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vanessakm's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to be a literate lover of zombies. How many times can you re-read World War Z? So I was pretty thrilled with this anthology that contains a new story by Max Brooks (author of the aforementioned WWZ), but that is only the beginning of the goodness. There was one story I wasn't that crazy about (the too silly and obvious "The Zombie Who Fell from the Sky" by M.B. Homler, although that is a ding dang great title), and a number of stories that were generally thought provoking and haunting in various ways. At it's best, it's about way more than zombies, but there is certainly plenty of zombie mayhem as well. Some of the themes covered are modern war, the persistence of love and memory, fear of death, and how little boys can be just a wee bit sociopathic under the right conditions. There is also at least one story that will scare you stupid. My personal picks for my own reference and yours:
The best of the lot:
John Connolly's "Lazarus" (a biblical take on zombies)
David Liss "What Maisie Knew" (this one might be my favorite. I cannot stop thinking about that ending and neither will you.)
Stephen R. Bissette "Copper"
Brian Keene "The Wind Cries Mary" (another ending that stays with you)
Jonathan Maberry "Family Business" (I read one of his books last year and didn't really like it but this story is miles away in terms of sophistication of theme and character. Really original)
Derek Nikitas "My Dolly"
Max Brooks "Closure, Limited"
Aimee Bender "Among Us"
James A. Moore "Kids and Their Toys" (seriously disturbing)
Joe Lansdale "Shooting Pool"
Joe Hill "Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" (Stephen King's son. This story is told in Twitter format which sounds like a gimmick that would grow tiresome but remember the story I said would scare you stupid? This is it.)
There are plenty of other stories that I liked in the book. If you are even somewhat partial to thoughtful horror fiction or undead carnage, this collection is absolutely worthwhile.
The best of the lot:
John Connolly's "Lazarus" (a biblical take on zombies)
David Liss "What Maisie Knew" (this one might be my favorite. I cannot stop thinking about that ending and neither will you.)
Stephen R. Bissette "Copper"
Brian Keene "The Wind Cries Mary" (another ending that stays with you)
Jonathan Maberry "Family Business" (I read one of his books last year and didn't really like it but this story is miles away in terms of sophistication of theme and character. Really original)
Derek Nikitas "My Dolly"
Max Brooks "Closure, Limited"
Aimee Bender "Among Us"
James A. Moore "Kids and Their Toys" (seriously disturbing)
Joe Lansdale "Shooting Pool"
Joe Hill "Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" (Stephen King's son. This story is told in Twitter format which sounds like a gimmick that would grow tiresome but remember the story I said would scare you stupid? This is it.)
There are plenty of other stories that I liked in the book. If you are even somewhat partial to thoughtful horror fiction or undead carnage, this collection is absolutely worthwhile.
haramis's review against another edition
3.0
This book uses an incredibly loose definition of zombie, with a couple of stories not really having any zombies at all. I think I anticipated more of a modern zombie-centric anthology, but I didn't precisely mind the difference except some of the stories were really terrible ("Copper"), and there were only one or two standouts ("The Wind Cries Mary"). I don't regret reading this, but I wouldn't recommend it either.
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Why yes, random suggested-book shelf at the library, I do happen to adore anthologized zombie stories.
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Why yes, random suggested-book shelf at the library, I do happen to adore anthologized zombie stories.
gwimo's review against another edition
5.0
If I had to choose a favorite, however, it would be Johnathan Maberry's "Family Business," dealing with half brothers Benny and Tom Imura, who both witnessed their parents' death - well their mother's anyway - on First Night - the marking point of the zombie outbreak. Benny, continuing to blame older brother Tom for their parents' death, refuses to join the "family business" of going out into the Rot and Ruin - the wasteland outside the gates of their town - to hunt down zombies for pay. In this twisted version of the brutal near future, everyone living within the town limits must hold a job, otherwise they only get half of their rations. Unlike other zombie hunters, Tom Imura doesn't kill for the sport or because he's a twisted son of a bitch. When Benny is forced to suck up his pride and works with Tom, he learns the true nature of this brother's job, and the hero he never knew. In order to seal the deal that Benny will take the job and become a man like his older brother, the two of them venture into a gated community that is all too familiar.
henryarmitage's review against another edition
3.0
Graagh, brains. Decent anthology, a few weak stories, a few really excellent, most somewhere in between.
wuxian's review against another edition
4.0
There are two or three really fantastic short stories in this anthology that, in my opinion, make it a must read. (Particularly Lazarus and, my personal favorite, Family Business.) If you like zombie themed short stories. ;)
gerd_d's review against another edition
3.0
I remember reading a complaint about anthologies in general that went down to something like "The quality in stories varies too much"
I'm so tempted to second this notion for "The new dead"
There are a lot of better edited anthologies out there, no doubt, although the highlights (most notable Jonathan Maberry's entry) are worth it anyway.
Fact is that the writing is extremely varied both in style, which is a good, and in writing quality, which is a not so good; frankly I couldn't help but wonder how some of the stories made it in there, but the fact that one of the stories I felt to be not quite up there seems to be among the best liked reading some other reviews certainly means that those stories do belong.
Well, can't argue taste, right?
And it does make it a recommendable read for beginners that look for a good overview of what this particular sub-genre has to offer, more seasoned readers may want to skip it though because in the end the overall stories offer little new and would have been for the greater part in need of tighter editing, with some reading at best like fan fiction.
Not all stories are bad, mind, some I just didn’t like because they kind of rambled on, or featured redundant parts, which made me wonder if they had some sort of problem to keep the deadline. (
I'm so tempted to second this notion for "The new dead"
There are a lot of better edited anthologies out there, no doubt, although the highlights (most notable Jonathan Maberry's entry) are worth it anyway.
Fact is that the writing is extremely varied both in style, which is a good, and in writing quality, which is a not so good; frankly I couldn't help but wonder how some of the stories made it in there, but the fact that one of the stories I felt to be not quite up there seems to be among the best liked reading some other reviews certainly means that those stories do belong.
Well, can't argue taste, right?
And it does make it a recommendable read for beginners that look for a good overview of what this particular sub-genre has to offer, more seasoned readers may want to skip it though because in the end the overall stories offer little new and would have been for the greater part in need of tighter editing, with some reading at best like fan fiction.
Not all stories are bad, mind, some I just didn’t like because they kind of rambled on, or featured redundant parts, which made me wonder if they had some sort of problem to keep the deadline. (
moreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Not too shabby. I actually got tired of reading about zombies at some point, which I did not think was possible.
summer2548's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this anthology! All of these stories were so different and some were pretty deep. I was expecting something like 28 Days Later where people would be trying to survive in a group but these stories of used on other parts of survival. I have some new authors to check out now. Definitely going to pick up more anthologies when I have to chance it's a great way to get exposure to new authors.
theangrylawngnome's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good stuff, but I'm afraid the stories all started to bleed together (yuk, yuk) probably due to the fact that I read this one cover to cover in two sittings. If GR allowed half-stars I'd probably make this one a 3 1/2, apropos of nothing, but somehow I can't bring myself to make this one a four. Sometimes I agonize over the silliest things, I guess.
Joe Hill's twitterized story was a unique twist, and Bissette's was interesting if a bit confusing. Tad Williams looked at things from an angle I'd never considered before. Unfortunately, more than one story used the eeevull and/or ignorant military industrial complex as the plot device to get things rolling, which if it is not quite a cliche yet, is certainly getting there.
Hell, I'll even make an admission of guilt over Lansdale's story: darned if I could see where there were actually any, as in zombies, but I was too lazy to re-read it to figure out what I missed. I guess there's a little bit of a Harriet Klausner type beast in me somewhere, one I am too cowardly to ever confront.
Joe Hill's twitterized story was a unique twist, and Bissette's was interesting if a bit confusing. Tad Williams looked at things from an angle I'd never considered before. Unfortunately, more than one story used the eeevull and/or ignorant military industrial complex as the plot device to get things rolling, which if it is not quite a cliche yet, is certainly getting there.
Hell, I'll even make an admission of guilt over Lansdale's story: darned if I could see where there were actually any, as in zombies, but I was too lazy to re-read it to figure out what I missed. I guess there's a little bit of a Harriet Klausner type beast in me somewhere, one I am too cowardly to ever confront.