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Dead World #4.5
Dead World Resurrection
A decade ago, if you'd walked into a bookstore looking for a zombie novel, you would have found only two: Brian Keene's The Rising and Joe McKinney's Dead City. Long recognized as one of the driving voices that launched the world's fascination with the living dead, Joe McKinney's Dead World novels have emerged as seminal works in the Horror genre.
Now, collected for the first time in Dead World Resurrection, are all of Joe McKinney's zombie short stories. Here you'll not only find tales that provide invaluable links between the various Dead World novels, such as "Ethical Solution," "Dating in Dead World," and the award-winning story "Survivors," but also nightmare glimpses into other post-apocalyptic worlds told in the inimitable Joe McKinney fashion. From the bleak political satire of "State of the Union" to the historical vignettes of "Starvation Army" and "Paradise of the Living Dead," this collection features the full range of McKinney's horrific mastery of the living dead.
The zombie has grown up since Joe McKinney first penned Dead City, yet he has continued to stand out among the throng of voices telling tales of the undead. Dead World Resurrection shows why.
Now, collected for the first time in Dead World Resurrection, are all of Joe McKinney's zombie short stories. Here you'll not only find tales that provide invaluable links between the various Dead World novels, such as "Ethical Solution," "Dating in Dead World," and the award-winning story "Survivors," but also nightmare glimpses into other post-apocalyptic worlds told in the inimitable Joe McKinney fashion. From the bleak political satire of "State of the Union" to the historical vignettes of "Starvation Army" and "Paradise of the Living Dead," this collection features the full range of McKinney's horrific mastery of the living dead.
The zombie has grown up since Joe McKinney first penned Dead City, yet he has continued to stand out among the throng of voices telling tales of the undead. Dead World Resurrection shows why.
340 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2014
8 people are currently reading
1172 people want to read
About the author
Joe McKinney
112 books666 followersJoe McKinney has been a patrol officer for the San Antonio Police Department, a homicide detective, a disaster mitigation specialist, a patrol commander, and a successful novelist. His books include the four part Dead World series, Quarantined and Dodging Bullets. His short fiction has been collected in The Red Empire and Other Stories and Dating in Dead World and Other Stories. For more information go to http://joemckinney.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 21, 2019
Great short zombie stories. Dark and rotting like a zombie should be. I enjoyed them and will read more from this author.
August 9, 2015
Review Copy
Dead World Resurrection: The Collected Zombie Short Stories of Joe McKinney is a collection of nineteen stories of varying length from a master of the zombie sub-genre.
A number of the stories tie into Joe's Dead World novels, while others take a look into other post apocalyptic worlds.
In the Introduction, writer, David Moody lists what he believes make a good zombie story. One of the points he makes is one I've mentioned before in my reviews, "Most of all, I think the best zombie stories are not about the zombies at all. They're about the living: the people like you and me, trapped in the middle of an unimaginable nightmare and doing all they can to preserve what remains of their lives and loves from attack by the living dead."
The stories here have appeared in other publications over the years, but this is the first time they have been collected in a single volume. Good news for zombie fans who may have missed these over the years.
I'm not going to comment on every story, just a few standouts for me, beginning with, "Resurrecting Mindy." A charming tale that reminded me of "The Gift of the Magi," with zombies.
"Dating In Dead World" is about exactly what the tile would lead you to believe and I found it to be very enjoyable.
"Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens," was another story that stood out for me. I particularly liked the way it moved between an actual game of Monopoly and traversing the streets of Atlantic City during the zombie apocalypse
There is a comfort level a reader develops with certain writers. I've often felt this way with Stephen King. I feel it with Joe McKinney, too. When I start reading one of his books or short stories, I get the feeling I'm in very capable hands.
After you've finished all of the stories, stick around for the Author's Notes where Joe gives some insight into each of the stories in the collection and then there's even more after that with "A Reader's Guide to Dead World."
There's a lot of bang for your buck in this collection from JournalStone. Dead World Resurrection: The Collected Zombie Short Stories of Joe McKinney is available now in nearly all formats at the JournalStone website.
Recommended for lovers of all things zombie.
Dead World Resurrection: The Collected Zombie Short Stories of Joe McKinney is a collection of nineteen stories of varying length from a master of the zombie sub-genre.
A number of the stories tie into Joe's Dead World novels, while others take a look into other post apocalyptic worlds.
In the Introduction, writer, David Moody lists what he believes make a good zombie story. One of the points he makes is one I've mentioned before in my reviews, "Most of all, I think the best zombie stories are not about the zombies at all. They're about the living: the people like you and me, trapped in the middle of an unimaginable nightmare and doing all they can to preserve what remains of their lives and loves from attack by the living dead."
The stories here have appeared in other publications over the years, but this is the first time they have been collected in a single volume. Good news for zombie fans who may have missed these over the years.
I'm not going to comment on every story, just a few standouts for me, beginning with, "Resurrecting Mindy." A charming tale that reminded me of "The Gift of the Magi," with zombies.
"Dating In Dead World" is about exactly what the tile would lead you to believe and I found it to be very enjoyable.
"Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens," was another story that stood out for me. I particularly liked the way it moved between an actual game of Monopoly and traversing the streets of Atlantic City during the zombie apocalypse
There is a comfort level a reader develops with certain writers. I've often felt this way with Stephen King. I feel it with Joe McKinney, too. When I start reading one of his books or short stories, I get the feeling I'm in very capable hands.
After you've finished all of the stories, stick around for the Author's Notes where Joe gives some insight into each of the stories in the collection and then there's even more after that with "A Reader's Guide to Dead World."
There's a lot of bang for your buck in this collection from JournalStone. Dead World Resurrection: The Collected Zombie Short Stories of Joe McKinney is available now in nearly all formats at the JournalStone website.
Recommended for lovers of all things zombie.
November 18, 2014
Hey, this is good! McKinney's zombie series has been recommended to me quite a bit but I'd never gotten around to reading any of them until now; zombies are great but a little limited and I already had Keene and Grant and Maberry and the AMC crew and so on and on, so I just never found the time. However, I won a copy of Dead World Resurrection in a Goodreads giveaway and will now make an effort to catch up. This volume collects eighteen stories of various lengths, not all of them part of his Dead World sequence, and they're all well written and interesting. My favorites were clustered near the beginning of the book, "Resurrecting Mindy," "Bury My Heart at Marvin Gardens," "The Day the Music Died," and particularly "Dating in Dead World." There's also a truly strange and fun robots vs. zombies story. The book concludes with a substantial and interesting afterward in which McKinney discusses the stories and his Dead World series, and begins with an introduction by David Moody that I really didn't like because he made everything sound formulaic and prescriptive; I was happy to find the stories weren't like that at all.
December 8, 2014
I received the Advance Reader Copy for free from the author through Goodreads First Reads.
Before I get started, I just have to state: No, I do not watch Walking Dead or am especially interested in zombie apocalypse stuff. But I DO am a fan of horror. So that's what made me excited to get this book!
This is a 350-page treat for any horror fan. There are almost 20 short stories, and what I especially loved about them is that they are different. I am amazed at how McKinney can write so many different types of stories, with such detail and such.. care, that I end up caring for the characters even in that short amount of time and want to read more about them and what happens.
I have not read anything by Joe McKinney before, but I bet a fan of his would be really interested in this, as this book even includes notes on a bunch of the stories, plus the inspiration behind his other books and about the Dead World series and what order he would like you to read them in.
So if you're a horror fan, and ESPECIALLY a zombie fan, you should definitely get this book!
Before I get started, I just have to state: No, I do not watch Walking Dead or am especially interested in zombie apocalypse stuff. But I DO am a fan of horror. So that's what made me excited to get this book!
This is a 350-page treat for any horror fan. There are almost 20 short stories, and what I especially loved about them is that they are different. I am amazed at how McKinney can write so many different types of stories, with such detail and such.. care, that I end up caring for the characters even in that short amount of time and want to read more about them and what happens.
I have not read anything by Joe McKinney before, but I bet a fan of his would be really interested in this, as this book even includes notes on a bunch of the stories, plus the inspiration behind his other books and about the Dead World series and what order he would like you to read them in.
So if you're a horror fan, and ESPECIALLY a zombie fan, you should definitely get this book!
January 11, 2015
I love a good zombie story told well. I don’t read a ton of them and a lot of them are simply not very good. The best stories recognize that it’s the other characters that are the key and zombies are just part of the background or the landscape. Joe McKinney is a good writer and Dead World Resurrection is a great collection of short stories.
The stories in this collection are largely set in McKinney’s Dead World. Some are more directly tethered there and a couple are completely untethered from the setting. I expect more unevenness from a short story collection, but Dead World Resurrection is uniformly good. Very good. Two or three of the stories are slightly disappointing. “Bug Out or Hunker Down” is more of a musing of what you would do in a real crisis. “Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands” is also sort of a philosophical tale that strays a little closer to reality. “Two-and-a-Half-Graves” likewise is more of a personal tale. While these stories are a little weaker than the rest of the collection, none of them are really clunkers and all are well written.
“Jimmy Finder” is a great zombies versus robots story. “Dating in a Dead World”, “The Day the Music Died”, and “Ethical Solution” were among the standouts in the rest of a great collection.
Joe McKinney was one of the authors at the forefront of the more recent rise of zombie popularity and he remains one of the best. He understands that you can’t tell a good zombie story without a good story. He creates characters you care about. His characters are challenged physically, mentally, emotionally and morally. It’s the character journey, not just the exciting plots and action scenes, that make these stories stand out.
Not all writers are adept at both the long-form novel and the short story, but McKinney clearly proves he is a master of the latter in Dead World Resurrection. This is a great collection both for fans of the series as well as a great entry for those unfamiliar with it. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
The stories in this collection are largely set in McKinney’s Dead World. Some are more directly tethered there and a couple are completely untethered from the setting. I expect more unevenness from a short story collection, but Dead World Resurrection is uniformly good. Very good. Two or three of the stories are slightly disappointing. “Bug Out or Hunker Down” is more of a musing of what you would do in a real crisis. “Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands” is also sort of a philosophical tale that strays a little closer to reality. “Two-and-a-Half-Graves” likewise is more of a personal tale. While these stories are a little weaker than the rest of the collection, none of them are really clunkers and all are well written.
“Jimmy Finder” is a great zombies versus robots story. “Dating in a Dead World”, “The Day the Music Died”, and “Ethical Solution” were among the standouts in the rest of a great collection.
Joe McKinney was one of the authors at the forefront of the more recent rise of zombie popularity and he remains one of the best. He understands that you can’t tell a good zombie story without a good story. He creates characters you care about. His characters are challenged physically, mentally, emotionally and morally. It’s the character journey, not just the exciting plots and action scenes, that make these stories stand out.
Not all writers are adept at both the long-form novel and the short story, but McKinney clearly proves he is a master of the latter in Dead World Resurrection. This is a great collection both for fans of the series as well as a great entry for those unfamiliar with it. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
August 6, 2014
A decade ago, if you'd walked into a bookstore looking for a zombie novel, you would have found only two: Brian Keene's The Rising and Joe McKinney's Dead City. Long recognized as one of the driving voices that launched the world's fascination with the living dead, Joe McKinney's Dead World novels have emerged as seminal works in the Horror genre.
Now, collected for the first time in Dead World Resurrection, are all of Joe McKinney's zombie short stories. Here you'll not only find tales that provide invaluable links between the various Dead World novels, such as "Ethical Solution," "Dating in Dead World," and the award-winning story "Survivors," but also nightmare glimpses into other post-apocalyptic worlds told in the inimitable Joe McKinney fashion. From the bleak political satire of "State of the Union" to the historical vignettes of "Starvation Army" and "Paradise of the Living Dead," this collection features the full range of McKinney's horrific mastery of the living dead.
The zombie has grown up since Joe McKinney first penned Dead City, yet he has continued to stand out among the throng of voices telling tales of the undead. Dead World Resurrection shows why.
Now, collected for the first time in Dead World Resurrection, are all of Joe McKinney's zombie short stories. Here you'll not only find tales that provide invaluable links between the various Dead World novels, such as "Ethical Solution," "Dating in Dead World," and the award-winning story "Survivors," but also nightmare glimpses into other post-apocalyptic worlds told in the inimitable Joe McKinney fashion. From the bleak political satire of "State of the Union" to the historical vignettes of "Starvation Army" and "Paradise of the Living Dead," this collection features the full range of McKinney's horrific mastery of the living dead.
The zombie has grown up since Joe McKinney first penned Dead City, yet he has continued to stand out among the throng of voices telling tales of the undead. Dead World Resurrection shows why.
October 19, 2014
Received as a 1st reads book. Eighteen creative and entertaining zombie short stories, a must read for any who is obsessed with the world of zombies. I enjoyed reading all the stories and found that The Readers Guide to the Dead World at the end quite interesting, a sort of behind the scene look at how Joe McKinney came about his stories. Although, all the stories stand alone as fun, twisted little snippets of zombie horror, my favorites were:
"Bury my Heart at Marvin Gardens" (related to the mother character and her determination to fulfill her husbands unattainable dieing wish, and the challenges she endures.)
"Bug Out or Hunker Down" (Thought provoking and interesting)
"Bugging Out" (HAHAHA, Ironic, makes me laugh, Loved it)
"Ethical Solution" (Great Characters and concept)
"Swallowed" (Barely 2 pages of pure gore, original)
Overall a great book.
"Bury my Heart at Marvin Gardens" (related to the mother character and her determination to fulfill her husbands unattainable dieing wish, and the challenges she endures.)
"Bug Out or Hunker Down" (Thought provoking and interesting)
"Bugging Out" (HAHAHA, Ironic, makes me laugh, Loved it)
"Ethical Solution" (Great Characters and concept)
"Swallowed" (Barely 2 pages of pure gore, original)
Overall a great book.
December 27, 2014
I expected to like this book, but I was extremely happy to find that I loved this book! I don't always have the best luck with anthologies. Each author having a different way of handling the theme with he individual voices can be jarring. That could, in part, be why this book went so smoothly...one author one voice..no jarring...Really though it's because each story is zombie at heart, but each one is told in a different design. There is zombie future, present, past. Zombies are worldwide, but not necessarily pandemic.
Love can be found during the zombie apocalypse, power struggles abound, one story presents a survival guide and a list of supplies.
Some of the stories are longer than others, some are only a few pages. They all move quickly.
Heartily engrossing and highly recommended!
Love can be found during the zombie apocalypse, power struggles abound, one story presents a survival guide and a list of supplies.
Some of the stories are longer than others, some are only a few pages. They all move quickly.
Heartily engrossing and highly recommended!
December 18, 2014
I've only recently discovered that I do enjoy reading some zombie books. Still, I'm hesitant to read one as a review book, because of course I hope that I'll love what I read and want to rave about it on Amazon, etc.
This turned out to be one of those books! Joe McKinney does an awesome job telling eighteen totally different short stories about zombies, unlike many short story collections, which contain stories that unintentionally have the same voice and same theme, just different characters. My two favorites were "Resurrecting Mindy" (excellent choice to reel readers in from the get-go) and Mr. McKinney's speculative essay "Bug Out or Hunker Down."
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This turned out to be one of those books! Joe McKinney does an awesome job telling eighteen totally different short stories about zombies, unlike many short story collections, which contain stories that unintentionally have the same voice and same theme, just different characters. My two favorites were "Resurrecting Mindy" (excellent choice to reel readers in from the get-go) and Mr. McKinney's speculative essay "Bug Out or Hunker Down."
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 19, 2014
If zombies are your thing, then Joe McKinney is your man.
Dead World Resurrection is a compendium of McKinney's zombie-themed short stories previously published elsewhere, plus some "bonus" material in the vein of extras one might find on a DVD (an author interview, some "making of" essays, etc.). There's a short introduction that suggests, among other things, that the stories are jam-packed with "...visceral, slimy...gross," gore, giving me momentary pause, since that isn't necessarily my thing and I tend to avoid anything too disturbing. Nonetheless, I dove in and, perhaps as a testimony to how commonplace this sort of carnage has become in films, TV and literature, I didn't find the material to be off-putting in the least. That isn’t to say that hardcore horror fans will be disappointed, but I don’t think the average reader would find McKinney’s work too hard to take.
The author works in law enforcement in Southern Texas and is able to mine both his professional experience and geographical location for use his writing. Most of the stories take place in Twenty-First Century, with two notable exceptions – “Paradise of the Living Dead” (set during the age of Spanish Conquistadors) and “Starvation Army” (Victorian London) - and they examine many of today’s headline grabbing topics. “The Crossings” uses a quarantined zone near the Mexican border to examine the complex issues surrounding illegal immigration, as hordes of dispossessed uninfected people trapped there desperately attempt to escape into “Free America.” “Two and a Half Graves” hints at a series of weather disasters and flooding that hastened spread of the virus, in an obvious nod to the threat of climate change and the lingering national shame of Hurricane Katrina. He also touches on conformity (“Resurrecting Mindy”), right vs. left political/social conflict (“Ethical Solutions”), Drug Abuse (“Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands”) and class disparities (“Starvation Army”). Like the best horror literature these stories mirror our society’s ills and reflect them back at us through the cracked lens of a zombie apocalypse. McKinney focuses on how his protagonists, much like us, must deal with the cards they’ve been dealt. Overall his writing is solid and masculine. It’s hardly Hemingway, but well-suited for the genre. He’s less successful when he goes for poignancy (“Bury My Heart at Marvin Gardens”) or attempts to tell a story from a woman’s viewpoint, but missteps are the exception rather than the rule. His work is infinitely more impactful when he goes for the jugular as opposed to the heartstrings.
As for the extra material, it includes author’s notes, a reader’s guide, an interview and an essay/story that explains how he, personally, would deal with a zombie outbreak. I suppose a long-time fan will see this as a plethora of spoils, but it struck me as unnecessary filler.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection and would highly recommend it to fans of Richard Matheson, the George Romero oeuvre, 28 Days Later and/or The Walking Dead.
Dead World Resurrection is a compendium of McKinney's zombie-themed short stories previously published elsewhere, plus some "bonus" material in the vein of extras one might find on a DVD (an author interview, some "making of" essays, etc.). There's a short introduction that suggests, among other things, that the stories are jam-packed with "...visceral, slimy...gross," gore, giving me momentary pause, since that isn't necessarily my thing and I tend to avoid anything too disturbing. Nonetheless, I dove in and, perhaps as a testimony to how commonplace this sort of carnage has become in films, TV and literature, I didn't find the material to be off-putting in the least. That isn’t to say that hardcore horror fans will be disappointed, but I don’t think the average reader would find McKinney’s work too hard to take.
The author works in law enforcement in Southern Texas and is able to mine both his professional experience and geographical location for use his writing. Most of the stories take place in Twenty-First Century, with two notable exceptions – “Paradise of the Living Dead” (set during the age of Spanish Conquistadors) and “Starvation Army” (Victorian London) - and they examine many of today’s headline grabbing topics. “The Crossings” uses a quarantined zone near the Mexican border to examine the complex issues surrounding illegal immigration, as hordes of dispossessed uninfected people trapped there desperately attempt to escape into “Free America.” “Two and a Half Graves” hints at a series of weather disasters and flooding that hastened spread of the virus, in an obvious nod to the threat of climate change and the lingering national shame of Hurricane Katrina. He also touches on conformity (“Resurrecting Mindy”), right vs. left political/social conflict (“Ethical Solutions”), Drug Abuse (“Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands”) and class disparities (“Starvation Army”). Like the best horror literature these stories mirror our society’s ills and reflect them back at us through the cracked lens of a zombie apocalypse. McKinney focuses on how his protagonists, much like us, must deal with the cards they’ve been dealt. Overall his writing is solid and masculine. It’s hardly Hemingway, but well-suited for the genre. He’s less successful when he goes for poignancy (“Bury My Heart at Marvin Gardens”) or attempts to tell a story from a woman’s viewpoint, but missteps are the exception rather than the rule. His work is infinitely more impactful when he goes for the jugular as opposed to the heartstrings.
As for the extra material, it includes author’s notes, a reader’s guide, an interview and an essay/story that explains how he, personally, would deal with a zombie outbreak. I suppose a long-time fan will see this as a plethora of spoils, but it struck me as unnecessary filler.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection and would highly recommend it to fans of Richard Matheson, the George Romero oeuvre, 28 Days Later and/or The Walking Dead.
October 13, 2024
I have to say that finding a new author to follow is always a treat. That being said, this is not the first work of Mr. McKinney's that I have read. I actually stumbled (shambled?) across his work about a year or so ago when I took advantage of an Amazon.com promotion to get one of his ebooks for a low price. I have to say I have found some real gems by doing this on the other hand I have found some ,while trying this method,that are not at all worth the time and effort to download. Fortunately, Mr. McKinney's work is squarely placed in the former category and not the latter. He spends time fleshing out his characters and makes them matter.
Now on to the review of this particular collection. I really enjoyed revisiting Dead World in these stories. While some of the characters are ones regular readers of the series will be familiar with others are new and interesting additions to this world. Each story in the collection brings you squarely into the Dead World and I found each story entertaining. While some are perhaps more thought provoking than others, all are solid entries into the series and genre. Overall, it was perfect reading for this last week when it has been rainy, cold and wet. It brought closer to home the privations the survivors in the quarantine zone would be going through.
I have to say though that my favorite part of the entire collection is the author's story notes. The background behind the stories and the Reader's Guide to the Dead World brought me up to date on parts of the story I had missed and also gave me some more background on the series as well as guidance on the chronology of the series.
Thanks Mr. McKinney for giving me the chills so effectively!
Now on to the review of this particular collection. I really enjoyed revisiting Dead World in these stories. While some of the characters are ones regular readers of the series will be familiar with others are new and interesting additions to this world. Each story in the collection brings you squarely into the Dead World and I found each story entertaining. While some are perhaps more thought provoking than others, all are solid entries into the series and genre. Overall, it was perfect reading for this last week when it has been rainy, cold and wet. It brought closer to home the privations the survivors in the quarantine zone would be going through.
I have to say though that my favorite part of the entire collection is the author's story notes. The background behind the stories and the Reader's Guide to the Dead World brought me up to date on parts of the story I had missed and also gave me some more background on the series as well as guidance on the chronology of the series.
Thanks Mr. McKinney for giving me the chills so effectively!
December 8, 2014
Let's face it, zombies have had their heyday and are on the wane. They've gone from being an esoteric area of genre fiction into a mainstream trope, thanks to the meteoric rise of their popularity in the past few years. I've been a fan of zombie fiction for years (I was zombie when zombie wasn't cool?) and have read every piece of zombie fiction I can get my hands on, but even I've gotten a little weary of the topic. It takes something special to stand out in the zombie arena these days, and although I enjoy Joe McKinney's work, I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from this collection of zombie short stories. I thought maybe I was going to read a collection of leftovers, scenes and shorts that had been cut from previous novels. I was pleasantly surprised. McKinney has managed to make zombies seem fresh and new again (fresh- a word not often associated with zombies) and without trying too hard. In this collection of stories he doesn't reach too far beyond the traditional zombie themes, but it feels creative nonetheless. Although I thought some were better than others, that assessment is more a matter of personal taste rather than quality of storytelling or writing. If you're a zombie fan, and particularly if you're a McKinney fan, this collection is worth a look.
December 1, 2014
This book of short and flash fiction has one subject - zombies and I'll say this, Joe McKinney knows zombies. Generally with collections like this I'll find a few stories that I enjoy and some that I see as filler, but there are no dogs in this bunch. I did have favorites, Jimmy Finder and Dating in Dead World were really fun, Ethical Solution, The Crossing, and Survivors were really strong as well. I also appreciated the brief notes by the author at the end of the book giving insights on how each story came to be and the ideas behind them.
If you're a fan of good zombie stories I think you'll find plenty to like here.
I received this book as part of the Goodreads First-Reads program.
If you're a fan of good zombie stories I think you'll find plenty to like here.
I received this book as part of the Goodreads First-Reads program.
November 5, 2014
Joe McKinney! Zombies ! Short stories! What more can a girl ask for. I received an advanced copy as a giveaway. Once I started it at bedtime( just one story) needless to say, book was done by sunrise. If you like zombies ,if you like Joe McKinney you will love this book of short stories.
December 18, 2014
Loved it. This has something for everyone - horror, thoughtfulness, something to muse about, something to chill. A real smorgasbord!
September 22, 2018
IS WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a review.
These stories blew me away, the book definitely left me wanting more. Though I haven't read any of McKinney's Dead World novels, I am going to put them on my books to read list.
McKinney manages to trap the reader from the beginning of each story, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Then I started looking at my neighbors to see if any of them had turned into flesh eating zombies. The stories have a "real" quality to them.
The largest compliment I can give an author is that they started to break down my walls of reality. (If your walls are thin to begin with you might not want to read this one). This is as good as when I read Salem's Lot back in the 70's, and started to look for vampires in the closets.
The stories seem to flow from one to another making a cohesive whole. Even those not set in DEAD WORLD, fit seamlessly.
I am very happy to have had a chance to read this book. I was expecting blood and guts, soulless zombie fiction...I got true gut wrenching psychological horror at its best.
These stories blew me away, the book definitely left me wanting more. Though I haven't read any of McKinney's Dead World novels, I am going to put them on my books to read list.
McKinney manages to trap the reader from the beginning of each story, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Then I started looking at my neighbors to see if any of them had turned into flesh eating zombies. The stories have a "real" quality to them.
The largest compliment I can give an author is that they started to break down my walls of reality. (If your walls are thin to begin with you might not want to read this one). This is as good as when I read Salem's Lot back in the 70's, and started to look for vampires in the closets.
The stories seem to flow from one to another making a cohesive whole. Even those not set in DEAD WORLD, fit seamlessly.
I am very happy to have had a chance to read this book. I was expecting blood and guts, soulless zombie fiction...I got true gut wrenching psychological horror at its best.
March 12, 2019
It was okay, only problem is I had read most of these in different anthologies over the years.
November 16, 2014
I received this book free through goodreads first reads for review.
Because this book is short stories I'm going to review each separate story as I read it.
Resurrecting mindy: I really liked this story. I felt it would have been better if it was actually more than a short story. It really intrigued me and I didn't want it to end. It ended kind of abruptly but I liked that about it.
Dating in Dead World: I didn't like this one very much. I felt it really had nothing to do with zombies and that it was very random. Not a good story to me.
Bug Out of Hunker Down: I didn't really have feelings about this one. It wasn't bad. It wasn't very good. I liked the beginning and I thought I was going to like the whole thing but the middle and end just didn't do it for me. I wish it would've had a little bit more clear ending.
Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens: this was pretty good. I really like the monopoly concept and the fact that it actually included zombies. I also liked the meaning that it had.
Zombies and Their Haunts: lame.
The Day the Music Died: honesty this was kind of messed up but I really liked it!! I wish it was longer! Very unique concept I think. Not the normal whole zombie outbreak caused by a virus or something. Nice.
Survivors: I really liked this story. It was actually about zombies and not some other weird story line and it had a good meaning to it. It was really kind of sad though.
Suburbia of the Dead: don't talk about your personal life in a story like that.
The Crossing: I really enjoyed the beginning and once again wasn't so fond of the ending. Regardless, it was one of the better ones so far.
Paradise of the Living Dead: kinda stupid I thought. Bad ending. No explanation. Names were confusing.
Jimmy Finder: such a good story. It had a very unique story line and it actually had a real ending which was nice. One of the better ones by far.
Bugging Out: oh gosh. So gross! But it was good. I like that they brought an actual human problem into it. Something that when the time comes certain people will have to think about.
Ethical Solutions: I'm starting to see a pattern. Good ideas. Good beginnings. Mediocre endings. This story was just that.
Swallowed: nasty.
Sabbatical in the Ohio methlands: I like that it was a new take on "zombies" but that's just weird.
Two and a half graves: kinda pointless to me
Starvation Army: it was a good short short but i felt the zombie thing didn't fit right. It wouldve made more sense if they were ghosts or something.
State of the Union: very good story. It sort of made me feel bad for the gut though. Times are hard man.
That's it! I am done!
Because this book is short stories I'm going to review each separate story as I read it.
Resurrecting mindy: I really liked this story. I felt it would have been better if it was actually more than a short story. It really intrigued me and I didn't want it to end. It ended kind of abruptly but I liked that about it.
Dating in Dead World: I didn't like this one very much. I felt it really had nothing to do with zombies and that it was very random. Not a good story to me.
Bug Out of Hunker Down: I didn't really have feelings about this one. It wasn't bad. It wasn't very good. I liked the beginning and I thought I was going to like the whole thing but the middle and end just didn't do it for me. I wish it would've had a little bit more clear ending.
Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens: this was pretty good. I really like the monopoly concept and the fact that it actually included zombies. I also liked the meaning that it had.
Zombies and Their Haunts: lame.
The Day the Music Died: honesty this was kind of messed up but I really liked it!! I wish it was longer! Very unique concept I think. Not the normal whole zombie outbreak caused by a virus or something. Nice.
Survivors: I really liked this story. It was actually about zombies and not some other weird story line and it had a good meaning to it. It was really kind of sad though.
Suburbia of the Dead: don't talk about your personal life in a story like that.
The Crossing: I really enjoyed the beginning and once again wasn't so fond of the ending. Regardless, it was one of the better ones so far.
Paradise of the Living Dead: kinda stupid I thought. Bad ending. No explanation. Names were confusing.
Jimmy Finder: such a good story. It had a very unique story line and it actually had a real ending which was nice. One of the better ones by far.
Bugging Out: oh gosh. So gross! But it was good. I like that they brought an actual human problem into it. Something that when the time comes certain people will have to think about.
Ethical Solutions: I'm starting to see a pattern. Good ideas. Good beginnings. Mediocre endings. This story was just that.
Swallowed: nasty.
Sabbatical in the Ohio methlands: I like that it was a new take on "zombies" but that's just weird.
Two and a half graves: kinda pointless to me
Starvation Army: it was a good short short but i felt the zombie thing didn't fit right. It wouldve made more sense if they were ghosts or something.
State of the Union: very good story. It sort of made me feel bad for the gut though. Times are hard man.
That's it! I am done!
December 2, 2014
Dead World Resurrection by Joe McKinney is an anthology of zombie short stories the author has written. I have read many of his books over the years (complete stories) and was always compelled to read each one he has written. I am not one to read short stories because they tend to have no character building, plot twist, and a decent ending. As with most collections of this type, there are some that are excellent and some not so much. McKinney tends to work within a limitation and produces a whole series of unexpected twists that are so unpredictable that by the end of the stories, I was ready for some more.
There were a couple of his short pieces that I felt were downright boring and could have been left out. Then there are others that I felt would have been great to see if he expanded on adding new dimension his own work. "Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens," was an example of a story that I felt stood out and one that I could see expanded to a complete novel. I had particularly liked the way it flowed, like an actual game of Monopoly and riding the streets of Atlantic City during the zombie apocalypse.
Overall, good work in writing these short stories. They tend to be better off than some of these authors who are trying their hands in the short stories zombie market.
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review.**
There were a couple of his short pieces that I felt were downright boring and could have been left out. Then there are others that I felt would have been great to see if he expanded on adding new dimension his own work. "Bury My Heart At Marvin Gardens," was an example of a story that I felt stood out and one that I could see expanded to a complete novel. I had particularly liked the way it flowed, like an actual game of Monopoly and riding the streets of Atlantic City during the zombie apocalypse.
Overall, good work in writing these short stories. They tend to be better off than some of these authors who are trying their hands in the short stories zombie market.
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review.**
May 30, 2024
"Dead World Resurrection" by Joe McKinney is a compelling anthology that reinvigorates the zombie apocalypse genre. McKinney's collection of short stories is both gripping and thought-provoking, exploring themes of survival, fear, and resilience.Each story introduces well-developed characters, whose struggles and moral dilemmas resonate deeply. The variety in settings, from urban wastelands to rural hideaways, keeps the anthology fresh and engaging. McKinney's evocative prose and attention to detail create a vivid, immersive experience that pulls readers into a world teetering on the edge of destruction.Beyond the horror and gore, McKinney weaves in moments of hope and humanity, making the collection not just terrifying but emotionally impactful. "Dead World Resurrection" is a must-read for horror enthusiasts and fans of the zombie genre, showcasing McKinney's talent for storytelling and his profound understanding of the human spirit.
December 16, 2014
One great use of zombies is the ability to craft them to represent a crisis. You have fast zombie, horror zombies, military zombies and funny zombies. The rise of zombies is a chance for the writer to reinvent society.
In Dead World Resurrection, Joe McKinney puts together an assortment of these reinventions in this collection of his zombie short stories. As with any collection, some are better than others.
Some I found great and wished that they were part of a larger novel. Other were just run-of-the-mill, leaving me wanting to see what Mr. McKinney does in the next story.
In Dead World Resurrection, Joe McKinney puts together an assortment of these reinventions in this collection of his zombie short stories. As with any collection, some are better than others.
Some I found great and wished that they were part of a larger novel. Other were just run-of-the-mill, leaving me wanting to see what Mr. McKinney does in the next story.
December 14, 2015
Joe McKinney sets the benchmark on how an amazing ZA book should be written. Not just good, or very good. Im mean amazing. He is one of the very few writers who can paint an apocalyptic canvas so bleak and terrifying, you'll think you are there. He truly possesses the Z Factor and his tales are as horrifying as they are absolutely human. This is a collection of wonderfully terrifying tales set in the Dead World.
March 9, 2015
This book wasn't half bad. I hate short story books and some of these are the reason why. A few stories I could have lived without and the rest just left me gasping for more. I get so worked up and involved with a story and than two pages later it's over and that is just not fair :-/ I would love love love to see some of these shorts come to life in a book of their own one day. All in all as I said it wasn't a bad read I am a big big fan of Joe McKinney's work he has yet failed to let me down
February 17, 2015
Zombies everywhere! That's what The book DEAD WORLD RESURRECTION is. If you love Zombies this is the book for you! The book is comprised of short stories and not so short stories of Zombies who have taken over the world. I loved every page of it! My favorite short story in the book was Resurrection of Mindy, a classic!
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review
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