Just finished DUST, Joan Frances Turner’s novel about life among the undead. Normally, reading a novel entirely from the zombie perspective would not be my thing–too hard to connect with, not enough actual horror–but Frances Turner pulls it off beautifully. I loved almost everything about her highly original book, with my only complaint being that I found the ending a bit long and unsatisfying. Highly recommended.
Zombie Book: EMPIRE by David Dunwoody
Just finished EMPIRE by David Dunwoody and was impressed with his writing style, which had me turning pages. The book offers up a lot of grisly action and fresh ideas. I liked the portrayal of a very slowly dying United States.
ON THE THIRD DAY by Rhys Thomas
Rhys Thomas’ ON THE THIRD DAY is a philosophical meditation on death wrapped in a viral apocalypse in which the victims suffer from existential dementia and often become violent, attacking others. I really enjoyed this one; it goes way beyond the standard formula for an end of the world novel. The people inhabiting the book are interesting and real, the book has a lived-in feel, the ruminations on death are engaging (although kind of depressing), the action is interesting, and the apocalypse is realistically portrayed in stages, with most people trying to cooperate instead of instantly forming raging biker gangs. My only complaint was the narrative loses its way at the end–there is an intentional effort by the author here (to what I can’t say to avoid a spoiler), but it didn’t work for me. That is a small complaint, however, that otherwise did not dampen my enjoyment of this rich, imaginative novel.
Missions Unknown Interviews Joe McKinney
Great interview with Joe McKinney at Missions Unknown. His zombie novel APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD is up for a Stoker Award. Congratulations, Joe! And thanks for the shoutout in the interview, I appreciate it!
Zombie Book: THE UNDEAD by John Russo
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD co-creator John Russo is not as famous as George Romero, and has had a huge impact on the horror genre. He later worked on the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD series. In 1974, Warner Books published his novelization of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Now it’s available with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD in a single volume titled THE UNDEAD.
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD did not capture my interest but the 1974 novelization of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is amazing. The story is dramatically retold in a way that is faithful to the classic film that started it all but also completely fresh and, in many ways, more exciting, fun and realistic than the film. Recommended.
Jeff Carlson’s PLAGUE Trilogy
Great trailer for Jeff Carlson’s PLAGUE YEAR. His PLAGUE series is hands down one of the best, if not the best, post-apocalyptic trilogy I ever read.