The Apocalypse is Coming…Zombie Fiction

There is a long-standing interest in the undead as a movie genre.  Remember the classic films The Plague of Zombies (1966), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and Dawn of the Dead (1978)?  More recently we’ve seen films such as 28 Days Later (2002) and Shaun of the Dead (2004).  Movies don’t have a corner on the zombie market -- the popularity of the graphic novel series, and now TV series, The Walking Dead, has adults and teens voraciously reading the books. To be sure, the idea of a zombie apocalypse is intriguing, especially in light of germ warfare and mystery illnesses that cannot be cured.  If you like reading about zombies, try reading these books:

World War Z: an oral history of the zombie war by Max Brooks.  An account of the decade-long conflict between humankind and hordes of the predatory undead is told from the perspective of dozens of survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival. 

Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection : Field Notes by Dr. Robert Twombly by
Don Roff.  The year is 2011, and what starts as a pervasive and inexplicable illness ends up as a zombie infestation that devastates the world's population.

Zom-B by Darren Shan.  "When the news starts reporting a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B's father thinks it's a hoax-but even if it isn't, the two of them joke, it's only the Irish, right? That is, until zombies actually attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers. But when they come face-to-face with the ravenous, oozing corpses, all bets are off. There are no friends. No allies. Just whatever it takes to survive."--Dust jacket. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austin and Seth Graham-Smith.  A mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton--and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. 

The Zombies of Lake Woebegotten by Harrison Geillor. "The town of Lake Woebegotten, Minnesota, is a small town, filled with ordinary (yet above average) people, leading ordinary lives. Ordinary, that is, until the dead start coming back to life, with the intent to feast upon the living. Now this small town of above average citizens must overcome their petty rivalries and hidden secrets in order to survive an onslaught of the dead." -- Publisher. This parody of Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon stories includes some of Keillor's characters. 

Zombies for Zombies  by David P. Murphy. So, you've been bitten by a zombie? Bummer.But there's no need to panic! Yes, your life will be undergoing a major transformation, but this doesn't have to be the end-all it once was when the Disaster first hit. There have been significant breakthroughs in the last decade in helping you keep significant parts of your wit and dignity. Together we can limit the damage. Zombies for Zombies is a motivational guide designed specifically to make a profound difference in your accidental, strange new life. You say you don't want to become another one of those ghastly creatures you see on the news out in the Tempe Containment Zone? You don't have to - if you follow the great advice inside, including: How to dress for your new lifestyle Handy recipes for brains Fitness ideas for keeping you somewhat energetic New skin-care techniques to help ward off "rotting flesh syndrome." How to overcome that darned zombie social stigma and dance steps for the motor-impaired.

-KF