Saturday, June 11, 2011
Michael Allen
Writers: Peter Atkins, Peter Crowther, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Tim Lebbon, Paul McAuley, Kim Newman, John Llewellyn Probert, Mark Samuels, Pat Cadigan, Scott Edelman, Jo Fletcher, Robert hood, Tanith Lee, Lisa Morton, Sarah Pinborough, Jay Russell, Mandy Slater, and Michael Marshall Smith.
There seems to be a massive resurgence in everything zombie, or zombie-like nowadays. From books such as Craig DiLouie's The Infection, to film e.g. World War Z and even in digital games like "Dead Island," there is no shortage of undead material to get your rotten hands onto. Therefore, the zombie literature genre is a competitive market, one where the creme (cream) thankfully shambles to the top. This is the case with Stephen Jones' version of the coming zombocalypse. Released in paperback form December 7th, Zombie Apocalypse unites several horror fiction writers to believably tell tales of the undead. In no time, London falls, followed by New York and Tepito, Mexico. Much of the flesh-eating madness is told through Twitter Tweets, text messaging, or blogging, with the narrative split into a diverse set of formats.
Excavators in Greenwich, England uncover a "plague pit" (Jones) in an ancient churchyard, in preparation for the "New Festival of Britain" (Jones). This event is meant to kickstart a jingoistic fever throughout Britain and instead, a fervour of another kind develops. Architect Nicholas Hawksmoor had built an underground lair, in the 17th Century, which would one day revitalize the dead. Fleas and brain hungry creatures begin dissecting anyone foolish enough to visit the crypt, as a "Black Death" (Jones) like bacterium moves from curious police inspector to neighbour and finally to trapped airline user. Zombies on a plane and mass panic are the end result for London and later - New York.
Mathematician and PHD student Robert Smith studied possible responses to a zombie outbreak and his outcome theorized that the best response to a catastrophe of this sort "is to mount wave after wave of military attacks" (Wall Street Journal). Smith's theories are documented in "When Zombies Attack!: Mathematical Modeling of an Outbreak of Zombie Infection" and these theories get a nod in this read. As well, this is the type of aggressive strategy that Mexico takes, in response to the looming outbreak. The infected find Tepito a suitable place to maw and gnash tasty morsels and the Mexican army responds in force. However, a group of protestors prevent a suitable response and then much of Mexico and the millions of inhabitants living there fall to the plague. According to the Zombie Apocalypse, an aggressive strategy to counter a plague creates more problems and a faster spreading disease.
Tracking back slightly, New York is the second major city to fall to the hungry palettes of the undead. Witnesses to the growing pandemic record planes landing in the Hudson River through video recorders and one ex-Army recruit documents her life on the run in short, but bloody visual journals. The use of a diverse narrative to tell a story from multiple viewpoints has been used since the development of the sensationalist novel (and before) e.g. Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White and The Moonstone. The Zombie Apocalypse is a progression of this style of novel in some ways, as the purpose of the novel read here and sensationalist novels is to terrorize and shock readers with unbelievable tales and circumstances. Tales of legless corpses circling survivors, are sure to arouse some feelings of horror in readers.
By the final few chapters, the zombie plague has circled the globe and all that remains is an infected janitor-cum-President of the United States, who puts the final nails in the coffin for survivors. He delivers an eloquent State of the Dead/Union address. The address has the much needed horrifying impact necessary for a conclusion, as the survivors are now outnumbered 10 to 1, by the zombie hordes. Even her majesty, Queen Elizabeth, mocks those still pumping blood, before the novel ends suitably with a picture of two gravestones!
The dead rise and the living fall, in this well written horror anthology and Zombie Apocalypse is not a novel that you will want to simply shuffle by. Instead, raise your arms, grab the novel and scream braaaaiiiinnnssss! The store clerks will not mind, but your subconscious might. So, expect some sleepless nights, as this zombie read keeps you up late at night reading moanful tales, which will be relived in the terrorscape of your dreams!
Writing/grammar/plotlines: 8 (great stories, well unified, only a few grammar mistakes).
Characters/believability: 8.5 (a strong point here, and realism).
Overall: 8.25 out of 10.
*published by Running Press.
Available:
Source:
Robert Smith at the Wall Street Journal
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
| | | |
Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Posted in: book art,book cover,book review,zombie,zombie apocalypse,zombie book review,zombie book review 2011
0 comments:
Post a Comment