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Othello and Zombies
Shakespeare's classic tale of hubris, paranoia, and betrayal is reimagined against the darkly comedic backdrop of the post-apocalypse. ... And zombies.
I ate thy brains ere I killed thee...
I ate thy brains ere I killed thee...
196 pages, Paperback
Published October 19, 2016
15 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Frale
59 books120 followersAaron Frale writes Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy usually with a comedic twist. Time Burrito is the audience favorite. He also hosts the podcast Aaron’s Horror Show and screams and plays guitar for the prog/metal band Spiral. He lives with his wife, his son, and two cats in the mountains of Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2018
NOTE: The author graciously gave me a copy of this book and asked me to write a review.
Zombies are the liveliest trend in horror right now, from the success of TV series like The Walking Dead to the hordes of books about them on Amazon. Based on their sheer numbers in Amazon fiction, one would think that the entire world was undead dozens of times over. And with the rise of zombie fiction comes a variety of subgenres, including Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, pitting the undead against Jane Austen heroines. Now Aaron Frale, a rather imaginative science fiction writer, has his own take on the subject, invoking the Bard himself in Othello and Zombies. Unfortunately, Frale wears his heart a bit too much on his sleeve in this book, and the concept is good in spots but not as effective as it should be.
Unlike Grahame-Smith’s and similar parodies, Othello and Zombies is set in the present day after something that’s never explained (as usually happens in zombie fiction) starts turning people into the undead. These zombies obey the usual rules of the genre: infecting those they bite, moving slowly but inexorably towards noise, and capable of being killed only by a wound to the head. The main human characters have the same or similar names as do the characters in the play, with Othello a former gang leader turned into a charismatic leader of many of the remaining humans in the former Los Angeles. After the treachery of his lieutenant Iago (a former reality TV star) results in the downfall of the city, Othello and his remaining followers head to Albuquerque, which is ruled by a former Army general known as the Brigadier. The Brigadier, given name Brabantio, happens to be the father of Othello’s wife Desdemona, a former Miss California.
The plot of Othello and Zombies is quite similar to that of its Shakespearean inspiration, with the noteworthy difference being that, instead of doing battle with invading Turks, Othello and company take on zombies, who are both a frequent interruption in the ongoing drama and a plot point, since Iago takes even added pleasure at the thought that the victims of his schemes will soon turn into zombies. The net result of this relative faithfulness to the source material is that the story becomes quite predictable, and the fun for readers is in seeing just how author Frale will get his post-Apocalyptic characters’ deeds to conform to a storyline that’s hundreds of years old.
How much fun this is really depends on how big a Shakespeare buff a reader is. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and works of that nature succeeded because the authors didn’t just appropriate the source material; they appropriated the source author’s style (usually) and setting (always). The characters acted as if zombies had literally shambled their way into the novel. Even for Jane Austen novices, the joke became clear very early. Here, unless readers are already fairly familiar with Othello’s story, most of the novel will seem like standard zombie fare with some bizarrely named characters.
Personally, I’m somewhat familiar with the story of Othello, but not so much so that I was eagerly anticipating every development. I suspect most other readers, especially those who enjoy zombie horror, might have similar feelings. For those readers, Othello and Zombies will succeed on its merits as zombie fiction, and the result is a mixed bag. Frale approaches the material with a light touch (as evidenced by his frequent use of the word “scullion,” from Shakespeare himself, to refer to the zombies), but while it’s generally amusing, there are no really inspired comic moments. And, as a zombie action horror novel, Othello and Zombies has some good moments but it has nothing to really distinguish itself from the horde of similar zombie works.
Othello and Zombies is a book that’s based on an admirable concept but one that wasn’t really thought through well enough. True, the story is quite faithful to the source material, and that’s the main problem. It feels as if the author were more concerned with “getting it right” than writing an actual entertaining book. The book contains a number of original ideas about life in this particular post-Apocalyptic world, but they seem relegated to the background more than they should be. The end result is entertaining enough that I’d like to see the author take another stab at zombie fiction, without Shakespearean trappings. But the current book, while well written enough to merit a modest recommendation, won’t inspire the green-eyed monster in any rival authors.
Zombies are the liveliest trend in horror right now, from the success of TV series like The Walking Dead to the hordes of books about them on Amazon. Based on their sheer numbers in Amazon fiction, one would think that the entire world was undead dozens of times over. And with the rise of zombie fiction comes a variety of subgenres, including Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, pitting the undead against Jane Austen heroines. Now Aaron Frale, a rather imaginative science fiction writer, has his own take on the subject, invoking the Bard himself in Othello and Zombies. Unfortunately, Frale wears his heart a bit too much on his sleeve in this book, and the concept is good in spots but not as effective as it should be.
Unlike Grahame-Smith’s and similar parodies, Othello and Zombies is set in the present day after something that’s never explained (as usually happens in zombie fiction) starts turning people into the undead. These zombies obey the usual rules of the genre: infecting those they bite, moving slowly but inexorably towards noise, and capable of being killed only by a wound to the head. The main human characters have the same or similar names as do the characters in the play, with Othello a former gang leader turned into a charismatic leader of many of the remaining humans in the former Los Angeles. After the treachery of his lieutenant Iago (a former reality TV star) results in the downfall of the city, Othello and his remaining followers head to Albuquerque, which is ruled by a former Army general known as the Brigadier. The Brigadier, given name Brabantio, happens to be the father of Othello’s wife Desdemona, a former Miss California.
The plot of Othello and Zombies is quite similar to that of its Shakespearean inspiration, with the noteworthy difference being that, instead of doing battle with invading Turks, Othello and company take on zombies, who are both a frequent interruption in the ongoing drama and a plot point, since Iago takes even added pleasure at the thought that the victims of his schemes will soon turn into zombies. The net result of this relative faithfulness to the source material is that the story becomes quite predictable, and the fun for readers is in seeing just how author Frale will get his post-Apocalyptic characters’ deeds to conform to a storyline that’s hundreds of years old.
How much fun this is really depends on how big a Shakespeare buff a reader is. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and works of that nature succeeded because the authors didn’t just appropriate the source material; they appropriated the source author’s style (usually) and setting (always). The characters acted as if zombies had literally shambled their way into the novel. Even for Jane Austen novices, the joke became clear very early. Here, unless readers are already fairly familiar with Othello’s story, most of the novel will seem like standard zombie fare with some bizarrely named characters.
Personally, I’m somewhat familiar with the story of Othello, but not so much so that I was eagerly anticipating every development. I suspect most other readers, especially those who enjoy zombie horror, might have similar feelings. For those readers, Othello and Zombies will succeed on its merits as zombie fiction, and the result is a mixed bag. Frale approaches the material with a light touch (as evidenced by his frequent use of the word “scullion,” from Shakespeare himself, to refer to the zombies), but while it’s generally amusing, there are no really inspired comic moments. And, as a zombie action horror novel, Othello and Zombies has some good moments but it has nothing to really distinguish itself from the horde of similar zombie works.
Othello and Zombies is a book that’s based on an admirable concept but one that wasn’t really thought through well enough. True, the story is quite faithful to the source material, and that’s the main problem. It feels as if the author were more concerned with “getting it right” than writing an actual entertaining book. The book contains a number of original ideas about life in this particular post-Apocalyptic world, but they seem relegated to the background more than they should be. The end result is entertaining enough that I’d like to see the author take another stab at zombie fiction, without Shakespearean trappings. But the current book, while well written enough to merit a modest recommendation, won’t inspire the green-eyed monster in any rival authors.
November 1, 2016
The title says it all - what you see is what you get. Shakespeare would be turning in his grave if he read this...yes, wondering why he hadn't thought of this in the first place!
This is really good. It's an eloquently put together mashup, entertaining, funny, and very visual. There's no superfluous words in this, it's straight into the story and your attention is kept there throughout.
I love Othello and I was dreading this being an unprofessional disaster. (Bearing in mind that this is the first book I have read by this author.) I'm glad I was so wrong. This has been created with love and mega respect for Shakespeare's original. I love the way the book's been set out, with wee bits of prior action slotted in between the Acts, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Iago's devilry.
Great fun and very enjoyable. I voluntarily read and reviewed this gifted book (thank you!).
This is really good. It's an eloquently put together mashup, entertaining, funny, and very visual. There's no superfluous words in this, it's straight into the story and your attention is kept there throughout.
I love Othello and I was dreading this being an unprofessional disaster. (Bearing in mind that this is the first book I have read by this author.) I'm glad I was so wrong. This has been created with love and mega respect for Shakespeare's original. I love the way the book's been set out, with wee bits of prior action slotted in between the Acts, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Iago's devilry.
Great fun and very enjoyable. I voluntarily read and reviewed this gifted book (thank you!).
August 14, 2017
This is a very interesting take on the apocalypse. There are devious plots afoot. Who can can you trust?
I enjoyed this book and was surprised at the end. The characters and world building are really good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and he does like honest reviews.
I enjoyed this book and was surprised at the end. The characters and world building are really good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and he does like honest reviews.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews