The Living Dead, edited by John Joseph Adams

[Omphalos]

It is unfortunate, but I think that there are a lot of zombie literature readers out there who do not realize that there are actually two types of zombie stories. On one hand you have the gory, flesh-and-brain eating type stories. Those seem to be the most popular, they are what all of the zombie films deal with, and they probably sell the most books. They tend to deal more with zombie uprisings, catastrophe and the like. But there is a second type of zombie story that I personally find easier to relate to. Those are the stories about the pathetic side of death. In them you will often find more humane treatment of the dead - though that is not always the case - and you might even realize something new about the human condition. As a died-in-the-wool zombie aficionado I find something of interest in both types of stories. This collection, which provides the latest and greatest word on both (but also gives some historical perspective), is one of the most enjoyable anthologies I have read in some time – certainly the best this year. It is also a spectacular follow-up to the editor’s first anthology, Wastelands...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..