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5

Published on 5 Comments on TEotWaWKI Book Review: Deep Survival

by Laurence Gonzales

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales

If Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide is about the tactics of surviving an outbreak, this book provides the strategy, nay, philosophy of survival. It's all about thinking: where are you now, where do you need to be and how do you get there? It's about asking those questions at the appropriate time and being truly open to the correct answer.

While, surely, Mr. Gonzales did not have the undead in mind when he wrote this, his prescriptions are spot on. People failed to survive for 3 basic reasons:

  1. They were unable to re-configure their internal map.

    2. I am not saying that accepting the existence of zombies is an easy thing; that would have meant far more survivors. It appears to me that many suffered physical pain trying to come to terms with the fact that the dead were rising, especially so if the zombie was a former loved one. I understand their difficulty. I also understand that they, too, are now dead (walking or otherwise).

  2. They were unable to understand where the real danger lay.

    3. So, you came to terms with the new reality and are running for your life from the ravenous undead. You see someone flagging you down, beckoning you to safety. You know they not undead (zombies don't behave that way). With a sense of relief, you sprint their way. Just as you feel you've escaped, you realize you've jumped right into the fire. A common mistake is to assume that all humans are good humans. If you're lucky, you'll only pay for this mistake with whatever goods you have on you. Women tended not to be so lucky. And later, when food became scarce, you may have ended up on the dinner plate; a sad irony, to be eaten by a non-zombified human. Slavery, also, was not uncommon.

  3. They did not conserve their energy

    4. It is understandable that when you suffer from mortal terror, when the adrenaline is pumping non-stop, that you'll burn every ounce of energy you have. The key is to conquer that fear. Find a temporary refuge and rest. Remember, it only takes a swift walk to outpace a zombie. You need to conserve your energy for the truly critical moments.

The key is to understand your enemy and, like they teach you in the army: eat and sleep when you have the opportunity, even if you're not hungry or tired.

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Published on 2 Comments on TEotWaWKI Book Review: The Rising
 The Rising
The Rising

by Brian Keene

[Updated to remove reference to my no longer used Star Rating system.]

This is a piece of pre-SHTF fiction, and I am truly thankful it was fiction. My problem with the book isn't that I was unable to suspend my disbelief; rather, I didn't want to. The zombies were, in many cases, smarter than the humans they once were and, while their agility deteriorated with their flesh, they were still much greater threats than the true zombies from The War. Not only that, but all vertebrates were capable of zombification. I do not wish to downplay the threat of a real zombie, but the ones in this book freaked me out to no end. You haven't been truly afraid until you've stared a zombie anaconda in the face. That, and the nightmares of being chased by zombie rabbits, kept me up for nights. I do not know if the author has survived, but I'd guess a sick bastard who could write such a story probably would.

The book starts after the Point of No Return, though there are frequent flashbacks that reach into the world as we knew it. While we follow several characters, including an addict who shook her habit while the SHTF and a scientist who may have triggered the event, the story revolves around a man who sets out on an odyssey to rescue his son. The book ably demonstrates that no matter what threat you face, what creatures God raises to oppose you, it is the ordinary human being you should fear the most.

As for the practical advice that the book offers, most of it is geared towards a world where the threat is smarter and faster. For instance, during a crisis, I would avoid using a car because the noise attracts zombies and you can just as easily evade them on foot. In the world of The Rising, though, you cannot so easily escape them, thus making the risk worthwhile. However, the book reinforces the need to maintain your supplies of food and ammunition. Listen up!

This is worth reading. It will scare the crap out of you, provide some useful advice as long as you are discerning of the context, and provide some insight into what the pre-SHTF world thought about zombies.

There are spoilers after the jump.

...continue reading "TEotWaWKI Book Review: The Rising"

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Published on 2 Comments on TEotWaWKI Movie Review: Quarantine

directed by John Erick Dowdle, Quarantine, Non-Fiction

Quarantine
Quarantine

This is why it's not a good idea to hole up in an apartment building!

There is an interesting back story to this documentary. Historians who are researching the period just prior to World War Z have uncovered news footage of an outbreak that, at the time, appeared to have been quashed. I am stunned to learn that we could have faced much worse.

The lead is a reporter from a pre-SHTF TV station who was on assignment to follow a local fire company for a night. It was her crew's bad luck that their first real call was to an apartment block where a pre-cursor to Solanum had infected a human. This was a particularly virulent form of the disease as it zombified its victim faster and the zombie itself was much more agile. The recovered footage clearly shows how authorities quickly and effectively implemented a quarantine that protected the general population. The director tries valiantly to evoke sympathy for those contained inside, but it didn't work on me, given my hindsight. I would have nuked the area, just to be sure.

You must watch this movie, for it clearly shows who to trust and who to avoid. If you find yourself trapped in an outbreak, do not succumb to valiant inclinations unless they are to kill yourself in order to prevent further spread of the disease. Get a weapon, gather some supplies and find a place where you can wait out the event.

Oh, and you might want to watch this with all of the lights on. The speed of the undead will freak you out. Damn, only now has my heart slowed down.

There are spoilers after the jump.

...continue reading "TEotWaWKI Movie Review: Quarantine"

5

Published on 5 Comments on TEotWaWKI Book Review: The Zombie Survival Guide
Zombie Survival Guide
Zombie Survival Guide

by Max Brooks, Zombie Survival Guide

[Updated to remove reference to my no longer used Star Rating system.]

OK, I am loathe to criticize anyone who survived The War. If the zombies didn't get you, then there were plenty of healthy humans who would have gladly done you in. Idiots were quickly weeded out.

And I know I'm going to take some heat for not giving the book two thumbs up. It truly is required reading for anyone who faces such a catastrophe. I'd've given my right nut to have a copy before SHTF. My problem is that, in general, Max Brooks comes across as a master of the obvious and he does make some, well, not mistakes, but expresses subjective opinion as objective fact.

From personal experience, his statement that apartment buildings are the best places to make a stand is just plain wrong. Sure, if you know the crisis is coming, you have time to prepare and can ensure that none within the building are infected, such locations provide a strong defense. I just never encountered such a situation. In fact, several times I nearly met my end in an apartment block.

My wife claims that my beef with Mr. Brooks is personal. It is true that I was interviewed by him during his research for World War Z and was promised that my story would make the cut because it was so interesting. Alas, it did not. I do not harbor any grudges. I would just as soon continue to live in anonymity.

I am a little miffed, though, that his advice to keep your hair short, while practical during the crisis, has remained the style of choice among women. We no longer need to fear the grasping hands of the undead. For the love of Pete, why can't these ladies grow their hair out again?

I miss that so.

Published on

NOTE: I have ditched this process all together. See Reconsidering Reviews at the TEotWaWKI Diary for more information.

I shall be reviewing TEotWaWKI stories, both video and written word, using the following scale:

  • 5 Stars: This is a must see. I will gladly read or watch this story multiple times. There is much to learn from it.
  • 4 Stars: This was good. You should see it at least once. There was nothing glaringly wrong with it.
  • 3 Stars: It wasn't a complete waste of time, but there were a few things wrong with the story that keep it from being a hit.
  • 2 Stars: This was a bad story, even though I did see or read it all. There was too much wrong with it to be of much use or, worse, to steer you wrong in the event of an emergency.
  • 1 Star: I couldn't even finish this story. Avoid at all costs.

What am I looking for? For non-fiction works, I need to feel like the author or director speaks from experience. For works of fiction, I don't mind if the story strays from fact, but I do need to be able to suspend my disbelief. If I can see myself in the story or, even better, actively imagine myself playing out various scenarios in the world created by the story, then I have truly enjoyed the work.

I will flag spoilers and keep them below the "More..." links within my reviews. I do want to attempt to map out each within the timeline that I have set forth previously.

For more information, please consult these posts:

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Published on 2 Comments on TEotWaWKI Life Cycle

I've given this some more thought and decided to revise my description of the possible end of times. This is really more of a cyclical rather than a linear process. This doesn't replace what I wrote before. Instead, that initial post described just one path out of an infinite number of possibilities.

State of the End of the World
State of the End of the World

There are two key drivers in any TEotWaWKI story: the breadth and depth of the event and society's cohesiveness.

Each event has a trigger. The malevolence of the event will spread or recede depending upon society's reaction to it and the availability of fuel to keep it burning. Can this be kept under wraps so that the general population is unaware of what's happening? Will the old society be forever destroyed? Humanity's extinction may not be out of the question.

This can play out in any number of ways, as we will see in the stories I review.

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Published on 4 Comments on TEotWaWKI Timeline

Every end of the world the world story follows the same general trajectory:

  1. Life as We Knew It: You remember, the rat race in which you fell ever further behind, but the worst that could happen was only that you'd lose your house.
  2. Trigger: Something occurs that, if left unchecked, will end Life as We Know It. Could be the president pushing the button, the first infection in China or even an assassin's bullet in a disputed region of the Habsburg Empire.
  3. The Growing Crisis: Things could return to normal if people just got their act together. Usually, though, they don't realize the magnitude of the situation or hold some now meaningless fear that leads them to think they can or must solve the problem themselves.
  4. Point of No Return: It is now no longer possible to return to Life as We Knew It. Just how big a transformation the world is in for remains to be seen.
  5. The Shit Hits the Fan: Regardless of how The Growing Crisis played out, the world now knows, and is experiencing first hand, the catastrophe.
  6. Climax: Like many milestones in life, this one will probably pass without anyone realizing it. All fuel the catastrophe can touch is now burning.
  7. Survival of the Fittest: You are no longer living minute to minute, you are able to take a breath and look into the future. You will now see, perhaps, that your viability may preclude others. Do you have what it takes to continue?
  8. Beginning of the End: People stop acting as individuals or smalls groups and begin to think in longer time periods.
  9. The Dust Settles:  Even though some semblance of normality is returning to life, you still must be careful. A single lapse in judgement could cost you your life.
  10. Return to a New Normal: The catastrophe is over or is least in remission (perhaps to reappear as a second trigger).
  11. Life as We Now Know It: Could be better, could be worse than before. Get used to it.
Time Line for the End of the World
Time Line for the End of the World

Not every story follows the full trajectory. Some may take place wholly within a single era. Others may short circuit the process by resolving the crisis before the point of no return.

Remember, the future isn't written in stone. Never give up!