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History is Dead
Our team of crack historians has uncovered the truth you never learned in school: the living dead have walked among us since the dawn of time. In this collection of gruesome tales from throughout the ages, the ravenous undead shamble through bloody battlefields, plague-ridden cities, genteel country estates, and dusty frontier towns. They emerge from foggy cemeteries, frozen barrows, loamy bogs, cursed mines, and gore-spattered operating rooms to prey on the living. But these zombies don't just eat people. They help painters and writers save their faltering careers. They unwittingly push humankind on the quest for fire. They topple evil capitalists and their corporate empires. They fight crime. They fall in love. Join us on a journey into our zombie-filled past... Neither history nor the living dead have ever been this exciting
Includes:
This reluctant Prometheus by David Dunwoody
The gingerbread man by Paula R. Stiles
The barrow maid by Christine Morgan
Harimoto by Scott A. Johnson
The moribund room by Carole Lanham
Theatre is dead by Raoul Wainscoting
The anatomy lesson by Jenny Ashford
A touch of the diving by Patrick Rutigliano
A cure for all ills by Linda L. Donahue
Society and sickness by Leila Eadie
Summer of 1816 by James Roy Daley
The hell soldiers by Juleigh Howard-Hobson
Junebug by Rebecca Brock
Starvation army by Joe McKinney
Pegleg and Paddy save the world by Johnathan Maberry
The third option by Derek Gunn
The loaned ranger by John Peel
Awake in the Abyss by Rick Moore
Includes:
This reluctant Prometheus by David Dunwoody
The gingerbread man by Paula R. Stiles
The barrow maid by Christine Morgan
Harimoto by Scott A. Johnson
The moribund room by Carole Lanham
Theatre is dead by Raoul Wainscoting
The anatomy lesson by Jenny Ashford
A touch of the diving by Patrick Rutigliano
A cure for all ills by Linda L. Donahue
Society and sickness by Leila Eadie
Summer of 1816 by James Roy Daley
The hell soldiers by Juleigh Howard-Hobson
Junebug by Rebecca Brock
Starvation army by Joe McKinney
Pegleg and Paddy save the world by Johnathan Maberry
The third option by Derek Gunn
The loaned ranger by John Peel
Awake in the Abyss by Rick Moore
289 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
2423 people want to read
About the author
Kim Paffenroth
63 books139 followersI am a professor of religious studies, and the author of several books on the Bible and theology. I grew up in New York, Virginia, and New Mexico. I attended St. John's College, Annapolis, MD (BA, 1988), Harvard Divinity School (MTS, 1990), and the University of Notre Dame (PhD, 1995). I live in upstate New York with my wife and two wonderful kids. In the horror genre, I have written Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor, 2006) - WINNER, 2006 Bram Stoker Award; Dying to Live: A Novel of Life among the Undead (Permuted Press, 2007); Orpheus and the Pearl(Magus Press, 2008); and Dying to Live: Life Sentence(Permuted Press, 2008).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 5, 2010
I typically avoid trying to review Anthologies, simply because I feel that each story deserves to be taken on its own merits. I have read most of the zombie anthologies out there and have enjoyed all of them...some have some stories that really knock my socks off while others are just interesting and creative.
With the theme of history here, what we are served up is a dark menu of treats tied in with some of the major events in history. The Black Plague, the real genius behind the creation of Frankenstein, the great Chicago fire, etc. All of these events, along with several more personalized stories unrelated to figures of major historical prominence give us a tome of Alternative Histories that is quite intriguing.
It is challenging, to say the least, to be knowledgeable enough of a time period and the details of how people lived to be able to embellish upon the known history effectively with the injection of the living dead. That each of these authors boldly ventured forth to do so here certainly shows both an appreciation for history and a willingness to stand it on its head for the purposes of macabre entertainment.
From the start I have to say I really enjoyed the creative flare I saw with these stories-David Dunwoody's flashback to prehistory, Raoul Wainscoting's creative use of Shakespeare, Johnathan Maberry's creative take on a little fire in Chicago and most of the others had me grinning at the enthusiasm everyone had to come up with some really fun ideas.
I think that a book like this could easily be expanded with future editions, if these authors and others are up to the task of coming up with even more tales from other areas of history. The source material is endless.
With the theme of history here, what we are served up is a dark menu of treats tied in with some of the major events in history. The Black Plague, the real genius behind the creation of Frankenstein, the great Chicago fire, etc. All of these events, along with several more personalized stories unrelated to figures of major historical prominence give us a tome of Alternative Histories that is quite intriguing.
It is challenging, to say the least, to be knowledgeable enough of a time period and the details of how people lived to be able to embellish upon the known history effectively with the injection of the living dead. That each of these authors boldly ventured forth to do so here certainly shows both an appreciation for history and a willingness to stand it on its head for the purposes of macabre entertainment.
From the start I have to say I really enjoyed the creative flare I saw with these stories-David Dunwoody's flashback to prehistory, Raoul Wainscoting's creative use of Shakespeare, Johnathan Maberry's creative take on a little fire in Chicago and most of the others had me grinning at the enthusiasm everyone had to come up with some really fun ideas.
I think that a book like this could easily be expanded with future editions, if these authors and others are up to the task of coming up with even more tales from other areas of history. The source material is endless.
November 23, 2015
As with most collections, some good stories, some not so good, but for the most part this was very much worth reading.
January 30, 2009
An excellent collection of short stories about zombies, set at different periods in history. Some are funny, some disturbing and some just plain fun. I cannot even begin to say how much I liked just about every story in this book. The zombies may have been different in each story, and the tone too, but these were almost all solid, entertaining tales.
That said, there were three that just kinda didn't work for me: (Warning, this part may contain spoilers)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"This Relunctant Prometheus" had several problems -- it was a bit unclear in certain parts, the action developed too quickly and the title character did not seem relunctant at all. And why didn't the zombie mammoth attack the cavemen?
"Society and Sickness" had great promise, written in a certain Victorian style, but was illogical at points. Why would the hero -- a young lady -- decide to take a rifle when her father went to check on the ill man she was courting? There was an explanation, but it was weak. And why would she know to shoot for the brain? Why would she know to prepare defenses for the family home and how, in god's name, did no one notice her digging ditches and dumping oil around the perimeter of the cottage? Seriously, it was all too convenient, which is a shame, because the writing was decent and the story premise had a lot of promise. Oh, and when the hero shoots the first zombie in the story, her father is not in the least worried that she will be arrested or imprisoned, bringing shame to the family, but that she won't get married? WTF?
"Hell Soldiers" suffered from some unclear writing and from switching from a first-person story in the first few paragraphs to a third-person account. Odd. Probably a lack of editing, but it really hurt the story.
But the rest of the collection was excellent.
That said, there were three that just kinda didn't work for me: (Warning, this part may contain spoilers)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"This Relunctant Prometheus" had several problems -- it was a bit unclear in certain parts, the action developed too quickly and the title character did not seem relunctant at all. And why didn't the zombie mammoth attack the cavemen?
"Society and Sickness" had great promise, written in a certain Victorian style, but was illogical at points. Why would the hero -- a young lady -- decide to take a rifle when her father went to check on the ill man she was courting? There was an explanation, but it was weak. And why would she know to shoot for the brain? Why would she know to prepare defenses for the family home and how, in god's name, did no one notice her digging ditches and dumping oil around the perimeter of the cottage? Seriously, it was all too convenient, which is a shame, because the writing was decent and the story premise had a lot of promise. Oh, and when the hero shoots the first zombie in the story, her father is not in the least worried that she will be arrested or imprisoned, bringing shame to the family, but that she won't get married? WTF?
"Hell Soldiers" suffered from some unclear writing and from switching from a first-person story in the first few paragraphs to a third-person account. Odd. Probably a lack of editing, but it really hurt the story.
But the rest of the collection was excellent.
June 13, 2018
This book is engaging,well-edited.
August 30, 2013
Brilliant concept and often fun, but the whole thing got a little dragged down by a lot of really bad, amateurish writing.
April 29, 2009
I didn't enjoy the stories in this anthology much. I gave each story two or three pages to catch my interest, and only a few did.
June 30, 2017
Great alternate history themed zombie anthology that starts with the ice ages and moves forward to the recent past. One thing that kept poking at my brain was how similar that some of these stores were or shared the same DNA as the ones in "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" by Max Brooks, which came along 2 years later.
I know the zombies are an old trope these days but maybe the infection was spreading from Dr. Kim's book to Max's :)
I know the zombies are an old trope these days but maybe the infection was spreading from Dr. Kim's book to Max's :)
July 7, 2022
Like all short story collections this was a little uneven.
Zombie stories are fun though, and it was impressive that these could bring a new flavor to a genre that I have read in extensively.
Definitely worth reading if you enjoy historical (science) fiction.
D
Zombie stories are fun though, and it was impressive that these could bring a new flavor to a genre that I have read in extensively.
Definitely worth reading if you enjoy historical (science) fiction.
D
May 5, 2018
Really good. Every story had it's own unique twist on the zombie. Though some were better than others, Johnathan Mayberrys being my favorite, all were great in their own right.
April 28, 2019
The stories in here range from interesting to unfulfilling. I enjoyed most.
October 26, 2024
I liked most of the stories in this anthology, which is a rarity.
October 13, 2013
History Is UNdead!
Zombies have coexisted with humans since before the birth of h. sapiens – that is, if we’re to believe the team of “crack historians” behind History Is Dead: A Zombie Anthology, edited by Kim Paffenroth (2007). And why not, when believing is such bloody good fun?
While at least half of the twenty stories found in History Is Dead take place in the past 200 years – with America and Europe proving popular settings – the rest stretch as far back as the Pleistocene epoch. (“This Reluctant Prometheus,” in which members of the homo ergaster species become infected with zombie-ism after consuming an infected wooly mammoth, is one of my favorites.) Zombies are credited for bringing humans the gift of fire, rescuing a Viking kingdom from insurrection, inspiring budding horror author Mary Shelly, and administering vigilante justice to Jack the Ripper. They appear on Civil War battlefields and in East End slums. They infiltrate the United States government in their quest for gooooold. (An “Indian” curse gone weird. Don’t ask.) The Great Fire of Chicago? Started by zombies, the first of which was created when Biela’s Comet rained a mysterious green rock onto (and into) Pat “Paddy” O’Leary’s Aunt Sophie. Zombies, it seems, are all around us.
As always, anthologies are difficult to review, since you’re apt to take a shining to some pieces more than others. Overall, History Is Dead is a quick, enjoyable, entertaining read – perfect for a morbid Saturday afternoon at the beach. I polished it off in under a week, which is near-record speed for me. Though they share a common theme, each story in this collection is unique. In some, zombies make a brief, even ancillary cameo – while in others they serve as the story’s protagonists. A bloody, gory, over-the-top collection of shoot-‘em-up zombie tales this is not.
In fact, it could be argued that zombies aren’t even the scariest monsters to be found within the pages of HISTORY IS DEAD. Take, for example, “Junebug” – which comes with a major trigger warning – in which a preacher (at the End Times Church, natch) uses the looming zombie apocalypse as a pretense to sexually enslave one of his young parishioners (June or “Junebug” of the story’s title). After several months of living with him – with her parents’ permission, ostensibly to babysit his children due to his wife’s illness – she becomes pregnant from the repeated rapes. Cast out by the preacher, she finds no solace from her family, as they blame her for “seducing” her rapist. June and her sole defender, brother Ethan, ultimately meet a gory end – and yet, even at their “worst,” the reader has more sympathy for the zombie siblings than for their human victims.
I found a similar pleasure in “Awake in the Abyss,” which finds Jack the Ripper’s “canonical five” victims - Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly - along with a sixth woman, narrator Nelly, awakening from the grave in order to avenge their deaths…as only zombies can. I bet you never thought you’d find yourself rooting so enthusiastically for the zombies, eh?
http://www.easyvegan.info/2012/07/16/...
Zombies have coexisted with humans since before the birth of h. sapiens – that is, if we’re to believe the team of “crack historians” behind History Is Dead: A Zombie Anthology, edited by Kim Paffenroth (2007). And why not, when believing is such bloody good fun?
While at least half of the twenty stories found in History Is Dead take place in the past 200 years – with America and Europe proving popular settings – the rest stretch as far back as the Pleistocene epoch. (“This Reluctant Prometheus,” in which members of the homo ergaster species become infected with zombie-ism after consuming an infected wooly mammoth, is one of my favorites.) Zombies are credited for bringing humans the gift of fire, rescuing a Viking kingdom from insurrection, inspiring budding horror author Mary Shelly, and administering vigilante justice to Jack the Ripper. They appear on Civil War battlefields and in East End slums. They infiltrate the United States government in their quest for gooooold. (An “Indian” curse gone weird. Don’t ask.) The Great Fire of Chicago? Started by zombies, the first of which was created when Biela’s Comet rained a mysterious green rock onto (and into) Pat “Paddy” O’Leary’s Aunt Sophie. Zombies, it seems, are all around us.
As always, anthologies are difficult to review, since you’re apt to take a shining to some pieces more than others. Overall, History Is Dead is a quick, enjoyable, entertaining read – perfect for a morbid Saturday afternoon at the beach. I polished it off in under a week, which is near-record speed for me. Though they share a common theme, each story in this collection is unique. In some, zombies make a brief, even ancillary cameo – while in others they serve as the story’s protagonists. A bloody, gory, over-the-top collection of shoot-‘em-up zombie tales this is not.
In fact, it could be argued that zombies aren’t even the scariest monsters to be found within the pages of HISTORY IS DEAD. Take, for example, “Junebug” – which comes with a major trigger warning – in which a preacher (at the End Times Church, natch) uses the looming zombie apocalypse as a pretense to sexually enslave one of his young parishioners (June or “Junebug” of the story’s title). After several months of living with him – with her parents’ permission, ostensibly to babysit his children due to his wife’s illness – she becomes pregnant from the repeated rapes. Cast out by the preacher, she finds no solace from her family, as they blame her for “seducing” her rapist. June and her sole defender, brother Ethan, ultimately meet a gory end – and yet, even at their “worst,” the reader has more sympathy for the zombie siblings than for their human victims.
I found a similar pleasure in “Awake in the Abyss,” which finds Jack the Ripper’s “canonical five” victims - Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly - along with a sixth woman, narrator Nelly, awakening from the grave in order to avenge their deaths…as only zombies can. I bet you never thought you’d find yourself rooting so enthusiastically for the zombies, eh?
http://www.easyvegan.info/2012/07/16/...
October 22, 2009
History Is Dead is a collection of stories about zombies throughout history. Similar to the Recorded Attacks section in The Zombie Survival Guide (or I supposed the subsequent The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - which I haven't read), but not told in the same fact-like technical manner. The stories are unconnected, and the 'rules' story-to-story are unspecific.
If you want to be specific, (and I do) you wouldn't classify all the creatures in these stories as zombies. I'm not strictly speaking from a "is it a Romero zombie, or a Russo zombie" point of view. But rather, a more specific term for a lot of the creatures in this book would be undead.
Regardless, I found the majority of the stories in this collection entertaining. Notably, History wouldn't be one I'd recommend to gore fans. Though it has it's moments, a fair few of the stories feature the undead as secondary characters, or a merely a consequence. I can see how this might not sit well with some people. But it's alright with me.
If you want to be specific, (and I do) you wouldn't classify all the creatures in these stories as zombies. I'm not strictly speaking from a "is it a Romero zombie, or a Russo zombie" point of view. But rather, a more specific term for a lot of the creatures in this book would be undead.
Regardless, I found the majority of the stories in this collection entertaining. Notably, History wouldn't be one I'd recommend to gore fans. Though it has it's moments, a fair few of the stories feature the undead as secondary characters, or a merely a consequence. I can see how this might not sit well with some people. But it's alright with me.
October 30, 2009
I was allowing for some exceptions to the rules, like ingestion of zombified Mammoth flesh being the impetus for an onslaught of the undead, the use of vocalizations other than moaning, the use of tools, and even coherent thought processes (all from the very first story...), but when the second short story didn't even contain a zombie so much as it did an immortal being seemingly inspired by Neil Gaiman, I gave up all hope for a decent collection of "zombie" stories.
The dead cannot think. The dead cannot use tools, because they cannot think. They cannot speak for the same reason. And this is a strictly human condition - animals cannot become members of the undead community. That's what makes the whole genre frightening. Only humans are susceptible to undeath, and no human is safe from the undead.
Read at your own risk...
The dead cannot think. The dead cannot use tools, because they cannot think. They cannot speak for the same reason. And this is a strictly human condition - animals cannot become members of the undead community. That's what makes the whole genre frightening. Only humans are susceptible to undeath, and no human is safe from the undead.
Read at your own risk...
October 31, 2015
History is Dead stumbles along, getting by on its awesome concept (Civil War zombies? sign me up! Black Plague as zombie contagion? YES!) but largely failing to deliver any kind of real bite. Most of the stories are middling at best, a few so weak as to be laughable, and all are poorly edited. Some of the authors attempt to distact the reader with shiny historical cameos, to varying degrees of success. (The Rembrandt story actually almost works, from sheer cheek. On the other hand, the Shakespeare rip-off...well, there is a great Shakespearean zombie story to be written. This simply isn't it.) Johnathan Maberry (he of Patient Zero) and Rebecca Brock offer real corkers, but the rest just make you long for the day Max Brooks graces us with a more in-depth historical treatment than that graphic novel of his.
June 30, 2016
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others.. I do enjoy fresh perspectives on zombies and zombie origin stories, though, so I can't be too harsh. Society and Sickness was almost a direct condensed ripoff of Pride Prejudice and Zombies. I really enjoyed the Summer of 1816 story, as a zombie origin for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein novel inspiration. Junebug made me think of zombies meet The Crucible, a story about a long-ago simple farm country, attacked and slowly masticated (ha!) by the horde. All in all, I really liked it more than World War Z, which was far too clinical and brief in its descriptions.
August 13, 2009
As with most anthologies like this, some stories work better than others, but overall a worthwhile read. Noteworthy stories include Scott Johnson's "Harimoto," Carole Lanham's "Moribund Room," Johnathan Mayberry's amusing "Pegleg and Paddy Save the World, and Patrick Rutigliano's "A Touch of the Divine." Less effective were those stories that involved "stunt casting," placing historical or established fictional characters in the mix, including Raoul Wainscoting's "Theatre is Dead," James Roy Dale's "Summer of 1816," and John Peel's "The Loaned Ranger."
September 15, 2009
Briefly: I want to give this 2.5 stars; some of the stories were surprizingly entertaining & good reads, but I kept wondering, over and over "how many more pages of this one?" ... I only ended up giving up on & skipping one story; the rest I was able to slog through. A couple of standout stories (Maberry's leaps to mind) really just give this collection the feeling of all those albums only purchased because of one or two great songs; for the first time I'm sincerely looking forward to the iTunes equivalent for fiction.
December 10, 2009
This is a much shorter collection than "The Living Dead," and the stories are much more straightforward zombie tales- for the most part, all solidly within the Romero tradition. The historical angle is great: we read of Neanderthal zombies (or maybe Cro-Magnon), Viking zombies, Civil War zombies.... Jonathan Maberry's comic tale of the zombie origins of the Great Chicago Fire is the standout in this collection. An entertaining set of stories, but nothing in here is nearly as good as several of the selections in "The Living Dead."
October 21, 2011
Lived up to my expectations, February 20, 2010
By Curtis Hoffmeister (Wildwood, MO USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The World Is Dead (Paperback)
After History Is Dead, I expected great things from the next Kim Paffenroth-edited zombie anthology. The World Is Dead lived up to those high expectations beautifully. My favorite story was "The Blue Word" by Carole Lanham, a thought-provoking tale that rent my heart. If you like mindless fiction that shambles along with deadened purpose, rehashing the same old themes, skip this book. Otherwise, give it a try!
By Curtis Hoffmeister (Wildwood, MO USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The World Is Dead (Paperback)
After History Is Dead, I expected great things from the next Kim Paffenroth-edited zombie anthology. The World Is Dead lived up to those high expectations beautifully. My favorite story was "The Blue Word" by Carole Lanham, a thought-provoking tale that rent my heart. If you like mindless fiction that shambles along with deadened purpose, rehashing the same old themes, skip this book. Otherwise, give it a try!
February 26, 2008
I love LOVE LOVE this book! Every story was good! It is edited by Kim Paffenroth, who is a Professor of Religious Studies at Iona in New York. He is really a talented writer and has done an awesome job editing this anthology. The cover is so scary I had to keep it face down at night after reading it! If you like the zombie genre (or love it like I do) then I definitely recommend this or any book published by Permuted Press my link text
January 5, 2013
I wanted this book for Valentine's Day, (I know, odd request) and I had so much fun reading this!
I am NOT a zombie reader, but the cover was soooo intriguing, and a skim through at the store made me want to purchase.
I read the book quick, wasn't difficult, and if you're on the cusp of reading a zombie thing, this is a great crossover piece.
I haven't read any zombie since then, but this was a nice break from my typical reads.
I am NOT a zombie reader, but the cover was soooo intriguing, and a skim through at the store made me want to purchase.
I read the book quick, wasn't difficult, and if you're on the cusp of reading a zombie thing, this is a great crossover piece.
I haven't read any zombie since then, but this was a nice break from my typical reads.
March 15, 2008
Thoroughly enjoyable -- I savored these stories for the better part of a month, not wanting to give in to my impulses and plow through the book in a week. These historical fiction, zomb-lit stories are sometimes intense, humorous (the Shakespeare story is hilarious), and thought-provoking. I hope to see a volume two in the future!
February 21, 2008
No one is getting my copy of this book. It has heartbreak and humor and horror and history. I adore it. I never considered myself a zombie fan until I read History is Dead and now I'm hooked. I highly recommend History is Dead to all horror fans, whether they are zombie lovers or not. I do hope that there is a sequel, which I will snap up with equal eagerness.
June 2, 2009
Good, interesting, better than I expected. HOWEVER, I noticed two misspellings in "The Barrow Maid" and they are making me crazy. And they're the kind of mistakes that make me want to kill things, like she played with a "lose" thread, and later "barred" her teeth. Seriously?
OTHER THAN THAT, the stories are pretty entertaining and novel.
OTHER THAN THAT, the stories are pretty entertaining and novel.
January 17, 2008
Like all anthologies there were some really great stories and some not so great ones. Overall very enjoyable. I was disappointed that there were none set in Roanoke, or WWII. Oh well, still worth checking out.
August 2, 2009
i loved this book. it satisfied my love for history and of course, zombies!! so in my eyes this book was perfection. it had a sense of realism that made me a little uneasy to think that zombies could be among us right now.
October 3, 2009
This was a great collection of short zombie stories set between cavemen times (that caveman story was awesome) all the way to the 1800's. Some of the stories were poorly written, but some were brilliant. If you love zombies, you should be reading this book.
February 5, 2010
good collection!
so many takes on the Zombie story, so many eras to set the chaos or worry in.
it is very well put together that you can read one after the other- unlike other compilations. they all have a significantly different voice and setting. it is good quick reading.
so many takes on the Zombie story, so many eras to set the chaos or worry in.
it is very well put together that you can read one after the other- unlike other compilations. they all have a significantly different voice and setting. it is good quick reading.
November 9, 2010
Some of the stories were good. I liked the first one involving cave-men and LOVED the story about zombie's causing the Chicago fire. The concept as a whole was great, but I had a hard time getting through a few of the chapters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews