Zombies! + Literature = Braaaaains
Friday, March 26, 2010 at 3:03PM 
Now, do I really have to do anything else to catch your attention?
I didn’t think so.
This week was supposed to be zombie week but I guess none of the other bloggers were up to the challenge. Well, as Cartman would say: Screw you, guys! I actually did my homework and read books about zombies. That’s right- I read about the undead for you people and what do I get in return? NO OTHER ZOMBIE POSTS ON FIZZLE POP!
Lame.
And no, I didn’t read the Jane Austen spoof. I’ll leave up to the Pride and Prejudice crowd over on the West Wing of the PN Office.
So without further ado, below are my reviews for three zombie-genre books. I’m not entirely sure I would classify them as literature but I’m not a book snob by any means; as Will likes to point out- I have very questionable tastes.
World War Z by Max Brooks
About: Imagine a journalist covering the news after a zombie outbreak. Perhaps a journalist from GQ or Esquire… or hell, even Time. If this journalist went out and interviewed a plethora of people and then published first person perspectives (from normal citizens, mercenaries, government officials, people in the military, etc), this is what that book would look like.
Pros: The style was unique. The book, spanning the time from beginning, middle and end of a zombie attack, is written in little first person blurbs. I’m not saying it’s realistic but it’s written in a faux-serious tone which I thought was different. I mean, I don’t exactly have a wide range of zombie-reading-experience but this was not what I expected for a zombie book.
Cons: Not gonna lie, it got boring for me. Some of the characters fell flat. *Cue zombie grooooan* If I wanted to be punny, I would have said the characters felt dead. At times, it felt a bit heavy handed- some parts may as well have had a “THIS IS WHERE YOU FEEL SAD” title over it. It also gave no explanation of how the zombies came to be. They just sorta appeared… which is fine but I like knowing why stuff happens. That’s just me.
Conclusion: Not bad. I give it six dismembered hands out of ten. But just barely. That sixth hand is missing a finger.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
About: No surprises- the title pretty much tells you what you’re in for. Anyway, if you’re still like ‘huh?’ about what this book is about, The Zombie Survival Guide is a spoof of real survival guides…
Pros: …and a pretty good spoof at that. The entire thing was written in a faux serious tone that doesn’t let up and it covers everything from how to plan for a zombie outbreak, to how to spot a possible outbreak, to a timeline of zombie attacks. It’s fun to flip through but…
Cons: …it’s not something you can read like a novel- from beginning to end. This is best digested in small chunks (see what I did there?) since it can get tiresome straight through. Actually, this is more of a book you’d place on a coffee table if you had one in your basement. IF zombies existed and IF we were ever faced with a true zombie outbreak this book may actually provide some decent advice… yeah, no, I’m lying.
Conclusion: Good for a gift for your zombie-obsessed husband or boyfriend or friend. I give it five half-eaten brains out of ten.
Side note: I didn’t realize that this book and World War Z was by the same dude until I was already done with one and into the other. Oh well. I just asked some kid at Borders what the most popular zombie books were.
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
About: Tough-guy-with-a-tragic-past Joe Ledger is recruited by a shadowy government group called the Department of Military Science (DMS). Their objective? To investigate and thwart equally shadowy terrorist groups that use science in freaky ways (like *cough* reanimate the dead *cough*). Their leader? A shadowy dude that goes by several different names including Mr. Deacon, Mr. Priest and Mr. Church. Their first mission… kill zombies and prevent a terrorist zombie attack on the U.S.
Pros: No doubt, this was a fun read. There were times where I laughed out loud as I read in disbelief at some of the antics Ledger got up to- this isn’t a bad thing. I was really amused by this book. There are clear distinctions about who the good guys are versus the bad guys (except for that one pesky spy) and the bad guys do get their comeuppance. The hero, Joe, was a likeable guy, despite some of the contrived melodrama in his back story and I liked Maberry’s writing. This is a guy who clearly had a blast writing the book and it shows.
Also, the zombies were creepy. And zombies should always be creepy.
Cons: Lame attempt at romance. G.I. Joe-like plot (fun but you feel sort of dirty afterwards). The bad guys had lines that made me think of the bad guys in Scooby Doo after they got caught. “You pesky kids! I would have gotten away with creating zombies if it weren’t for you meddling government officials!”
Conclusion: Seven out of ten zombie viruses.
…and with that, have a great zombie-free weekend folks!
Honorable mention: Thanks to George Wang who sent me the title pic and who also provided possible post titles like:
- "Zombies eat brains, Don't let them eat away your literacy too"
- "Must Read Zooooooombooks"
Clearly, I didn't choose any of these options but thanks anyway.
Reader Comments (3)
Wow KF I am impressed that you read these books. Truly an education for me on zombies!
How could you possibly give World War Z only 5 hands and one decomposing fist? It had zombies, samurai swords and confirmation that the Chinese make excellent zombie fodder thanks to a very inefficient healthcare system! What more could you ask for from the son of Mel Brooks!?
And I still think "Must Read Zoooombooks" would have made an excellent blog title.