Monday, February 14, 2011

News: NecroScope Open for Ditmar Nominations

NecroScope is currently eligible for nomination for the 2011 Ditmar Awards, which recognise excellence in SF, fantasy and horror by Australians.

The relevant categories for nomination are:

* Best Fan Writer (Chuck McKenzie, body of work including reviews in NecroScope and HorrorScope)
* Best Fan Publication (NecroScope, Chuck McKenzie)
* William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review (Chuck McKenzie, for Horror reviews in NecroScope and HorrorScope)

If you've enjoyed the ongoing body of work published by NecroScope since its inception in July 2010, and are eligible to nominate, do please consider casting a vote for us (because zombies need validation too!). Nominations are accepted only from natural persons active in fandom, or from full or supporting members of the national convention of the year of the award (full Ditmar rules may be found here).

News: Zombie Movies Screen at ACMI

ACMI - the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne - will be screening some great zombie flicks over the coming month, as part of their regular Freaky Fridays program.

Feb 18/25: Colin
Mar 04: La Horde
Mar 11: ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction

Bookings may be made via the ACMI website, or by calling (03) 8663 2583.

(Reported by Rob Jan)

Review: Dead Earth: The Vengeance Road

Mark Justice & David T. Wilbanks, 2010, Permuted Press

Invaders from another world have raised an unholy army of the living dead, laying waste to human civilisation. The 'Necros' destroyed Jubal's home and everyone he loved - now the only thing that matters to him is payback. Leading a ragtag group of armed survivors, Jubal is now making his way across the desert towards Area 51 - the Necro base - heading for a showdown that nobody may walk away from...

Dead Earth: The Vengeance Road is a fun read. While undermined slightly in places by some fairly clunky dialogue and prose, the central plot is sufficiently inventive and exciting to keep the reader turning the page. There's a distinctly Western-style atmosphere to the whole thing, with the tale essentially amounting to a series of stand-offs and engagements between the forces of Good (lead by Jubal) and Evil (a plague of zombies, controlled by a psychotic, brainwashed biker) as they head towards a final showdown. It's not the perfect zombie novel by any means, but there's a lot to like here, and those who enjoy the unfettered action and imagination of Pulp-style fiction should grab themselves a copy.