Max Brooks, World War Z

World War Z: An Oral history of the Zombie War is a great book for any zombie fan. Written by Max Brooks as a historical record by survivors of the zombie holocaust I was hooked. The idea of a simple virus wiping out humanity and leaving behind an array of different people is based on a lot of research by Brooks who took inspiration from George A. Romero and a book detailing the history of World War II. I really enjoyed reading this book, I felt the characters were well developed even in the small chapters that are devoted to a different survivors story in each. A nice vein of humour runs through the book keeping it from slipping into what could be a morbid story. If you love zombies and think the real zombie pandemic could happen then you've gotta read this...with a film on the horizon get in there before it becomes too well known.

If you enjoy the zombie genera you'll enjoy Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie Wars. It is indeed an oral history of the zombie wars as told by people from around the world. From the early beginnings in China to world wide effort to rid the planet of the millions of zombies still lurking about after the humans have gained the upper hand in the war, these tales will mesmerize the reader just as if they had actually happened. Max Brooks is a master story teller that is able to convince his readers that this is an event that actually took place and his characters are real people telling their individual stories about how their lives changed, what they did to survive or how they helped rid the planet of the zombie curse. Certainly not for everyone this is a great read for the horror fan in general but a real delight for the zombie enthusiast.

World War Z

Max Brooks

Crown, September 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 0307346609

This tome serves two purposes, as a cautionary book for humans in future encounters against the Zombie horde and to provide an "oral history" of the global war on terrorism, in which the insurgent living dead came within a bite or two of winning. The CIA offers a slam dunk proof that the Zombie revival started in China as a result of the government campaign of "health and safety" sweeps. Other nations either built great wailing or "Berlin" walls to hide behind or were overwhelmed. Though London was overrun, intrepid Queen Elizabeth remained in the city as a rallying point, insisting to bring it on from inside the safe green zone walls of Windsor Castle. In North America, the president used the Zombie invasion as proof that if you don't stop them over there, you will have to stop them here (impeccable logic, as where else could you stop them). Keep in mind they are slow, so look into their eyes, but not too close; for it they cannot blink due to desiccated, or is that desecrated eyelids? Then off with their heads.

WORLD WAR Z is irreverent, and satirizes the pompous stands of politicians as much as the Zombie movie moment. Fans of both will enjoy this fun oral history that lampoons anything and everything from "bird flu" denial to the Bush Effect (formerly known as the Pygmalion Effect), in which you make a claim, take action, and when your original assumption proves false, insure the only option is to stay the course to prevent Zombies from ironically being the last living left standing.