World War Z

 A few years ago I had the misfortune to see the Bradd Pitt film, World War Z which was extremely loosely based on Max Brooks phenomenal 2006 novel of the same name. The book though, as is often the case, is undoubtedly better. Rather than the swift running, barely discernable from their victims, monstrosities we saw in the film, here we have the classic Romero zombies which have slouched their way into my nightmares since I was a child. The world is stumbling towards its demise and consequently it becomes engulfed in the great Zombie War.

Welcome to the real World War Z

This book is, in essence, set in a similar world to the authors first novel, The Zombie Survival Guide which details the zombies seen in this story. I picked up the Zombie Survival Guide in high school, having had a recurring series of sleepless nights and nightmares regarding the undead thanks to games like Resident Evil (and its attendant film) and Dawn of the Dead. This semi-serious and slightly comedic guide to dealing with the undead really helped me overcome a semi-childish fear of being eaten alive by the undead. When I learned that there was a novel coming out set in a world besieged by the undead, it was a no brainer I was going to get it!

I also, unsurprisingly, agree with Max Brooks on why zombies are scary: "They scare me more than any other fictional creature out there because they break all the rules. Werewolves and vampires and mummies and giant sharks, you have to go look for them. My attitude is if you go looking for them, no sympathy. But zombies come to you. Zombies don't act like a predator; they act like a virus, and that is the core of my terror. A predator is intelligent by nature and knows not to overhunt its feeding ground. A virus will just continue to spread, infect and consume, no matter what happens. It's the mindlessness behind it"

With that in mind, Brooks sets out to write this fear very well. From the first bite, to the expanding hordes, we see the zombies grow in threat and menace. In a world too similar to our own!

At the time this was written, it was set in an undetermined time some twenty minutes into the future. With 2020 upon us, it becomes a bit of fun alternate history really. But the novel itself is probably the single definitive work on the zombie apocalypse. It takes us through the eyes of people all over the world from all walks of life and deals with how they struggled to survive the Zombie War.

The novel has a very American oriented focus, which simply makes sense. However, it delves into events the world over from China, India, Japan, France and even outer space! It provides a smorgasbord of fascinating little looks into how different countries fought the zombie menace or dealt with the little quirks of fighting zombies. Whether in the infamous catacombs under Paris, the constant de-thawing ghouls of Russia, or dealing with those that roam the sea floor in a terrible form of eternal damnation.

When I first read this book, and when the zombie craze was reaching it's zenith around 2012 when the film was in production, there were numerous discussions on the internet of how plausible the whole set up was. I remember how many people scoffed at how 'no one could be that stupid' or 'governments would not ignore the dead walking' and such other arguments. With others pointing out that accepting the walking dead as a fact of life would be far too difficult for some. Well, I personally think that 2020 has really put paid to the idea that people will react rationally in the face of zombies. The book's "Great Panic" is horrifically realistic.

This Great Panic was, for me, one of the high points of the book. It showed that the zombie problem had become accepted, understood, and out of control. People fleeing with no destination, outbreaks too large for the government to control, and a terrible attempt at a "shock and awe" battle at Yonkers to try and restore faith in the government. The Battle of Yonkers might be the most unrealistic moment, but it was a great piece of writing.

After this we see a series of implementations of the Redeker Plan, where governments retreat behind safe zones, hoping to ride out the wave of the undead so that they rot away. Of course, that eventually changes! And we get to see a new way of fighting the undead, and the genuine fear of the swarms in their hundreds and millions!

With later stories taking place (including one which is essentially The Hunt for Red October meets Dawn of the Dead) above and around the world, you get a wonderful feeling of this being a global war. I did enjoy how this played out in the end, and I loved feeling like humanity was not just curling up behind its walls. The post-war world might have been fleshed out a little better, and one of my personal criticisms is that the 'wrapping up' section was way to American oriented. Some vagueness and a sense of mystery is necessary of course, but for some parts I felt the novel was almost too short!

Overall though, this one is absolutely a standard read for anyone that loves the zombie genre. It's a fast read, full of unique and clever zombie action and thinking, and deserves your time this Halloween!