Tim Lebbon, Naming Of Parts

First published back in 2000, Tim Lebbon's zombie novella 'Naming of Parts' was released by way of special signed editions limited to just 300 numbered paperback copies, or 200 numbered hardback copies.

The book begins with a short three page introduction by the horror author Steve Rasnic Tem (Excavation, The Book of Days), which describes how he first encountered Lebbon's work in a small London bookshop where he picked up a copy of 'Mesmer'. Tem procedures to shower Lebbon's work with unreserved praise, ultimately whetting the reader's appetite for the delights that are to come with 'Naming of Parts'.

The tale is set in a reasonably isolated rural area, where the young character of Jack Haines is awoken in the night by the eerie sounds of intruders outside the family cottage. His father, Gray Haines, fires his shotgun out of Jack's window which appears to end the troubles for the night.

The next morning, Jack and his parents depart from their cottage in their car in somewhat of a hurry after their neighbours are spotted lurching towards their home through the fields that surround the property. Gray and Janey (Jack's parents) soon disclose to Jack that news reports were coming in last night surrounding this new apocalyptical state of affairs.

Upon arriving at the nearest village of Tall Stennington, their car has its brake cable cut by one of the undead that has been lurching around in the area. The family manage to escape the immediate vicinity and subsequently make their way on foot to the town of Tewton, where Jack's sister Mandy has managed to inform them that she is safely residing at.

On their arduous trek to Tewton, the Haines family will not only have to come to terms with this now dying world that surrounds them, but also the struggling sanity of the other remaining survivors. The bloodthirsty undead are all around, aimlessly wondering the landscape. They remain cunning in their ambushes towards the living and are still capable of bursts of fast pursuit, as the family are soon to learn.

Jack manages to keep himself going through this horrific new world that he has woken up to, by dissecting his fears until he can name each part that makes up that fear. His ordeal will bring Jack another fear after fear over the ensuing days. His one hope is to see his sister again; but Tewton seems a long way off when danger is lurking around every corner.

Although Lebbon's 'Naming of Parts' is a relatively short tale, he has managed to cram in a complex and emotionally charged story surrounding Jack Haines' forced coming of age, whilst the world around him collapses.

Lebbon subtly inserts the idea that only certain blood group are immune to the virus that has not only killed off the majority of humanity, but all other life on the planet as well. The landscape gradually loses more of its magnificent colour with each page, as the Haines family struggle to survive the first few hours of this unforgiving new world.

The characterisation of the three family members is second to none, with a real sympathy and love quickly built up for Jack in particular. Lebbon intersperses snippets of emotional flashbacks throughout the tale, showing conversations between Jack and his sister Mandy, that help to firm up the relationship between the two.

Lebbon parts with the gory nature that is often associated with zombie novels; only a couple of times throwing in some brief scenes of cannibalistic gore. Instead the reader is treated to a carefully constructed and beautifully written tale of the upward battle against a constant barrage of fear for one young boy to cope with.

The tale draws to a quietly calculated conclusion that leaves the reader with a strong heart for the character of Jack. Lebbon maintains a constant cloud of tension throughout the storyline, with no real let up from the notion of attack or demise. This keeps the reader in a state of unease from the beginning which only goes to compliment Jack's desperate predicament.

All in all, Lebbon's novella 'Naming of Parts' is a beautiful yet slightly unsettling read that throws open a new angle to the already heavily saturated world of the zombie novel. An enjoyable read throughout, this quick and well paced tale is a true breath of fresh area.

The tale runs for a total of 80 pages and was first published by PS Publishing.