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Tag: TEotWaWKI book

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Dead City by Joe McKinney
Dead City by Joe McKinney

by Joe McKinney

Now that enough time has past, survivors of the zombie catastrophe are writing memoirs of their experience. Dead City, which takes place in San Antonio and is the story of one of a local cop, is just such a book. Unlike most authors, McKinney does have the ability to write well. It's his story telling that is lacking. My reactions while reading this were equal parts, "Woah, that couln't be!" and "What's the point?"

One thing I always find interesting in these types of books is the speculation as to what caused the dead to rise. In this case, the author believes a particularly nasty hurricane stirred something up on the Gulf Coast that then spread to the rest of the nation. I think it's pretty clear that China was the source and that the plague's outbreak in Texas was just coincident with that storm. I'm not going to argue the point, though.

I have a bigger beef with the fact that he says his son, though wounded, did not become infected. Despite the author's contention that this was caused by a zombie, there's no way that child could have survived. I've heard of bite victims immediately amputating the affected limb to save themselves, but have never witnessed such an event. I can only conclude that if the kid was injured, it was not by a zombie.

The thing to keep in mind about this story is that it covers just the first day or so of the outbreak. Knowing that, I cannot blame him for some of the tactical errors he made, such as being cornered in a warehouse. He should be thankful that he didn't pay the ultimate price for his mistakes.

There's plenty of other books of a similar nature out there that would make for far better reads. However, lacking other options, this is book will pass the time.

Published on
Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry
Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry

by Jonathan Maberry

This is an odd reference book that was apparently rushed into publication just as the outbreak became known to the world at large, presumably to take financial advantage of the situation. I say odd because it is both an examination of the pre-SHTF cultural obsession with zombies as well as speculative conjecture about the origins of the outbreak and how to combat the undead. And I say rushed because of the number of typos and factual errors. I am fairly certain that the First Amendment was not signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Perhaps the author is referring to the Freedom of Information Action, which was signed by Johnson, but in 1966. My first inclination is to rate this low because of the amount of incorrect advice. However, if you take into account the speculative nature of the piece and filter out what is obvious wrong, in the absence of other books, you have a reference for dealing with TEotWaWKI situations that is good enough.

The practical sections of Zombie CSU seek to convey advice through a criminal justice context: What would the police reaction be to the first call received and how would they handle the undead? I find it interesting that biting is a common reaction even among the living, so the police were psychologically equipped to handle this event, at least in the short run. Alas, his optimism that the police response should keep the outbreak in check was misplaced. True, the severity of the outbreak was postponed where the authorities put up a solid defense, but just as with New Orleans during the Katrina disaster, the thin blue line was not alway solid.

Ultimately, its this unfounded confidence in society's ability to handle the outbreak that keeps this from being an excellent reference. You need to know more than just tactical details in order to fight the undead. You need a solid strategy that takes into account food and shelter, psychological well being. The assumption that the wave will not carry away life as we know it means that you don't have to delve into those topics. You would be better off, as much as this pains me to say it, with Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide if you're looking for TEotWaWKI advice.

What I value in this book, though, are the leads the author provides to relevant books and movies (I will pretend not to notice the inclusion of the so-called author David Moody). I will track down what I can and review them for you. In the meantime, I recommend this book to expand your understanding of the undead zeitgeist, but not for the practical TEotWaWKI advice.

3

Published on 3 Comments on TEotWaWKI Book Review: World Made by Hand
World Made by Hand
World Made by Hand

by James Howard Kunstler
My neighbor Jim tipped me off to this book, but only half recommended it. It's a work of fiction written pre-SHTF by an author who wrote several speculative non-fiction works about how the world would probably end. Interestingly enough, the guy never mentioned zombies. It's what you don't expect that always gets you!

The novel takes place in the world Kunstler describes in his book, The Long Emergency. It covers one summer in a small, upstate New York town about a decade after TEotWaWKI.

Jim wasn't big on the book's main character (Robert Earle), believing that a man who -- in my friend's words -- lacked balls would not have lasted long. While my neighbor is correct that how Robert Earle reacted to various events would not have boded well for him in our reality, the world Kunstler describes is quite different. And I'm not talking just about the lack of undead.

First of all, the end came gradually. Over the course of years, through a terrorist nuke here and a decline in trade there, the world just fizzled out (I guess that tells you how bad the Zombie War was if a nuke or two is not that big of a deal). In fact, as Kunstler writes, some even believe that society could return to the old days, if they could just catch a break or two. This contrasts sharply with our reality. It became clear rather quickly -- over the course of just a few days, in fact -- that the old world was dead. Once you've lost such hope, violence becomes easier. If people, even the bad guys, believe that there could be a return, one is more willing to act with restraint.

Another critical difference is that we still retain much of the infrastructure from the old world. Other than that first, hungry winter, food is not an issue. We have a fully functioning electrical grid and an even better medical establishment. In the World Made by Hand, you had to grow your own food, live by the rising and setting of the sun and were probably dead if you encountered a serious medical issue. You could not effectively be a bad guy in that world, at least not extremely evil. You couldn't afford to get hurt in an encounter. Also, it was much more efficient to trade for food or grow it yourself than it is to steal it, at least in the long run.

I did thoroughly enjoy this book and appreciate the lessons I took from it:

  1. You should live on fecund land: something with good soil, easy access to water and hunting/fishing grounds.
  2. You should have practical skills: anything that allows you to build/maintain stuff or something in the healing arts.
  3. You need a functioning society, adherence to the rule of law.

This book has lessons worth learning.

An interesting coincidence: The author makes reference to a deadly flu pandemic originating in Mexico, years before this event actually happened.

I go in to great detail after the jump, including a description of what I would do differently, but beware, there are SPOILERS:
...continue reading "TEotWaWKI Book Review: World Made by Hand"

Published on

The Undead, Zombie Anthology
The Undead, Zombie Anthology

Edited by D.L. Snell & Elijah Hall

This book is a collection of short stories written before and after SHTF. While I have been unable to confirm it, some of the post-SHTF stories appear to be factual accounts. Those are the ones worth reading. David Wellington's story about the zombie giant squid in Chuy and the Fish scared the crap out of me. I've heard stories of the Solanum virus jumping species (and of course that pre-war event documented in the movie Quarantine), but this is the first confirmation that it has happened. Hopefully, it's an isolated case.

Also worth reading is Ann at Twilight. Brent Zirnheld documents the case of a blind woman's experiences during the war. While the author was unable to determine if she survived, it would not surprise me if she did.

However, most of the rest demonstrates a sad fact of pre-SHTF zombie fiction: The demand for zombie stories far outstripped the supply. It didn't take any skill to get anything published. David Moody is the classic example. His work reads like a sixth grader's social studies report.

If you don't have anything better to read, then do pick this one up. Just be selective of what you read and not too credulous. There are good lessons among the bad advice.

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.

2

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"

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.