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First Time Dead 2
The legions of the undead continue to grow.
First Time Dead proudly presents a host of brand new names to the genre pantheon. Each writer contained herein might be the next “it” writer on the rise…the one to watch for. You never know where the next Romero, Kirkman, Brooks, Keene, or Wellington may emerge to scare and entertain the masses.
First Time Dead proudly presents a host of brand new names to the genre pantheon. Each writer contained herein might be the next “it” writer on the rise…the one to watch for. You never know where the next Romero, Kirkman, Brooks, Keene, or Wellington may emerge to scare and entertain the masses.
- GenresZombiesAnthologies
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 10, 2011
Have you ever found an author that you like? Somebody who has been publishing for awhile, somebody who has a back list but who is entirely new to you? You absolutely love this author and wish you had discovered them earlier because now you have so much to catch up on. Wouldn't it have been great if you had been able to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. Well, here's your chance. First Time Dead is a two volume zombie anthology published by May December Publications and edited by TW Brown. All of the stories contained between the covers have been written by first-time authors. Now before you go rolling your eyes, let me say this. . . I was impressed. And for me to say that about a collection of short stories. . . Well, if you've read my past reviews, you know how much I dread them because they are usually inconsistent.
I mentioned that First Time Dead is a two-volume anthology; however, please note that I am only going to be covering Volume 2 in this review, which gets off to a kick-ass start with "In This House I Dwell" by Ron Harris. The zombie apocalypse is already underway when the story opens, and Harris' tale of survival of a man and his wife veers from the norm because some of the zombies are evolving, regaining the ability to speak, think, and reason. But is there something darker at work here?
DA Chaney explores the possible origins of the outbreak with "Zombie Bites: The Old Dead", combining the decaying zombies we all know and love with a hint of the more traditional zombies of The Islands.
With "Ooky" Matthew R. Davis paints a classic portrait of adolescent one-upmanship as a young couple pass regaling each other with past sexual exploits. While the zombie action is low in this one, the story itself proves to be one you won't quickly forget.
Joe Blevins' "Once More Without Feelings" does not deal with the zombie apocalypse, which we have come to expect with zombie anthologies, but delves more into Voodoo idealogy. Blevins proves that when you got it, you got it, even when you're dead.
Donny Chavez shows us what a "day in the life" of a handful of survivors must be like in "Snow Days". Of all the stories, this is one that I feel could very easily be expanded upon. It has the same feel to it as The Walking Dead.
Alexandro Rios offers up a more analytical view of the outbreak in "Zombies in Puerto Rico: Island of the Dead," in which an ex-reporter witness and blogs about the breakout as it occurs.
"The Last Legacy" by Amanda Larson focuses on a mother and her two children who decide to stay in their remote island home, literally cut off from the outside world, and how the community pulls together to survive the outbreak.
Eric Pollarine's "The Mission" takes us underground, as the survivors of the zombie apocalypse take to the sewers and underground tunnels. This is one of the most desolate stories in this volume, as it shows the hopelessness of the "new world", that not matter what you do to survive, eventually you will be joining the ranks of the walking dead.
Jason Thacker takes a more comic approach to the zombie tale with "The Hungriest Zombie" as he tells his tale from the zombie's point of view. This is the first zombie story I've come across where, between the chuckles, I actually felt sorry for the zombie.
"Rude Awakening" by David Maynard is a heartbreaking tale of a father losing his family one by one to the outbreak. The ending of this tale is chilling and memorable.
In "Zombie by Night" Aaron Phillips takes a unique experimental approach to the zombie theme that has a vampiric feel to it as he tells of a man's search for his brother's murderer.
Gregory A. Carter is the only author to have the zombie affliction spread to the animal population in "What the Cat Dragged In". It's a story of love, loss, despair, and hopelessness as a young couple prepares to flee the city for what they hope will be a safer area.
While not all the stories in First Time Dead Volume 2 will be for everybody (and that can be said about every anthology), there's no denying the talent that exists between the covers of this collection. The stories are well crafted and well written, and if you are a fan of zombie fiction, I would highly recommend checking it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
I mentioned that First Time Dead is a two-volume anthology; however, please note that I am only going to be covering Volume 2 in this review, which gets off to a kick-ass start with "In This House I Dwell" by Ron Harris. The zombie apocalypse is already underway when the story opens, and Harris' tale of survival of a man and his wife veers from the norm because some of the zombies are evolving, regaining the ability to speak, think, and reason. But is there something darker at work here?
DA Chaney explores the possible origins of the outbreak with "Zombie Bites: The Old Dead", combining the decaying zombies we all know and love with a hint of the more traditional zombies of The Islands.
With "Ooky" Matthew R. Davis paints a classic portrait of adolescent one-upmanship as a young couple pass regaling each other with past sexual exploits. While the zombie action is low in this one, the story itself proves to be one you won't quickly forget.
Joe Blevins' "Once More Without Feelings" does not deal with the zombie apocalypse, which we have come to expect with zombie anthologies, but delves more into Voodoo idealogy. Blevins proves that when you got it, you got it, even when you're dead.
Donny Chavez shows us what a "day in the life" of a handful of survivors must be like in "Snow Days". Of all the stories, this is one that I feel could very easily be expanded upon. It has the same feel to it as The Walking Dead.
Alexandro Rios offers up a more analytical view of the outbreak in "Zombies in Puerto Rico: Island of the Dead," in which an ex-reporter witness and blogs about the breakout as it occurs.
"The Last Legacy" by Amanda Larson focuses on a mother and her two children who decide to stay in their remote island home, literally cut off from the outside world, and how the community pulls together to survive the outbreak.
Eric Pollarine's "The Mission" takes us underground, as the survivors of the zombie apocalypse take to the sewers and underground tunnels. This is one of the most desolate stories in this volume, as it shows the hopelessness of the "new world", that not matter what you do to survive, eventually you will be joining the ranks of the walking dead.
Jason Thacker takes a more comic approach to the zombie tale with "The Hungriest Zombie" as he tells his tale from the zombie's point of view. This is the first zombie story I've come across where, between the chuckles, I actually felt sorry for the zombie.
"Rude Awakening" by David Maynard is a heartbreaking tale of a father losing his family one by one to the outbreak. The ending of this tale is chilling and memorable.
In "Zombie by Night" Aaron Phillips takes a unique experimental approach to the zombie theme that has a vampiric feel to it as he tells of a man's search for his brother's murderer.
Gregory A. Carter is the only author to have the zombie affliction spread to the animal population in "What the Cat Dragged In". It's a story of love, loss, despair, and hopelessness as a young couple prepares to flee the city for what they hope will be a safer area.
While not all the stories in First Time Dead Volume 2 will be for everybody (and that can be said about every anthology), there's no denying the talent that exists between the covers of this collection. The stories are well crafted and well written, and if you are a fan of zombie fiction, I would highly recommend checking it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
February 27, 2011
The problem with reviewing an anthology is that if it is well-assembled with a broad selection of styles and a variety of approaches, some of the stories will really grab you while some will only mildly entertain you. I gave the anthology a five star rating because from my perspective, all of the stories were well written and the full spectrum of the zombie horror sub-genre was addressed, but some of the stories did appeal to me more than others. I have no preference between the dumb shamblers and the smart fast zombies , but I do prefer a building of suspense, a focus on the human condition, and if it is appropriate to the particular story, an element of humour (I personally think zombies are hilarious). I know other lovers of the genre want instant action, in your face stories with lots of shock value and gore – not so much my cup of tea. However, this anthology has something for everyone.
Picking favourites is difficult for me, because several of the stories struck a chord with me, but there were a few that got me particularly excited.
Ooky by Matthew R. Davis – I loved this one for several reasons; it piqued my curiosity from the start and offered a quirky, sexy twist to the zombie story. It was funny enough to make me laugh out loud (that doesn’t happen often when I’m reading.)
Once More without Feelings by Joe Blevins – This one really captured that human condition element as well as the flavour of a different era. It also had a touch of humour.
The Hungriest Zombie by Jason Thacker – The way it read like a nature documentary was really clever, and once again, good dark humour.
There were a few others I have to commend for a good demonstration of sentiment and solid writing, including: Last Legacy by Amanda Larson, The Mission by Eric Pellerine, Zombie by Night by Aaron Phillips and Rude Awakening by David Maynard.
If you love zombies, you can’t go wrong by picking up this anthology.
Picking favourites is difficult for me, because several of the stories struck a chord with me, but there were a few that got me particularly excited.
Ooky by Matthew R. Davis – I loved this one for several reasons; it piqued my curiosity from the start and offered a quirky, sexy twist to the zombie story. It was funny enough to make me laugh out loud (that doesn’t happen often when I’m reading.)
Once More without Feelings by Joe Blevins – This one really captured that human condition element as well as the flavour of a different era. It also had a touch of humour.
The Hungriest Zombie by Jason Thacker – The way it read like a nature documentary was really clever, and once again, good dark humour.
There were a few others I have to commend for a good demonstration of sentiment and solid writing, including: Last Legacy by Amanda Larson, The Mission by Eric Pellerine, Zombie by Night by Aaron Phillips and Rude Awakening by David Maynard.
If you love zombies, you can’t go wrong by picking up this anthology.
May 3, 2012
Don't sell this anthology of zomie stories short based on its premise. FIRST TIME DEAD 2 features zombie stories by first time writers (at least within the scope of zombie horror). The result is anything but amateur. Instead you get some very fresh takes on a genre that is quickly becoming over saturated.
The fresh perspectives are imperative. Too much zombie fiction is just the same story reworded over and over again. READ: World War Z wannabees. This is a collection of young blood dying to share their take on zombies.
No two stories are alike. Some are better then others. All tackle the nature of the creature and the world they exist in differently. I felt like perhaps there were a few stories too many in this collection but the variety kept me from losing interest.
All in all a great read for zombie enthusists. The publisher it should be noted is an excellent resource for quality zombie fiction. Read this and the original collection as well as book 3 which has just been released at the time of this review.
Also check out BookedPodcast.com for reviews of books by this publisher as well as many other great reads.
The fresh perspectives are imperative. Too much zombie fiction is just the same story reworded over and over again. READ: World War Z wannabees. This is a collection of young blood dying to share their take on zombies.
No two stories are alike. Some are better then others. All tackle the nature of the creature and the world they exist in differently. I felt like perhaps there were a few stories too many in this collection but the variety kept me from losing interest.
All in all a great read for zombie enthusists. The publisher it should be noted is an excellent resource for quality zombie fiction. Read this and the original collection as well as book 3 which has just been released at the time of this review.
Also check out BookedPodcast.com for reviews of books by this publisher as well as many other great reads.
September 7, 2011
The two volume set of FIRST TIME DEAD pumps new life into a genre that can be a bit tight when you are first trying to get your name out there. The stories are well done and there are some names that will become familiar over the next several months.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews