Pedal Zombies: Thirteen Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories

Bikes in Space #3

by Elly Blue (Editor)

The zombie apocalypse will be pedal-powered! In the not-so-distant future, when gasoline is no longer available, humans turn to two-wheeled vehicles to transport goods, seek glory, and defend their remaining communities. In another version of the future, those with the zombie virus are able to escape persecution and feel almost alive again on two wheels. In yet another scenario, bicycles themselves are reanimated and roam the earth. In the third volume of annual feminist bicycle science fiction series, Bikes in Space, 12 talented writers bring their diverse visions to this sometimes scary, sometimes spooky, sometimes hilarious, always on two wheels.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction, Zombies, Feminism, Horror, Cycling

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2015

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection of stories about...well, what it says on the tin. Feminist bicycle zombie stories. You might think that's a pretty narrow slice, but there's great variety in the approaches here. And it's always fun to read a collection written and edited from such a progressive starting point. If there ever is a zombie apocalypse, I hope it's as queer-positive, feminist, and generally enlightened as this one.

[Emily Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fun, quick read, and what's not to love about zombie bicycle stories? My favorites were "Riding the Circ" by Jim Warrenfeltz, "Dead Rock Seven" by Cat Caperello, and "Why I Ride" by Gretchen Lair.

[Taru Luojola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bikes in Space -sarjan antologia, joka tällä kertaa keskittyi jo nimestään alkaen synkkään tulevaisuuteen. Zombit joko sellaisenaan tai metaforana eivät yleensä ole minua hirveästi kiinnostava elementti, eikä toisaalta tässäkään kokoelmassa mikään novelli mielestäni noussut helmenä esiin. Fillarismin perusasetelma pysyy samana: pyörät hyvä, autot paha. Jonkinlainen moniulotteisuuden puute tätä sarjaa tuntuu vaivaavan.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked volume 2 much more than this one. I just didn't get into most of these stories- they didn't seem to have much story arc, just a snippet of a worldview with lots of description to set the scene, but not a lot of direction. I did like the last two in the book though.

[Barry Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun! Last two stories especially good!

[Brooklyn SciFi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, like most short story collections, this collection has the problem of leaving you with literary blue balls: the stories are always finished before you’re finished with them, or maybe it would be more succinct to say it leaves you wanting more. My favorite story was the one where they had to set the zombies on fire, which I thought was cool because it closed with a nice line about fighting a long war for the sake of people to come. I enjoyed the last story because it was a story of zombie perseverance. While an interesting concept, ultimately most of the stories are sophomoric in their construction; the reader often wishes the editor had been a bit more demanding of the authors. Um, sigh, I enjoyed the variety of storytelling styles and especially, um, the stories that took place in far post-apocalyptic settings. Don’t expect any deep ideas, but the stories are an enjoyable, quick read. I blew my wad on the blue balls comment. This book of stories about lesbian bicycle zombies could have used more lesbianism. As someone who cannot ride a bike, I was worried that the stories would not be relatable narratives; however, I was still able to enjoy them (achieve satisfaction, Kat has a longer, slower burn, apparently). One would think that a book that is such light fare would have a bit more sex in it, but there wasn’t even any teledildonics. These stories, united by the common theme of bicycles and zombies, were able to illustrate many interesting perspectives of what a zombie can be. Luckily, living in New York City, if there is a real zombie apocalypse, I won’t have to worry about any of this stuff because I’ll be a zombie.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is wacky—a short story collection centered around themes of zombies and biking. What?! Yes. It's fun. It's a quick read—most of the stories are short (too short?). I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but the whole idea has enough whimsy to be endearing. The stories didn't blow me away, but they were intriguing. What more can you ask for? At times it felt a bit like radical biking propaganda, and I'm here for it.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super fun read! I loved the different concepts of stories written and I thought it was adorable that they chose such a Portland theme to base their stories on.
There isn't much to say, its a small book. A good read when you're in between books.
It's like something cute you can read to give yourself a break from focusing on an intent heavy story.

[Doug Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic collection of short stories at the intersection of bikes and zombies. One of the many gripes I have with the Walking Dead TV series is the lack of bicycles. These stories deal with that missing asset.

[Kaysy Ostrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that I got this book for free (I won it in a raffle package at Geek Girl Con) I was actually pleasantly surprised. The theme is so absurd but for the most part I enjoyed the stories and it was fun to read around Halloween!

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars mostly for being able to compile so many solid short stories involving zombies and bicycles. The writing was decent; as with many anthologies, some stories stood out more than others.

Taking a star off because I expected more explicitly feminist / political themes based on the title.

[Larry James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Elly Blue collection, all generally good. Not as widely different as each story has bikes of one sort or another and (almost) all the stories involve zombies. By necessity all are sort of post apocalyptic for that reason. Recommended.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story anthology zine, with stories that include: zombies, bicycles, and feminist and anarchist themes. As you can expect, the quality is all over the map, but there are some decent but very brief tales sprinkled throughout.

[ShannonCC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this awhile ago (years before Covid I think?) and was telling two different people about it this week and realized I never reviewed it! All I remember is I enjoyed it and it stuck with me to the point that I'm still talking about it years later, so there you go.

[Naomi Peachey Higdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book as part of a kickstarter campaign. It was such a pleasant surprise! Looking forward to reading more collections from this publisher.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, amusing and disturbing short stories imagining life in our dystopian future. Bikes and feminism make excellent partners.

[Sarah Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this two stars if it wasn’t for the last three spectacular stories, even if one of them wasn’t zombie-themed.

[Kc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid collection.

[Pjär · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lite för ojämn för mig. Ingen fart och fläkt. Idén är kul tycker jag. Men som sagt för ojämn.

[Julie Elman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative and entertaining. An easy and quick read.

[JAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an awesome little collection of short stories! Thoroughly enjoyed...

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any short story collection, some are better than others. Bite-sized, often sweet and thought-provoking, but in need of some copy editing. Picked up from a local independent bookstore.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biggest reason my glowing review should matter to you? I don't know how to ride a bike.

This book is perfect for what it is. Usually the zombies are the undead as we've always known them but some are zombie cars or sentient bikes or bike riding zombies. The core themes of bikes, zombies, and strong women are strong and go in so many great directions.

These stories are short, sweet, and rife with possibility. There wasn't a story I disliked. They were all gems. You can feel the magic and size of these worlds despite the small number of pages. I'd love to see some of these explored more deeply.

[Mariacarla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this recently, picking it up on a whim when I saw it displayed at my local bookstore. It's an unusual conceit: all the stories involve cycling, zombies, and in some way, feminism. It's entertaining. I read it over a weekend.

[Brew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide range mix of zombie/bike stories!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, brisk read. I like zombies, feminism, and biking, so needless to say this hit a lot of sweet spots.

[Lynne]

Wait. This exists? THIS EXISTS?!? *grabby hands*

[roberta serra · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like bikes and/or zombies, then you'll probably like this book!

[Christine Haugaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the jams.