The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology

So this post is a bit of a random chance occurrence, as I haven't written anything in quite some time, and I don't have solid plans for another to follow in any timely manner.

However, what occasions this review is that I recently had the pleasant experience of being offered a copy of "The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology" by a gentleman with St. Martins Press, and after noticing a few of the contributing authors listed (let me hear you say MAX BROOKS!) I was delighted to take a look. Now, having finished a pass through, I feel compelled to toss out a few thoughts on its contents for folks who might be considering picking up a copy.

*Warning* Spoilers

To get my worst comments out of the way, I have to say that the bulk of the stories aren't my normal my cup of tea. The reasons for this vary with the stories, but a good deal of it has to do with the anthology's rather intimate perspective into the zombie condition and plight. That being, what is experienced and felt by the undead themselves.

Now add to that a smattering of voodoo, necromancy, demonic possession, and at least one story that, despite my favorable opinion of its general quality, doesn't appear to have anything to do with zombies at all (maybe I missed something?). Needless to say, the collection is a bit different than my usual fare.

That said, my overall impression of the anthology is decidedly positive. Despite the collection not having been custom tailored specifically for my interests, the stories are very well crafted, deliver an interesting mix of scenarios, and altogether make for a highly engaging read.

[ZOMBIE INTELLIGENCE]

"The New Dead" really delivers some great insight into the undead condition, doing so through stories of individuals experiencing varying levels of awareness, intelligence, memory, and physical condition in undeath. These are accounts of the transition, of souls trapped in dead flesh, quests for immortality, coordinated predatory undead action, and a fair bit more that deviates from the traditional.

I'm generally more interested in the human psychological aspects of zombie apocalypse scenarios. However, this collection really put forth some fantastic perspectives from the other side of the divide. While the fully aware and calculating undead seem a bit of a stretch to me, what if some semblance of consciousness or memory remains? Imagine the degree of horror from past and present experience that must dominate everything, however little, that remains in the zombie consciousness.

[SURVIVOR PSYCHOLOGY]

Stepping a little more inline with my personal envisioning of a zombie scenario, some of the stories simply addressed how we should treat the undead. This was illustrated through both examples of people remembering them for the friends and family members they once were, and dispatching them respectfully as a means of closure, to examples of sadistic sociopath-like activity that seeks increasingly disturbing and creative methods of degrading, disfiguring, and dispatching the undead.

Reflecting on this topic, I don't believe I've been one to advocate much sympathy towards the undead in the past. However I think a number of these stories do a solid job of spotlighting the difference between doing what is necessary to survive, and dehumanizing the undead to the point that we are doing the same to ourselves. It's damn good stuff.

[MAX BROOKS]

Given my regard for this gentleman's contributions to zombie lore, I do need to squeeze in a comment on the piece by Mr. Max Brooks. I won't say much about it, because it really is just a tease. One brief taste of World War Z related material that passes all too quickly.

I think when I finished it I was actually a little annoyed that it wasn't followed by a whole new WWZ novel, somehow miraculously squeezed into the pages of the anthology. But alas, that might have been a slightly unrealistic fantasy. Regardless, it was a great snapshot of a post WWZ micro-scenario. Sharper folks than me may catch on quicker, but the chapter did a nice job of laying out a scene that didn't completely reveal itself until the end. I definitely dug it.

[MILITARY TECHNOLOGY]

Lastly, I'd like to highlight at least one specific story from the anthology, that being a scenario where zombies have emerged as a military technology. Dead soldiers' bodies are preserved and reanimated via some sort of electric nerve stimulation, and controlled via remote operator through a inexpensive chip implant.

It's a great story because it brings up the highly successful use of these undead soldiers for non-lethal crowd control, and enemy combatant capture. It also introduces this technology as cheap and readily available to virtually anyone - specifically insurgent groups, and seems to strike some rather stark parallels to current trends with military robots, UAV's, etc.

Alrighty, I've rambled incoherently for more than long enough, and have already lost a good 9 of the 10 folks who may have given this post a chance. Rereading my copy, I'm not certain that I've delivered a particularly clear or cohesive message with this post, so I'll wrap things up by saying that "The New Dead" was a creative and highly insightful collection. I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the undead.