex and drug use; contains foul language.

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

 

 

Z.E.O.: A Zombie's Guide to Getting A(Head) in Business by Scott Kenemore
Skyhorse Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 9781602396487
Available: New

    Z.E.O is a small, off-sized book that's part humor, part business survival guide and part "for dummies" book. Presentation seems to be as important as content, with sidebars, zombies in the workplace illustrations and chapters that one suspects would make excellent PowerPoint presentations. Nonfiction, yet completely silly, Z.E.O shows a strong correlation between the sort of minds that conquer the business world and zombies- not an entirely kind metaphor, though it has an amusing point.
    Because of the over-the-top comical writing and the lack of a story, Z.E.O is really a gift book, particularly for office Secret Santas or zombie fans, or even not-quite gag gifts to college grads, because the kind of person who would adore this book should own it, not borrow it.
Contains: Gory illustrations
Review by Michele Lee

 

 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Quirk, 2010

ISBN: 9781594744549

Available: New

     Yes, it's another mash up, a prequel to last year's smash hit Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The dreadfuls fit rather well into the repressive, judgmental setting of Regency England (and into "stuffy" literature similar to what many were required to read in high school English class). The tone is wry, utterly sarcastic, and intelligent as well. The story follows a young family of girls, whose father makes them pariahs by inviting a ninja master for the Orient to his home to train them, and pits them against the trickling return of the undead hordes from long ago and against love, society and preconceived notions. What follows is a classic comedy of errors.

    This book is simultaneously a mocking of classic literature, and a glorious example of fine writing, a metaphor for war against the aging and loss of innocence of children, and a call to stand up for what's right and not what's deemed proper by society. Austen's work hasn't been abandoned to a hack looking for easy money with this volume, but has been imprinted upon by an award winning, savvy writer who simply gets it, and deftly reminds readers that literature can be fun and unexpectedly poignant as well.

    Highly recommended for libraries, particularly those looking to expand a bare bones horror collection or meet the need of readers who prefer more mainstream tales to the hardcore horror books.

Contains: Gore, poop jokes

Review by Michele Lee

 

 

Pallid Light: The Waking Dead by William Jones

Elder Signs Press, 2010
ISBN:1934501115
Available: New

   

    In the small town of Temperance, Illinois, unexplained lights in the sky accompany a storm that results in flooding, power outages, and disruption of all communication, throwing everything into chaos. On top of that, the dead are coming back to life and are attacking the living. Rand Clay and his friend Cada are seeking a way to survive and escape Temperance.
    Pallid Light  is written in the first person through the eyes of Rand, an ex-convict, which ultimately is both a rewarding and frustrating experience. Rand is a character type often found in horror and adventure genre fiction: hardened and emotionally distant, with extensive combat abilities and plenty of smart-ass remarks. Jones makes an effort to flesh Rand out, developing him so he becomes more than a stereotype. Jones makes Rand more human, and the reader will start to care about him along the way. His relationship with Cada is complex and realistic, and develops well throughout the story. However, there comes a point where Rand and everyone else are so obsessed with his status as an ex-convict that it detracts from the story. Honestly, in the throes of a zombie apocalypse, how many people are actually going to care whether it's a good idea to give an ex-convict who hasn't caused a lick of trouble since he has been in town a gun?
    The story is interesting, but feels incomplete. Jones does a good job of keeping the plot moving and the reader turning pages to see what happens next,  but the end feels unfinished, possibly to leave room for a second installment. In a crowded field of zombie books, Pallid Light in its current form is slightly better than most of the current shuffling masses of undead titles. However, with some slight modifications it has the potential to be one of the stronger titles out there. Recommended.
Reader's Advisory:  Fans of Brian Keene's The Rising and City of the Dead will want to check out Pallid Light.

Contains: Violence and gore.

 

Resurrection: A Zombie Epic By Tim Curran

Severed Press, 2009

ISBN 978-0-9806065-5-3

Available: New

             Torrential downpours are plaguing Witcham, Wisconsin in the Black River Valley.  It’s been raining for four straight days and the Black River has burst its banks, sending a wall of water, mud, and debris into the Black Town and Bethany sections of the city.  It has also unearthed the dead from Hillside Cemetery….there are bodies and caskets everywhere.  However, the dead are now rising.  On day three of the rains, there was an explosion at the Fort Providence Army Medical Research Facility, sending an odd yellow-green cloud into the night sky.  Is this ground zero in the apocalypse?

            Lily Barron hasn’t been right since her twin sister died three weeks prior.  Now she’s listening to some guy calling himself Brother John on the radio talk about the dead rising.  Her daughter Chrissy is out with friends and now Lily wants her husband Mitch to go find her and bring her home.  The rain has subsided somewhat, and after checking the local teenage haunts, Mitch decides to stop by the Army/Navy Store.  There he meets up with his childhood friend Tommy Kastle, and they listen to all the rumors and theories making the rounds among the locals.  What starts as a normal visit turns into a most bizarre afternoon when the store is attacked by zombies.  Soon after, they watch as two police officers out on patrol begin to burn and melt when a yellow rain begins to fall.  Mitch knows he must find Chrissy, and he’ll do it with Tommy’s help.

            The rain continues to fall, the water continues to rise, people are disappearing, and zombies are coming out of the water.  Disturbing incidents are occurring all over.  Mitch and Tommy are in a race against time to find Chrissy and the cause of the strange and deadly happenings in Witcham.  With the help of local “witch” Wanda Sepperly, they are led to an abandoned mannequin factory, the army base, and finally, a haunted orphanage.  Is Chrissy still alive?  Will they find the cause of the zombie apocalypse, and can they stop it?  Will they all survive?

            This was a great book.  Tim Curran doesn’t waste any time getting into the story.  He introduces characters at the right moments and you get a feel for who they are, whether they survive or not.  He puts a new twist on the zombie tale, introducing some that are out of the ordinary and scary as hell.  These zombies are not necessarily mindless, but they’re also not all just the resurrected dead.  Grimshanks, Mrs. Crowley, and the dark figure in black are more than zombies….they can scheme and manipulate.  Mitch and Tommy are regular, likeable guys that the reader can relate to….the usual heroes of zombie lit.  The conspiracy theory of the zombies and the yellow rain coming from the army base are front and center but the story will still leave you guessing until the end.  At almost seven hundred pages it’s quite a read, but definitely worth it. 

Contains: Strong language and disturbing sexual content.

Review by Colleen Wanglund

 

Alice in Zombieland by Lewis Carroll & Nickolas Cook
Coscom Entertainment, 2009
ISBN:  978-1-926-71229-1
Available:  New and Used
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    Alice in Zombieland is a parody of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  Unlike the original, Alice doesn't fall down a rabbit hole, but rather into a grave in a graveyard where she enjoys spending her time.  While in Zombieland, Alice deals with her own flesh rotting as well as hair loss.  She can't quite comprehend what is going on with her and as she runs into the inhabitants of Zombieland (including the Dead Hare, the Corpse Turtle, and the Black Rat who takes the place of the White Rabbit from Wonderland) she grows even more disturbed by her surroundings and just wants to find a way to return home. 
     Since I had just read the original, I was able to compare the two pretty closely.  Unfortunately, I felt like I was just reading the same books back to back.  Cook takes Carroll's classic story and changes a few passages here and there, but overall it's not that different from the original story.  There were some added scenes, however, that were very good.  One that sticks out in my mind is the game of zombie croquet, where instead of the flamingos and hedgehogs that were used as the tools of the croquet game in Wonderland, this version was played with dismembered legs for mallets and zombie heads for balls.  It's a grotesquely fun scene that zombie fans should eat up!  Alice in Zombieland, though an interesting concept, just didn't blow me away.  Had the story been re-written completely with general references to the original telling of the story, I think it could have been a cult classic.  Still, I think zombie fanatics will at least want to give this a read to check out the croquet game as well as some of the other intriguing scenes.

Review by Rhonda Wilson

 

 

 

Zombie Bastard by Jerrod Balzer
Novello Publishers, 2010
ISBN:  N/A
Available:  New
    Novello Publishers is known for publishing books in the comic horror sub-genre.  Their latest release by Jerrod Balzer definitely falls into this category as it starts off with some crazy bathroom humor.  Poor Trevor happened to eat some bad Chinese food right before receiving a phone call from his brother saying that his mother had been admitted to the hospital.  In his rush to get out the door, he didn't take the time to hit the john and as soon as he hits the road, his stomach started rumbling.  Driving through an area where there are no rest stops, his options appeared to be either to run into the woods somewhere and drop his drawers, or else just have an accident in the car.  When he had just about given in to the idea of cutting loose in the woods, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel... a gas station!  Said gas station happened to have a really run-down restroom on the side of the building.  Rushing into the single stall once the station manager came out, he didn't think twice about there being an audience outside listening to him "go" so he just let everything out.  While he continued his business he heard another "guest" enter the room.  Trevor heard some struggling over at the sink and the next thing he knew there was a zombie tearing the hinges off the stall door.  That's a sure fire way to make someone crap themselves!  Luckily, Trevor was in the right spot for that, but then the zombie went to attack and the chase was on! 
    Balzer has created a great piece of comic horror fiction with Zombie Bastard.  Filled with bathroom humor throughout, it still has a great plot. The story behind how the Zombie Bastard came about is quite an interesting tale.  Obviously it's about a bastard child, but there is a lot more to it than that, and Balzer describes the tale of the Zombie Bastard and the curse that was put on the town with added humor to give it more flair.  The Zombie Bastard himself is an interesting character, as you discover from how he was "created", but one of my favorite characters in the book comes in to play towards the end... The Witch Bitch.  The story really ties together when Trevor finally gets to meet her.  There is a lot discovered with Trevor's visit to her house and The Witch Bitch amused me both in her actions and just her name alone.  I found myself laughing throughout this entire book and would've finished it in one sitting (no pun intended) had I not been interrupted with other things going on in real-life.  Definitely a must-read for the comic horror fans out there.  Highly Recommended!
Contains:  Adult Language, Adult Situations, Bathroom Humor
Review by Rhonda Wilson

 

    When zombies overrun St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, two cities on a peninsula of Florida's west coast, things go from bad to worse rather quickly. Citizens are panicking, the police don't know what to do, and the dead just keep on coming. It seems to be a worldwide epidemic, but the locals are concerned with saving their own lives. The government has a plan. Some of the upper echelons of St. Petersburg's citizenry have a plan. But, for most of the populace, it is kill or be killed. And if they are killed, hope they don't come back.

    Dead Tide is a difficult book to describe, without giving too much away. There is a huge cast of characters, including soldiers, policemen, thugs, a stripper, a cab driver,and a janitor. All of the characters are well written, each having distinct features and characteristics. Cops go bad, and bad guys end up as heroes. Each character's true nature is revealed.
    The reactions of people seem realistic. The mayor comes up with a plan, which I don't want to say too much about, as it is a major part of the plot. Mills, a firefighter, tries to survive while saving as many people as he can. And, of course, there is looting and rioting. As with the best novels of this nature, there are some characters to root for and others you can't wait to see get what they deserve. And, also as with the best novels of this nature, you don't always get what you want.

    The story is compelling, and there came a point where I didn't want to put the book down. Unfortunately, that happened after I was well into the book. The one flaw of this story is that the chapters are, for the most part, very short, with 147 chapters in 272 pages. Short chapters aren't necessarily bad, but in this case they jump from character to character, breaking the flow of the story. Some characters disappeared from the story for so long that when they returned, I had to stop reading and try to remember who they were and what they were doing the last time I saw them. Each chapter "title" is a character's name, which helps, but I was halfway through the book before I felt that compelling need to keep reading.

    Overall, Dead Tide is worth reading. If you are patient, get to know the characters, and find the flow of the storytelling, you will be richly rewarded with a very good zombie novel from a promising author. I hear that there is a sequel in the works, and I look forward to revisiting this undead world.

Recommended.
Contains:Violence, sex, strong language and gore
Review by Erik Smith

 

 

 

Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection by Don Roff

Chronicle Books LLC, 2009

ISBN: 9780811871006

Available: New

       From the journal/diary of hematologist Dr. Richard Twombly, comes an account of the 2012 zombie uprising, complete with some very lovely pictures. This oversized book is complete with drawings, watercolors, handwriting styled font, coffee cup stains and dirty fingerprints. The book is very attractive and if only it were a hard cover, it would make quite the coffee table book for your zombie enthusiast family member. As far as looks and presentation I would give this book 5 stars, I was unbelievably surprised at how attractive it was.
            Unfortunately, the story does not hold up to the artwork and presentation. It's not that the tale is bad, it's just nothing that we haven't heard before from the token scientist found in every other zombie tale. A rather dry recounting of first we did this, then this happened so we ran, then we did this blah blah blah. Nothing particularly new here, zombies show up - if they bite you, you're a zombie too. They are slow, move in packs, head wounds do them in, they like to eat folks for no particular reason. No one knows why this outbreak is happening, though it is alluded to that a chemical preservative in food may be the cause. Our hero, scientist that he is, heads to where he believes the source is - but finds little there to satisfy the reader.

            In the end, I was not so much dissatisfied by the lack of clarity about the source of the outbreak, as much as the cold, dry, unfeeling narrative coming from the journal entries. Twombly is no literary genius, and in fact much of this is about as exciting as reading a technical manual. If there had been more feeling, more connection with the various characters, then I think this book would have packed more of a punch. As it is, most of the entertainment came from the artwork. This book adds almost nothing new to the zombie genre, so don't go expecting something exhilarating or world-changing. Most of what you see is almost identical to scenes and bits from other movies or books. If you are considering the purchase of this book, buy it for the artwork rather then for the story.

Review by KDP

 

 

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks and Ibraim Roberson

Three Rivers Press, 2009

ISBN-10: 030740577X

Available: New

 

    Recorded Attacks is a graphic novel by Max Brooks, author of The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z.  In The Zombie Survival Guide Brooks offers some brief narratives chronicling zombie attacks over the years. In this graphic novel, Brooks takes some of the attacks from the “Recorded Attacks” section of The Zombie Survival Guide and adds some new stories, providing a chronology of when the zombie plague has appeared from prehistory to present day.  The stories last anywhere from a few pages and skip around to different periods in time.

     The book captures the look and feel of his other two titles and makes a fine companion. The art is black and white and is able to convey the gore of a zombie attack.  It is clear that a great deal of effort went into the stories and art and is an enjoyable read.  Recorded Attacks is highly recommended for libraries to add to their graphic novel collection. Fans of the book will appreciate having a chance to check it out, as it is a fast read and on the pricey end, and it is an ideal title to bring out when there is a mainstream zombie movie coming out. The primary issue with this title is that one wishes that Brooks would have been able to expand on these stories.

Contains: Gore

 

The World Is Dead edited by Kim Paffenroth

Permuted Press, 2009

ISBN-10: 1934861251

Available: New

    There is little doubt that zombies are the “in” monster these days, and the number of zombie anthologies and collected works seem to be rising faster than the corpses coming out of the ground.   The World is Dead is a collection of zombie stories about life after a zombie plague has ravaged the world.  The interesting thing about The World is Dead is that it provides the reader with different aspects of existing in a world with zombies. Paffenroth divides his book into four sections: work, family, love, and life.  The World is Dead offers up a wide variety of stories from some very talented authors and I would highly recommend the book.  The thing to keep in mind about the book is that while there are some chilling stories, there are some that are actually very touching such as “December Warming" by William Bolden.   The World is Dead is a book for fans of the zombie concept, not just for those looking for zombie gore.  The cover of the book doesn’t really do the book justice, it shows a couple of authority types moving a bloodied restrained zombie in a facility which implies more a chew and chop type book than you actually get.     Rest assured, there are some stories that have action and gore,   but others are thoughtful, humorous, and touching.  The World is Dead is one of the strongest zombie anthologies that have come out recently and should be definitely be added to a library collection. 

 

 

 

Dubaku by Edward M. Erdelac

Damnation Books, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-6157202-3-1

Available: New and Used

    African shaman Dubaku knows his wife and unborn child have been taken on the white man’s slave ship and is ready to submit himself for capture in order to rescue his family. Once on board the ship, Dubaku understands his higher purpose as a shaman and invokes the necessary black magic to sacrifice the slave cargo on board and take revenge on the white captors.

    In his 42-paged horror novella, Edward M. Erdelac invokes the dark elements of voodoo intermixed with zombies to create a dark, foreboding, and terrifyingly gruesome short story. The suspense and pace of the story never relents allowing (or is that forcing though sheer terror?) the reader to finish it in one sitting. As expected with short horror stories, the pace is incredibly fast and the scare is compacted into a few short bloody pages to create a heart-pounding read. Available for Kindles, public libraries might find purchasing this short story in e-book form versus paperback a bit easier on the budget line. Age appropriate for the adults.

Contains: Violence & Gore

Review by Kelly Fann

 

Hungry For Your Love: An Anthology Of Zombie Romance, edited by Lori Perkins

Ravenous Romance, 2009

ISBN-13:97-1-60777-308-5

Available: New

    While at a convention, editor Lori Perkins was told "you can't do zombie romance".  The anthology Hungry For Your Love is her response to the challenge. As responses go, it succeeds much more often then it fails. Filled with stories ranging from the hilarious to the horrific, with zombies both voodoo and "Romero", and with feelings both romantic and lustful,  there is something here to tug at the hearts (and brains) of any zombie lover.

Highlights include:

 "Undying Love" by Regina Riley, a story of a love that lasts beyond death.

"Captive Hearts" by Brian Keene, is a short, sharp, shock of a tale, a treat for fans looking for a new zombie story by one of the authors who re-invigorated the genre. As an added bonus, this story takes place in the world of Keene's novel Dead Sea.

"Eye Of The Beholder" by Stacey Graham is a cute piece of zombie boy meets zombie girl fiction.

"My Partner The Zombie" by R.G. Hart is a fun romp with a supermodel P.I. and her zombie partner, who must take on a megalomaniacal midget set on zombifying the world.

"Apocalypse As Foreplay" by Gina McQueen sees star-crossed lovers fighting off undead admirers as they attempt to re-unite in a zombie plagued world. (Ms. McQueen’s style is quite like that of horror icon John Skipp. Hmmmm.)

"Last Times At Ridgemont High" by Kilt Kilpatrick just may be my favorite. It is a cinematic zombie thrill ride.

While a few of the stories in this collection seem to lack style and heart, most are well worth reading. Highly recommended for anyone’s collection

Contains: Violence, gore, explicit sex and strong language.

 Review by Erik Smith

 

 

 

Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson
Bad Moon Books, 2007 (Limited)
Medallion, 2008 (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: (Trade) 978-1934755457
Available: New, Used or Limited
 
    Johnny Gruesome is what you might get if you took all the emo out of J. O. Barr's The Crow and replaced it with hardcore, attitude-filled metal. Johnny Grisson is not a good person. He's your familiar wayward angry youth with an alcoholic father, a dead mother and a serious problem with the way life is treating him. When he ends up dead, Johnny's determined not to take it lying down and instead decides to make a mark on the world by kicking the ass of the little town of Red Hill where he lived and died.
    Overall the book has a familiar feel, but it’s too well written and enjoyable to be cliché. It is, in many ways, a classic slasher flick in book form. Science and logic are fudged at times for effect, but it's a fun romp through rage and blood and zombies, and would be a solid addition to private and public horror collections.
Contains: Violence, drug use, sex, language

Review by Michele Lee
 

 

Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead edited by John Skipp

Black Dog and Leventhal, 2009

ISBN: 9781579128289

Available: New

    There is little doubt that zombies are the monster du jour these days. Independent presses have even sprung up dedicating themselves to publishing zombie fiction.  John Skipp has been involved with zombie tales for two decades, long before their current popularity. In 1989, he co-edited the zombie anthology Book of the Dead with Craig Specter. Skipp and Specter followed the first volume with another anthology, Book of the Dead 2: Still Dead. Skipp moved on to edit Mondo Zombie(2006) on his own. With Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead, Skipp has compiled a massive tome of his favorite zombie tales to date. He has drawn a great number of stories from his previous zombie anthologies.

    Book of the Dead, Book of the Dead 2: Still Dead, and Mondo Zombie are all out of print so Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead presents readers and librarians with an excellent opportunity to read what John Skipp picked out as his favorite stories from his previous books in addition to new tales that Skipp has uncovered..  It is important to note that not every tale from his previous zombie anthologies have been included.    One interesting note about Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead is that with the explosion of zombie titles that have come out over the past few years and authors who have specialized in writing zombie stories, the stories in the book are written by a who’s who of well known horror authors such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Robert McCammon who don’t specialize in zombie fiction but happen to write excellent zombie tales. Max Brooks, who is known best for his bestselling zombie title World War Z also contributed a story.   In addition to the zombie tales, Skipp has added two nonfiction pieces. “Zombie Roots: A Historical Perspective” by Christopher Kampe and Anthony Gambole delves into the history of the zombie, and “They’re Us and We’re Them: Zombies in Popular Culture” by Skipp and Cody Goodfellow examines how and where the zombie has appeared in various media.  These pieces provide some excellent context and thoughtful analysis for those who might be new to the zombie subgenre. 

    In regard to collection development I would highly recommend Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead for libraries and would say it belongs in a core horror collection.  Zombie fiction is riding a wave of popularity right now, and while it may not continue with the same strength and frenzy in the future, John Skipp’s love for the undead and keen eye in picking out some of the best zombie tales out there will make Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead a book you will always want on your shelves. 

Do note some of the stories are definitely adult in nature.  

 

 

Season of Rot by Eric Brown

Permuted Press, 2009

ISBN: 9781934861226

Available: New

    Season of Rot is a collection of five novellas by zombie author Eric S. Brown.   In The Queen, a group of survivors of a zombie plague find themselves on a former cruise ship on the run from intelligent zombies. The Wave offers a scenario in which zombies are created by a celestial event and it is up to a handful of survivors to survive in a military complex. Dead West gives us a zombie plague after the Civil War. In The Rats, zombies are a result of demonic rats another realm, and in the title story, Season of Rot, a group of survivors are shacked up in a hospital until a stranger comes to save them. The novellas feel very much like variations on a theme. In each story there are a group of survivors under siege during a zombie plague- the main difference is the source of the plague.  I suspect that Season of Rot will have appeal to fans of the zombie genre. It is the epitome of a genre book that offers up variations along the same theme, it offers up something familiar with each novella giving its own unique twist.    I would not recommend it to first time readers of zombie fiction, who might find the repetition tedious, nor to those who are looking for significantly different zombie short stories.   If anything, I would say that the book was written to fans of zombie titles by an author who clearly has a passion for the subgenre.

  For libraries, adding Season of Rot to the collection makes sense if circulation levels of current core zombie titles indicate a higher level of demand. A stronger collection of diverse zombie works would be Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead

 

Contains: Violence and gore

 

 

 

Don of the Dead by Nick Cato

Coscom Entertainment, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-926-71203-1

Available: New

    Nick Cato's first full-length novel, Don of the Dead, introduces us to several of the main characters in the Barrlucio Crime Family, most notably Antonio Barrlucio (the newly assigned don) and Henry Capuzzio (nephew of the recently deceased don). Soon, it is made quite clear that Capuzzio has turned against his family and has joined forces with the other mob in town, the Piranzza family. With their assistance, he abducts Barrlucio, drags him to a construction site, and turns him into the latest part of the landscape by pouring cement over his still living body, causing him to lose oxygen quickly. Who could survive that, right? Later that day Barrlucio's corpse starts slowly digging his way out of his rock solid grave. That can't be be possible, can it? This is the point in the book where things really take off and also the start of the zombie outbreak.

   Don of the Dead is a quirky read from a hot new author. Nick Cato takes a refreshing new look at zombies and knocks 'em dead... Italian-style! Cato mixes humor in throughout the book in order to give his readers more than they might expect from a typical zombie novel. In particular, he uses some very catchy nicknames for some of his characters in the book. I probably missed some of the jokes within as there are a lot of Italian references within the book, but you could tell that Cato knows his stuff. The approach he took on zombies was very unique from what I've seen from other authors as well and I love how he also was able to connect it to the whole Italian theme. This is a great first novel from Cato. I am definitely looking forward to checking out more by this author in the future. Highly Recommended!

Contains: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations

Review by Rhonda Wilson

 

 

The Estuary by Derek Gunn

Permuted Press, 2009

ISBN: 1934861243

Available: New

    Permuted Press has carved a niche for itself in the small press by catering to the readers of thezombie sub-genre that has been all the rage for the past few years. Their latest offering, from Irish author Derek Gunn, is very much in keeping with what one has come to expect from the publisher. The novel’s premise of a Nazi contagion released in an Irish village that transforms the locals into the silent, stalking undead, hungry for human flesh, is an interesting “mcguffin”, and Gunn keeps the action frantic and tension filled. The Estuary is populated with dozens of characters and the author, despite the frenzied pace he has established, does a fair job of introducing the large cast and giving just enough characterization to make you care about them as they invariably become victims of their transformed friends and neighbors. Gunn has written a solid story with a lot of promise. The book falls short not because of the writing, but because it lacks the seasoned hand of a professional editor and proof reader, a responsibility which falls squarely on the shoulders of the publisher.

 

Contains: violence and gore

Review by Bob Freeman

 

Road Kill by Anthony Giangregorio

Living Dead Press, 2009

ISBN 9781935458128

Available: New

    In Road Kill, a comet enters the Earth’s orbit, reanimating the dead.  The book starts with a series of short passages about people getting killed by their recently deceased pets and New York being over run by dead rats and birds. The story’s focus then changes to follow Beth, a hitchhiker. Beth is on the run from zombified road kill and other undead forest creatures and finds refuge in a dinner where fry cook Jake works. The roadside diner ends up under siege by the undead critters leaving Beth, Jake, and the rest of the staff and patrons to try to find a way to survive.  

    While the publisher on the cover is Living Dead Press, there is an author’s note in the beginning of the book that he has done all his own editing, suggesting that this is a self-published book.   The grammar didn’t pose an obstacle, though. A greater flaw is that the romantic element of the story feels forced, to the point of not being believable.   For example, while she is running to the diner, chased by undead creatures, Beth notices how cute Jake was.  The entire subplot could have been taken out and the story would have been better off.   The author’s obvious passion for the zombie tale carries the story. Giangregorio is a prolific writer of zombie tales who has explored many variations in the subgenre, and this seems to be his nod to the undead animals of the apocalypse. There are also a few human zombies, and two former patrons of the diner who end of dead do offer up some chuckles. While the idea of undead animals big and small is intriguing, Road Kill feels like an unfinished work that could be stronger, and at 132 pages there is plenty of room for growth.   For libraries, there are stronger zombie titles out there, for readers this is for the zombie fanatic only.   Readers who liked the idea of zombie animals from Brian Keene’s Dead Sea will want to check this out.

Contains: Violence, gore, and a sex scene

 

 

Rot by Michele Lee

Skullvines Press, 2009

ISBN:

Available: New

    In a world where the force of will can raise the dead the Silver Springs Care Community isn’t just any care community. It is a home for the undead. A place to send your zombie wife when you love her too deeply to let her go, but not enough to keep her yourself, when your boy’s soul is in danger of going to hell it gives you more time to talk him to salvation. The only problem with the Silver Springs Care Community is that residents are checking in, but not checking out - just vanishing. It’s a problem that Dean, a security guard at the facility, notices. When Amy, his favorite undead girl vanishes he and her undead friend, Patrick decide that they are going to get to the bottom of things and save her.

    Just when every aspect of the zombie genre seems to be covered a new one suddenly comes to light. Rot is an excellent new twist on an old tale. There are smart zombies and horrifying zombies and at times it is hard to tell which is which. This is a story not only of horror, but also of love, compassion and friendship. Rot is a novella that makes the reader take a new look at what zombies are and what they could be while asking if a loved one could be brought back from the dead would it be right and just, or cruel and inhumane. It is a must have for any zombie book collection! Highly recommended.

Note: Michele Lee is a reviewer for MonsterLibrarian.com

Contains: Violence, Gore

Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Quirk Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 9781594743344

Available: New

    "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins the literary transformation of the famous first line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, one of the world’s most beloved works of fiction, now in the public domain. If you are like me, or many others, though, you wouldn’t read Austen to save your life… unless of course, your life was being threatened by zombies! Seth Grahame-Smith delivers a hilarious mash-up of Austen romance, Austen dress, Austen manners, and now Austen-style zombies (note the zombie woman who wastes such a fine wedding gown while praying on brains. ‘Tis a shame). Now, with open arms, I am taking in my Austen as I never thought I could.

    Readers with a taste for Austen, a taste for zombies, or any variation of the two will revel in the satiric re-telling that aptly plays on the original heroine (Elizabeth Bennet) as the spirited and determined central character she always was. Now Ms. Bennet, who has a singular talent at slicing and dicing the demon dead, carries a Katana and has martial arts training! Enter Mr. Darcy, an arrogant zombie fighter who is drawn to Ms. Bennet and her skill to kill. Their affaire de couer takes them through all the woes and wins of the original work but transforms them into a cutting edge dance with “unmentionables” (a more Austen-esque term than undead, I think) at the core. For those of you who abhor romance this is the romance for you. And for those of you who abhor violence, well, dare I say: this is the horror story for you! It must be noted that Grahame-Smith does an excellent job at seamless transitions from Austen to zombie moments, with plenty of romance and comedy in the mix with violence and mayhem. Fans of Austen and of zombies will get a kick out of it, and it’s a great choice to get reluctant readers hooked on a literary classic. Not surprisingly, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is already being optioned for a film. Highly recommended.

Contains: Violence

Review by Courtney Lerner

 

 

The Rage Plague by Anthony Giangregorio

Permuted Press, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-934861-19-6

Available: New

     Civilization has ended and the human race has gone violently insane.  A deadly virus has swept over the nation taking away everyone’s sense of reason and replacing it with a desire for death and mayhem. A small portion of the population is immune. Bill Thompson is one of the lucky ones - maybe. He and a small group of survivors are immune to the virus, but they are trapped on a rooftop. Below them the infected wait for them to come down, wait for them to make a mistake. In another part of the city one infected man has kept his intelligence, but he is far from unaffected. He can communicate with the Plague victims and command them - unfortunately he has a grudge against mankind and wants to see its downfall.

    The Rage Plague is an action packed zombie-like novel that starts off fast and never slows down. The characters vary from selfless heroes to self-absorbed bullies and mesh together to create a believable group of individuals. The plague victims are animals, driven by their base needs, but their leader is a remarkable villain - flippantly evil in a way that makes him interesting and memorable. Some of the antagonists will get the reader’s sympathy to a certain point while others come across as wholly evil and thoroughly twisted.  At times the story is a little over the top and almost feels choreographed and every escape plan seemed to need a distraction to work, but these are mild complaints about a book that is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Contains: Violence, Gore, Rape

Review by Bret  Jordan 

 

 

The Kill Crew by Joseph D’Lacey

StoneGarden.net Publishing, 2009

ISBN: 1600761410

    The world as everyone knew it is gone. Pencil pushers, programmers, secretaries and office executives have become Commuters, zombie-like creatures that come out at night and hunt. The rest of the world lives in The Station, a sealed fortress in the center of the city. The Kill Crew are the Stoppers, folks in The Station who go out at night and hunt the hunters. Things are changing though. The Commuters are becoming smarter and deadlier. Seven is a lucky number and the number of The Kill Crew. Some are volunteers while others are chosen through a lottery. Sheri is one of the seven that form The Kill Crew, a volunteer who is good at what she does - possibly the best. She’s beginning to see the writing on the wall as The Station’s numbers dwindle a little each day. Her goal is survival no matter what.

    The Kill Crew has the flavor of a zombie story, mindless masses hungry for a small group of humans, but it isn’t a zombie story. It is a story of survival, of beating the odds. It is a tale of where desperation can drive the human spirit. Most of the story is narrated by Sheri, a beautician turned warrior. She is a hard woman because she has to be - anything else would get her killed. This isn’t a zombie story but I would recommend it to anyone who loves zombie fiction or anyone who likes a strong story brimming with emotion, adventure and horror.

 Contains: Violence

 Review by Bret Jordan

 

 

After Twilight: Walking with the Dead by Travis Adkins

Permuted Press, 2008

ISBN-10: 1934861030

Available: New

    After Twilight is the sequel to Twilight of the Dead. In Twilight of the Dead, the world is struck by a zombie apocalypse. Survivors reside in the fortified town of Eastpointe. In the sequel, After Twilight, the survivors of the zombie apocalypse are still residing in Eastpointe. They are protected by the Black Berets, a group trained specifically to outmaneuver the undead.  A stranger, Dr. Dane, arrives at the gates of Eastpointe, claiming to have a cure for the plague. Retrieving the antidote means leaving the safety of Eastpointe and venturing into a world run by the undead. Eastpointe’s “leaders” send several Black Berets with Dane on a journey to an abandoned ship where he claims the cure exists. Instead of a cure, though, the Black Berets fall into a trap, and must fight for their lives.

    Vaughn Winters, the most mentally unstable of the Black Berets, escapes from Dane’s marine zombie laboratory.  While a few other Black Berets are able to commandeer a vehicle and return to Eastpointe relatively unscathed, Vaughn must travel by foot, followed by thousands of zombies, thirsting for human flesh. We learn that Vaughn has been working with the Odd Fellows, an elite group of Eastpointe residents desperate for the cure in Dane’s possession. Upon his return to Eastpointe, Vaughn loses what semblance of sanity he had and decides to take the fate of the Eastpointe survivors in his own hands.

    Although After Twilight is technically a sequel, Adkins provides sufficient background material from Twilight of the Dead to allow the reader to catch up in just a few pages, and can serve as a good stand-alone. 

    After Twilight is extremely character-driven. The reader has a glimpse inside the mind of each character, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel. Adkins does an amazing job.  His writing is addictive and makes you want to press the pause button on the rest of the world.   

Contains: Violence, gore, sex

Review by Jennifer Lawrence

 

 

Eden by Tony Monchinski

Permuted Press,2008

ISBN: 9781934861172

Available: New

    If you are looking for a down and dirty zombie novel, look no farther, provided of course that you can wade your way through multiple typos. The zombies in this book are what many zombie lovers would consider “old school”, mindless shambling hordes of the undead. The author has successfully adopted common patterns and stereotypes of zombie books: masses of undead, survivors banding together, total government breakdown, slow zombies, fast zombies, loud zombies, good survivors and bad survivors - it's all here.

    What is interesting is that even though there isn’t a single aspect of this novel that has not been done or seen before, the book reads as an all-new story. The narrative has a nonlinear structure, with the timeline leaping back and forth. The story begins within the walls of Eden, now a sanctuary for survivors from the undead, prior to the zombie outbreak. This is followed by scenes of the pandemonium that followed. While this format may be frustrating for readers who prefer a more straightforward story, I personally didn’t mind it. Monchinski also excels at characterization. His characters are very real- human and flawed. Some are tortured by the loss of loved ones, while others must deal with what they have done to survive.

    If you don’t mind typos, and there are plenty of them, I would consider this a must have for your zombie library. Highly recommended for older teens and adult zombie fans.

Contains: gore, violence, language both profane and racist, strong allusions to sex. .

Review by KDP

 

 

 

Drop Dead Gorgeous by Wayne Simmons

Permuted Press, 2008
ISBN: 1934861057

Available: New

    This novel grabbed me from the beginning and pulled me along like a hooked fish through the bloody messy ending. Blood, gore, zombies, psycho militants, alcoholics, rapists, crashing helicopters and dead people everywhere... what else could you ask for in a book?

    The gist of the story is that after most of the world drops dead, the survivors try to band together in groups to support each other and rebuild some sort of society. Just when we think the survivors may have a handle on things, it turns out that some of the corpses aren’t decomposing the way they should, and may not stay where they are for long.  

     When I read the first page I got a little worried... Oh NO... It's in Irish slang! It really wasn’t that bad (nothing like Irving Welsh or James Joyce). There were a few sayings that I wasn't exactly sure I knew what they meant, but I knew that they were profanities of some sort and that's enough.

     This is one of the most well written zombie novels I've encountered. The characters are interesting, human and deeply flawed. Readers will like some of the characters and  detest others, but each one evokes some sort of emotion. My only complaint is that the character that the author seems most infatuated with is one of the ones I care the least about. Still, there are plenty of people in this novel to root for and against.

This is also a very attractive novel. The cover art is great, and the feel of the book is nice and weighty without the obnoxiousness of being a hardback.  Drop Dead Gorgeous is the beginning of a series, and isn’t intended to stand alone, so don't go into this looking for a neat, tidy ending. Recommended for public library collections.

Contains: language, violence, sex and zombies

Review by K.D.P

 

Dying to Live: Life Sentence by Kim Paffenroth

Permuted Press, 2008

ISBN: 1934861111

Available: New

        

    In the sequel to Dying to Live, we are thrust forward twelve years. The community confined to the museum in the last book has ventured forth and reclaimed much of the surrounding city thanks to the help of Milton, who continues his mission of collecting the dead and keeping them in various compounds so that they cannot hurt the living.   Dying to Live: Life Sentence has two plotlines. The first follows a girl, Zoey as she comes of age.  The other plot thread follows Truman, a recent zombie who is slowly piecing together what he is and who he was in the past.  Much zombie literature is fairly focused just on the action, and Paffenroth does supply action, but he also provides a thoughtful look of how society might develop after an apocalyptic zombie plague.  It is this thoughtful examination that makes the book enjoyable. Character development is key in Paffenroth’s book, and he does a fine job of fleshing out Truman and Zoey. For those who like zombies but might be suffering from “zombie fatigue”, Dying to Live: Life Sentence is a breath of fresh air. Paffenroth leaves the door open for a third book, so we may see more of his post apocalyptic world.  Recommended for libraries, zombie fans, and those looking for a thoughtful take on a post apocalyptic zombie world.

 

 

Blood of the Dead by A.P. Fuchs

Coscom Entertainment, 2008
ISBN-10: 1897217803  

Available: New

    Readers should be aware that Blood of the Dead is the first book in Fuchs' Undead World Trilogy and as such it does not offer a resolution in this volume.  What it does have is a zombie apocalypse, four humans fighting against hordes of the hungry undead and struggling to survive in a desolate world, and some excellent pacing and tension. Fuchs obviously understands how to thrill the reader and how to give die-hard zombie fans exactly what they're looking for in a rotting dead uprising tale. However, from the view of a more discerning horror reader there are aspects of Blood of the Dead that nag at the back of the mind. Set eight months after the uprising, the lead female, Billie, still had perfectly cut dyed pink hair. She talks with her best-friend-because-he's-all-that's-available, Des, primarily online at the beginning of the book. It also doesn't help that Billie seems largely useless through the whole book, serving only to make the two main male characters fight each other (with weapons in one scene, despite the fact that they are being chased by the undead).  And after page 216 the story takes a bizarre turn, a leap out of the logic of a zombie uprising and into an unexplained, nebulous twist of religion. Blood of the Dead is strongly targeted to zombie fans, who will find within its pages a nice balance of gore, danger and close calls with the survival of ordinary, relatable people on the line.

Review by Michele Lee

 

Xombie: Dead on Arrival by James Farr

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

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

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
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

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
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

 

 

Back to the Main Page

Back to Horror Fiction List

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zombie books sorted alphabetically by author's first name:

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