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Zombies Vs Robots: Diplomacy
Zombies vs Robots Goes International! It's the Cold War in Hell as undead flesh clashes with uncaring metal. The zombie apocalypse is a true global conflagration, and ZvR: Diplomacy is at the frontlines with a collection of original stories either set in Russia or the UK. On all front, s rabid braineaters battle gleeful warbots, with a beleaguered (and dwindling) mankind caught in the middle. Featuring original stories by today's leading perpetrators of zombie terror and robot rampage, namely Steven Lockley, Rio Youers, Robert Hood, Gary McMahon, Ekaterina Sedia, Simon Clark, Dale Bailey, and Simon Kurt Unsworth, ZvR: Diplomacy is a unique new chapter in the ongoing Zombie vs Robots prose program, and is fully illustrated by horror-master Michael Dubisch
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
23 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Conner
20 books3 followersJeff Conner is a contributing editor for IDW Publishing and a World Fantasy Award Nominee.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
This book, ZVR (which stands for Zombies VS. Robots): Diplomacy is a collection of zombie/robot stories based on a comic book/graphic novel series under the ZVR title.
I'll be honest ... when I requested this, seeing the publisher/distributor of IDW, I thought that this would be a graphic novel rather than a collection of short stories with one art page per story. The art by Mike Dubisch is quite nice and along with the layout of the book (text pages that have a graduating color to the page) gives the book a graphic novel feel.
I'm not quite sure I understand the title. "ZVR" is clear enough (Zombies Versus Robots). But 'Diplomacy'? I can conceive of a 'diplomacy' with an A/I series of robots, but zombies? By their very definition they are a mindless horde with only one goal - to feed. How can there be diplomacy there? And diplomacy for what? I'm not sure I get it, and I don't think most of the authors did either because the stories aren't about a negotiation/diplomacy/treatise but simply stories in which zombies and/or robots play a role.
The problem inherent with zombie fiction is that it isn't about zombies as much as it is about non-zombies surviving in a world of zombies.
The stories are set around the world (hence 'diplomacy'?) but as far as I could tell the location didn't really make much difference to the stories other than as a different or interesting backdrop.
My favorite story in this collection was easily "Exclusion Zone" by Dale Bailey, in which a father looks to protect his family from the zombie horde and finds the best way to do so is to put human brains inside of robots. It was the best, most creative combination of both zombies and robots in the book.
Most of the rest of the book is pretty average fare. Nothing else really 'wow'ed me or kept my attention as thoroughly as "Exclusion Zone" though at the same time, nothing was a complete bomb. Apparently this is a series (maybe graphic novel as well) but not one in which I am very familiar, so if there's a connection to a larger world or story, I don't know it. For me this was just a means to pass some reading time. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from it either.
This book contains the following:
Introduction - Jeff Conner
"The Last Defense of Moscow" - Steve Lockley
"For King and Country" - Rio Youers
"Soul Killer" - Robert Hood
"The Harrowing" - Gary McMahon
"Timka" - Ekaterina Sedia
"Beheaded by Whip-Wielding Nun" - Simon Clark
"Exclusion Zone" - Dale Bailey
"Spinbot" - Simon Kurt Unsworth
Los Autores
Looking for a good book? ZVR Diplomacy is a collection of Zombie/Robot apocalypse stories around the world, collected and edited by Jeff Conner. It is very average reading but fans of the milieu will likely enjoy it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This book, ZVR (which stands for Zombies VS. Robots): Diplomacy is a collection of zombie/robot stories based on a comic book/graphic novel series under the ZVR title.
I'll be honest ... when I requested this, seeing the publisher/distributor of IDW, I thought that this would be a graphic novel rather than a collection of short stories with one art page per story. The art by Mike Dubisch is quite nice and along with the layout of the book (text pages that have a graduating color to the page) gives the book a graphic novel feel.
I'm not quite sure I understand the title. "ZVR" is clear enough (Zombies Versus Robots). But 'Diplomacy'? I can conceive of a 'diplomacy' with an A/I series of robots, but zombies? By their very definition they are a mindless horde with only one goal - to feed. How can there be diplomacy there? And diplomacy for what? I'm not sure I get it, and I don't think most of the authors did either because the stories aren't about a negotiation/diplomacy/treatise but simply stories in which zombies and/or robots play a role.
The problem inherent with zombie fiction is that it isn't about zombies as much as it is about non-zombies surviving in a world of zombies.
The stories are set around the world (hence 'diplomacy'?) but as far as I could tell the location didn't really make much difference to the stories other than as a different or interesting backdrop.
My favorite story in this collection was easily "Exclusion Zone" by Dale Bailey, in which a father looks to protect his family from the zombie horde and finds the best way to do so is to put human brains inside of robots. It was the best, most creative combination of both zombies and robots in the book.
Most of the rest of the book is pretty average fare. Nothing else really 'wow'ed me or kept my attention as thoroughly as "Exclusion Zone" though at the same time, nothing was a complete bomb. Apparently this is a series (maybe graphic novel as well) but not one in which I am very familiar, so if there's a connection to a larger world or story, I don't know it. For me this was just a means to pass some reading time. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from it either.
This book contains the following:
Introduction - Jeff Conner
"The Last Defense of Moscow" - Steve Lockley
"For King and Country" - Rio Youers
"Soul Killer" - Robert Hood
"The Harrowing" - Gary McMahon
"Timka" - Ekaterina Sedia
"Beheaded by Whip-Wielding Nun" - Simon Clark
"Exclusion Zone" - Dale Bailey
"Spinbot" - Simon Kurt Unsworth
Los Autores
Looking for a good book? ZVR Diplomacy is a collection of Zombie/Robot apocalypse stories around the world, collected and edited by Jeff Conner. It is very average reading but fans of the milieu will likely enjoy it.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2013
The Zombie versus Robot wars continue and expand. No longer confined to local skirmishes, the war between the Zombies and the Robots has become an international battle. The undead meet the never living in an apocalypse sure to delight Zombie and Robot fanciers alike.
ZVR Diplomacy takes you to heart of the ongoing war that seems foreordained to be a no-win. For Zombie versus Robot aficionados, there’s something for everyone in this new collection of original short stories, all set in the United States or Russia. These are sure to satisfy your every itch for gore and glory.
Writers from around the globe sent their offering to IDW’s Lab of Loathsome Literature for inclusion in this volume: the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK and even Russia (proving you can’t predict where you’ll find ex-pat American sci fi writers). This is an intriguing, uniquely focused bunch of stories, not merely about battles, but about — of all things — diplomacy.
Diplomacy? Can you negotiate with Zombies? How? For that matter, Zombies and Robots are not natural pals; they have nothing about which to negotiate. Zombies want brains and more brains. Robots, creatures of metal, wire and circuitry have nothing Zombies want — except that the bots get out of the way so the Zombies can get to the biological brain creatures. Negotiate?
Well, not exactly. Okay, not really. Great title, but there isn’t any negotiating going on that I could detect, at least not as I understand it. More like fighting Zombies and trying to find their weaknesses so we can kill them faster and more efficiently. Is that diplomacy? I’d call it tactics. Perhaps the title strains credulity just a bit. Do not expect round tables and formal treaties. This is much closer to calculated slaughter. When dealing with Zombies, that’s likely to be as good as it gets.
Desperate battles are set in dystopic future Earths where The Bombs have taken a massive civilian toll. Or on a similarly dsytopic Earth where the bombs haven’t yet fallen, but might fall soon.
Human failures in leadership allow the Zombie threat to become too powerful to easily stop. If it weren’t for the Warbots, the Zombies would have knocked off human life before we knew who the enemy was, leaving the eternal question: what would the Zombies do after they’ve wiped out people? Eat animals? Each other? You gotta wonder.
There are lots of great images. My particular favorite is the British King smoking what he believes will be his final cigarette on the balcony of Buckingham palace … waiting for atombots to come and blow everything to hell and gone. Zombies, people, everything. He’s wondering if that will be a victory. Is total annihilation victory? Always a good question. Don’t expect an answer. In fact, don’t expect any answers. This isn’t that kind of book.
Stories by Steven Lockley, Rio Youers, Robert Hood, Gary McMahon, Ekaterina Sedia, Simon Clark, Dale Bailey, and Simon Kurt Unsworth — all top writers in the zombie horror and robot mayhem genre are included in this compilation of ongoing ZVR wars.
The illustrations by Michael Dubisch are great. If I hadn’t read a word of any of the stories, I would have been happy just looking at the pictures. If you are a fancier of graphic arts, these are superb. The book is worth it just for the illustrations. Kudos to the artist. Very well done Mr. Dubisch!
Thirty-one stories, some of which are quite long. You can get involved and stay awhile. And there’s plenty of variety of style, so if one story isn’t quite your cuppa tea, the next one probably is. Each story is conceptually unique and stylistically different.
For fans of the Zombie-Robot wars, ZVR Diplomacy is a must-have. There’s plenty to read, great illustrations, more than enough action, battles, bots, zombies, mass destruction, guts, gore and triumph to satisfy anyone who likes this genre.
I’m not a big Zombie fancier, yet even I was well-entertained. Much to my surprise. If this is your thing, you won’t want to miss it. It’s out today on Kindle and will be out next month in paperback.
ZVR Diplomacy takes you to heart of the ongoing war that seems foreordained to be a no-win. For Zombie versus Robot aficionados, there’s something for everyone in this new collection of original short stories, all set in the United States or Russia. These are sure to satisfy your every itch for gore and glory.
Writers from around the globe sent their offering to IDW’s Lab of Loathsome Literature for inclusion in this volume: the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK and even Russia (proving you can’t predict where you’ll find ex-pat American sci fi writers). This is an intriguing, uniquely focused bunch of stories, not merely about battles, but about — of all things — diplomacy.
Diplomacy? Can you negotiate with Zombies? How? For that matter, Zombies and Robots are not natural pals; they have nothing about which to negotiate. Zombies want brains and more brains. Robots, creatures of metal, wire and circuitry have nothing Zombies want — except that the bots get out of the way so the Zombies can get to the biological brain creatures. Negotiate?
Well, not exactly. Okay, not really. Great title, but there isn’t any negotiating going on that I could detect, at least not as I understand it. More like fighting Zombies and trying to find their weaknesses so we can kill them faster and more efficiently. Is that diplomacy? I’d call it tactics. Perhaps the title strains credulity just a bit. Do not expect round tables and formal treaties. This is much closer to calculated slaughter. When dealing with Zombies, that’s likely to be as good as it gets.
Desperate battles are set in dystopic future Earths where The Bombs have taken a massive civilian toll. Or on a similarly dsytopic Earth where the bombs haven’t yet fallen, but might fall soon.
Human failures in leadership allow the Zombie threat to become too powerful to easily stop. If it weren’t for the Warbots, the Zombies would have knocked off human life before we knew who the enemy was, leaving the eternal question: what would the Zombies do after they’ve wiped out people? Eat animals? Each other? You gotta wonder.
There are lots of great images. My particular favorite is the British King smoking what he believes will be his final cigarette on the balcony of Buckingham palace … waiting for atombots to come and blow everything to hell and gone. Zombies, people, everything. He’s wondering if that will be a victory. Is total annihilation victory? Always a good question. Don’t expect an answer. In fact, don’t expect any answers. This isn’t that kind of book.
Stories by Steven Lockley, Rio Youers, Robert Hood, Gary McMahon, Ekaterina Sedia, Simon Clark, Dale Bailey, and Simon Kurt Unsworth — all top writers in the zombie horror and robot mayhem genre are included in this compilation of ongoing ZVR wars.
The illustrations by Michael Dubisch are great. If I hadn’t read a word of any of the stories, I would have been happy just looking at the pictures. If you are a fancier of graphic arts, these are superb. The book is worth it just for the illustrations. Kudos to the artist. Very well done Mr. Dubisch!
Thirty-one stories, some of which are quite long. You can get involved and stay awhile. And there’s plenty of variety of style, so if one story isn’t quite your cuppa tea, the next one probably is. Each story is conceptually unique and stylistically different.
For fans of the Zombie-Robot wars, ZVR Diplomacy is a must-have. There’s plenty to read, great illustrations, more than enough action, battles, bots, zombies, mass destruction, guts, gore and triumph to satisfy anyone who likes this genre.
I’m not a big Zombie fancier, yet even I was well-entertained. Much to my surprise. If this is your thing, you won’t want to miss it. It’s out today on Kindle and will be out next month in paperback.
June 17, 2013
ZvR: Diplomacy, the tile, is an interesting play on words. As is each story of this prose anthology. This collection of shorts set in IDW's comic world of Zombies vs Robots features an eclectic group of writers from around the world. With story settings and ideas from the UK to Russia, from the Dark Ages to the present. Quite a "diplomatic" spread.
If you like or prefer happy endings, where the good guys win, everyone is saved, character motives are transparent and camp...this anthology is not for you. The Earth of ZvR is truly a hellish dung heap. Not just because zombies roam the planet and humans require robots to kill the hordes, but what humanity, it's governments, it's soldiers and its scientists have de-evolved into. Ends justify the means is the moral code of the day.
These stories are dark and gritty, where happy endings no longer apply. From peasant farmers rising up against a broken down and misguided military, to a quirky patriotic homage to WWII and Starship Troopers, a whip-cracking dark age nun, insane scientists with NO moral boundaries, nationalist politics and basically humanity having lost their humanity.
Zombies know nothing of diplomacy. There is no appeasing them. Nor the robots. Nor even the robot's human masters. Some say science fiction and horror are a reflection of society. After reading this anthology gem of darkness, you might actually begin to question your faith in humanity. That silent fear in the back of your mind telling you how bad the collapse of society would be. What WOULD we do? How WOULD we react? This anthology might point the way, and diplomacy has little to do with it.
If you like or prefer happy endings, where the good guys win, everyone is saved, character motives are transparent and camp...this anthology is not for you. The Earth of ZvR is truly a hellish dung heap. Not just because zombies roam the planet and humans require robots to kill the hordes, but what humanity, it's governments, it's soldiers and its scientists have de-evolved into. Ends justify the means is the moral code of the day.
These stories are dark and gritty, where happy endings no longer apply. From peasant farmers rising up against a broken down and misguided military, to a quirky patriotic homage to WWII and Starship Troopers, a whip-cracking dark age nun, insane scientists with NO moral boundaries, nationalist politics and basically humanity having lost their humanity.
Zombies know nothing of diplomacy. There is no appeasing them. Nor the robots. Nor even the robot's human masters. Some say science fiction and horror are a reflection of society. After reading this anthology gem of darkness, you might actually begin to question your faith in humanity. That silent fear in the back of your mind telling you how bad the collapse of society would be. What WOULD we do? How WOULD we react? This anthology might point the way, and diplomacy has little to do with it.
July 27, 2013
ZVR is short for Zombies vs. Robots. ZVR: Diplomacy is a prose offshoot of the ZVR comic books. It takes the same basic high concept... robots are fighting zombies and explores how this zombie plague is affecting other countries, namely Russia and Britain.
Diplomacy makes for a cool name, but let's be clear there's not a lot of negotiations going on here. Pretty much as far as the Robots or the Zombies are concern it's just a great big fight. However, humans are caught in the middle and that's the element that brings variety to this anthology series.
In fact the single most impressive thing about this is probably the variety of situations types of stories that are told here. The stories hit different notes, come up with different ideas for robots and in some ways the only constant is that inevitable hoard of zombies.
Now I haven't read the original stories this anthology is based on, and it's clear that elements from that setup are being referenced here. But it's also clear that you don't need previous exposure for these stories to work.
The common element throughout is the feeling that no matter what the outcome of any individual story is, humanity is probably doomed. That the zombie tide is so overwhelming that really they can't be stopped either by robots or humans.
But along the way we get moments of heroism and cowardice, love and treachery.
Yes zombies have really been done to excess of late, but despite that it seems there are still are some new stories to tell.
Diplomacy makes for a cool name, but let's be clear there's not a lot of negotiations going on here. Pretty much as far as the Robots or the Zombies are concern it's just a great big fight. However, humans are caught in the middle and that's the element that brings variety to this anthology series.
In fact the single most impressive thing about this is probably the variety of situations types of stories that are told here. The stories hit different notes, come up with different ideas for robots and in some ways the only constant is that inevitable hoard of zombies.
Now I haven't read the original stories this anthology is based on, and it's clear that elements from that setup are being referenced here. But it's also clear that you don't need previous exposure for these stories to work.
The common element throughout is the feeling that no matter what the outcome of any individual story is, humanity is probably doomed. That the zombie tide is so overwhelming that really they can't be stopped either by robots or humans.
But along the way we get moments of heroism and cowardice, love and treachery.
Yes zombies have really been done to excess of late, but despite that it seems there are still are some new stories to tell.
August 7, 2013
IDW had the brilliant idea of having zombies face off against robots, and this story collection is one of the results. In a distant future, or past, zombies fight against robots and humans are caught in the middle. The stories mainly take place in Russia or England, but that was a happy accident. There are whip wielding nuns, and mad scientists and soldiers fighting side by side with singing robots. There is horror and betrayal by humand and robots, and there are unending hordes of zombies.
Michael Dubisch provides art in between each story illustrating what you are about to read. The illustrations range from faux wartime posters to girls on tankbots and all fit the mood perfectly.
My favorite stories include Timka by Ekaterina Sedia (who is fast becoming a favorite author of mine), and Exclusion Zone by Dale Bailey, about a father just trying to protect his family the best way he knows how. In Chernobyl. By putting human brains in robots.
But every story is good. Most are over the top, which you would expect from the title, but all are great fun. It would appear that the zombie genre is not quite ready to be put away and there are fresh surprises waiting.
Michael Dubisch provides art in between each story illustrating what you are about to read. The illustrations range from faux wartime posters to girls on tankbots and all fit the mood perfectly.
My favorite stories include Timka by Ekaterina Sedia (who is fast becoming a favorite author of mine), and Exclusion Zone by Dale Bailey, about a father just trying to protect his family the best way he knows how. In Chernobyl. By putting human brains in robots.
But every story is good. Most are over the top, which you would expect from the title, but all are great fun. It would appear that the zombie genre is not quite ready to be put away and there are fresh surprises waiting.
August 5, 2013
I am about half way through the stories and the book is so much better than I thought it would be. Though the backdrop is Robots vs. Zombies, which sounds really lame, the tales are about people and the horror they face. I would rate this a 9 out of 10 for genre escape reading. Pick it up if you really hate the Zombie thing, because it is good. If you love the Zombies, good heavens, rush out and buy it or pick it up at Amazon.
I am still reading but it is very good.
A pretty good book all and all.
I am still reading but it is very good.
A pretty good book all and all.
April 16, 2016
Nice mix of short stories set in the "Zombies Vs Robots" comic book series. Some are dark. Some are silly. I wish there were more locations than Britain and Russia.
The series is interesting in that the zombie apocalypse is far more slow moving. Countries have time to prepare for zombie hordes at their borders instead of a global pandemic happening all at once. I also like the idea of robots being the ultimate zombie weapon, although they do have their shortcomings (run out of ammunition, going rogue, being overwhelmed by the sheer size of zombie hordes).
The series is interesting in that the zombie apocalypse is far more slow moving. Countries have time to prepare for zombie hordes at their borders instead of a global pandemic happening all at once. I also like the idea of robots being the ultimate zombie weapon, although they do have their shortcomings (run out of ammunition, going rogue, being overwhelmed by the sheer size of zombie hordes).
June 20, 2013
The Zombie Vs Robots series have always brought us some really interesting stories and some rather inventive takes on zombies, robots and even military action stories.
But does this collection stand up to the quality of the others?
Read my review to find out.
http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...
But does this collection stand up to the quality of the others?
Read my review to find out.
http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs...
April 25, 2014
Same as previous books but this time its based on different location around the world, mostly UK and Russian hence "Diplomacy". Its still very interesting read. Will be reading up the other books in the series eventually.
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