J. Andrew Corbett, SEAT: Special Echelon Anti-terror Task Force

First published back in July 2004 by Authorhouse, the epic zombie tale entitled ' SEAT: Special Echelon Anti-terror Task Force 'was a true labour of love for the somewhat amateur author J. Andrew Corbett. This 578 page volume has so far remained a little known treat for lovers of zombie and post-apocalyptic fiction, mostly due to a lack of online discussion and/or reviews.

From the roots of posting online zombie fiction, that found a home within the zombie forum for George A Romero ' s films and other such zombie work - homepageofthedead.com, Corbett continued with the original name of SEAT (possibly hoping for the continuation of reader loyalty) and produced this rather ambitious and somewhat military-heavy novel.

Broken down into three separate sections, the book covers a huge expanse of a zombie epidemic, with particular reference towards the more military aspects of such an outbreak. With definite similarities to the early instalments of the online zombie journal ' Alpha_Dog ' , Corbett submerges the reader into a technical explanation of the outbreak. For sheer military obsession, Corbett ' s novel can stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with J. L. Bourne ' s ' Day By Day Armageddon ' . The final comparison must come from David Wellington ' s ' Monster 'trilogy, for the unusual use of the entire globe for the books setting.

Interestingly, all of the above started off their individual lives as online posted fiction, which were later transformed into actual books (with the sad exception of Alpha_Dog).

With ' SEAT ' , the reader follows a specially equipped and hand picked task force that undergo various missions across the globe amongst the chaotic scenario of the undead outbreak. With a great expanse to use, Corbett ' s imagination and lust for military operations pores into each page. It is obvious that the author has a great passion for what he ' s writing about, immersing himself and subsequently the reader into the desperate situation of a dying world.

Thrown straight into the post-apocalyptic state of affairs, the first few pages of the tale leave the reader blindly tip-toeing through the various unfolding events, unsure of what exactly is taking place. Once, the picture eventually becomes more clear, and the principal characters begin to establish themselves, the book then surprisingly takes a while to really pick up its pace.

However, when the storyline gets going, Corbett releases zombie action and suspense in abundance. Characterization is haphazard throughout; with character deaths lacking in impact for the reader, which I am sure was not the original intention. The general storyline too appears broken and incoherent, seemingly flowing along loose threads that simply takes the underlying plot along through its various stages.

The books conclusion wraps the tale up neatly, whilst leaving suggestive elements still alive for a sequel if so desired.

All in all the novel is a pleasing read for a zombie or post-apocalyptic fan. It delivers a unique global feel to the epidemic which is so seldom envisaged within similar novels of this genre. Bursts of inspiration are apparent throughout the book, but without having the well structured guidance of a rigid storyline, the tale often feels lost within itself. With a full editing and some general light re-working, this novel could be made a lot tighter, which would add a great deal to the final outcome.