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Otherworld Stories
Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead
RESURRECTION! The hungry dead have risen. They shamble down the street. They hide in backyards, car parks, shopping centres. They devour our neighbours, dogs and policemen. And they are here to stay. The real question what are you going to do about it? How will you survive? How will the world change when the dead begin to rise?
Bram Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has assembled an original anthology of never-before-published zombie stories from an eclectic array of today's most popular horror, fantasy, thriller and literary writers. Inside are tales about military might in the wake of an outbreak, survival in a wasted wasteland, the ardour of falling in love with a zombie, and a family outing at the circus. Here is a collection of new views on death and resurrection. With stories from Joe Hill, John Connolly and many others, this is a wildly diverse and entertaining collection - the last word on the undead.
Bram Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has assembled an original anthology of never-before-published zombie stories from an eclectic array of today's most popular horror, fantasy, thriller and literary writers. Inside are tales about military might in the wake of an outbreak, survival in a wasted wasteland, the ardour of falling in love with a zombie, and a family outing at the circus. Here is a collection of new views on death and resurrection. With stories from Joe Hill, John Connolly and many others, this is a wildly diverse and entertaining collection - the last word on the undead.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
99 people are currently reading
4347 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
798 books2,959 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
December 16, 2015
Hmm... I should probably review this or something, eh? I actually really liked this, but at the moment I find myself having very little to say in a real review. (Or a Becky review, which isn't the same thing.)
Most of the stories were very good, with a couple gems and a few stinkers. Some I just didn't get at all, and one failed to convey why it was part of a zombie anthology in the first place. Shooting Pool, I'm lookin' at you. Otherwise, a really good and varied collection of stories. Some with unique and interesting spins on the genre, which was nice. And just for giggles, because I feel like this review is too short, my status updates for most of the individual stories:
"First story: Lazarus by John Connolly. Really liked this one. Different perspective and really kind of sad. Very short story with short paragraphs and almost bleak writing, but I think it was perfect for the story being told. 5 stars."
"What Maisie Knew: Great story, different and unique. It's hard to know who to sympathize with in this one, and every new revelation in the story kept tripping me up. I'm really enjoying this collection so far! 5 stars"
"Copper: Didn't much care for this story. Too choppy, too repetitive, too vague. I got bored with it really quickly, and didn't really see why it was in this collection. Ended up skimming over 1/2, and then when I saw how it fit, was just... blah. 1 star."
"In The Dust: Another good story, different and intriguing, and a little sad. 4 stars"
"Life Sentence: Pretty good story. A little sparse, but I liked the concept and the two main characters, although for different reasons. Their interaction and relationship was interesting. 3 stars"
"Delice: Good story of voodoo and revenge. I liked it, but would have liked it to be longer, too. The Wind Cries Mary: Another good story, very short, and sad. Would have liked it to be longer, and have a bit more background info, but still good."
"The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky: Did not like this one. I thought the writing was juvenile and the characters and zombies unbelievable and unrealistic. 1 star."
"My Dolly: I think that this story really had potential, but failed because it had no point. The background situation was much more interesting than the actual story in the forefront. Shame. 2 stars."
"Second Wind: I actually liked this story a lot. Interesting perspective on zombies, and also an interesting take on what we are willing to live and die for. 4 stars"
"Ghost Trap: This was a pretty good story. There was nothing really fantastic about it, but it was good. Except for one detail that annoyed me, which was one man hearing another's "screams" underwater. Perhaps ONE scream, but as he'd have no air for a second, that's all he'd get. Details and plausibility are important!"
"The Storm Door: I really liked this one. I think I will have to read more of Tad Williams' stuff. Very interesting and creepy and good! 5 stars"
"Shooting Pool: Umm... Not sure what this had to do with zombies at all, actually. And it wasn't really all that great a story either. 1 star."
"Circus of the Dead: Pretty good, not my favorite Joe Hill story. 3 stars."
Halloween October 2011: #10
Most of the stories were very good, with a couple gems and a few stinkers. Some I just didn't get at all, and one failed to convey why it was part of a zombie anthology in the first place. Shooting Pool, I'm lookin' at you. Otherwise, a really good and varied collection of stories. Some with unique and interesting spins on the genre, which was nice. And just for giggles, because I feel like this review is too short, my status updates for most of the individual stories:
"First story: Lazarus by John Connolly. Really liked this one. Different perspective and really kind of sad. Very short story with short paragraphs and almost bleak writing, but I think it was perfect for the story being told. 5 stars."
"What Maisie Knew: Great story, different and unique. It's hard to know who to sympathize with in this one, and every new revelation in the story kept tripping me up. I'm really enjoying this collection so far! 5 stars"
"Copper: Didn't much care for this story. Too choppy, too repetitive, too vague. I got bored with it really quickly, and didn't really see why it was in this collection. Ended up skimming over 1/2, and then when I saw how it fit, was just... blah. 1 star."
"In The Dust: Another good story, different and intriguing, and a little sad. 4 stars"
"Life Sentence: Pretty good story. A little sparse, but I liked the concept and the two main characters, although for different reasons. Their interaction and relationship was interesting. 3 stars"
"Delice: Good story of voodoo and revenge. I liked it, but would have liked it to be longer, too. The Wind Cries Mary: Another good story, very short, and sad. Would have liked it to be longer, and have a bit more background info, but still good."
"The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky: Did not like this one. I thought the writing was juvenile and the characters and zombies unbelievable and unrealistic. 1 star."
"My Dolly: I think that this story really had potential, but failed because it had no point. The background situation was much more interesting than the actual story in the forefront. Shame. 2 stars."
"Second Wind: I actually liked this story a lot. Interesting perspective on zombies, and also an interesting take on what we are willing to live and die for. 4 stars"
"Ghost Trap: This was a pretty good story. There was nothing really fantastic about it, but it was good. Except for one detail that annoyed me, which was one man hearing another's "screams" underwater. Perhaps ONE scream, but as he'd have no air for a second, that's all he'd get. Details and plausibility are important!"
"The Storm Door: I really liked this one. I think I will have to read more of Tad Williams' stuff. Very interesting and creepy and good! 5 stars"
"Shooting Pool: Umm... Not sure what this had to do with zombies at all, actually. And it wasn't really all that great a story either. 1 star."
"Circus of the Dead: Pretty good, not my favorite Joe Hill story. 3 stars."
Halloween October 2011: #10
March 3, 2010
This is a really awesome zombie anthology with new stories from some great authors. Lots of new twists on zombies.
my top 5 faves were:
"Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry- one of the longer stories, more of a novella, about two brothers. One is apprenticing the other in the "family business"-killing zombies-but it's not your typical violent, shoot-em-up story. Lots of heart, great relationship created between the two brothers, not perfect but realistic.
"The Wind Cries Mary" by Brian Keene-very short, sweet story about the relationship between two very different people.
"Closure, Limited" by Max Brooks-Written as a continuation of World War Z, the narrator is visiting an organization that helps people gain closure for what occurred during the war. Um kind of, in my opinion :)
"Lazarus" by John Connolly-great retelling of the Bible story of Lazarus, from Lazarus' POV. Kinda sad, great way to open the anthology.
"Twittering from the Circus of The Dead" by Joe Hill- Great representation of a new format. I don't Twitter (or whatever) but a story told only in Tweets moves pretty quickly. Story starts out with teenage girl bitching about being on vacation with her family and takes a dark twist. Hill really creates the character through her Tweets, which is rather impressive and creates a slow burn to a great scare.
Those were just a few of my favorites. This anthology is full of authors that I was familiar with from other anthologies but their stories are all new. Definitely worth a read if you love zombies as much as I.
my top 5 faves were:
"Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry- one of the longer stories, more of a novella, about two brothers. One is apprenticing the other in the "family business"-killing zombies-but it's not your typical violent, shoot-em-up story. Lots of heart, great relationship created between the two brothers, not perfect but realistic.
"The Wind Cries Mary" by Brian Keene-very short, sweet story about the relationship between two very different people.
"Closure, Limited" by Max Brooks-Written as a continuation of World War Z, the narrator is visiting an organization that helps people gain closure for what occurred during the war. Um kind of, in my opinion :)
"Lazarus" by John Connolly-great retelling of the Bible story of Lazarus, from Lazarus' POV. Kinda sad, great way to open the anthology.
"Twittering from the Circus of The Dead" by Joe Hill- Great representation of a new format. I don't Twitter (or whatever) but a story told only in Tweets moves pretty quickly. Story starts out with teenage girl bitching about being on vacation with her family and takes a dark twist. Hill really creates the character through her Tweets, which is rather impressive and creates a slow burn to a great scare.
Those were just a few of my favorites. This anthology is full of authors that I was familiar with from other anthologies but their stories are all new. Definitely worth a read if you love zombies as much as I.
March 29, 2010
What an amazing anthology! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of never-before-published stories featuring my favorite creatures of the night: ZOMBIES!!!
*giggle
Each and every story was unique and fascinating. Here is my rating of the individual stories (from fav to least fave):
The Storm Door (*****) DAMN GOOD STORY!
Lazarus (*****) Awesome. Beautifully written.
Copper (*****) Woooow. Eeeerily poetic.
Twittering from the Circus of the Dead (*****) Downright frightening
Delice (*****) Hauntingly beautiful.
The Wind Cries Mary (****) I love Brian Keene!
Kids and Their Toys (****) Very chilling in a Lords of the Flies kinda way
Family Business (****)
Life Sentence (****) Great story.
What Maisie Knew (***)
Second Wind (***)
In the Dust (***)
Ghost Trap (***)
The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky (***) Humorous.
Weaponized (***)
Among Us (**)
Shooting Pool (**) Had to read Foreword to understand how this story fit in anthology
My Dolly (**)
Closure, Limited (**)
*giggle
Each and every story was unique and fascinating. Here is my rating of the individual stories (from fav to least fave):
The Storm Door (*****) DAMN GOOD STORY!
Lazarus (*****) Awesome. Beautifully written.
Copper (*****) Woooow. Eeeerily poetic.
Twittering from the Circus of the Dead (*****) Downright frightening
Delice (*****) Hauntingly beautiful.
The Wind Cries Mary (****) I love Brian Keene!
Kids and Their Toys (****) Very chilling in a Lords of the Flies kinda way
Family Business (****)
Life Sentence (****) Great story.
What Maisie Knew (***)
Second Wind (***)
In the Dust (***)
Ghost Trap (***)
The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky (***) Humorous.
Weaponized (***)
Among Us (**)
Shooting Pool (**) Had to read Foreword to understand how this story fit in anthology
My Dolly (**)
Closure, Limited (**)
November 14, 2012
3.5 brains.
I'm just going to cheat and copy my status updates here for the individual stories. All in all, it's a pretty good collection. More good stories that turds, which is a good thing to find in an anthology.
"Lazerus" was cool & intriguing. (3 stars).
"What Maisie Knew" kicked serious ass. (5 stars).
"Copper" ehh, not so much. (1 star).
"In the Dust" - very cool. I love a good aftermath story. (4 stars).
"Life Sentence" - creepy and well told abuse of power story. (3.5 stars).
"Delice" - meh. I'm glad this was short. (2 stars).
"The Wind Cries Mary" - very cool. I wish it was longer. Heh.. (4 stars).
"Family Business" - Pretty awesome novella. I'll have to read the Benny Imura books. (5 stars).
"The Zombie Who Fell From the Sky" - meh. Not so great. OK story with weird, jarring narrative. (2 stars).
"My Dolly" - meh x2. Kind of a wtf? story that did nothing to help me want to keep reading this book. (1.5 stars).
"Second Wind" - I thought it was going to be 'meh' too at first, but I liked how it turned out. (3 stars).
"Closure, Limited" - I was looking forward to this as I liked World War Z. Started alright but ended abruptly and I must have missed something important. Meh... (2.5 stars).
"Among Us" - definitely 'meh'. Ramblings and disconnected little things. Thankfully short. (1 star).
"Ghost Trap" - a pretty good one. I'd like to see more about "the plague". (4 stars).
"The Storm Door" - creepy and engaging story. Tad Williams never disappoints. (4 stars).
"Kids and Their Toys" - wow. That was the most disturbing one in the book so far. Creep-fest. At least Lord of the Flies didn't have zombies to worry about. (5 stars).
"Shooting Pool" - Well. I did find myself engaged and I liked the way it was written. But it had a lot of build up and didn't really go anywhere. Oh, and where are the freakin' zombies? This one would be better suited for Redneck: An Anthology of the Inbred. (3 stars for story, 1 star for being in the wrong anthology).
"Weaponized" - pretty enjoyable though unrealistic story here. Future technology includes a camera disguised as sunblock? Yeah, right. (3-ish stars. Solid 3 without the fucking sunblock camera).
"Twittering From the Circus of the Dead" - closing with Joe Hill. Loved this one. OMGOMGOM (4.5 stars).
Slight editing there (mostly adding stars). I'll bump the overall rating to 4 stars since there were more good ones than bad.
I'm just going to cheat and copy my status updates here for the individual stories. All in all, it's a pretty good collection. More good stories that turds, which is a good thing to find in an anthology.
"Lazerus" was cool & intriguing. (3 stars).
"What Maisie Knew" kicked serious ass. (5 stars).
"Copper" ehh, not so much. (1 star).
"In the Dust" - very cool. I love a good aftermath story. (4 stars).
"Life Sentence" - creepy and well told abuse of power story. (3.5 stars).
"Delice" - meh. I'm glad this was short. (2 stars).
"The Wind Cries Mary" - very cool. I wish it was longer. Heh.. (4 stars).
"Family Business" - Pretty awesome novella. I'll have to read the Benny Imura books. (5 stars).
"The Zombie Who Fell From the Sky" - meh. Not so great. OK story with weird, jarring narrative. (2 stars).
"My Dolly" - meh x2. Kind of a wtf? story that did nothing to help me want to keep reading this book. (1.5 stars).
"Second Wind" - I thought it was going to be 'meh' too at first, but I liked how it turned out. (3 stars).
"Closure, Limited" - I was looking forward to this as I liked World War Z. Started alright but ended abruptly and I must have missed something important. Meh... (2.5 stars).
"Among Us" - definitely 'meh'. Ramblings and disconnected little things. Thankfully short. (1 star).
"Ghost Trap" - a pretty good one. I'd like to see more about "the plague". (4 stars).
"The Storm Door" - creepy and engaging story. Tad Williams never disappoints. (4 stars).
"Kids and Their Toys" - wow. That was the most disturbing one in the book so far. Creep-fest. At least Lord of the Flies didn't have zombies to worry about. (5 stars).
"Shooting Pool" - Well. I did find myself engaged and I liked the way it was written. But it had a lot of build up and didn't really go anywhere. Oh, and where are the freakin' zombies? This one would be better suited for Redneck: An Anthology of the Inbred. (3 stars for story, 1 star for being in the wrong anthology).
"Weaponized" - pretty enjoyable though unrealistic story here. Future technology includes a camera disguised as sunblock? Yeah, right. (3-ish stars. Solid 3 without the fucking sunblock camera).
"Twittering From the Circus of the Dead" - closing with Joe Hill. Loved this one. OMGOMGOM (4.5 stars).
Slight editing there (mostly adding stars). I'll bump the overall rating to 4 stars since there were more good ones than bad.
November 26, 2011
Z
ZO
ZOM
ZOMB
ZOMBI
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIES!!
What more do you need than a book full of Zombies!
Great read.
ZO
ZOM
ZOMB
ZOMBI
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIES!!
What more do you need than a book full of Zombies!
Great read.
June 9, 2020
کتاب تموم شد اما متاسفانه داستانش نصفه موند و نمی تونم چیزی بگم، چون هنوز از شیاطین و زامبی هایی که توی خلاصه ازشون گفته، خبری نیست!
کاش یکی که خونده بود بهم می گفت ادامه بدم یا نه!
کاش یکی که خونده بود بهم می گفت ادامه بدم یا نه!
November 14, 2012
Lazarus by John Conolly - This one was pretty good. It gave a new spin to an old and very well-known bible story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I guess, I assumed, like I'm sure alot of people did that when he was risen he was "alive", but this makes us wonder...what if he wasn't? (3 stars)
What Maisie Knew by David Liss - This is my favorite so far. What a unique story, with a great ending twist. Kind of part mystery, part dystopian. I really enjoyed this one! (4 stars)
Copper by Stephen R. Bissette - This one I didn't like much at all. I even had trouble following it. Not very well written in my opinion. (1 star)
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon - One of my favorites! I love how this is written and it has great character developement. I just wish that there was more interaction with the zombies in this one. (4 stars)
Life Sentence by Kelley Armstrong - This had the zombie action I wanted in the last one, but I liked the characters better in In The Dust. A really good story, though. (4 stars)
Delice by Holly Newstein - This one had a really good storyline, but I didn't feel like I got to know the characters well. I wanted to know Delice more and was a bit confused that it wasn't her necessarily getting revenge. - (3 stars)
The Wind Cried Mary by Brian Keene - This was really good. This was my introduction to Brian Keene, although I've been wanting to read more for awhile now. I was not disappointed. Short and sweet and really well done. (5 stars)
Family Business by Jonathan Maberry - This could've been a novella. I wanted to know more about these brothers. Really well done. I loved the story! (5 stars)
The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky by M. B. Homler - This was very weak and disapointing. It was missing so much. It seemed like one moment the guy was at work and like an hour after he went home after his shift, the entire town becomes Zombies. Plus there was footnotes to the characters poetry. Huh? (2 stars)
My Dolly by Derek Nikitas - This was a little better but there wasn't much going on. This had potential but didn't go anywhere. (2 points)
Second Wind by Mike Carey was a nice story about a man's generosity towards a homeless girl, but I found that the main point of the story wasn't that he was a Zombie. That seemed to only be a side point. Very disappointing. (1 star)
Closure, Limited by Max Brooks was short and sweet and one of the best in this collection. But then he is the master on this subject! (5 stars)
Among Us by Aimee Bender left me very confused. Isn't this a book about zombies? This was a group of unrelated short stories or vignettes that had nothing to do with anything. Only 1 had a zombie even in it. At least I thought this was an anthology about zombies......and with actual writers in it. How did she get in here? (1 star)
Ghost Trap by Rick Hauta - This was a perfect zombie story. Too many of these stories veer from the classic, scary zombie story. I want to be frighted by these stories, not want to make the zombie my friend. Well done. He developed the terror and fear beautifullfy! (5 stars)
The Storm Door by Tad Williams - I thought that this had s much potential, but then let me down. I don't want to have a conversation with a zombie....if that's what they even were? I'm left confused and disappointed with this one. I wanted to now more about Nathan Nightingale and his work, but I was left hanging. (2 stars)
Kids And Their Toys by James A. Moore - This was a bit more like it. This had a bit of everything and the ending totally surprised me. (4 stars)
Shooting Pool by Joe R. Landsdale - What is this? And how did this get included in this book? Not only was the story very lacking and boring......where were the zombies? Isn't this a Zombie Anthology? That's what I thought. (1 star...and only because I don't want to leave it blank like I forgot)
Weaponized by David Wellington - This one really disappointed me because I had heard so much about this author. I guess it was interesting, but it dealt more with war than the story of zombies. Interesting concept, though. (2 stars)
Twittering From The Circus Of The Dead - Joe Hill - I love this guy and this story is no exception! Really creative and different! Plus what I want from a Zombie story....scare me, shock me and give me gore! (5 stars)
This book had highs and lows. Some of these stories, I'm not sure how they got in here, to tell you the truth. They had little or nothing to do with zombies. Plus, and maybe this is just me, I want my zombie stories to scare me and creep me out. I don't want to make friends or try to understand them. Overall, some really good stories here.
What Maisie Knew by David Liss - This is my favorite so far. What a unique story, with a great ending twist. Kind of part mystery, part dystopian. I really enjoyed this one! (4 stars)
Copper by Stephen R. Bissette - This one I didn't like much at all. I even had trouble following it. Not very well written in my opinion. (1 star)
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon - One of my favorites! I love how this is written and it has great character developement. I just wish that there was more interaction with the zombies in this one. (4 stars)
Life Sentence by Kelley Armstrong - This had the zombie action I wanted in the last one, but I liked the characters better in In The Dust. A really good story, though. (4 stars)
Delice by Holly Newstein - This one had a really good storyline, but I didn't feel like I got to know the characters well. I wanted to know Delice more and was a bit confused that it wasn't her necessarily getting revenge. - (3 stars)
The Wind Cried Mary by Brian Keene - This was really good. This was my introduction to Brian Keene, although I've been wanting to read more for awhile now. I was not disappointed. Short and sweet and really well done. (5 stars)
Family Business by Jonathan Maberry - This could've been a novella. I wanted to know more about these brothers. Really well done. I loved the story! (5 stars)
The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky by M. B. Homler - This was very weak and disapointing. It was missing so much. It seemed like one moment the guy was at work and like an hour after he went home after his shift, the entire town becomes Zombies. Plus there was footnotes to the characters poetry. Huh? (2 stars)
My Dolly by Derek Nikitas - This was a little better but there wasn't much going on. This had potential but didn't go anywhere. (2 points)
Second Wind by Mike Carey was a nice story about a man's generosity towards a homeless girl, but I found that the main point of the story wasn't that he was a Zombie. That seemed to only be a side point. Very disappointing. (1 star)
Closure, Limited by Max Brooks was short and sweet and one of the best in this collection. But then he is the master on this subject! (5 stars)
Among Us by Aimee Bender left me very confused. Isn't this a book about zombies? This was a group of unrelated short stories or vignettes that had nothing to do with anything. Only 1 had a zombie even in it. At least I thought this was an anthology about zombies......and with actual writers in it. How did she get in here? (1 star)
Ghost Trap by Rick Hauta - This was a perfect zombie story. Too many of these stories veer from the classic, scary zombie story. I want to be frighted by these stories, not want to make the zombie my friend. Well done. He developed the terror and fear beautifullfy! (5 stars)
The Storm Door by Tad Williams - I thought that this had s much potential, but then let me down. I don't want to have a conversation with a zombie....if that's what they even were? I'm left confused and disappointed with this one. I wanted to now more about Nathan Nightingale and his work, but I was left hanging. (2 stars)
Kids And Their Toys by James A. Moore - This was a bit more like it. This had a bit of everything and the ending totally surprised me. (4 stars)
Shooting Pool by Joe R. Landsdale - What is this? And how did this get included in this book? Not only was the story very lacking and boring......where were the zombies? Isn't this a Zombie Anthology? That's what I thought. (1 star...and only because I don't want to leave it blank like I forgot)
Weaponized by David Wellington - This one really disappointed me because I had heard so much about this author. I guess it was interesting, but it dealt more with war than the story of zombies. Interesting concept, though. (2 stars)
Twittering From The Circus Of The Dead - Joe Hill - I love this guy and this story is no exception! Really creative and different! Plus what I want from a Zombie story....scare me, shock me and give me gore! (5 stars)
This book had highs and lows. Some of these stories, I'm not sure how they got in here, to tell you the truth. They had little or nothing to do with zombies. Plus, and maybe this is just me, I want my zombie stories to scare me and creep me out. I don't want to make friends or try to understand them. Overall, some really good stories here.
May 16, 2010
A decent collection of zombie stories with a lot of variation from the usual George Romero-style zombie apocalypse. Stand outs include Joe Hill’s story told as a collection of Tweets from a bored teen-age girl on a family vacation that includes attending a zombie circus and Jonathan Maberry’s touching Family Business. Surprisingly, Joe Lansdale’s contribution isn’t really a zombie story at all so it seems a bit out of place despite being one of the better tales included.
February 4, 2017
Mi breve reseña de los relatos de esta antología:
Lázaro, de J. Connoly: la resurrección del Lázaro bíblico desde una óptica mórbida, con algo de sexo y poco más.
Lo que sabía Maisie, de David Liss: el mejor relato del libro, muy fiel al género.
Copper, de Stephen Bissette: frases incoherentes repetidas hasta el hartazgo, argumento delirante, malo.
En el polvo, de Tim Lebbon: una historia llena de desesperanza, con poca fuerza narrativa y menor interés, que se queda en eso.
Sentencia de vida, de K. Armstrong: ágil, rápido, entretenido, buen final y buena venganza.
Delice, de Holy Newstein: muy buen relato, con un zombie vudú despiadado, dosis justa de gore y excelente ambientación y contexto, es uno de los que más disfruté.
El viento grita el nombre de Mary, de B. Keene: me encanta este autor, y este relato es bueno, demasiado corto, pero no por ello menos efectivo.
Negocios familiares, de J. Maberry: una entrañable historia de dos hermanos con una misión dolorosa pero necesaria en el reino de los muertos. Ojalá se publique en español la saga de Podredumbre y Ruina.
El zombie que cayó del cielo, de MB Homler: un cuento que apela al sentimentalismo, a las lágrimas, a la moraleja final... no va conmigo, pero entiendo que esté en la antología.
Mi Dolly, de Derek Nikitas: aquí, una vez más, tenemos otro relato que no hubiera incluído en la obra, pues no aparecen zombies. Cuenta las vicisitudes por las que debe pasar un hombre para revivir a una chica muerta de la que, aparentemente, ha quedado prendado. Pero de todas formas, la última mitad me pareció demasiado confusa. No debería haber estado en esta recopilación.
Segunda oportunidad, de Mike Carey: carente de todo interés para mí, un drama que parece sacado de alguna peli melancólica con el trasfondo de un "muerto viviente" que no es tal. No me engañe, Sr. Carey.
Pasar Página SL de Max Brooks: un relato "bonus" de Guerra Mundial Z, pero no de la misma calidad. Se deja leer, pero es comprensible que esté en la antología.
Entre nosotros, de Aimee Bender: una orgía disparatada y sinsentido de entrañas y pseudo mensaje social, un desacierto total de introducir este relato por parte de Golden.
Trampa para fantasmas, de Rick Hautala: con este relato el nivel sube y comienza una seguidilla de 2 relatos más que van de más a menos. Nos encontramos con una historia poderosa, bien narrada, donde de nuevo y por supuesto, poco hay de zombies, lo que se dice zombies, pero ésta está muy bien. Escalofriante.
La Puerta de la tormenta, de Tad Williams: un detective de lo oculto se enfrenta a demonios que poseen los cuerpos de los cadáveres recién fallecidos. Me encantó, por recordarme a personajes como John Silence o Carnacki.
Los niños y sus juguetes, de J. Moore: relato cruel y perverso donde, sin embargo, un grupo de niños hace lo que tienen que hacer, y donde el ser humano se muestra tal cual es. De aquí en más el nivel de los relatos decae nuevamente.
Billares, de Joe Lansdale, es otro relato raro, que a decir verdad no sé que hace en esta antología. No es malo, pero pasa desapercibido. 0 zombies.
Armas de guerra, de David Wellington, ya nos lo dice todo en el título. Interesante historia e idea que por supuesto, a más de un autor o guionista se le habrá ya ocurrido.
Twitter desde el circo de los muertos, de Joe Hill: una historia grotesca y mórbida contada desde los 140 caracteres por una adolescente harta de su familia. La cosa termina muy mal, por supuesto, y se agradece la aparición, por fin, de zombies romerianos.
Valga la aclaración y advertencia, entonces; no es una antología 100 % zombie. Si buscan algo así, lean las antologías de Dolmen. Aquí hay de todo, pero pocos zombies y algunos relatos decepcionantes. 5/10.
Lázaro, de J. Connoly: la resurrección del Lázaro bíblico desde una óptica mórbida, con algo de sexo y poco más.
Lo que sabía Maisie, de David Liss: el mejor relato del libro, muy fiel al género.
Copper, de Stephen Bissette: frases incoherentes repetidas hasta el hartazgo, argumento delirante, malo.
En el polvo, de Tim Lebbon: una historia llena de desesperanza, con poca fuerza narrativa y menor interés, que se queda en eso.
Sentencia de vida, de K. Armstrong: ágil, rápido, entretenido, buen final y buena venganza.
Delice, de Holy Newstein: muy buen relato, con un zombie vudú despiadado, dosis justa de gore y excelente ambientación y contexto, es uno de los que más disfruté.
El viento grita el nombre de Mary, de B. Keene: me encanta este autor, y este relato es bueno, demasiado corto, pero no por ello menos efectivo.
Negocios familiares, de J. Maberry: una entrañable historia de dos hermanos con una misión dolorosa pero necesaria en el reino de los muertos. Ojalá se publique en español la saga de Podredumbre y Ruina.
El zombie que cayó del cielo, de MB Homler: un cuento que apela al sentimentalismo, a las lágrimas, a la moraleja final... no va conmigo, pero entiendo que esté en la antología.
Mi Dolly, de Derek Nikitas: aquí, una vez más, tenemos otro relato que no hubiera incluído en la obra, pues no aparecen zombies. Cuenta las vicisitudes por las que debe pasar un hombre para revivir a una chica muerta de la que, aparentemente, ha quedado prendado. Pero de todas formas, la última mitad me pareció demasiado confusa. No debería haber estado en esta recopilación.
Segunda oportunidad, de Mike Carey: carente de todo interés para mí, un drama que parece sacado de alguna peli melancólica con el trasfondo de un "muerto viviente" que no es tal. No me engañe, Sr. Carey.
Pasar Página SL de Max Brooks: un relato "bonus" de Guerra Mundial Z, pero no de la misma calidad. Se deja leer, pero es comprensible que esté en la antología.
Entre nosotros, de Aimee Bender: una orgía disparatada y sinsentido de entrañas y pseudo mensaje social, un desacierto total de introducir este relato por parte de Golden.
Trampa para fantasmas, de Rick Hautala: con este relato el nivel sube y comienza una seguidilla de 2 relatos más que van de más a menos. Nos encontramos con una historia poderosa, bien narrada, donde de nuevo y por supuesto, poco hay de zombies, lo que se dice zombies, pero ésta está muy bien. Escalofriante.
La Puerta de la tormenta, de Tad Williams: un detective de lo oculto se enfrenta a demonios que poseen los cuerpos de los cadáveres recién fallecidos. Me encantó, por recordarme a personajes como John Silence o Carnacki.
Los niños y sus juguetes, de J. Moore: relato cruel y perverso donde, sin embargo, un grupo de niños hace lo que tienen que hacer, y donde el ser humano se muestra tal cual es. De aquí en más el nivel de los relatos decae nuevamente.
Billares, de Joe Lansdale, es otro relato raro, que a decir verdad no sé que hace en esta antología. No es malo, pero pasa desapercibido. 0 zombies.
Armas de guerra, de David Wellington, ya nos lo dice todo en el título. Interesante historia e idea que por supuesto, a más de un autor o guionista se le habrá ya ocurrido.
Twitter desde el circo de los muertos, de Joe Hill: una historia grotesca y mórbida contada desde los 140 caracteres por una adolescente harta de su familia. La cosa termina muy mal, por supuesto, y se agradece la aparición, por fin, de zombies romerianos.
Valga la aclaración y advertencia, entonces; no es una antología 100 % zombie. Si buscan algo así, lean las antologías de Dolmen. Aquí hay de todo, pero pocos zombies y algunos relatos decepcionantes. 5/10.
November 11, 2012
Although there were a few duds in this one, there are also some really top-notch stories. Honestly, I'd implore you to pick up a copy of THE NEW DEAD simply to read THE FAMILY BUSINESS by Jonathan Maberry, which is the first zombie story I've read that's ever managed to make me cry.
Want to read
April 4, 2015There are several great writers here, but the deciding factor for me was Tad Williams. (I'm on a Williams kick right now!)
January 14, 2018
Like most such collections, a mixed bag - one great, several good, and a number of meh stories; as well as one (Shooting Pool) that I had NO idea why it was included, since there wasn't a zombie anywhere in sight.
Jonathan Maberry's Family Business is the longest and best story, a touching, Western-tinged tale of two brothers coming to terms with their personal loss. Other standouts include the "28 Days Later"-like In The Dust, Lazarus, and Twittering From the Circus of the Dead. The rest range from okay-but-forgettable to WTF head-scratchers, with too many relying on a "but he was already dead!" surprise at the end. (Max Brooks - "Mr. Zombie" himself - also contributes a short piece, and while it's not bad it really just reads like an outtake from his excellent World War Z.)
If your local library has this, it's worth checking out just for Family Business. But overall, IMHO it's probably not worth the purchase price.
(POSTSCRIPT: Ha - and now that I search under "Jonathan Maberry" in Goodreads, I find out he's written a whole 5-book "Rot and Ruin" series which deals with the same world and characters as in Family Business. In fact, the description for the first 450-page book sounds EXACTLY like the short story here, no more no less...so, LOVED the self-contained story, but could not have less interest now in reading the books.)
Jonathan Maberry's Family Business is the longest and best story, a touching, Western-tinged tale of two brothers coming to terms with their personal loss. Other standouts include the "28 Days Later"-like In The Dust, Lazarus, and Twittering From the Circus of the Dead. The rest range from okay-but-forgettable to WTF head-scratchers, with too many relying on a "but he was already dead!" surprise at the end. (Max Brooks - "Mr. Zombie" himself - also contributes a short piece, and while it's not bad it really just reads like an outtake from his excellent World War Z.)
If your local library has this, it's worth checking out just for Family Business. But overall, IMHO it's probably not worth the purchase price.
(POSTSCRIPT: Ha - and now that I search under "Jonathan Maberry" in Goodreads, I find out he's written a whole 5-book "Rot and Ruin" series which deals with the same world and characters as in Family Business. In fact, the description for the first 450-page book sounds EXACTLY like the short story here, no more no less...so, LOVED the self-contained story, but could not have less interest now in reading the books.)
August 26, 2024
It's hard to rate an anthology. Some of the stories in here are decent, but not many. A handful would get 4 stars from me, one or two maybe even 5. But overall I think the book is bad. A lot of the stories are terrible. Some have no zombies at all and I think the book would benefit from their removal.
Most stories fall into one of two camps. The ones that want to write something deep about death are so smothered in metaphor that they end up incomprehensible. I'm serious, there are at least two stories where I have literally no idea what happened. Most of the other stories fall under the category of people wanting to describe body horror in graphic detail, usually with a weird sexy subtext.
In fact, my main critique of the book is probably exactly that. The vast majority of the stories in this book are written by men who have unsuccessfully used zombie fiction as a vehicle to conceal their perverted, r*pey, and borderline necrophilic urges. I'll stick to The Walking Dead next time.
Most stories fall into one of two camps. The ones that want to write something deep about death are so smothered in metaphor that they end up incomprehensible. I'm serious, there are at least two stories where I have literally no idea what happened. Most of the other stories fall under the category of people wanting to describe body horror in graphic detail, usually with a weird sexy subtext.
In fact, my main critique of the book is probably exactly that. The vast majority of the stories in this book are written by men who have unsuccessfully used zombie fiction as a vehicle to conceal their perverted, r*pey, and borderline necrophilic urges. I'll stick to The Walking Dead next time.
September 1, 2022
What a fun, creepy collection of stories by several amazing and talented authors!
If you enjoy short stories, I think you will certainly enjoy this book and it's selection of tales! My very favorites were "In the Dust" by Tim Lebbon, "Life Sentence" by Kelley Armstrong, and "Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry.
I liked every single story but those were all the ones I rated 5 out of 5 stars and the rest were mostly 4 stars.
I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy zombie stories and reading/collecting those types of reads!
If you enjoy short stories, I think you will certainly enjoy this book and it's selection of tales! My very favorites were "In the Dust" by Tim Lebbon, "Life Sentence" by Kelley Armstrong, and "Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry.
I liked every single story but those were all the ones I rated 5 out of 5 stars and the rest were mostly 4 stars.
I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy zombie stories and reading/collecting those types of reads!
July 9, 2018
"Eating brains, my friends, is not sexy."
Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden
January 8, 2023
KZKS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2010
I've mentioned before my love/hate relationship with antholigies in the past. I couldn't pass up the lure of 19 new zombie stories by some of today's top authors. This book was lots of fun so I'm going to highlight my favorites in the following : The Good The Bad and The Ok
The Good
I'm going to start at the end with Joe HIll's
Twittering From The Circus Of The Dead
I love Twitter! and Joe Hill was the author who introduced twitter to me :) TYME2WASTE is the sign on name of Blake a young teenager who is on a road trip with her family. Joe captures the mindset of a young teenage girl very well. He also showcases the addictive nature of twitter. This story also shows how we have become so desensitized to violence. After making a wrong turn the family stumbles across a sideshow carnival called The Circus of The Dead. While Blake is originally impressed by the level of "Special Effects" the show contains it soon becomes apparent that something darker is going on. I love the horror that Joe contains in each 140 word tweet, this book was my favorite in the whole book.
What Maisie Knew
By David LISS
This story is incredible.What excites me about it is that it is a fully complete mini masterpeace! It's a great example of what a good anthology story should accomplish. Fromthe first lines you are drawn into Walter Molson's world. Walter is keeping a reanimate named Maisie in an apartment. He is desprate to keep this secret from his wife and friends. Maisie is not content. She finds small ways to disobey Walter's orders and shake up the perfectly controled world Walter is trying to have.
As the story unfolds we learn the terrible secret Maisies holds. This story had me immediately wanting to learn more about David Liss :) looking forward to reading more about him.
Kids and Their by James A. Moore
This creepy little tale, is about four boys who find a zombie and hide it away in a root cellar for "play". The characters are well defined. It really potrayed the capacty for violence that some children can have with a shocking twist.
The Storm Door by Tad Williams
Most known for fantasy writhing it was interesting to see Tad's take on horror. Occult investigator Nightingale is paying a visit to his godfather to talk about the recent miraculous recoveries of many terminal patients. But they arent coming back the same and Nightengale is trying to get to the bottom of it. I liked this twist of the traditional zombie story.
DELICE by Holly Newstein
This story is a very interesting take on a vodoo zombie. Holy is a very gifted writer I'd like to read more from her. Delice wakes up confused by where she is. Ava Ani treates her with the greatest care, bathing and preparing her. As the story unfolds we learn Delice's tormented past and the mission she has been brought back to fufill.
Lazarus by John Connolly
The Wind Cries Mary by Brian Keene
These two stories are heavy on emotional impact. John's Lazarus explores the disconnect a true ressurection would entail while Brian's "Mary" is a poignant expression of love seperated by dath and undeath
THE BAD:
What I equate as bad in this anthology are stories that aren't fully realised of off topic: a pet peeve of mine :)
Copper by Stephen R. Bissette
This narrative stile was not a good fit for me I couldn't really figure out what wa going on and after a few pages i really din't care. Maybe it was just me :)
Among Us by Aimee Bender
Beside a great zombie joke in the beginning I don't know what the rest of this story was about
Shooting Pool by Joe R. Lansdale interesting story but NO ZOMBIES IN IT!!!
The OK:
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon
This was an interesting story about three people trapped in a small town in the midst of a zombie attack.
Life Sentence by Kelly Armstrong
Intresting tale about a rich man trying to escape death anyway he can
Family Buisness by Jonathan Mayberry
I love Jonathan but this story felt like a prelude to a future work (Which it is !) I'm looking forward to his YA zombie book Rot and Ruin
Closure, Limied BY Max Brooks I think I know what this story was about but wish it was longer and more clear cut. Either way new Max Brooks is still Ok!
MY Dolly by Derek Nikitas
Again ok but too short to really enjoy
Second Wind by Mike Carey
Eh:( not really interesting to me.
Weaponized by David Wellington
Interesting premise on zombies but again I feel like it had no clear cut ending
Overall a great anthology and I will definetly be reading more from many of the authors.
The Good
I'm going to start at the end with Joe HIll's
Twittering From The Circus Of The Dead
I love Twitter! and Joe Hill was the author who introduced twitter to me :) TYME2WASTE is the sign on name of Blake a young teenager who is on a road trip with her family. Joe captures the mindset of a young teenage girl very well. He also showcases the addictive nature of twitter. This story also shows how we have become so desensitized to violence. After making a wrong turn the family stumbles across a sideshow carnival called The Circus of The Dead. While Blake is originally impressed by the level of "Special Effects" the show contains it soon becomes apparent that something darker is going on. I love the horror that Joe contains in each 140 word tweet, this book was my favorite in the whole book.
What Maisie Knew
By David LISS
This story is incredible.What excites me about it is that it is a fully complete mini masterpeace! It's a great example of what a good anthology story should accomplish. Fromthe first lines you are drawn into Walter Molson's world. Walter is keeping a reanimate named Maisie in an apartment. He is desprate to keep this secret from his wife and friends. Maisie is not content. She finds small ways to disobey Walter's orders and shake up the perfectly controled world Walter is trying to have.
As the story unfolds we learn the terrible secret Maisies holds. This story had me immediately wanting to learn more about David Liss :) looking forward to reading more about him.
Kids and Their by James A. Moore
This creepy little tale, is about four boys who find a zombie and hide it away in a root cellar for "play". The characters are well defined. It really potrayed the capacty for violence that some children can have with a shocking twist.
The Storm Door by Tad Williams
Most known for fantasy writhing it was interesting to see Tad's take on horror. Occult investigator Nightingale is paying a visit to his godfather to talk about the recent miraculous recoveries of many terminal patients. But they arent coming back the same and Nightengale is trying to get to the bottom of it. I liked this twist of the traditional zombie story.
DELICE by Holly Newstein
This story is a very interesting take on a vodoo zombie. Holy is a very gifted writer I'd like to read more from her. Delice wakes up confused by where she is. Ava Ani treates her with the greatest care, bathing and preparing her. As the story unfolds we learn Delice's tormented past and the mission she has been brought back to fufill.
Lazarus by John Connolly
The Wind Cries Mary by Brian Keene
These two stories are heavy on emotional impact. John's Lazarus explores the disconnect a true ressurection would entail while Brian's "Mary" is a poignant expression of love seperated by dath and undeath
THE BAD:
What I equate as bad in this anthology are stories that aren't fully realised of off topic: a pet peeve of mine :)
Copper by Stephen R. Bissette
This narrative stile was not a good fit for me I couldn't really figure out what wa going on and after a few pages i really din't care. Maybe it was just me :)
Among Us by Aimee Bender
Beside a great zombie joke in the beginning I don't know what the rest of this story was about
Shooting Pool by Joe R. Lansdale interesting story but NO ZOMBIES IN IT!!!
The OK:
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon
This was an interesting story about three people trapped in a small town in the midst of a zombie attack.
Life Sentence by Kelly Armstrong
Intresting tale about a rich man trying to escape death anyway he can
Family Buisness by Jonathan Mayberry
I love Jonathan but this story felt like a prelude to a future work (Which it is !) I'm looking forward to his YA zombie book Rot and Ruin
Closure, Limied BY Max Brooks I think I know what this story was about but wish it was longer and more clear cut. Either way new Max Brooks is still Ok!
MY Dolly by Derek Nikitas
Again ok but too short to really enjoy
Second Wind by Mike Carey
Eh:( not really interesting to me.
Weaponized by David Wellington
Interesting premise on zombies but again I feel like it had no clear cut ending
Overall a great anthology and I will definetly be reading more from many of the authors.
February 21, 2011
Out of all of the short stories, I would say that I enjoyed a third of them. Some were just not my cup of tea, while others completely drew me in. Due to the fact that there are so many different authors in this one book, you really get to taste a bite of their unique writing styles and I have come to find a handful of new authors that I had never heard of. I'll list a few of the short stories I really liked and review them a little.
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon
This short story brings you into a secured city where officials have quarantined the entire city - there are three remaining people alive inside the barricades - Jamie, Bindi and Toby. They have been hauling zombie bodies to the scientists for them to examine and burn. Little did they know that another outbreak would occur trapping them inside the walls longer than they anticipated. This story is intriguing to me because it actually seems like a possibility of what could happen if this ever rang true - being trapped inside the hub of action and not being able to get out - then once you think things are going to be okay, you find out that you might be safer inside your secluded little area.
Life Sentence by Kelley Armstrong
In life sentence we see a rich man who wants to take advantage of being able to live after he dies. It's an interesting theory that someone could mess around with the DNA of a person so that when they come back as a zombie they would have free will and not rot to pieces. I don't know if I'd ever want to live that way, but I am sure there are many out there who would love to live forever (I just think I'd rather be a vampire than a rotting corpse any day).
Delice by Holly Newstein
This story captured me because it used voodoo to create a beautiful little girl zombie and then lay her to rest once they were done using the body to take their revenge. I liked that it was set in New Orleans and that black magic was involved. You don't really read many zombie books lately that deal with necromancy and voodoo - so it was nice to read about for a change.
Family Business by Jonathan Maberry
This was probably my favourite of the stories - I think that has to do with the fact that there are lots of emotions involved in this story. Benny is trying to find a job in his new world - after First Night happened everyone has new jobs that somehow deal with Zombies, like Fence Tester and Erosion Artist. Benny doesn't find a specific job that he is good at or feels comfortable with. He then asks his older brother Tom to teach him how to kill the Zoms. Tom takes Benny on a life changing journey to learn what Tom does for a living - he doesn't just kill zombies, he searches out specific living dead to release from their horrible undead lives. This one is quite emotional at on part, where Benny finally realizes that what his brother does is help others find solace and peace.
Twittering From the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill
This was an interesting short story as it is all told by Twitter posts from one person - you do not get to see responses or interactions. And everything is posted in 140 character postings. It's an interesting concept for storytelling, but what is even better is the idea of the Circus of the Dead - where live people are believing they are watching a great circus act of people being chased and attacked by zombie clowns etc. Little do they know they are in for a big treat.
I would also add that this book is definitely for adults - there is coarse language, scenes of major violence and also some sexual content that I would rate R.
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon
This short story brings you into a secured city where officials have quarantined the entire city - there are three remaining people alive inside the barricades - Jamie, Bindi and Toby. They have been hauling zombie bodies to the scientists for them to examine and burn. Little did they know that another outbreak would occur trapping them inside the walls longer than they anticipated. This story is intriguing to me because it actually seems like a possibility of what could happen if this ever rang true - being trapped inside the hub of action and not being able to get out - then once you think things are going to be okay, you find out that you might be safer inside your secluded little area.
Life Sentence by Kelley Armstrong
In life sentence we see a rich man who wants to take advantage of being able to live after he dies. It's an interesting theory that someone could mess around with the DNA of a person so that when they come back as a zombie they would have free will and not rot to pieces. I don't know if I'd ever want to live that way, but I am sure there are many out there who would love to live forever (I just think I'd rather be a vampire than a rotting corpse any day).
Delice by Holly Newstein
This story captured me because it used voodoo to create a beautiful little girl zombie and then lay her to rest once they were done using the body to take their revenge. I liked that it was set in New Orleans and that black magic was involved. You don't really read many zombie books lately that deal with necromancy and voodoo - so it was nice to read about for a change.
Family Business by Jonathan Maberry
This was probably my favourite of the stories - I think that has to do with the fact that there are lots of emotions involved in this story. Benny is trying to find a job in his new world - after First Night happened everyone has new jobs that somehow deal with Zombies, like Fence Tester and Erosion Artist. Benny doesn't find a specific job that he is good at or feels comfortable with. He then asks his older brother Tom to teach him how to kill the Zoms. Tom takes Benny on a life changing journey to learn what Tom does for a living - he doesn't just kill zombies, he searches out specific living dead to release from their horrible undead lives. This one is quite emotional at on part, where Benny finally realizes that what his brother does is help others find solace and peace.
Twittering From the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill
This was an interesting short story as it is all told by Twitter posts from one person - you do not get to see responses or interactions. And everything is posted in 140 character postings. It's an interesting concept for storytelling, but what is even better is the idea of the Circus of the Dead - where live people are believing they are watching a great circus act of people being chased and attacked by zombie clowns etc. Little do they know they are in for a big treat.
I would also add that this book is definitely for adults - there is coarse language, scenes of major violence and also some sexual content that I would rate R.
September 10, 2016
Ohhh, Anthologies. Ohhhh, Zombies. I do love thee both and am delighted to find you combined. With a wide range in topic, mood and structure this ones gives a strong punch, Zombie lovers do not hesitate and Zombie skeptics take a look at what Zombie stories are capable of.
I wouldn't rate any single story lower than a 2 which is saying something for a collection, at least I find it rare not to have a full disappointment. Some big names and some interesting surprises, seriously I had a lovely time.
For me, it has to face comparison to JJ Adams "The living Dead" anthology and it wins by a smidgen, whereas I think I do prefer my faves in JJ Adams book I think as a whole bunch this collection is stronger. Who knows, maybe 19 is just a better number to digest in stories (the other one had over 30), maybe it is the fresher dent it left. Whatever it is, this is a great selection, I personally wouldn't have minded one or two more 'classic' end-of-days Zombie shorts but I rather have too much range in a collection than getting bored too quickly.
My bottom 2:
"Delice" by Holly Newstein, a voodoo tale that was too predictable and left me mostly cold.
"My Dolly" Derek Nikitas, this one seemed highly underdeveloped, I think I missed the point or something. Didn't like it despite some neat ideas in it.
My top 6:
"Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" by Joe Hill, I fully expected to not like the one written in twitter form but the experiment worked, it is interesting, touching, scary and definitely a unique style. I am not saying I want more stories in this form but I am very glad I got to read this one.
"Kids and their Toys" by James A. Moore, disturbing in the best way, maybe a bit rushed, with an even slower build I think it would have been perfect, but really, really good, unsettling.
"Second Wind" by Mike Carey, satirical yet a bit sad story about a broker who doesn't want to let go of working. I was surprised given the thematic how much I liked it, it touches some nice themes in its run.
"In the Dust" by Tim Lebbon, I love Lebbon's style. This one fishes in more classic Zombie terrain but with a twist and with lots of melancholia, loved it!
"What Maisie knew" by David Liss, a dark tale of a futuristic world where the dead can be used and abused. Very accomplished, this one will go under your skin.
"The Wind cries Mary" by Brian Keene, my absolute winner, just 4 pages and they choked me up by the last one, incredibly atmospheric especially considering the short run. Outstandingly crafted, brilliant, I need to read MORE by Keene.
I wouldn't rate any single story lower than a 2 which is saying something for a collection, at least I find it rare not to have a full disappointment. Some big names and some interesting surprises, seriously I had a lovely time.
For me, it has to face comparison to JJ Adams "The living Dead" anthology and it wins by a smidgen, whereas I think I do prefer my faves in JJ Adams book I think as a whole bunch this collection is stronger. Who knows, maybe 19 is just a better number to digest in stories (the other one had over 30), maybe it is the fresher dent it left. Whatever it is, this is a great selection, I personally wouldn't have minded one or two more 'classic' end-of-days Zombie shorts but I rather have too much range in a collection than getting bored too quickly.
My bottom 2:
"Delice" by Holly Newstein, a voodoo tale that was too predictable and left me mostly cold.
"My Dolly" Derek Nikitas, this one seemed highly underdeveloped, I think I missed the point or something. Didn't like it despite some neat ideas in it.
My top 6:
"Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" by Joe Hill, I fully expected to not like the one written in twitter form but the experiment worked, it is interesting, touching, scary and definitely a unique style. I am not saying I want more stories in this form but I am very glad I got to read this one.
"Kids and their Toys" by James A. Moore, disturbing in the best way, maybe a bit rushed, with an even slower build I think it would have been perfect, but really, really good, unsettling.
"Second Wind" by Mike Carey, satirical yet a bit sad story about a broker who doesn't want to let go of working. I was surprised given the thematic how much I liked it, it touches some nice themes in its run.
"In the Dust" by Tim Lebbon, I love Lebbon's style. This one fishes in more classic Zombie terrain but with a twist and with lots of melancholia, loved it!
"What Maisie knew" by David Liss, a dark tale of a futuristic world where the dead can be used and abused. Very accomplished, this one will go under your skin.
"The Wind cries Mary" by Brian Keene, my absolute winner, just 4 pages and they choked me up by the last one, incredibly atmospheric especially considering the short run. Outstandingly crafted, brilliant, I need to read MORE by Keene.
June 18, 2017
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.
August 30, 2011
I'm giving this three stars because overall, the stories are okay and several are completely forgettable. But I also encourage you to pick up this anthology because a few are outstanding and it would be a crying shame if you missed them.
Making it to Outstanding:
"What Maisie Knew" by David Liss:
At turns creepy, sick and disturbing; absolute compelling reading. If this premise has come up before, it was new to me and I loved it. The zombies are not the monsters of this story. The squick factor is off the charts.
"Kids and Their Toys" by James A. Moore:
Think The Body meets The Girl Next Door. There is a reason why children shouldn't play with dead things. I haven't been this creeped out since reading "Children of the Corn".
"Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" by Joe Hill:
Mr. Hill hasn't totally blown me away with his novels, but his short stories are EPIC and this one is no exception. If only all Twitter feeds were this engrossing and suspenseful! What starts out as a young girl's whiny bitch-fest in installments of 140 characters or less, morphs into heart-stopping terror.
"Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry
Easily my favorite of the bunch just because Maberry took what were the ingredients of a major story and turned it into a kick-ass novel called Rot & Ruin. Read the novel first though because the short story contains major spoilers.
Making it to Outstanding:
"What Maisie Knew" by David Liss:
At turns creepy, sick and disturbing; absolute compelling reading. If this premise has come up before, it was new to me and I loved it. The zombies are not the monsters of this story. The squick factor is off the charts.
"Kids and Their Toys" by James A. Moore:
Think The Body meets The Girl Next Door. There is a reason why children shouldn't play with dead things. I haven't been this creeped out since reading "Children of the Corn".
"Twittering from the Circus of the Dead" by Joe Hill:
Mr. Hill hasn't totally blown me away with his novels, but his short stories are EPIC and this one is no exception. If only all Twitter feeds were this engrossing and suspenseful! What starts out as a young girl's whiny bitch-fest in installments of 140 characters or less, morphs into heart-stopping terror.
"Family Business" by Jonathan Maberry
Easily my favorite of the bunch just because Maberry took what were the ingredients of a major story and turned it into a kick-ass novel called Rot & Ruin. Read the novel first though because the short story contains major spoilers.
May 1, 2011
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. (<- *Hah!*)
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. (<- *Hah!*)
June 28, 2010
Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about the undead... this is a - can I say? - fun collection of zombie tales. I liked the way that each of the authors had a different axe to grind about how the zombie-human throwdown might end up - some put humans in the winner's seat and imagined what that might mean for ethics and zombie exploitation, although most saw a darker future for humans and civilization in general.
Personal favourites included a tale told entirely in Tweets by one of my new best authors, Joe Hill ('Twittering from the Circus of the Dead'), which was wonderfully and concisely chilling; Mike Carey's 'Second Wind', which tells the story of a revved-up stockbroker who isn't about to let death get in the way of a good trading session; and Holly Newstein's traditional tale of revenge Voudou-style, 'Delice'.
There's plenty here to entertain zombie fans, and to get those brains working, too... braaaaains...
Personal favourites included a tale told entirely in Tweets by one of my new best authors, Joe Hill ('Twittering from the Circus of the Dead'), which was wonderfully and concisely chilling; Mike Carey's 'Second Wind', which tells the story of a revved-up stockbroker who isn't about to let death get in the way of a good trading session; and Holly Newstein's traditional tale of revenge Voudou-style, 'Delice'.
There's plenty here to entertain zombie fans, and to get those brains working, too... braaaaains...
Read
January 25, 2011The New Dead tries to play around a bit with the very idea of the zombie story, experimenting with both the concept of a zombie (such as in “Copper” by Stephen R. Bissette) and the story form itself (“Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” by Joe Hill, which is told in Twitter form). Sadly, outside of the contributions by the powerhouses of the zombie genre many of the stories fall flat.
Brian Keene, Max Brooks and Jonathan Maberry all deliver strong stories, as does Kelley Armstrong (who successfully brings a magical twist to the typical zombie tale). The good stories are quite good, but the rest are mediocre, though not necessarily the typical expected tales of a zombie apocalypse, making this an inconsistent collection. Avid zombie readers will find tales to enjoy here, but collections aimed at more general audiences will find other anthologies suit their needs better.
Contains: violence, language, gore
Reviewed by: Michele Lee
Brian Keene, Max Brooks and Jonathan Maberry all deliver strong stories, as does Kelley Armstrong (who successfully brings a magical twist to the typical zombie tale). The good stories are quite good, but the rest are mediocre, though not necessarily the typical expected tales of a zombie apocalypse, making this an inconsistent collection. Avid zombie readers will find tales to enjoy here, but collections aimed at more general audiences will find other anthologies suit their needs better.
Contains: violence, language, gore
Reviewed by: Michele Lee
January 4, 2013
Found this book in HMV for £1 so I couldn't really pass it up at that price. I had already read some short stories and books by some of the contributors (Joe R. Lansdale and Max Brooks to name two) so that tempted me further.
There are some excellent stories in this collection. In fact, there wasn't a single story I disliked for one reason or another.
Each author contributing takes the idea of 'zombie' and makes it their own. Some are rather traditional in their descriptions of the walking undead; some put a great twist on the traditional zombie; some are historical taking inspiration from voodoo; and some take the zombie idea and completely make it their own.
I'm not going to discuss each individual story as that would be far too time-consuming. All I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and have discovered lots of new authors whose work I will now be on the lookout for.
There are some excellent stories in this collection. In fact, there wasn't a single story I disliked for one reason or another.
Each author contributing takes the idea of 'zombie' and makes it their own. Some are rather traditional in their descriptions of the walking undead; some put a great twist on the traditional zombie; some are historical taking inspiration from voodoo; and some take the zombie idea and completely make it their own.
I'm not going to discuss each individual story as that would be far too time-consuming. All I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and have discovered lots of new authors whose work I will now be on the lookout for.
April 27, 2010
This is a good, solid anthology. There were a few weaker stories but for the most part I thought Golden made good choices.
I particularly liked Jonathan Maberry's story and I was happy to learn that it's being expanded into a book. Family Business made me think about zombies in a different way and I'm very much looking forward to exploring the world he's created.
Max Brooks has a story that would fit perfectly in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
There really are quite a number of good stories in this anthology. Recommended.
I particularly liked Jonathan Maberry's story and I was happy to learn that it's being expanded into a book. Family Business made me think about zombies in a different way and I'm very much looking forward to exploring the world he's created.
Max Brooks has a story that would fit perfectly in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
There really are quite a number of good stories in this anthology. Recommended.
November 7, 2010
All stories within The New Dead are well done, but there are four that blew me away, for one reason or another--typically because they managed to frighten and/or disturb me. They are:
Lazerus by John Connolly
What Massie Knew by David Liss
Kids and Their Toys by James A. Moore
Twittering From the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill
I'd also like to mention Family Business by Jonathan Maberry. Although this one did not disturb me, I found it very interesting and entertaining.
I was surprised that I liked the Joe Hill story so much, considering how it was written. Hill is so frigging talented, though, that he can make even the telling of an entire story in Twitter Tweets unsettling and frightening.
I recommend this anthology for these stories, if nothing else.
Lazerus by John Connolly
What Massie Knew by David Liss
Kids and Their Toys by James A. Moore
Twittering From the Circus of the Dead by Joe Hill
I'd also like to mention Family Business by Jonathan Maberry. Although this one did not disturb me, I found it very interesting and entertaining.
I was surprised that I liked the Joe Hill story so much, considering how it was written. Hill is so frigging talented, though, that he can make even the telling of an entire story in Twitter Tweets unsettling and frightening.
I recommend this anthology for these stories, if nothing else.
February 8, 2011
I almost didn't pick up this book because of the cover-- your traditional rotting, bloody zombie pic. I don't enjoy horror (or don't think I do), but the stories inside were a fabulous introduction both to the authors and to the zombie genre. John Connolly's "Lazarus" is the perfect kick-off: a re-telling of the Lazarus story from the Bible. For urban fantasy and paranormal romance readers, Kelley Armstrong has a strong contribution in "Life Sentence"-- if you love her "Women of the Other Kind," you'll love this one, too. My personal favorites include Tim Lebbon's "In the Dust," Kelley Armstrong's "Life Sentence," and Jonathan Mayberry's "Family Business."
March 29, 2010
This was a lot better than I expected. I read it for the Joe Hill story, but it was far from my favorite; the fact that his story was written in the form of tweets (from twitter.com) had a lot to do with that. I mean, that was cute, but I didn't enjoy it.
Like most anthologies, there were some dull stories, some perfectly capable stories which didn't mesh with my sensibilities, and some which I liked a good deal. The percentage of good was higher than usual for me, though.
I think I'll read Patient Zero when I get a chance because I liked that guy's story.
Like most anthologies, there were some dull stories, some perfectly capable stories which didn't mesh with my sensibilities, and some which I liked a good deal. The percentage of good was higher than usual for me, though.
I think I'll read Patient Zero when I get a chance because I liked that guy's story.
June 28, 2015
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.
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