"Devour Books, Not People": A Librarian Picks the Best Zombie Lit
Ten titles from Austen to Wellington
By Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY -- Library Journal, 6/1/2009 12:16:00 PM
Somewhere in Arizona, Stephenie Meyer is losing sleep because the dead have risen again.
It’s no surprise—sociopolitical unrest has been a motif of zombie lit and cinema since George Romero’s seminal Night of the Living Dead. Why wouldn’t such a genre flourish in an era rife with social and political change?
Witness the phenomenal success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the Jane Austen mash-up that has enjoyed a high perch on the New York Times best sellers list. Consider also the video game Resident Evil 5, which recently sold four million copies within the first two weeks of its release. A number of big-screen zombie productions are in the works (e.g., Jane Bites Back and World War Z), and Michael Jackson's classic video for Thriller is bound for Broadway.
Then there are the fans, who die as hard as the objects of their ghoulish devotion. Some attend "Zombie Walks," where undead enthusiasts dress in zombie costumes and shuffle through shopping malls, downtown areas, and taverns (although this last is technically known as a "Zombie Pub Crawl"). Library patrons count among the scores thirsting for more zombie stories. Satiate them with these core titles, plus my picks of the best zombie flicks. Special thanks to LJ music columnist Matthew Moyer for the excellent reading soundtrack.
ZOMBIE LIT
Austen, Jane & Seth Grahame-Smith. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Quirk. 2009. 319p. ISBN 978-1-59474-334-4. $12.95. F
This much-hyped Austen spin-off is infused with "ultraviolent zombie mayhem." Here, life in Regency England has been disrupted by "unmentionables," a troublesome plague of undead brain-eaters so aggressive that even young ladies are trained in the deadly arts. Elizabeth is an especially gifted warrior, able to single-handedly fend off scores of "manky dreadfuls" with sword, musket, and kung fu. Her skill mak
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Zombie Reading Soundtrack —Harry Belafonte’s "Zombie Jamboree (Back to Back)" from The Essential Harry Belafonte (RCA, 2005) —Roky Erickson’s "I Walked with a Zombie" from The Evil One (Restless, 1981) —Gorillaz’s "Hip Albatross" from G-Sides (Virgin, 2002) —Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "East Hastings" from F#A#oo (Kranky, 1998) —Goblin’s Zombi (Dawn of the Dead) (Cinevox, 1978) —Mortician’s Zombie Apocalypse/Hacked Up for Barbecue (Relapse, 2004) Zombie Zombie’s A Land for Renegades (Versatile, 2008) |
ce cuts by the Cramps, TSOL, .45 Grave and the Damned. Send more paramedics…
y, maybe they’ll decide to have a dance party and drink a little (okay, a lot of) rum! Thank you, Mr. Belafonte, for remedying that problem.
and Elf Power, among others), this gem from Texas psychedelic godfather and acid casualty Erickson pays homage to the cult classic film of the same name.
content to just pay homage to George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) in song. In 
Hewlett’s (Tank Girl) cartoon alter egos, this song is stuffed full of dialog samples from Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead.
s chamber music from the mysterious Canadian arts collective was used as a signature theme for recent zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later. And it’s not hard to hear why.
by Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, for the European recut of George Romero’s disturbing film. It’s all spooky keyboards and drums like an unwelcome intruder pounding on the door.
t time, this is all the incidental music from the American cut of Dawn, cues and themes that usually meant someone was going to get eaten or disemboweled.
pecialized in short bursts of horror-obsessed white noise grindcore. It's a good bet most of the songs are based on obscure Italian zombie films. Good luck making out any of the lyrics, though.
heir love for Suicide and retro synth horror soundtracks with a debut album where gleaming futuristic soundscapes mask some unspeakable horror.
Brooks, Max. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Crown. 2006. 342p. ISBN 978-0-307-34660-5. $24.95. FAfter the Zombie War annihilates the human race, the nameless narrator travels the world conducting the interviews that make up this oral history. The result is a collection of individual accounts that chronicle the spread of the zombie pandemic from Patient Zero in China to the entire planet, the stories of those survivors still alive ten years later, and the subsequent global effort to reclaim the world from the walki ng dead. This best-selling novel, which reads more like a collection of short stories, is perfect for readers sick of zombie lit’s characteristic gore and nihilism. The audiobook, which boasts an all-star cast and received a 2007 Audie Award, is outstanding. Max Brooks, by the way, is the son of comedian Mel Brooks. Check out Unshelved’s tribute. (See LJ's original review.)
Brooks, Max. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. Three Rivers. 2003. 272p. ISBN 978-1-4000-4962-2. $13.95. HUMOR
When the undead apocalypse is at hand, The Zombie Guide is the book that will stand between humanity and complete destruction. It enumerates everything a person needs to know to launch a counteroffensive against a Class 3 zombie invasion, including suitable weapons (rifle, Katana sword, two knives with smooth six-to-eight-inch blades), equipment (compass, signal flares, two pairs of socks), and general rules for a civilian search-and-destroy mission (stay alert; dispose of all bodies). Former Saturday Night Live staff writer Brooks keeps tongue planted firmly in cheek in this parody of a survival guide, creating a distinctive addition to the annals of zombie lit. A graphic novel version is planned for October 2009 release.
Browne, S.G. Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament. Broadway. 2009. 310p. ISBN 978-0-7679-3061-1. $14. F
Life after death sucks, as former car crash casualty and newly risen zombie Andy Warner is finding out. The Undead are a shunned and reviled minority group that’s permitted no legal rights, picked up by Animal Control if they venture out after dark, and are subject to recreational zombie-bashing by unenlightened Breathers. Andy’s existence takes a turn for the better at a meeting of Undead Anonymous, where he meets Rita, a gorgeous reanimated suicide, and Ray, a revived hunter who simmers a mean stew. What is that tasty special ingredient anyway? By turns funny, tender, and gruesome, Breathers has a little something for everyone.
Kirkman, Robert & Sean Phillips. Marvel Zombies: Dead Days. Marvel. 2008. 272p. ISBN 978-0-7851-3563-0. $24.99. F
What’s worse than a zombie? How about a metazombie? This graphic novel chronicles the outbreak of a zombie epidemic in the Marvel universe, which affects only metahumans such as Spiderman, Wolverine, the Hulk, Captain America, and their newly undead cohorts. This prequel to Kirkman’s hit "Marvel Zombies" series is chock-full of disturbing yet darkly humorous images, such as Spidey making an afternoon snack out of sweet MJ. Marvelous splattery fun for fans of the Universe, although most definitely not for children who might be attracted to the superheroes. Rated T+ for teens and up.
Kirkman, Robert & Tony Moore. The Walking Dead. Image Comics. 2006. 144p. ISBN 978-1-58240672-5. $9.99. F
Rick Grimes is a former small town cop from Kentucky, thrown into a coma after a routine traffic stop goes bad. When he wakes up, he’s in an empty hospital. The apocalypse has come and gone. The dead are rising to feed on the living. Government, society, and all semblance of normal life have vanished, leaving only a few survivors to face a bleak and terrifying future. Rick is one of them, and he must now find his wife and son. This epic series is brutal, beautiful, and exceptional, sure to appeal to fans of dark and gory graphic novels. Not for the kiddies.
The Living Dead. Night Shade Bks. 2008. 486p. ed. by John Joseph Adams. ISBN 978-1-59780-143-0. $15.95. LIT
This superb anthology, which assembles some of the best zombie short fiction from the past 30 years, is noteworthy for going beyond the typical undead apocalypse scenario so common in horror today. Instead, editor Adams has chosen works covering the full gamut of zombie fiction. Standouts include Neil Gaiman's "Bitter Grounds," a surreal take on the traditional voodoo tale, and Dan Simmons's "This Year’s Class Picture," in which an aging schoolteacher instructs a class of manacled zombie children. Named one of Publishers Weekly’s 2008 Best Books of the Year, this collection contains a story for every zombie fan. (See LJ's original review.)
Recht, Z.A. The Morningstar Strain: Plague of the Dead. Permutated Pr. 2006. 292p. ISBN 978-0-9789707-0-3. $14.95. F
The apocalypse begins in Africa, with an Ebola-like virus that causes insanity, violence, and has a 100 percent mortality rate. For a while, at least, since the infected then rise from the dead to feast upon the living. Despite the familiar plot, this novel offers a new twist: the zombies aren’t necessarily dead. There are the Shamblers, which are classic, Night of the Living Dead–style walking corpses, and the Sprinters, infected and crazed but not quite dead and a lot more lively than their staggering cousins. In this first book of the "Morningstar Trilogy," Recht paints a warlike picture of the apocalypse that will please fans of military fiction while still featuring enough graphic gore for zombie aficionados.
Waters, Daniel. Generation Dead. Hyperion Bks. for Children. 2008. 392p. ISBN 978-1-4231-0921-1. $16.99. F
Is it junk food? Global warming? Or just raging hormones? No one knows why, but dead teens are coming to life. Called "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they’re doing their best to fit into a society that no longer wants them. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Oakvale High, where goth girl Phoebe is drawn to the undead Tommy to the chagrin of Adam, Phoebe’s best friend/secret admirer. What begins as a macabre teen love triangle set against a familiar landscape of jocks, goths, and geeks swiftly morphs into a thought-provoking examination of intolerance. Utterly absorbing, both Generation Dead and its sequel, Kiss of Life, will appeal to teens and adults with a taste for dark fiction with social overtones.
Wellington, David. Monster Island. Thunder’s Mouth. 2006. 288p. ISBN 978-1-56025-850-6. $13.95. F
A plague has transformed Earth into a zombie-infested wasteland where humanity has barely survived and Third World nations have become world powers, one of which has sent an expedition to Manhattan in search of antiretroviral drugs. Wellington has created a compelling cast of characters, notably a timid UN weapons inspector, a quintet of AK-47-wielding Somali schoolgirls, and a med student who transforms himself into undead rather than be eaten. A fast-paced and entertaining read that was first published in an online, serialized format, Monster Island offers a new twist on the postapocalyptic zombie genre. First of a trilogy. (See LJ's original review.)
Dawn of the Dead. color. 126 min. George A. Romero. Starz/Anchor Bay. www.oldies.com. 2004. UPC 0-13131-21639-4. $14.98. Rated: R. HORROR
This 1978 sequel to Night of the Living Dead, arguably the best of Romero’s "Dead" trilogy, is by turns harrowing and hilarious as the walking dead flock to the most important place in their limited consciousness—the mall. Romero’s keen, clever satire of consumerist society has real bite. With extreme violence and gore.
Day of the Dead. color. 102 min. George A. Romero. Starz/Anchor Bay. www.oldies.com. 2004. UPC 0-13131-26359-6. $14.98. Unrated. HORROR
The final chapter of Romero’s "Dead" trilogy from 1985 lampoons the gung-ho military policies of the 1980s. Scientists and military personnel are holed up in an underground bunker, while zombies roam the world above. In this installment, the living are far more heinous than the dead. Day introduces Bub, a friendly zombie subject to dreadful military experiments, and Sarah, a feisty heroine who kicks monster butt a full year before Sigourney Weaver does it in Aliens. With extreme violence and gore.
Dead Alive. color. 104 min. Peter Jackson. Lions Gate. www.oldies.com. 1993. UPC 0-31398-68413-8. $14.98. Rated: R. HORROR
A young man's domineering mother is bitten, in a most disgusting manner, by a Sumatran rat-monkey. The infection kills her, but she comes back to life as a flesh-eating zombie, killing and eating dogs, friends, and neighbors. Jackson’s camp classic is a gleeful gorefest of splattery nonstop violence, a must-see for zombie fans with strong stomachs and a sense of humor.
Fido. color. 93 min. Andrew Currie. Lions Gate. www.oldies.com. 2007. UPC 0-31398-21880-7. $14.98. Rated: R. HORROR
It’s 1950s suburbia in Technicolor…with zombies! The zombie war is over, and the undead have been domesticated. Timmy Robinson's best friend is the family butler, a shambling, rotting zombie named Fido. But when Fido eats the nasty next-door neighbor, Mom and Dad are not happy. A cheerful boy-and-his-zombie movie for adults.
Grindhouse: Planet Terror. color. 105 min. Robert Rodriguez. Weinstein Co. 2007. UPC 7-96019-80387-8. $14.95. Rated: R. HORROR
Rodriguez’s tribute to the low-budget exploitation films of the 1960s and 1970s is loud, fast, and wonderfully schlocky. This exuberant horror/sci-fi/action crossover about a plague that turns people into flesh-eating zombies features an outstanding cast, including Rose McGowan as a stripper whose missing leg is replaced by a machine gun. Not for the squeamish. With extreme violence, gore, profanity, nudity, and sexual situations.
I Walked with A Zombie. b/w. 69 min. Jacques Tourneur. Warner Brothers. www.oldies.com. 2005. UPC 0-53939-72432-5. $19.99. RATED: PG. HORROR
A young nurse is sent to Haiti by a rich American planter to take care of his wife, Jessica. He believes his wife to be catatonic, but the locals know that Jessica has become one of the living dead. Famed RKO producer Val Lewton single-handedly reshaped the horror genre in the 1940s with literate, though-provoking masterpieces like this one. (Sold in combination with The Body Snatcher.)
Night of the Living Dead. b/w. 96 min. George A. Romero. Weinstein Co. www.oldies.com. 2008. UPC 7-96019-81174-3. $14.95. Unrated. HORROR
A group of strangers hides out in a Pennsylvania farmhouse to avoid the bloodthirsty zombies gathering outside. This is filmmaking at its most analytical, seditious, and socially conscious, a cautionary tale about the dangers of paranoia and prejudice. With this dark, moody work of cinema verité of 1968, Romero redefined the zombie archetype and set a new standard in horror. Contains extreme violence and gore.
Resident Evil. color. 100 min. Paul W.S. Anderson. Sony Pictures. www.oldies.com. 2004. UPC 0-43396-01534-0. $19.94. Rated: R. HORROR
A team of paramilitary commandos must battle flesh-eating zombies, mutant killer dogs, and a angry supercomputer before an accidentally unleashed virus destroys humanity in this film version of the popular video game. The Resident Evil series is tense, an electrifying exercise in survival horror that’s worth a look just for the high-speed zombies. With strong sci-fi/horror violence, language, and sexuality/nudity.
Shaun of the Dead. color. 99 min. Edgar Wright. Universal Studios. www.oldies.com. 2004. UPC 0-25192-58212-7. $12.98. Rated: R. HORROR/COMEDY
Slacker Shaun wants to win back the girl who dumped him, and he’s given the perfect opportunity when hordes of hungry undead take over the streets of London. This entertaining spoof, brilliantly funny while still delivering the requisite chills and thrills, turned rom-zom-com into a genre (that’s romantic zombie comedy for you undead neophytes). With violence, gore, and language.
White Zombie. b/w. 69 min. Victor Halperin. Alpha Video. www.oldies.com. 2002. UPC 0-89218-31539-7. $4.98. Unrated. HORROR
Made in 11 days with a $50,000 budget and leftover sets, White Zombie (1932) has the distinction of being the first-ever zombie film. Ethereal photography, atmospheric direction, and Bela Lugosi’s creepy performance as the sinister zombie-master combine to make this odd fairy tale about a newlywed couple menaced by zombies a horror classic. With mild violence.
