Zombie Autopsies by Steven C. Schlozman, MD

I found The Zombie Autopsies while browsing through Barnes and Noble, it was one of those trips I should have avoided because I walked out with books when I should have left empty handed. Damn books, destroying my budget!! Zombie Autopsies was one of several zombie books I looked at that trip, and after much deliberation I adopted it.

I was attracted to this book because of it's different take on a zombie story. It is written like a research journal kept by a scientist as they try to develop a cure for the plague. The fact that the author is a real doctor added a certain amount of realism to the research feel of the story. The anatomical drawings that are included as part of the research notes are beautifully rendered, though grotesque and disturbing.

The journal pages are interspersed with military reports and comments on the research which was collected from the research facility at a later date. Dr. Blum, the research scientist whom wrote the notes, was sent to the research facility after a garbled message was sent by the previous doctor in charge and all contact was lost. The facility is in a race against time,  not only because it's a world wide pandemic, but because the research itself is a death sentence. All the researchers and guards at the facility are volunteers.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book, and an aspect that added to the reality of it, was that you can see the loss of the doctor's ability to focus and concentrate as the story goes on. This fits wonderfully with the description of the diseases progression and the drawings showing the deterioration of the previous victims.

I would not recommend this book for those with week stomachs as the drawings are extremely detailed and life-like, or rather death-like despite being pencil sketches. If you are a lover of zombie stories and fascinated by science, I recommend this book.

Happy reading.

The Silver Linings of the Zombie Apocalypse

May is Zombie Awareness Month, for those of you who are unaware. Most of my friends are aware that I'm a huge fan of zombie stories and movies. The Zombie Apocalypse is my favorite end of the world scenario to contemplate. Last year for Zombie Awareness Month I ran daily survival tips on my Facebook and Twitter pages. This year I decided to look on the bright side of the end of the world. I've decided to compile my entire list here on my very modest blog. Feel free to add your own silver linings in the comments section.

1. No more bills to pay.
2. Don't have a work schedule to worry about.
3. Reading time galore. (When not running from zombies.)
4. Get plenty of exercise without a membership fee.
5. Carbon emissions will drop to almost nil, so no more global warming.
6. All groceries will be free.
7. No more rush hour traffic ever again.
8. Lost of extra clothes lying about.
9. No more doctor visits.
10. No more lawyers or lobbyists.
11. Overpopulation is no longer a concern.
12. Paranoia is a plus rather than a minus.
13. Freedom to travel without a passports.
14. A sudden surplus of natural resources.
15. It's a chance to practice all those survival skill you learned watching Bear Grills.
16. Plenty of material for making your own horror movie.
17. No more news media scare tactics.
18. It's the cheapest diet plan.
19. Zombies can't drag race through your neighborhood.
20. Zombies can't blare their stereos or throw wild parties.
21 All those annoying neighborhood dogs are now an early warning system.
22. Credit card debt disappears.
23. Political parties are now extinct.
24. No more politicians.
25. Insomnia is an asset.
26. High fat and sodium diets aren't an issue any longer.
27. The neighborhood will be quiet (except the moans of the zombies.)
28. No need to set your alarm clock.
29. The phone won't ring in the middle of the night.
30. No solicitors knocking at your door.
31. Perfect excuse not to bathe. (Water is for drinking.)

Novel Segment

I decided to post part of my zombie novel that I wrote in November. It's still a first draft, so please be gentle. This is one of my two favorite scenes from the first draft, I chose this one from early in the novel. I would welcome any constructive criticism. I hope you enjoy it.

Day 4
 

I was wrong about not having anyone to curl up with at night. The Girl couldn’t sleep, so she came and got into bed with me. I think we may all be sleeping in the same room for a while, all of us are too wigged out to sleep alone. The cat and the dog are even staying close to each other at night, before all this the cat avoided the dog like the plague. I wish I could say that we kept the pets strictly because we love them too much to get rid of them in this crazy situation. Don’t get me wrong, we love our animals. But there were practical reasons for keeping as well, despite the risks that having to care for them adds. They give us a place to focus our attention besides the world outside. The cat and dog can both help keep pest animals under control as the world becomes less sanitary. The dog’s excellent sense of smell can help us find food or animals to eat.

Today was the day that we became unlucky enough to know for sure that the undead had reached our neighborhood. We’ve heard looters and desperate people outside looking for supplies or simply destroying things out of frustration. We get very quiet and wait them out, the noise they make is very human and doesn’t really sound different than the street noise that we are use to or the noise that the dumpsters make when being picked up by the garbage trucks early in the morning. The only reason it sounds strange now, is that everything is normally so quiet since everyone was ordered to stay inside. This noise was, well, different. At first we didn’t notice it; then we thought we were hearing things because we aren’t use to such quiet in the city limits. It was a raspy, shuffling noise. Then we heard a rather quiet rattling, like a stack of pots that were bumped slightly and resettled without failing over. Again we hear the shuffling, and some more rattling. We decide to peek out very, very carefully. My heart is pounding in my chest, the sound of the blood in my ears almost drowns out the noise from outside. The Girl is staying with the dog in case he tries to bound into the window to get a better look, or starts barking. Even though he’s a beagle, we’ve never had an issue with him barking or howling, but we are taking no chances that he will attract the attention of other survivors or the undead.

As we look out the corners of the window together, we have to fight not to gasp or call out in alarm. Though we can’t see its skin, and in any other situation it would be mistaken for a drunk homeless person, we know that we have just seen our first undead in person. This is confirmed when The Girl comes up behind us, and quietly tugs on our shirts to get our attention. I am so proud of her caution, but am sad that her normally positive and perky self is buried beneath all this worry and sadness in her eyes. The dog has sensed the undead corpse outside as well, and instead of barking as we feared he might, he has dropped on all fours and is having a bought of submissive peeing. This means we don’t have to worry, at least for now, that he will bark crazily when one is near and draw more to us.

Once we got over our shock at the reality being so close to home, and that the corpse had moved on, we logged into our social networks and posted the news. It seems so silly, even looking back just a few hours ago. Hell, I felt silly right after I did it. I don’t know if it was a case of old habits dying hard, a need to be “normal” again, or a need to tell someone outside this apartment. Other than checking on family, none of us had even thought of being online. Part of me wishes we hadn’t gotten online. The Girl gets online as well, she needs to talk to someone other than her aged parents about this. She notices a friend of hers from The Cities has her webcam open. She glances as us, afraid and hopeful all at once, asking us silently if she should open it. 

The husband and I exchange looks just as confused as hers and slowly, cautiously nod our heads. It is her friend Becca, she is in her room sobbing uncontrollably and trying to talk. In the background we can see her bedroom door vibrating, she has blocked the door with her dresser and bed. We can hear what sounds like several people banging on the door. The Girl tries sending her a chat message, but we aren’t sure if she sees it. I am watching The Girl and Becca become more and more agitated and scared. 

“Mom, Dad, should I turn on my web cam? Should I let her know I’m here?”

I don’t know what to say. Will it be better or worse for Becca to know that someone hears her pleas, but can do nothing for her? We know what’s on the other side of that door.

“I have to let her know I’m here, that she’s not alone.” The Girl chokes out around the lump in her throat.

I watch my baby girl take two large, calming breaths and turn on her webcam. She invites Becca to view it. We all see the light of hope ignite on Becca’s face as she reaches to open the cam. I step away under the excuse of bringing The Girl back a drink, I can’t bear to view the moment when this wonderful young woman that has stayed with us many nights realizes that we can’t rescue her.

When I return, my spouse squeezes my shoulder as I squeeze The Girl’s. The Girl has flipped the record button on, maybe part of her wants to make sure that if we get out of this certain things and people are not forgotten. Becca relays to us how her little brother became ill, and they took him to the hospital but were turned away because the hospitals were already overflowing. Her family had to bring him home and take care of him, they couldn’t break the fever and he soon died. She relays how they couldn’t get anyone to pick up the body, the noise from his room, the attack on her parents, her actions of self-defense, the attempt to nurse her parents back to health, and how those efforts failed. She finally glances back at the door, where the banging continues. Her eyes brim with tears, and the sobs begin anew. Without her saying a word, we know who is on the other side of the door. I grab my spouse’s hand behind The Girl’s back in horrified sympathy.

I have always been proud of the empathy my daughter has shown for others when they are upset or hurt. Today, she convinced me that it is her superpower. She found topic after topic to distract Becca from what was going on. They discussed embarrassing situations from school, wonderful times at slumber parties, cute boys at school, and plans for college and the future. They talked for hours, The Girl refusing to eat or drink because Becca didn’t have that choice. I am worried, not only because my daughter isn’t eating or drinking, but because I know there is only one ending to the scene before her. I also know that she has inherited the family’s stubbornness and will not abandon her friend until it is over or the power forces her to do so.

At dusk, the inevitable begins to happen. The door begins to splinter. Becca turns to see the arms of her parents reach for her in a macabre version of the thousands of hugs she has received from them throughout her entire life. The Girl gets Becca’s attention again, lets her know that we love her and we wish we could help. My husband and I add our own expressions of love. Then the creatures see her and begin to moan, it is the most horrible noise I have ever heard. We watch Becca begin to hyperventilate, and cry again.

“I love you guys! Thank you for staying with me. Stay safe.” 

Becca then reaches up towards her computer, all the while The Girl is screaming, “No, Becca! No!”, and turns her computer off.

The Girl screams and collapses. I will be eternally grateful to Becca for sparing The Girl the sight of her demise. We got The Girl in bed and made her drink some water. Then we gave her a sedative to make her sleep for a while. Now, maybe we can deal with today’s events.

Plague Zone by David Wellington

I have been a fan of David Wellington's for a while now, at least his zombie series. I was very excited when I learned he had another zombie story available. I became even more excited when I learned that it was free. Mr. Wellington has written most of his books as serials, and originally published them on his website. I was not aware of this until I got a hold of Plague Zone. You may purchase any of his works as e-books or printed editions, but the ones sculpted as serial novels, remain online for free. If you enjoy what you read online, please also purchase a copy, this encourages authors to continue offering material online, and to not remove content that is now available in other formats.

Plague Zone is about 222 pages, it does not take place in the same universe as Monster Island, Monster Nation, and Monster Planet, at least as far as I could tell by the capabilities of the zombies. The story is set in the Northwestern United States, in the great state of Washington (the only state named after a President, just in case you didn't know.).

Imagine yourself to be an average research librarian, there has been talk of the Russian Flu having arrived in Canada, but there have been no cases reported in the US as of yet. You are at a library conference, and have retired to the hotel bar after giving a talk that even you found dull. Imagine that you see a stunning woman at the bar, and go to speak with her. Then imagine your conversation is interrupted by news footage from your hometown of Seattle. All thoughts of what might have happened with this vision of loveliness vanish, though the two of you head to your room anyway. You stare at the footage for hours on end, something is so familiar about the man in it. Then the footage runs a bit longer, and you see your lovely wife trying to fend off this man you know, and then him taking her life.

The first cases of the Russian Flu have hit the United States, and not just a few, but enough cases to practically wipe out all of Seattle and have it declared a Plague Zone. Other outbreaks are occurring, making it more and more difficult for our protagonist to return home to avenge his wife's death, and his son's. The closest he can get by plane is San Francisco. From there he hoofs his way north.

As with the Monster series, Wellington's descriptions are gripping. His characters ring true, flaws and all. Even the antagonists prove to be sympathetic to the audience, I'm not counting the zombies as antagonists here. Though the number of pages are short, the passage of time is felt well. You can sense his weariness during his walk, his frustration at obstacles at reaching his goal, and his desperation to find this man. The action moves along well, there were no lulls in the story telling. It was a fast paced, and engaging story. I didn't want the story to end, but it did as all stories must. I really recommend this story, can't call it a book, as it's only available online at this point. And while you are at his website, check out his vampire and werewolf series, I'm going too.

And Happy Holidays to all my readers.

Autumn by David Moody

This is not like any other zombie novel that I have read. Most have been written by Americans, whom have a completely different rhythm to their story telling than the British. This story is also different from other zombie tales because of  the time and manner in which the zombies become an issue.

The story begins with the majority of the population on earth dying suddenly, within the space of twenty four hours. The scattered survivors are brought together by one man blaring music from a community center near a major thoroughfare. Most of the survivors want to stay at the center, while a few decide it would be better to head into the country. The survivors that wish to leave do not feel safe surrounded by all the dead bodies because of the chance of disease and the inability to procure supplies easily. After a few days at the community center, some of the corpses begin to get up and move about aimlessly. This is when the three survivors that are planning on leaving are galvanized into action. Our main characters that head for the country are Emma (a medical student), Michael, and Carl. They then search for a home base, they find a farmhouse far from the city and begin to lay in supplies. A few days after that the walking dead begin to seem more aware and show signs of aggression. The survivors then begin to build a defensive wall.

The survivors have very different personalities, and are dealing with these continuing crises in their own unique ways. The character development was slim, but the book is an introduction to a trilogy, I expect much of the character development will come in the later volumes. The characters are taxed by many major changes in their situation, rather than one life altering event.

I look forward to reading further in the series, but first I'm going to explore H.P. Lovecraft. Good reading, all.

Day by Day Armaggedon by J. L. Bourne

After reading an infection story, I finally was able to move onto my intended reading for the summer, zombie novels. I've expressed an interest in journal style zombie stories previously, so my husband recommended Day By Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne.

Through the main character's journal, we learn that there is word of a mysterious virus in China. The virus spreads quickly, and causes the patients to become very violent and attack their caregivers and loved ones. The US sends medical aid, then brings the aid workers home when the situation becomes too dangerous and they have been exposed to the virus Our main character is a military man, he can tell that the information on the news doesn't add up with the net sources, the military and governmental actions being taken, or what his fellow military men are observing while overseas. He begins to prepare for the worst by stockpiling supplies.

When he starts to see the undead in the streets, he decides not to answer the base's call. He determines that he'll be safer at home than on the base, this turns out to be correct. The government is in complete chaos, as is everyone else. We go with our hero on supply missions, and see how he's coping with loneliness and inactivity. He discovers that one of his neighbors has survived as well, they begin communicating and assisting each other when possible. They save each others' lives a couple of times and begin making plans to leave the area as the undead begin to overrun it.

I expect a journal to be in first person, but there were still times in which our hero seemed extremely self-centered. The story was well done and enjoyable, so I was able to get into the book. It was a quick read, and finished with a cliff-hanger ending. I enjoyed it enough to begin the second book in the series immediately, and wait to write the review for both of them.

The hero evolves in the second story. He and his friend John, over the course of the story must decide whether to answer distress calls that they hear. It is very risky to leave safe places for supplies, much less traveling a distance to save people that might not be alive when you arrive. They answer one such call, and it dramatically changes their situation. As more survivors enter the group, the journal becomes less self-centered.

Our survivors come into contact with marauders that try to take their shelter. They also must deal with a horrible consequence from the decision of the government to nuke large cities that are overrun with the dead. The zombies close to the explosion are incinerated by the blast; however, the irradiated dead are faster, stronger, more coordinated, and seemingly more intelligent than their non-radioactive counterparts. People killed by radiation sickness also join the ranks of the undead, as in this universe people do not have to be bitten to turn.

This series is a fun read, not deep or thought provoking. A great way to kill some time. I'm sure I'll read the third book when it comes out. Beyond Exile also had a cliffhanger ending. I'm interested to see which way Bourne takes the story, and resolves it.

Boneskaker Review

I had tried reading several books, but couldn't find one I was in the mood for. With all my work and studying, my mind needs some distracting but is having a hard time focusing. I'm a fan of zombie novels and steampunk, so Boneshaker by Cherie Priest seemed a logical choice.

This novel is set during the Civil War in California, in this timeline the Civil War has gone on much longer than the history that we know. The main character is Blair Wilkes, a single mother, and the widow of a scientist that caused a horrible disaster. He created a machine to drill for gold, when testing it out he dug too deeply into the earth and released a terrible gas that causes things to rot and sickens people, killing them or turning them into "rotters".

The other central character is her son, Zeke. They are both outcasts because they are related to Leviticus Blue, the scientist responsible. Blair has not told her son about his father, and he becomes curious. Added to the shame of being related to the man that release the gas, many people believe that Zeke's grandfather, Blair's father, took a bribe from prisoners he held to release them before the gas hit the prison they were in. Mr. Wilkes releasing the prisoners added to their outcast status with the "respectable people", but earned them protection and respect among those that work in the underbelly of the city. He knows the only place he can find answers about his father, and grandfather, is in the walled off section of the city, so he enters this very dangerous place. Blair feels compelled to go after him.

The book starts a bit slow for me, but once they enter the walled city the pace really picks up. There are several moments when Blair and the other characters are being chased by zombies that are quite intense. The villain is a ego-maniacal, mad scientist which is always a fun addition. It was enjoyable, but it will never be one of my favorites. Though it was not marketed as a young adult book, it felt like one. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it would be a well written YA book. If you are looking for an easy, but enjoyable zombie/steampunk book give this a try.

Monster Planet, the Final Installment

I use to hate critics, book and movie alike. I still dislike them, most of them are cynical and seem to desire to destroy authors' careers. However, now that I have written a few reviews I have more respect for their craft. It is incredibly hard to write a coherent review without including spoilers, especially when dealing with a series.

I just finished the last segment of David Wellington's zombie trilogy. In this book he focuses on Sarah, Dekalb's daughter, and Ayaan, the young lady that fought at Dekalb's side in New York. We get an insight into what Sarah's life was like in the Somali camp as an outsider. Ayaan has become a leader of her people and well as Sarah's protector and parental figure.

Dekalb and Gary return and feature rather prominently in the second half of this book. We meet many old Egyptian mummies, which do not hunger for human flesh. We are also introduced to a young Russian boy/zombie that can control other zombies. He has created a society in which the dead and living work and reside together. As I have said in my other two reviews, this is a very unorthodoxed set of zombie lore.

Sadly, I can't give a more thorough look at the plot, because then I will spoil the first two books for you. Wellington's style is easy and quick to read.

I have one question for you all. What's more important than the end of the world?

Monster Nation, The Sequel to Monster Island

After reading Monster Island by David Wellington, I was very curious as to how the story would unfold. Mr. Wellington is not telling a typical zombie story in this trilogy. As odd as it sounds, it is much more supernatural than most.

The book opens with Gary and Dekalb, though they only make a brief appearance. This novel explores the source and cause of the zombie uprising. It is told primarily from two characters' points-of-view, Clark Bannerman and "Nilla". In between their tales, Wellington uses snippets from government press releases, emails, health flyers, personal diaries, etc. to give us perspective on how the epidemic spread and personal experiences from all over the country.

We meet "Nilla" in an oxygen bar in California. She has bled to death and reawakened, but she is very different than most zombies, she can still think. When she was weak from blood loss, she put on an oxygen mask which kept her brain supplied with oxygen and reduced the brain damage she suffered. It allowed her to keep her reasoning skills, but she can't remember her name or anything else about herself. Police find her and take her to the hospital, they don't realize she is dead because she can still talk, neither does she. When the hospital is over run by zombies and the military is called in, she meets Bannerman.

Bannerman is introduced to us when he responds to a riot at a Californian jail, which in reality is an outbreak. Bannerman is an honorable military man and takes his duty very seriously. He treats the incident as a viral outbreak and insists that the infected are treated as humanely as possible, though he quickly comes to realize that they have no humanity left. It is difficult for him to accept that these people are dead. Bannerman is smart enough to realize what Nilla is and that she could be the key to a cure. He spends a lot of time looking for her, though he doesn't allow it to get in the way of protecting the public.

Though it was not a traditional zombie story, it was well told and intriguing. I look forward to reading the final installment, Monster Planet.

Zombies in NYC

I just finished reading Monster Island by David Wellington. It is the first novel in a trilogy, originally written on the internet. The book is a bit scattered, jumping back and forth between characters, this takes a bit of getting use to. I think that it was easier to follow online, as each entry probably dealt with a single character. There are even a few author notes scattered through out for the online readers. Wellington also uses a lot of flashbacks to set up the back story of the two main characters. The plot: an epidemic has broken out across the world, and the dead are walking. The dead, in fact, out number the living.

The book opens with Dekalb, a former UN weapons inspector, on a boat heading into New York harbor with some Somali nationals. They are in search of some much needed medication for the leader of Somali. This is an extremely dangerous mission as New York is full of the walking dead. You may wonder why a former UN employee would help militant Somali nationals. His young daughter, Sarah, has been given refuge in their stronghold that is safe from the zombies and in exchange for this service he will be allowed to stay with her. Having a daughter makes the mission even more difficult for Dekalb, as the soldiers with him are all girls of about 16 years old. They remind him of his daughter and has conflicting feelings about the girls as soldiers.

The other main character in this book is Gary, a former medical student. Gary believes he is the only survivor left in New York and takes a unique approach to ensuring his own survival in what is left of the world.

Dekalb's and Gary's interests conflict and they must "duke it out" as the saying goes. The danger is intensified later in the book when our heroes discover that not only have the human residents become zombies, but some of the animals too. I do not want to say much more about the events of the book, I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone else by giving away the book's secrets. I really enjoyed this book and am eager to read the next in the series Monster Nation.

So You Don't Know Max Brooks?

I started reading Max Brooks earlier this year, with his second work, World War Z, his history of the world wide zombie outbreak which almost caused the extinction of the human race. I found the survivors' accounts gripping. The most gripping for me was the story of the girl that at the age of six was the sole survivor from a town that holed up in a church; she is stuck in her six year old mind and can copy the moan of the undead perfectly. It is enough to send shivers up the spine of even the most hardened individual. This led me to read his other book, The Zombie Survival Guide.



I wish I had read this book sooner, so I could have begun my preparations earlier. He provides you a comprehensive overview of how to survive different levels of a zombie outbreak, from a Class 1 to a Class 4. Much of his advice would be useful in any large disaster or societal breakdown. His writing style is conversational and easy to read, I finished the book in less than two days, while completing a myriad of other tasks. He recommends resources to gain the skills you may be lacking in order so you can prepare for any eventuality. The publisher listed this work as humor, but I can find nothing humorous about an outbreak of the undead, the destruction of society, and the extinction of all animal life on the planet earth. You can think I'm crazy if you wish, but reading the historical cases of zombie outbreaks should make any sane person more than a little nervous. Once you read this book, you can not pretend that you weren't aware of the possibility and have no one to blame but yourself if you are caught unprepared. Please read this book for your family’s sake, if not your own. I wish you and your family the best of luck in your survival.