Review: Zombies: A Hunter's Guide

Joseph A. McCullough, 2010, Osprey Publishing

Zombies: A Hunter's Guide purports to be a manual detailing the threat posed by zombies, and how best to deal with it. While this sort of approach has been taken in previous zombie-themed publications, Z:AHG is well worth reading, as the author has applied some effective and unique world-building to the text, positing a reality in which the walking dead have always been with us, and extrapolating their effect upon human history and present-day society. The book also manages to successfully and inventively reconcile the existence of various types of zombie (voodoo, necromantic, revenant, atomic and viral) into the workings of McCullough's alternate history, which further underpins the reality of his imagined world.

Effectively illustrated throughout, Zombies: A Hunter's Guide is a genuinely engrossing read, and one that should appeal to zomlit fans who appreciate intelligent creativity within the genre.

(Zombies: A Hunter's Guide is distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link.)

Review: Night of the Living Trekkies

Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall, 2010, Quirk Books

Jim was the world's biggest Star Trek fan - until two tours of duty in Afghanistan destroyed his faith in humanity. Now he sleepwalks through life as the assistant manager of a small hotel in downtown Houston. But when a local Trek convention devolves into a genuine zombie apocalypse, Jim finds that everything he learned from Star Trek just might be enough to deliver a ragtag crew of fanboys and fangirls to safety. Or not.

I'll state right from the outset that Night of the Living Trekkies is a cracking good read, injecting as it does a welcome dose of good old-fashioned fun back into the zombie genre: the plot is engrossing and well-paced, with a great balance of laugh-out-loud humour and genuine horror, while some great characterisation drives the bulk of the action throughout. The character of Jim in particular - a man who knows almost everything there is to know about Star Trek, yet views 'Trek fandom with something very close to contempt - allows the authors to pull off the impressive trick of poking serious fun at the more obvious absurdities of fandom on the one hand, while nonetheless treating the fan community with a high degree of respect on the other, It's in no small part due to this balancing act that - just as Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (also published by Quirk, who obviously know when they're onto a good thing) has proven equally popular with fans of both Austen and zombies - Night of the Living Trekkies will appeal to both fans and non-fans of Star Trek, and most definitely to fans of apocalyptic zombie mayhem.

(Night of the Living Trekkies is distributed in Australia by Random House).

Review: Eden: Crusade

Tony Monchinski, 2010, Permuted Press

As millions of flesh-hungry zombies roam the land, seeking out the last living humans, the remaining refugees from Eden continue on their search for something better. Somewhere safe. Along the way they face adversaries living and dead, befriend fellow survivors, and find reasons to keep hope alive. Yet none suspect that the greatest threat to their survival lies within their own ranks...

When I reviewed Tony Monchinski's Eden back in 2008 (review here), I proclaimed it one of the very best apocalyptic novels I'd ever read. I'm happy to report, then, that the sequel, Crusade, is every bit as good as the original. The plot of the novel is nothing remarkable in itself, following the standard zombie-apocalypse template of survivors fighting against the odds in order to find safe refuge. Where Crusade shines like a diamond, however, is in the characterisation and the atmosphere. Monchinski's characters - sympathetic or otherwise - live and breathe in a way that so few other literary characters do, forcing the reader to invest heavily in their fates (which, be warned, does not make for comfortable reading). The atmosphere throughout the novel is one of almost constant grind; our protagonists do what needs to be done, go through the motions, and occasionally punctuate the mundane search for shelter and food with short, sharp encounters with the hungry dead. There's a brilliantly-conveyed sense that this is not a story with a neat beginning, middle and end, but an ongoing, endless tale of life after the zombies, going on and on, day in, day out. Much like real life, only far less pleasant.

To my mind, with two absolutely top-notch novels under his belt, Monchinski has proven himself a bona-fide shining star of our beloved zomfic subgenre, and as such rates a place on my very short list of authors - in any genre (and I read widely) - whose work I will now always rush out to buy as soon as it hits the shelves. Crusade is a novel that any zomfic fan who truly appreciates literature absolutely must read, along with Monchinski's original novel, Eden.

Gaming: A History of Zombies in Video Games

The zombie-centric Resident Evil video game (and its many sequels) is often credited, in part, with fuelling today's current zombie boom. But zombies in gaming certainly didn't begin - or end - with Capcom's blockbuster survival-horror game. PCWorld has recently posted an informative article on just this subject.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/206769/a_history_of_zombies_in_video_games.html?tk=nl_cox_h_crawl

Visit the link above to read the full article, and keep your trigger finger supple!

News: Competition Update: Email Now Fixed!

For anyone who's been unable to send through their Walking Dead competition entry due to problems with NecroScope's email (never send zombies to do technical work, is what I've learned this week), the problem appears to have been resolved now.

So: please send your entries to necrokeeper@optusnet.com.au!

Free read: 'And the Next, and the Next' by Genevieve Valentine

Commuting is bad enough, but how about being trapped in on a subway train with hundreds of zombies.

You know them by their milky eyes, but they’re easy to fool. If you survive the first crush of them, and can master the art of walking slowly and staring straight ahead, none of them in the packed train car will even look at you.

And the Next, and the Next — Genevieve Valentine : The Living Dead 2

News: October Competition: The Walking Dead

To celebrate the imminent screening of AMC's The Walking Dead this Halloween, NecroScope will be giving away a copy of Issue #1 of Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore's original groundbreaking graphic novel!

This competition is open only to NecroScope subscribers, so be sure to join up now. To enter, simply email your answer to the following fiendishly-difficult multiple-choice question to necrokeeper@optusnet.com.au.


What is the name of the main protagonist from The Walking Dead?
a) Rick Grimes
b) Rick Springfield
c) Ricky Ricardo
d) Dusty Springfield
e) Bub

One lucky winner will be drawn from the pool of entrants on October 31st (EST), and notified via email.

News: Dymocks Southland Bestselling Zombie Titles for September 2010

1. Feed - Mira Grant

2. The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks

3. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Austen / Graeme-Smith

4. 'Monster' series - David Wellington 

5. The Art of Zombie Warfare - Scott Kenemore

6. Ex-Heroes - Peter Clines

7. The Walking Dead (Book #1) - Robert Kirkman

8. Cell - Stephen King

9. Patient Zero - Jonathan Maberry

10. The Zombie Combat Manual - Roger Ma

New zed-flavoured arrivals for the start of October include Night of the Living Trekkies (Kevin David Anderson), Valley of the Dead (Kim Paffenroth), Married With Zombies (Jesse Petersen), The Dead (Charlie Higson), and Shakespeare Undead (Lori Handeland).  

Review: Valley of the Dead

Kim Paffenroth, 2010. Permuted Press

For seventeen years of his life, the exact whereabouts of the medieval Italian poet Dante Aligheri have remained unknown to modern scholars. What is known is that during this time he travelled as an exile across Europe, workling on his epic poem, The Divine Comedy. Now, however, the full truth can be revealed: that during his travels, Dante stumbled across an infestation of the living dead. The unspeakable acts he witnessed became the basis of the horrors described in the most famous volume of The Divine Comedy; Inferno, a description of Hell itself...

As with many things in life, while there's often great satisfaction to be gleaned from reading 'more of the same' in zombie fiction - the dead rise, mismatched survivors get thrown together, etc - I find the experience of reading a zombie novel that successfully breaks new ground to be one of life's greatest pleasures. For like-minded zombie obsessives, Kim Paffenroth's Valley of the Dead is definitely worth picking up.

While the tale clearly falls into the sub-sub-category of historical/zombie mash-up, it's certainly one of the better examples I've seen, with Paffenroth describing a  fictional journey from which passages in The Inferno have purportedly been derived. The structure of the novel cunningly recalls the structure of genuine medieval text, with our protagonists continually wandering from one set piece to another, each 'scene' exposing them to new characters and situations which end up prompting deep philosophical discussion on all manner of topics. It's in presenting these discussions that Paffenroth really shines, as those who have read the author's previous work (Dying to Live and its sequel, and the non-fiction tome Gospel of the Living Dead) will doubtless anticipate, and it must be said that the classic structure of Valley of the Dead allows Paffenroth to make the very most of his predilection.

Valley of the Dead may admittedly not be a novel suited to the tastes of all zombie fans. For those who can appreciate something a little different, however - something that requires a little more thought on the part of the reader - then Valley of the Dead is definitely worth investing your time in.

Review: Zombie Felties

Nicola Tedman & Sarah Skeate, 2010, Penguin Australia

As a bookseller by trade, I can confirm that instructional books on creating Felties - cute little dolls (generally finger-sized) made from felt - are the in thing at present with folks who enjoy handcrafts. That said, even as one of the True Believers in zombie pop-culture, I would not have predicted the publication of a book such as Zombie Felties. And yet, here it is. And, I have to say, it's lots of fun.

In addition to providing clear, idiot-proof instructions (fortunately for negatively-skilled folk like myself) for the creation of each of the sixteen zombie felties described herein, the authors of this book have been extremely creative in their approach to materials (looped red thread for spilling guts; pink sequins for exposed brains), as well as in the range of suggested figures, which include such gruesome delights as the Zombie Bunny, the Mexican-style Day of the Dead Zombie, the Classic Zombie, and the 'Thrilla' Zombie (guess who?).

At the risk of undermining my well-deserved reputation as a macho he-man (no laughing at the back, there!), I had a great deal of fun putting together my Zombie Pirate feltie, and the construction of the Zombie Surfer kept my zed-obsessed son occupied for several blissful hours during the current school-holiday period, which - in my book - makes Zombie Felties an absolute winner.

Review: Ex-Heroes

Peter Clines, 2010, Permuted Press

Folks had really only just come to terms with the existence of genuine superheroes when the dead began to rise. Now, Los Angeles is a wasteland. Thousands of survivors shelter in a converted film studio, under the protection of the remaining superpowered individuals, while millions of hungry ex-humans roam the streets. Now, however, there's something worse out there than the zombies. Across the city, another group of survivors has grown and gained power. And they are not heroes...

If ever there was a novel that I'd give just about anything to see turned into a movie, Ex-Heroes would be it. The plot - which, far from rehashing Marvel Zombies territory, offers a fresh and engrossing take on the superhero/zombie mash-up - storms along at white-knuckle speed, boasting a superb blend of action, intrigue and survival horror, while somehow finding breathing-room for some major character insights and development. The superheroes (and humans) of the tale are all wonderfully flawed, in ways that generally serve to drive the plot rather than simply complement it, and the reader is constantly reminded that human nature doesn't always vanish with the onset of superpowers, for better or worse. Add to the mix Clines' ability to create stunning visuals in the mind's eye of the reader through masterful use of prose and dialogue, and the resulting package is one of the very best zombie novels I've yet to read.

Ex-Heroes is a must-read for genre fans who demand so much more than just another zompocalypse. Hell, I'd read Clines' laundry list if that happened to be the only other thing he ever wrote, but I'll hold out hope for another novel, and soon.

Feature: Frank Darabont and The Walking Dead

In a nondescript office building on Cahuenga Boulevard, Frank Darabont is putting the finishing touches on the end of the world. The writer-director, famed for such Oscar-nominated feature films as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," is now masterminding the zombie apocalypse with his new television series, "The Walking Dead."

Read on at The LA Times.

News: Subscription Competition Closes!

The inaugural NecroScope subscription drive competition has now officially closed! Congratulations to our lucky winner, Angelique Davis (aka Vampires and Tofu), whose fantastic prize-pack will be shortly packed into an airtight biohazard receptacle and dispatched to the US on an overbooked commercial passenger ship. Nothing can possibly go worng...

Commiserations to all our subscribers who didn't win - but don't lose heart (or whatever). NecroScope will continue to dole out the goodies in the months ahead, so be sure to stick with us for ongoing zombie-related goodness, and be sure to tell your friends, family, lovers and enemies to sign up also, for more chances to win great prizes!

Upcoming competitions may* include:

- Win a copy of Kirkman's The Walking Dead #1, to coincide with the Halloween screening of AMC's upcoming TV adaptation.

- Choose a cool zombie tattoo design for NecroScope's own Keeper of the Dead!

- Retro Review Month: correctly guess the first 'retro' zombie title to be reviewed!

- Attack of the Zombie Shorts! Send us your zombie flash-fiction (500 words max.) for a chance to win a copy of Writers' Workshop of Horror.

And many more to come. Or not (see disclaimer below). Keep visiting for further updates!

* Disclaimer: Or may not. Many of these concepts seemed like good ideas after a few glasses of red and a tasty brain, but in the cold light of day...

Art: Freaking Awesome Zombie Poster

This amazing artwork features 978 zombie movies, books and games.

(Via BoingBoing)

Pop Culture: Know Your Zombie History!

As Chuck noted yesterday, Tor are going gaga for zombies this week.

Today, Julia Nevin pays tribute to some of the lesser known heroes of the sub-genre.

Review: Zombies of Mass Destruction

Dir. Kevin Hamedani, 2009, Roadshow Entertainment

Life in the seaside community of Port Gamble reflects the ideals of small-town America; white picket fences, friendly neighbours, a more comfortable pace to life. Until, that is, a terrorist attack results in a zombie uprising. Then, an unlikely trio comprising an Iranian-American girl and a gay couple will have to battle not only the undead, but the simmering intolerance of their fellow survivors, in order to save their town and themselves...

Despite always trying to not judge a DVD by its cover, I should admit from the outset that my expectations of Zombies of Mass Destruction were significantly lowered by the label 'A Political Zomedy' gracing the cover of this release; generally, when producers of any political satire feel compelled to emphasise the fact that the movie is a political satire, this tends to indicate that the satire (and usually the movie in general) isn't up to much.

I bother to mention this only because I'm fairly certain that others may share my feelings on this. And it would be a pity if any of those folks were to avoid watching ZMD based upon that assumption, because ZMD is actually a pretty damn good film. The acting is excellent, the special effects and make-up convincing, and the script - which admittedly follows the standard zombie-uprising plot - is both entertaining and exciting.

Even better, the satirical content of this movie actually works. Much of the political commentary is admittedly pretty unsubtle stuff, with very obvious allusions made to dodgy post-9/11 politics, and the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, among other things. Yet beneath all this in-your-face stuff is another, more subtle (and disturbing) layer of socio-political satire examining the casual bigotry of Good People, the evils performed in the name of humanitarianism, and the truism that even the worst events will serve someone's political agenda, big or small, and it's when addressing such issues that both the script and acting really shine.

Zombies of Mass Destruction is a terrific little flick, and a definite 'must-see' for any fan of zombie cinema, particularly those who enjoy Romero-esque social commentary. The DVD release is now available in Australia through the usual retailers.

News: Reminder! Subscription Drive Competition Closes Soon!

If you haven't yet signed up as a NecroScope 'Shambler' (Follower), here's a reminder that our first-ever official subscription drive competition closes on September 16th, 5pm EST (original post here), leaving only two more days for zombophiles to enter the draw to win a fabulous prize pack comprising:

* A SIGNED copy of Feed, by Mira Grant (Orbit, 2010).
* A copy of the novel State of Decay, by James Knapp (Roc, 2010).
* A copy of Dead or Alive, by William Harms (Absolute Tyrant, 2010).
* One copy each of Black House Comics' After the World: Killable Hours (Clay Blakehills) and After the World: Gravesend (Jason Fischer).
* A copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, by Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz (Coscom Entertainment, 2009).
* A copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zombies, by Nathan Robert Brown (Penguin Books, 2010).
* A copy of the comic George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead: The Beginning, Issue #1 (Avatar Press, 2006).


The draw is open to international Shamblers as well as Disinterred Australians. Simply press the 'Follow' button on the right-hand menu. One lucky subscriber will be picked at random after the cut-off, and contacted via the website.

News: Zombie Week at Tor.com

Zombie fans would be well advised to shamble past Tor.com this week. Why? Well, because the publisher's site is currently hosting a zombie theme week, featuring articles and blog entries by the likes of Joe McKinney, Bob Fingerman, John Joseph Adams, Roger Ma, and other members of zombie royalty, as well as short fiction and novel excerpts from Neil Gaiman, David Wellington, Amelia Beamer and more, plus comics, poetry, music, survival tips...

So: grab your shotgun and head on over to Tor.com for more zombie-related goodness than can possibly be good for anyone.

Review: What Will Come After

Scott Edelman, 2010, PS Publishing

One of my greatest occasional pleasures as both a reader and a reviewer is in picking up a new collection by an author responsible for several stories I've previously enjoyed, and then realising that I've actually read (and greatly enjoyed) almost all of the tales therein without previously having attributed them to the author in question.

So it has been with What Will Come After: the Complete Zombie Stories of Scott Edelman. This wonderful hardback collection contains eight reprints (and one original) dating back as far as 1997, with each and every one a bona fide classic of the genre (this further evidenced in the publishing acknowledgements at the back of the book). Edelman's work takes full advantage of the extensive range of tropes and themes offered by zombie fiction, delving into classic literature mash-ups ('Live People Don't Understand' and 'Tell Me Like You Done Before') to dark examinations of the human condition ('The Man He Had Been Before' and 'The Human Race'), existential angst ('What Will Come After'), black humour ('Goobers'), and onward into realms previously unexplored, including a dose of Shakespearean-style theatre ('A Plague on Both Your Houses') and an exploration of the Big Question: what happens in a zombie-infested world once all the humans have been either consumed or converted? ('The Last Supper').

Edelman writes beautifully literary zombie fiction with broad appeal; simultaneously insightful, engrossing, and darkly entertaining. What Will Come After is available for purchase directly from the publisher's website, and any afficiando of zombie fiction will be richer for immediately adding a copy to their personal collection.

Interview: Dr Arnold T. Blumberg

A few weeks back, NecroScope reported on an upcoming Pop Culture minor course on zombies (original post here) being offered by the University of Baltimore. Well, despite the fact that class in now in session, and international media interest in the course is at fever pitch, course tutor Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg (co-author of Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For) was kind enough to take time out from his busy schedule to tell us a little about how it's all rolling...

NecroScope: Dr. Blumberg, tell us briefly about your interest in zombies, and from where this interest originated.

Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg: My entire life personally and professionally has been about taking a critical look at pop culture and genre entertainment, and I love everything from comics and science fiction (especially Doctor Who!) to horror. Part of that, obviously, has been a fascination with zombies, a lot of which really crystalized when I worked on my book with Andy Hershberger, Zombiemania. From 2003-2005, when we worked on that book, I got a chance to see many of the movies I'd always wanted to see as a child but never got around to seeing, so it was as much about discovery for me as it was a chance to rewatch and write about movies I already enjoyed.

NS: Zombies have a really strong fan base at present, but what made you believe that an educational course on the undead would be viable? Is there actually a 'need' to educate people about zombies?

ATB: The course is not the first in the country, but certainly the justification is there now more than ever. We are inundated with media 24/7 and we need to be able to provide students with the tools they need to be intelligent and informed consumers of that media. The zombie is such an all-pervasive icon in our culture right now, so mainstream, that we simply must ask the questions: Why? What does the zombie say about us and to us? Why does it attract us and what does it say about us as a people, a nation, and a culture?

NS: What sort of reaction did you get from the University of Baltimore when you pitched the idea of a course on zombies?

ATB: Perhaps a bit surprisingly, rather intrigued and enthusiastic! They were starting a Pop Culture minor as part of their College of Arts & Sciences, with courses deliberately designed to offer incisive, critical looks at different genres in our media, so it was just a matter of explaining why the zombie as a genre and an icon was ripe for academic analysis. It wasn't that difficult to establish.

NS: The general public tends to have a preconceived idea of what fans of zombies (and of horror tropes in general) are like, in the same way that many have a stereotypical view of SF fans. Tell us a little about the sort of people who have signed up for your course.

ATB: The class so far seems to run a very predictable range of students of various ages and both genders, some of whom are clearly already fans, some of whom have never seen or read about zombies in their lives, and then folks in the middle that aren't enthusiasts but have probably caught Night of the Living Dead or heard the word 'zombie' in the news at some point. It's a very balanced range from the casual to the dedicated zombie viewer, just right for sparking a lot of dynamic discussion in class, and I feel it's in those discussions where learning really takes place.

NS: Your course involves the viewing of a number of zombie movies. Tell us a little about some of the specific movies being viewed, and why they've been included in the course.

ATB: We start with White Zombie and explore the ways in which that film reflects western culture's first exposure to the Voudoun traditions of the West Indies. From there we proceed chronologically through the '40s (I Walked With a Zombie), '50s (Invisible Invaders, Plan 9 From Outer Space), '60s (NOTLD, of course) and so on, taking time to analyze how the zombie evolves and offers a mirror of the culture at that point. By the time we reach the end of the semester and films like Zombieland and [REC], we'll be looking at how our current world situation - fears of terrorism, collapse of financial institutions, ongoing military conflict - both inform and transform the zombie in popular media.

NS: Your passion for zombie cinema is obvious, but are there any examples of zombie literature that you'd cite as being particularly important to the genre?
ATB: I was never as much into zombie-themed literature as cinema and television, but obviously there are some standouts, and I've assigned a few in class, everything from Max Brooks' World War Z to [Jonathan Maberry's] Patient Zero and [David Wellington's] Monster Island. I'll also be touching on The Walking Dead comic (and TV show), [Mira Grant's] Feed, the phenomenon of classic literature mash-ups like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and even zombie haiku!

NS: Finally, what are your all-time favourite three zombie movies, and why?

ATB: I'd have to go with White Zombie (1932) for its delightful Lugosi performance and perfectly pitched mood, NOTLD as just one of the most reliable Halloween-night films you can watch for that relentless siege atmosphere, and Burial Ground (1981) for how over-the-top it is, just as I always imagined an Italian zombie movie would be when I was a kid.

NecroScope thanks Dr. Blumberg for making the time to 'sit and chat'. Those seeking further information on Dr. Blumberg's course - entitled Media Genres: Zombies - will soon be able to access an FAQ page on Blumberg's website (link here).

Review: Doghouse

Dog House
2009
Directed by Jake West

The Plot

Vince (Stephen Graham) is going through the final stages of his divorce and to help him through this period his friends Mikey (Noel Clarke) and Neil (Danny Dyer) decide to take him and a few of the other boys to a remote village outside the humdrum of their London lives to get, in Dyer's own words; 's**tfaced'. However, when they turn up to the incredibly eerie village of Moodley to find flesh-eating, man-hating, cannibalistic women who want to do nothing more than rip out their internal organs and eat them for breakfast, the boys realise they have bitten more than they can chew and must fight their way through a barrage of blood-thirsty women in the most misogynistic way imaginable.

The premise of the film completely reflects the manner in which Jake West approaches this project, with a gleeful nod towards plenty of harmless sexist humour and cheap gory death sequences that are all nice, light-hearted and fun. Neil, Vince and Mikey are all your typical working-class likely lads out to simply flirt with the opposite sex and drink as much as their body-weight, with Danny Dyer in particular needing to place little effort in recreating his Cockney 'laddish' persona (yet again) on the big-screen. While Dave Schaffer's script contains many easy-going humorous gags to keep your attention ticking over while the next axe, gnome or sword heads to try and end the boy's misogynistic ways and eliminate the male chromosome all in one.

'Doghouse' is nowhere near the heights of Pegg/Frost's rom-zom-com-supremo 'Shaun of the Dead', but it is a fun 85 minutes of black humour. There are plenty of great scenes to laugh at throughout the entire movie, such as when Mikey tries to break into an army jeep and the brick rebounds and hits him in the head. And while we're on the subject of heads, the scene where a severed head is place on a remote control truck and used to distract the zombie chicks is classic.

While not as good as Shuan of the Dead, it is a good flick and not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

Review: Chasers (Bk #1: Alone)

James Phelan, 2010, Hachette Australia

Australian teen Jesse is on a UN Young Ambassadors camp in New York when his subway carriage is rocked by a massive explosion. Jesse and his three friends, Dave, Mini and Anna, crawl out to discover a city in chaos. Buildings are in ruins. Bodies litter the streets. And the only other survivors seem to be infected with something that turns them into horrifying predators...

It's tempting to suggest that some of the darkness in this novel - and there is plenty of darkness - will be lost on its intended Young Adult audience, as Phelan successfully drags the reader back to 9/11 (which younger readers may not visually recall) with his description of a city in ruins. However, so vivid is the setting that even pre-teens should have no difficulty in grasping the horror of the situation described herein. The plot is straightforward (with at least one massive twist!), though totally engrossing due to the uncertainties faced by the protagonists, and the characters are believably flawed. The infected 'zombies' of the piece are treated with far more sympathy than I've previously experienced, with constant reminders that these are people unable to control their behaviour; this does not, however, make them any less terrifying, and their motivation to attack the uninfected (or even one another) -  a terrible, all-consuming thirst - only intensifies their creepiness.

Chasers is an excellent novel (and the first in a series) that should please most fans of apocalyptic zombie fare, regardless of age. It's worth noting also that the book has been selected for the current GET READING! nationwide Australian Government initiative, and thus should be available in all good bookstores.

News: The Zombie Diaries 2 Film Shoot

Our UK-based zombie lovers (or others planning on heading over there soonish) might like to take part in this event announced on Facebook.

"On Sunday November 14th 2010 you'll have the chance to experience something that we believe has never been done before in the UK. You can be in the cast for the greatest number of zombie extras ever gathered on a film set. AND take part in the filming of The Zombie Diaries 2 on Tan-Y-Bwlch (south) beach as part of The Abertoir Horror Festival."

To take part, you need to register.

Read more about The Zombie Diaries and director Michael Bartlett.

News: Dymocks Southland Bestselling Zombie Titles for August 2010

1. The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
2. Alone (Chasers #1) - James Phelan
3. The Enemy - Charlie Higson
4. Feed - Mira Grant
5. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Austen / Graeme-Smith
6. Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead - ed. Christopher Golden
7. 'Monster' series - David Wellington
8. Patient Zero - Jonathan Maberry
9. The Dead That Walk - ed. Stephen Jones
10. Zombies: Encounters With the Hungry Dead - ed. John Skipp

Review: La Horde (The Horde)

Dir. Yannik Dahan & Benjamin Rocher, 2009, Roadshow Entertainment (Australian DVD Release).
In an abandoned tower block in an isolated town north of Paris, a group of cops-turned-vigilante prepare to exact justice for a murdered colleague. But as the gangsters they were seeking to assassinate unexpectedly take the upper hand, the unimaginable occurs: strange lights flash in the sky, the distant city begins to burn...and from the darkness surrounding the tower pours a multitude of feral, cannibalistic dead.

The genius of this film is that it starts off looking like something completely other than an apocalyptic zombie movie - specifically, like a gritty, brutal crime drama of the sort that Europeans currently do so damn well. Thus, by the time the audience even gets a hint of the undead mayhem to come (a good twenty minutes into the film), the gritty realism of the setting has become so firmly cemented that the unexpected onset of the apocalypse requires virtually no suspension of disbelief. The reality of the setting is matched by that of the characters, with highly believable performances from the central cast. Unlike the characters in many other zombie flicks, the characters here are given scant opportunity for emotional outpouring, grieving for fallen comrades, or personal revelations; these are hard-arse cops and gangsters, determined to survive against unthinkable odds, and thus the majority of the film involves a cold and methodical search for a safe escape route, punctuated regularly by some of the most brutal, violent and - yes - exciting fight scenes I've ever witnessed (including one beaut where a thug goes bare-knuckle against two feral zombies of the 'fast' variety).

In short, The Horde is a dark, brutal, gory, vastly enjoyable, adrenaline-fuelled, haunted-house-ride of a movie, and possibly one of the best modern zombie flicks ever made. Sure, that's a big call, but grab a copy of this DVD today, watch it, and tell me I'm wrong.

Review: High School of the Dead

Dir. Tetsuro Araki, 2010, Madman (Australian DVD release).

A deadly new disease is ravaging the world, turning the populace into mindless zombies, and the number of infected is skyrocketing by the second. As their fellow classmates and teachers succumb to the infection around them, a small group of students at Fujimi High School are fighting for their lives after surviving the initial outbreak. It is up to Takashi Komuro to unite the group of weary survivors and try to escape the horrors that surround them. In this new world of the living dead…will they escape?

Adapted from the popular Manga series of the same title, High School of the Dead is a rather brilliant little excursion into animated zombie mayhem that should prove a hit with fans of both zombies and anime. All the usual trappings of Japanese animation are here; heavily stylised characters, moments of bizarre humour (plus, of course, plenty of focus on short skirts and busty schoolteachers), as well as some absolutely stunning visuals and sound work - all of which serve to underscore the bleak, apocalyptic horror of the piece. Throw in a good dose of extreme violence and on-screen gore, as well as some genuinely interesting and often emotional character development, and the result is one of the best televisual zombie outings I've had the pleasure to watch.

The DVD of the currently-screening TV series will soon be available in Australia through Madman, with episodes of the series (and others) now available for free viewing at the Madman Screening Room.

Pop Culture: New Course Explores Use of Zombies In Pop Culture

From August 31st this year, the University of Baltimore will roll out its new pop culture minor with a course on zombies. The course instructor, Arnold T. Blumberg, M.A. ’96, D.C.D. ’04, visiting professor in UB’s School of Communication Design and co-author of Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For, literally wrote the book on the subject. It’s one of only a handful of courses like it in the country.
Blumberg says: “The zombie functions as an allegory for all sorts of things that play out in our country, whether it’s the threat of communism during the Cold War or our fears about bioterrorism in 2010. It’s relatively easy to connect the zombie to what is happening in culture.”

UB’s School of Communications Design Director Jonathan Shorr sees zombies in a larger context: “We know from archaeologists and anthropologists that a society’s artifacts tell us a lot about what that culture valued and feared. Stories about King Arthur, for example, aren’t stories about 9th century England as much as about the culture of the time in which the work was produced. The same is true with zombies.

”Even major fans of zombies—and they’re out there, by the millions,” says Blumberg, “may not spend time contemplating the underlying meaning of this monster, despite its potency. It takes some close attention to really understand what a given film, book or graphic novel is saying about the zombie—and what zombies are saying about the culture. That’s what we’ll be getting into this fall.”

Blumberg, curator of Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, has done extensive research into the genre, and the course will spend some time looking at the history and legacy of this particular “brand” of monster, in cinema, literature and folklore, as well as the (pseudo) science that is occasionally brought in to prove the existence of zombies.

(Unfortunately, for Australian zombiphiles, Baltimore is obviously in a whole 'nother country. You can't just jump in the car and drive there).

For more information on the course (and other zombie-related goodness) visit Dr. Blumberg's website at: http://www.apanelwithnoborders.com/

Pop Culture: Zombies Are No Laughing Matter!

...although the good folk over at Cracked.com - 'America's only humour & video site, since 1958' - might disagree. The site features a number of excellent zombie-related articles, ranging from the insightful to the downright hilarious. Check out the link below, and enjoy the irreverence!

http://www.cracked.com/search/search.php?sa=search&q=zombies

News: Zombies Invade Worldcon!

The program for the 68th World Science Fiction Convention (Aussiecon4, Sept 2-6) has now been posted at the official website, and attending zombiphiles will no doubt be extremely satisfied with the level of zombie mayhem scheduled, as well as the numerous events featuring well-known contributors to zombie pop-culture..
Zombie-related panels and activities will include:

* Monster mash-ups (Panel)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Sense and Sensibility and Sea-Monsters. Little Vampire Women. Jane Slayre—it’s open season on the classics as well as the undead. Just what is going on here and where did it all start?
Scott Edelman, Darlene Marshall, Chuck McKenzie, Faye Ringel, Damien White

* Vampire vs Zombie Smackdown (Debate)

Two kinds of undead, no holds barred.
Participants on the one hand - Scott Edelman, Robert Hood, Chuck McKenzie
On the other - Narrelle M Harris, George R. R. Martin, Faye Ringel

* Zombie Make-Up Session for Kids
Chuck McKenzie, John Parker, Sarah Parker

* Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse (Kids' instructional session)
Chuck McKenzie, John Parker, Sarah Parker

* Media Stream
Screenings of Pontypool, and the new Anime TV series High School of the Dead.

* In Conversation
Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) and Catherynne M. Valente (Disclaimer: may not necessarily involve zombies).
 
* Readings
Stephen Dedman, Seanan McGuire, Chuck McKenzie, Robert Hood, Trent Jamieson, and others.
 
* Signings
Trent Jamieson, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Stephen Dedman, Robert Hood, and others.
 
* Kaffeeklatsches
Seanan McGuire, Stephen Dedman, Trent Jamieson, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Robert Stephenson, and others.
 
For times and dates, or for full (non-zombie) details of the program, follow the link above.

Review: The Walking Dead

Robert Kirkman (creator/writer) & Tony Moore (illus.), 2003 -, Image Comics

'An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. No government. No grocery stores. No mail delivery. No cable TV.

'In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living...'

With US cable network AMC rolling out a much-anticipated TV adaptation of this iconic comic series this October, it seems the perfect time to take a quick look back at where it all began: with Issue #1 of The Walking Dead ('Days Gone Bye'), back in 2003.

Yep, that's a long time for a zombie comic series to run, especially keeping in mind that this series kicked off some time before the current zombie boom. But then, that's precisely the premise behind this groundbreaking publication: that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, there would never be any neat conclusion, with our heroes walking off into the sunset; things would just...keep going. Day after day after day...

In issue #1, small-town cop Rick Grimes is gunned down in the line of duty, awakening from his subsequent coma to discover that the world he knew - along with his wife and child - has gone. From there, the series focuses almost exclusively upon Rick, his journey, and the lives of those he encounters along the way. Kirkman's vision of life after the zombies is bleak and uncompromising, pulling no punches with regards to zombie mayhem and human brutality alike. The ongoing plot, meandering along in a disturbingly lifelike way, is always engrossing (though occasionally and deliberately mundane), and features a strong cast of evolving characters that the reader will quickly empathise with (though not necessarily like).

The Walking Dead stands as a wonderful and affecting piece of literature, complemented beautifully by Moore's strongly detailed black-and-white illustrations. Fans of zombie literature who may not necessarily be fans of graphic novels (and I count myself among them) are nonetheless strongly advised to pick up a copy of Issue #1; I defy you to be able to put it down again.

Review: The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten

Harrison Geillor, 2010, Night Shade Books

The town of Lake Woebegotten, Minnesota, is an ordinary little town, populated by ordinary little people. Or so it appears, until the zombie apocalypse arrives, after which it becomes apparent - given the local population includes an ex-military dominatrix, a gun-crazy conspiracy theorist, a car-humping Mayor, a born-again Norse fundamentalist, a housewife who dreams of becoming a serial killer, and an actual serial killer (and septuagenarian mayoral candidate), among others - that, even without the walking dead to contend with (zombie bears, even, you betcha!), Lake Woebegotten has never been a remotely ordinary little town. Still, the townsfolk are going to have to put all that aside if they hope to survive the coming zombie onslaught...assuming they can survive each other, of course...

The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten is, quite simply, one of the funniest, most enjoyable books I've ever read. If George A. Romero and Stephen King had collaborated on the novelisation of Fargo, you'd probably get something pretty close to Geillor's novel: the prose and dialogue are a joy to read, and rich with gentle, observational humour; the plot twists and turns along at a satisfying pace; the wonderful characters - while undoubtedly comic - never quite stray into the realm of stereotyping or outright lampoon. And the zombies do what zombies do best: kill and feed, in as gory and entertaining a manner as possible.

If you only read one zombie novel a year...then you're not reading enough zombie novels. Regardless, put The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten up the top of your Want List: it's absolutely brilliant, and (dare I say it?) my pick for an instant classic of the zombie genre.

Pop Culture: Have Zombies Jumped the Shark?

A sacrilegious suggestion on NecroScope, right?

Head on over to Jonathan Maberry's blog to hear a bunch of people, including erstwhile colleagues Chuck McKenzie and Robert Hood, explain why zeds are still (un)dead cool.

Review: Rec 2

Rec 2 follows straight on from where Rec ended, with the apartment building under heavily armed quarantine and no apparent survivors inside. I watched Rec in anticipation of this sequel and it was a seemles transition to Rec 2, making the 4 hours of viewing extremely enjoyable.

The movie starts with another armed team ready to escort a specialist "doctor" inside to obtain samples of the infected blood. The team are not long in the building before they encounter the infected and the body count starts again.

There are also other new victims in the apartment when a firefighter helps one of the occupants spouses in through an underground tunnel, closely followed by a trio of clueless teenagers.

Filmed in the same format as Rec, we see the action through the live camera's of the teenagers and swat team. This style is widely used now, but the original ones like Rec, really mastered the format.

If you enjoyed Rec then you will love this sequel, even though there is a completely new cast and twist to the plot not far along.

Review: Survival of the Dead

Dir. George Romero; Starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Athena Karkanis, 2009

Review by Troy King
George Romero is back with the 6th of his ‘… of the Dead’ movies, or the 3rd of the modern day trilogy. But this latest effort falls flat with cheap CGI, obscure storyline and bland performances. The traditional humour is there but boarders on silly while the regular social commentary is practically transparent. Is this worse than ‘Land’? I would have to say so.

When the dead have taken over the world, where else would you go to but a small island off the coast of America. Here the local farmers are taking to the outbreak like they do their livestock- round ‘em up and shot the diseased. But on this Irish descent land there is another side that wants to do things a different way and instead of killing their once loved community members, they want to study them, teach them. Keep them safe until a cure is found. So when the former kill hungry group are driven off the island, they head back to the mainland to gather support. It is here there is a connection with ‘Diary’- the reinforcements they get are the group of army mercenaries that briefly appeared in ‘Diary’ when they robbed the main characters. They all go back to the island to take back the land. A modern day Irish western ensues and bloody mayhem reigns.

It is this dodgy CGI gore that really affects the film. With previous entries like ‘Dawn’ and ‘Day’ producing possible the best visual effects of its time, it is such a letdown to see the standard fall so low. In fact the themes are quite similar to ‘Day’. The social commentary may be a comparison to the US in Iraq, trying to teach democracy. Or maybe it’s the suggestion that as a society we are too quick to use killing as a way to solve the problem. Either way it’s boring. There is unevenness to the plot and the film just doesn’t flow. But having given us such classic masterpieces as the afore mentioned, we can forgive Zombie King Romero just this once. Just don’t let it happen again!

News: NecroScope Subscription Drive

NecroScope Wants You!

Become one of our 'Shamblers' (Followers) and go into the draw to win a prize-pack of zombie-related goodies!

This pack comprises:

* A copy of the novel State of Decay, by James Knapp (Roc, 2010).

* A copy of Feed, by Mira Grant (Orbit, 2010).

* A copy of Dead or Alive, by William Harms (Absolute Tyrant, 2010).

* One copy each of Black House Comics' After the World: Killable Hours (Clay Blakehills) and After the World: Gravesend (Jason Fischer).

* A copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, by Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz (Coscom Entertainment, 2009).

* A copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zombies, by Nathan Robert Brown (Penguin Books, 2010).

* A copy of the comic George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead: The Beginning, Issue #1 (Avatar Press, 2006).

To enter, just click on the 'Follow' button (lower right). Both new and existing Shamblers will be eligible to win, as will Shamblers living overseas! A winner will be drawn at random on September 16th, 2010, and contacted via this site.

So: tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell that weird-looking guy stumbling around the cemetery over there. You've got to be in it to win it!

* Image copyright Billy Tackett www.billytackett.com

Review: Realms of the Dead (a Forgotten Realms: The Haunted Lands anthology)

Ed. Susan J. Morris, Wizards of the Coast, 2010

Not even the mightiest mage, working spells that remain utterly reliable, can hope to prevail against dozens of tireless, ruthless undead, who suffer no pain and can be distracted by nothing...

With zombies currently infecting almost every imaginable subgenre of fiction, from romance to Young Adult to action-thriller, it's unsurprising to now see them shambling into Media Tie-Ins. Recently the walking dead have featured in novels set in the universes of Torchwood (Bay of the Dead) and Star Wars (Death Troopers), and now provide the focus for Realms of the Dead, an anthology of tales set in the world of the popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

It should go without saying that the tales herein fall squarely into a swords-and-sorcery fantasy setting, with the undead of this world represented by such supernatural beings as lichs, wraiths, corporeal ghosts, and corpses reanimated by magic, and - as such - may not be to the taste of all zombie aficionados. Nonetheless, zombies (in all but name) are well-represented in these tales, and the stories themselves are well-written and engaging, featuring interesting characters and plots (this, I should add, being the opinion of a reviewer who is in no way a particular fan of traditional fantasy or of RPG).

In short, if you enjoy a little variety in your zombies, and don't mind the Tolkienesque tropes of elves, dwarves and dragons, then Realms of the Dead should appeal. On the other hand, if your love for zombies begins and ends with Dawn of the Dead, this may not be the anthology for you.

Review: Abominations

Rebecca Brock, RLB, 2007

I should begin with a word of explanation as to why I'm reviewing a self-published collection here, which - according to NecroScope's official guidelines - is something to be avoided. So here it is:

Rebecca Brock gives good zombie.

Having recently read two cracking zombie tales by Brock - 'Night Shift' (The Best of All Flesh) and 'Junebug' (History is Dead) - I felt that even a self-published collection of this author's work was likely to be a reasonably safe investment. And I'm pleased to report that my hunch proved correct.

Abominations collects eleven short fiction reprints - most, though not all of them, zombie-related - plus one novel excerpt. All are engaging and entertaining, and Brock displays a keen understanding of the human condition (including aspects that we might prefer not to address). Also, in a genre where we've come to expect 'sharp shock' endings, Brock is refreshingly skilled at the 'deceptively soft' ending; we see the inevitable approaching from a fair distance, but Brock's understated concluding lines impart a sense of disquiet that remains long after the book is laid aside.

To sum up, I really enjoyed Abominations. True, the publication could have done with some more attention to formatting and editing (which is something even professional presses overlook occasionally); but, overall, this is an extremely enjoyable collection, and one that left me looking forward to reading more from Rebecca Brock.

Abominations is available through Amazon, in print or e-format. Go buy it. That is all.

Review: Dead or Alive

William Harms, Absolute Tyrant Publishers, 2010

Arizona 1889: two desperate brothers have pulled off a bloody stagecoach robbery, and think their troubled past is behind them. But a horror from the region's tribal past has been unearthed, and - as a terrifying sickness sweeps through the local township - the Smith brothers find themselves fighting for their lives against against a horde of the hungry dead...

Dead or Alive is the debut novel of William Harms, whose previous publishing credits include the acclaimed vampire-themed graphic novel, Impaler. There's quite a bit to like about Dead or Alive: the characters are all well-realised (if generally unlikeable), and the plot trots along at a good pace. Oh, and there's plenty of brutal zombie action for the gorehounds. My only gripe is that Harm's obvious talent for dialogue doesn't extend to the prose (which is pretty turgid in places). If you can get past this, however, then Dead or Alive offers a fun, by-the-numbers, zombie/western romp that should appeal to zombie obsessives. And possibly cowboys.

Review: Feed

Mira Grant, 2010, Orbit Books

2014: We had cured cancer and the common cold, but in doing so created something far worse. The infection spread, taking over minds and bodies with one, unstoppable command: Feed.

2040: Bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason have hit the big time, reporting from the campaign trail of a Presidential hopeful. But in a world where the dead walk and kill, nothing is ever safe or certain. As the Masons begin to uncover more and more evidence of a dark conspiracy behind the Infected, it seems less and less likely that either of them will survive to get the truth out.

In Feed (Book #1 of the Newsflesh Trilogy), Mira Grant has created not only one of the very best zombie novels I've ever had the pleasure to read, but also one of the very best Social SF novels I've ever read, taking the global zombie uprising as a starting point and extrapolating a fascinating and effortlessly believable post-apocalyptic society, with much invaluable back story and cultural info provided through the eyes of the central character. The plot itself is deceptively simple and linear (yet thoroughly enjoyable), which allows the reader still more opportunity to take a look around the strange new world of 2040, secure in the knowledge that nothing truly shocking or dreadful is likely to occur...

I use the word 'deceptively' advisedly, folks.

Feed is a page-turner of the highest order, which hits the reader (emotionally speaking) like a tonne of bricks when their defences are down. A must-read for all fans of horror, SF, and anything in-between.

News: Zombie Article Garners Award Nomination

The fandom-based Australian Science Fiction Awards, commonly referred to as the Ditmar Awards, recognise excellence in SF, Fantasy and Horror by Australians. Each year, the Australian National SF Convention presents the Ditmar Awards for the previous calendar year.

This year's Ditmars will be presented at Aussiecon4 (the 68th World Science Fiction Convention). Included among the shortlisted nominees is NecroScope's own Keeper of the Dead, Chuck McKenzie, with one nomination for Best Fan Writer for his reviews on our parent site HorrorScope, and one for the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism for his article 'The Dead Walk!...Into A Bookshop Near You', published in Brimstone Press' Eye of Fire ezine.

As this article examines in depth the recent and ongoing boom in zombie literature, we present a link to the ezine for our readers.

http://www.brimstonepress.com.au/EoF1.pdf

Interview: Jonathan Maberry

Roving zombophile Scott Wilson is at it again, this time talking mutants, comics, and horror in general with Jonathan Maberry, perhaps (deservedly) the biggest name in zombie fiction today. Check out the interview on the official AHWA site via the link below.

http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=246

Interview: David Moody

David Moody is a name that should be familiar to most zombophiles, David being the author of the acclaimed Autumn series, as well as Hater, and other zombie-related work. Scott Wilson, Executive Editor of Midnight Echo (the offical Magazine of the Australian Horror Writers' Association), recently posted an interview with Moody over at the AHWA site, wherein all manner of disturbing stuff was discussed.

To read the interview, follow this link:

http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=244

Review: The Zombie Combat Manual

Roger Ma, 2010, Penguin Australia

When the bombs stop falling, when your ammunition runs out, when the dead are still attacking the living...will you be ready?

The Zombie Combat Manual, as the title suggests, is yet another entry into the increasingly-popular 'zombie guide' subgenre (along with such titles as Max Brooks' uber-serious The Zombie Survival Guide, and David P. Murphy's satirical Zombies for Zombies). It's also one of the best such guides I've ever read, striking exactly the right balance between providing serious information on how to protect oneself against the walking dead, and entertaining the reader (an aspect often lacking in other 'serious' guides). This is not to suggest that TZCM is a humorous, or even particularly light read; highly detailed chapters on combat techniques, choice of weapons, exercise regimens, and identifying the relative strengths and weaknesses of zombies are intercut with informative and occasionally quite moving 'survivor interviews' that serve to illustrate the points being made in the instructional text, as well as to break up large sections of dry (though still fascinating) information.

To say that author Ma has put a great deal of thought and effort into this manual is to severely undersell the publication: the book covers not only the obvious aspects of defending oneself in a post-Rising world (such as exactly where to hit 'em with that baseball bat), but also such things as survivor diets (being fatter has unexpected advantages), psychological issues (expose your kids early for maximum toughness), and the dangers of relying upon standard combat techniques (martial arts have little effect upon a foe who feels no pain).

The Zombie Combat Manual is a tome that every zombie fan should own (particularly if you're into the whole 'zombie survivalist' movement), and is bound to become regarded as a classic of the subgenre. Grab a copy now, before things get ugly out there.

News: Dymocks Southland Bestselling Zombie Titles for July 2010

Dymocks Southland is a general bookshop, located in Victoria, Australia, that boasts a great range of international zombie fiction due to the predilections of several of the staff. Below are listed the Top 10 biggest-selling zombie titles for July 2010.

1. The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks

2. Patient Zero (Joe Ledger #1) - Jonathan Maberry

3. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Austen / Graeme-Smith

4. The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - Max Brooks

5. Xombies - Walter Greatshell

6. Valley of the Dead - Kim Paffenroth

7. Ex-Heroes - Peter Clines

8. World War Z - Max Brooks

9. I Am Scrooge - Adam Roberts

10. Cell - Stephen King

Pop Culture: Ford Launches World's First Zombie-Proof Car

Ford is cashing in on the popularity of zombies with this neat ad...

News: Brisbane Zombie Walk set for October

This year's Brisbane Zombie Walk will be held on October 24.

Last year, up to 5,000 zombies shambled through the CBD. It was a hell of a day.

Organisers hope this year's walk will be just as popular, and that as many participants as possible chip in some dough for the Brain Foundation.

Check out coverage of last year's lurch here and here, then head on over to the Brisbane Zombie Walk site to register.

Review: The Living Dead 2

Ed. John Joseph Adams, 2010, Night Shade Books

About a year back, I reviewed Night Shade's The Living Dead, and proclaimed it the best zombie anthology I'd ever read (HorrorScope review here). Well, there's a new anthology due in September that actually surpasses The Living Dead - and it's The Living Dead 2!

I just want to take a moment to emphasise what an amazing achievement this is: where the original anthology comprised reprints of classic zombie tales, thereby guaranteeing a top-quality publication, The Living Dead 2 includes only original and recently-published work. Editor John Joseph Adams (who also compiled The Living Dead) demonstrates a brilliant understanding of exactly what makes a damn fine zombie tale, and deserves major kudos for the same.

As with its predecessor, TLD2 includes contributions from a veritable Who's Who of zombie fiction, including Robert Kirkman, Cherie Priest, Mira Grant, David Wellington, Jonathan Maberry, Carrie Ryan and John Skipp, among many, many others. The tales cover a range of themes, with plenty of new takes on familiar tropes, and all are of a standard that prevents me from singling out any particular favourites.

Having said that, I must make mention of one particular tale - S. G. Browne's 'Zombie Gigolo' - which, in a subgenre that has become progressively darker and more serious over the past few years, provides a joyfully disgusting reminder that zombies can sometimes just be fun. A warning, though: this story is far, far sicker than it sounds.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that The Living Dead 2, and all who contributed to her, will be be well-represented across the various genre literature awards over the next year. In the meantime, zombie afficianados should place this publication at the very top of their Want List, above firearms, bottled water, and chainsaws.