History is Dead is another in the ongoing series of zombie-themed anthologies from Permuted Press, a U.S. small-press publisher specialising in apocalyptic and zombie fiction. In this case, the theme of the anthology is historical settings; there are tales set in the days of the Wild West, the Black Plague and the Great Chicago Fire; there are zombie cavemen, zombie Vikings, zombie pirates and zombie samurai; there are tales involving William Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, Jack the Ripper, the Lone Ranger and Thomas Edison.
The twenty stories included within this anthology are mostly well-written and engaging. There’s nothing particularly thought-provoking or frightening here, it must be said, but almost all are extraordinarily fun to read. In particular, Leila Eadie’s ‘Society & Sickness’, written in the style of Jane Austen, and Jonathan Maberry’s ‘Pegleg and Paddy Save the World’, an over-the-top piece of clichéd Oirish tomfoolery, had me laughing out loud.
All in all this is an extremely worthwhile publication, and one I’d recommend to any zombie enthusiast. With Permuted Press’ anthologies consistently showcasing quality in content and production, I’ll certainly look forward to their next offering.
No comments:
Post a Comment