So before you pick this up, you have to ask yourself what exactly it is you are expecting from an anthology that calls itself THE LIVING DEAD. Do you want any and all types of Living Dead? Do you want only a certain kind of Living Dead? What exactly does the term “Living Dead” mean to you and how open are you to interpretation? This friends, is what will determine whether or not you find this massive compilation a worthy eater of your brains…eater of your time, or a near to total waste of vital organs. In all fairness, I must say that when I first heard about this book, I was giddy as a schoolgirl, and you know how giddy those schoolgirls can get waiting for their zombie stuff. What I expected was a huge 487+ page anthology featuring The Living Dead running amok and some high profile writers scripting their escapades in a post apocalyptic world. Now why, oh why, did I ever forget that the concept of The Living Dead encompassed so much more than that rather limited end times profile? I think part of it is PERMUTED PRESS’ fault, having just come off a bender, reading every damn copy of their books I could get my talons on.

PERMUTED specializes in End of the World (EotW) zombie lit. So I just automatically assumed that THE LIVING DEAD was going to be filled with EotW stories with only some slight variances in theme. Well, dear readers, how wrong I was. There’s nothing slight about some of these variances here. Some are downright blasphemous from a Romero zombie fan’s perspective (and this is despite the fact that Romero zombies are “revisionist zombies” themselves). A quick glance at the cover and in reading Editor John Joseph Adams’ introduction, one would expect that the content of this book was geared mostly towards apocalypse zombies. Hell, there’s quite the mention of all of these stories being directly influenced by Romero or a reaction to his films. So I’m sitting there thinking sheesh, I’m going to have multiple zombiegasms reading this, break out the paper towels. Unfortunately, there seems to be more of a “reaction” to his films in these stories that goes way off into left field. I mean, Joe Hill’s piece is a romance story that takes place on the DAWN OF THE DEAD set between extras on the film’s set. Romance. That’s pushing it a bit isn’t it? Still, I give the editor props for boldly undertaking and providing what will surely have been and continue to be met with a wide variety of opinions pro and con. This is one of fandoms most rabidly debated niches and we are some hard-to-please mofos, so anyone daring to put anything out that’s zombie-related should be given a MRE and shotgun for their efforts.

THE LIVING DEAD is a massive collection of mostly previously published works featuring characters who are in some state of reanimation. They could even be loosely categorized as mostly or kind of back from the dead (this will become clearer later). Like the American GODZILLA, some are zombie tales in name only. Dare I coin a phrase and steal……borrow from GODZILLA fans, and say, some are ZINO’s (ZOMBIES-IN-NAME-ONLY). Get that? “Living Dead” here can mean almost anything – not just apocalyptic-zombie-living-dead-survivor tales. Be they reanimated by way of voodoo, science, virus, or any other means you can imagine, they are here. However, some stories are so against what I thought would ever be included, that it seemed they were padding or just adding name brand value. The time periods span the centuries and there is even an off-earth story. This book seems to have covered everything for everybody. And that is its biggest problem. It’s all over the place. Judging from the authors listed on the cover, sure, one would expect a variety, but it doesn’t necessarily yield consistency in the selections.

In the introduction it’s mentioned that certain obvious books/sources were avoided. I’d have preferred to read (or re-read) those instead of some of the clunkers in here. In fact, so many of the passed-on zombie tales are out of print and costly, I know from trying to track them down to review that it would be a bit of good fortune to have those stories resurface.

There’s not all that much flesh eating or survival tales, which won’t go over very well with many of the Romero acolytes that might pick this up based on the cover. This is probably gonna go down best for horror fans who want Living Dead things in their diet, but are not picky. It can serve as a pretty decent introduction to the world of the Living Dead. The rest of you have been warned. And after you newbies have cut your teeth and broadened your horizons, pick up a PERMUTED PRESS book or THE WALKING DEAD graphic novel series and then you’ll realize that apocalypse zombies are the only zombies worth reading…hehe. And no, we are not being paid to plug either publisher (psst – publishers, we in fact are very open to this). It’s just the truth after reading through over 30+ graphic novels and novels since the great panic took hold.

Here are the high and lowlights (*** indicates picks):

***1) THIS YEAR’S CLASS PICTURE – Dan Simmons: APOCALYPSE. EXCELLENT.
If there’s one thing that bugs me, it’s the way neo-zombie concepts are explained (i.e. zombies that can think) and the author feels the need to beat me over the head with justification for this new direction. Such stories often try too hard to make their zombies understood avoid the ire of the uber-devoted and bring something new to the realm of zombie fiction. In THIS YEAR’S CLASS PICTURE, author DAN SIMMONS makes no such effort, and leaves it all to subtle, good story construction and just plain common sense, which is why it works so well. TYCP is about a teacher, during post -Tribulation, who continues to hold class in the remains of her old school building with a classroom full of her formerly living students. She tries throughout to keep the classroom alive, allowing for recesses, school pictures etc. This is as much a psychological study of one person’s mental health breakdown and upkeep as it is a depiction of survival in a zombie infested world. The end is wonderfully done, a slow ratcheting of tension as we watch our heroine defend her undead school kids from the adult dead who are trying to invade her well-crafted DIY school fortress that leads to a hold-your-breath conclusion that is strangely touching. If there was any less of a setup in the narrative, this story would have simply fallen into a million little pieces and settled into ridiculousness, but it doesn’t. This is one of my favorite zombie tales in any format. Kudos to ADAMS for including and opening the book with it.

2) SOME ZOMBIE CONTINGENCY PLANS – Kelly Link:  
In another collection, I would have liked this quirky story. It’s unfair to its author that it was included as there’s basically NO zombie action. The lead, so named Soap has just gotten out of prison, and has crashed a party. Zombie-In-Name-Only, Folks.

***3) DEATH AND SUFFRAGE – Dale Bailey: SPECULATIVE. ZOMBIES-ROMEROESQUE. MODERN. SOME FLESH EATING.
This is the short story JOE DANTE adapted into HOMECOMING, the film that was part of the MASTERS OF HORROR film series on Showtime. I never cared for HOMECOMING, despite its intended over the top nature and full blown cheese mixed with some obligatory flesh munching. It just came off kinda stupid. In Dante’s take, dead soldiers come back to vote in the politician of their choice and oust the one who pretty much put them in their graves. The anti-Bush political leanings in Dante’s version were obvious that it got in the way of the story. He should’ve left the story as is, since it reads better than it adapts to film. I’m not into political-anythings when it comes to my reading time, and certainly not when it involves zombies. Well, I can take “messages” seamlessly blended, but this is just politics with zombies mixed in – ultimately rather boring unless you ever wondered what would happen IF the dead could vote (which shouldn’t be too hard) and in that case you should just pick up your national newspaper. I mean the truth is better than fiction. I didn’t find this particularly thrilling, but I know some of you might dig it.

***4) GHOST DANCE – Sherman Alexie: SPECULATIVE ZOMBIES. HISTORICAL-MODERN.
Interesting short piece in which the dead Indians and soldiers who’d fought during Custer’s last stand rise and rampage in modern day Montana. Normally, historically-based zombie fiction doesn’t do much for me, unless it is tied to the present or has a really compelling story. This is the first Native American zombie story I’ve read, and I enjoyed its scant few pages.

***5) BLOSSOM – David J. Schow: SPECULATIVE ZOMBIES. MODERN.
Another “segue” piece in this collection. DAVID SCHOW spins a nice, tight narrative in a scant 4 pages. Kinda graphic sex, complete with flower blossoms and a nude woman. Yep, the nude woman eating flowers was enough to make me want to read it to see what it all had to do with zombies. Good inclusion, though can’t help the feeling this was filler.

***6) THE THIRD DEAD BODY – Nina Kiriki Hoffman: SPECULATIVE. NO FLESH EATING. MODERN. VOODOO ZOMBIE.
What happens when a hooker returns from the grave to exact revenge upon her murderous trick? Well, here ya go. I actually really liked this one, though I am still getting used to stories done in the perspective of the lead zombie. It just had a nice TWILIGHT ZONE or TALES FROM THE CRYPT kind of feel to it. And despite the absurdity of the goings on it somehow makes sense within the realm of this piece. Another, for lack of better phrasing, touching ending. A keeper.

***7) THE DEAD – Michael Swanwick: SPECULATIVE. FUTURE. NO FLESH EATING.
Zombies become commercial in this tale. Corporate zombie schmucks bring the other zombies into the world as the next big thing to overtake the work force. In this world it’s big business in to deal with the dead as a commodity. An interesting concept that reminded me of FIDO.

***8) THE DEAD KID – Darrell Schweitzer: SPECULATIVE. “AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL”. NO FLESH EATING.
This is kind of like STAND BY ME if it had a zombie in it. The local school bully and his gang keep a zombie kid in a box in their hideout. He makes a young boy who wants to join the group spend the night with the thing as part of an initiation rite. Had a bit of creep factor to it. As told by the now adult young boy.

9) MALTHUSIAN’S ZOMBIE – Jeffrey Ford: SPECULATIVE. NO FLESH EATING. MASSIVE ZINO ALERT!
A government project that creates pseudo zombies by way of brain surgery. So these are not zombies in the Romero sense. Hell, not even in the viral 28 Days Later sense. These are pretty much surgical somnambulists of sorts. Not bad on its own, but a terrible choice for inclusion in this volume. Belongs in a Sci-fi collection.

***10) BEAUTIFUL STUFF – Susan Palwick: SPECULATIVE. NO FLESH EATING.
Another pseudo-political zombie tale. Apparently this was the result of the author’s outrage towards politicians using 9/11 victims as tools for their propaganda. Without knowing this, it’s still pretty obvious. Here resurrections are commonly done (i.e. family can pay to bring their loved ones back for 24 hours etc, etc.). A group of victims is returned from death in varying states of decay to appear at a politician’s speech. It’s a bit of a humor piece.

11) SEX, DEATH AND STARSHINE – Clive Barker: SPECULATIVE. NO FLESH EATING. POSSIBLE ZINO ALERT!
For those who need to know, this is the CLIVE BARKER piece of this book. Here, we entrench ourselves into the world of theater and the myriad of messy characters performing in it. The play the 12TH HOUR is undergoing its final rehearsals until the appearance of a strange man who seems to have a vested interest in the production. Lotsa behind the scenes egos and blowjobs, but no flesh eating zombies. These are the other Undead - the cousins of the apocalypse zombies, who are more ghosts than flesh munchers. If any of you have read Barker’s SONS OF CELLULOID, this is reminiscent of the theater theme he’d explored there.

***12) STOCKHOLM SYNDROME – David Tallerman: APOCALYPSE. EXCELLENT. FLESH EATING.
A man holed up in a house while zombies gather in the surrounding area becomes obsessed with and finds familiarity in a zombie that shows up outside . “Billy,” as he’s named the zombie, somehow shows better “mental skills” than the other nearby undead and begins to use them to attack a family holed up in the house across the way. This is the tape-recorded transcripts of the survivor’s observations. An interesting take on the survivor in a house zombie theme and an excellent addition to this collection. And, might I add, THANK GAWD, an apocalypse story – I was beginning to wonder if I’d even finish this book.

13) BOBBY CONROY COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD – Joe Hill: MASSIVE ZINO ALERT! ROMANCE.
YES, you read right. This is a romantic story that takes place on the set of George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD. Now, let’s be real clear here. I’ve enjoyed a number of JOE HILL’s short stories. The guy can write some creepy, disturbing shit, so JOE HILL, my props to you. My issue with this piece is its inclusion in this volume. It’s bad enough that I assumed this anthology would be brimming with end of the world scenarios, but this, this just pisses my inner zombie fanboy off. He feels so cheated and sullied. This is a love story. A LOVE STORY!!! AAAAGH!!! SOAP OPERA fans here you go, the rest of you…RUN!

***14) THOSE WHO SEEK FORGIVENESS – Laurell K. Hamilton: VOODOO ZOMBIES.
WOW – I really enjoyed this story by LAURELL K. HAMILTON. If I ain’t gonna get my apocalypse zombies, I’ll always have a place in my unbeating heart for well-done Voodoo zombie tales. This one doesn’t fail to deliver. Here, people can resurrect their loved ones, associates etc., to close out business and say the unsaid. It’s a time and place where this is legal, and the police and everyone are in on it, so much so that there’re laws dictating how these things happen. It’s a supernatural world where even raising vampires can occur, but is illegal. I like this place. In this, a woman schedules to resurrect her dead hubby and during the ceremony things go awry. It’s pretty cool, gritty & bloody with an interesting twist.

***15) IN BEAUTY, LIKE THE NIGHT – Norman Partridge: APOCALYPSE. SOME FLESH EATING. SMART ZOMBIES.
An isolated island paradise with centerfold zombies. Another yes-you-read-right: CENTERFOLD ZOMBIES. So the world is ending and holed up in a mansion/fortress of sorts are the remnant participants of what was going to be a photoshoot for a skin mag. I found the handling here, by author NORMAN PARTRIDGE, well done enough. There are smart zombies here, a concept can come off pretty stupid at times and make one wish long and hard for a moaning Romero shambler. I was waiting to see how this was gonna be handled and was pleased with the reasons behind their awareness. That is, until the last scene on the beach which was kinda stupid, but I won’t give it away. Other than that, I did like PARTIDGE’S rationale, people died, turned, and had their “humanity” intact until their first trigger and then the zombie nature would finally surface. Don’t consider this a spoiler, since without knowing this, some of you might just give up at the point that the first zombie appears and talks and miss out on an otherwise decent tale. I almost did.

16) PRAIRIE – Brian Evenson: HISTORICAL. FLESH EATING.
OK, now this was a difficult read. Written as journal entries, an accounting of a trek through/towards a prairie, it is done in some 16th century English...err...or something—think Shakespeare or close. Now, maybe this clashes with my PhD in Ebonics or I’m just not worldly enough to jump right into such a stylistic switch, but this was pretty jarring. I think it was about the church making some journey across a zombie-infested landscape, saving and killing as many people as they could, while trying to stay alive. Well, that’s what I am remembering, but I was so distracted by the writing style. I really wanted to get through this as quickly as possible. Mercifully, it was only a few pages long. Interesting idea and I did like the whole funky gothic, inquisition thing going on and it certainly added more variety. However, I just found this a distracting piece that I would’ve preferred to have read it in another collection or at another time.

17) EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH ZOMBIES – Hannah Wolf Bowen: MASSIVE ZINO ALERT!
And so this piece goes: Zombies kill people. If I were a zombie how would I know? You don’t have to run from a zombie…things go better with zombies…you get the picture. Of course, it would have been nice if this story came with a zombie or two. But I guess it is about zombies, but not exactly in the way I’d had in mind. Another case of, I woulda rather read this elsewhere since it’s a cute little piece, really. Here, it’s disappointing in that WTF kind of way. Maybe good for the uber casual zombie fan, but for gut munching, please, move along folks, nothing to see here.

***18) HOME DELIVERY – Stephen King: APOCALYPSE. SPECULATIVE. FLESH EATING.
After the last two stories, I was once again nearly ready to give up on this anthology. THANK GAWD, STEPHEN KING was put in at this point. I’m not a big KING fan, but I do mostly like what I’ve read. This take has zombies caused by some creepy space worm things or some such; they don’t take up much story time. In usual KING fashion he crafts an engaging story in an isolated town awaiting the arrival of these worm things to take up space in their local cemetery’s occupants. The protagonist is a young woman left widowed just as all the shit is about to go down…and she’s pregnant. It’s pretty grisly at times and despite the worm things, has a definite zombie vibe going if one were using the official Romero-meter. Worked for me and I definitely enjoyed this more than I did his novel THE CELL. Yea, I just went there.

19) LESS THAN ZOMBIE – Douglas E. Winters: APOCALYPSE. SPECULATIVE.
A bunch of methed out club kids out club hopping. They end up at some underground club that plays what amounts to some type of zombie snuff film (for lack of a better term). The best thing in this piece was how damn spot on the tweeky narrative was to being high on crystal or any other yammer inducing drug. Damn fabulous. My mouth started getting watery just reading this thing. However, as far as full on zombie action, well, I’ll leave that up to you. I’m not sure if what’s contained counts as zombie action, though there is a zombie in it...err...kind of....on a film that they watch...does that count?

***20) SPARKS FLY UPWARD – Lisa Morton: APOCALYPSE. FLESH EATING.
Lisa Morton delivers a satisfying tale here. This is the first political zombie story that I flat out liked- because it didn’t beat me over the head, well, not really that hard at least. Here, zombied, abortion activists return to the clinic they knew and loathed in life. Well-executed, interesting idea told in journal form that borrows from the zombies-returning-to-the-shopping-mall-theme. If you’ve read DAY BY DAY ARMAGEDDON, you will see the obvious parallel in story structure. So many people rave about DBDA’s journal entries concept as being a clever switch in zombie fiction, however, it is this story that I think the journal idea flows best in terms of believability. It makes sense that the protagonist can write down what’s happening around her given whatever situation is at hand. In DBDA, it seems at times silly that the protag would have time, let alone think to write half the stuff down in a book the way he did. Here, our protag is on her way to have an abortion in a post-apocalyptic world. This is her and her survivor comrades’ life up to and after the journey to the clinic on the outskirts of their safe haven. It should satisfy many of you Romero traditionalists out there. Thanks to ADAMS for throwing us a bone here. Please,a Master, may we have another?

21) MEATHOUSE MAN – George R. R. Martin: SCIENCE FICTION. SPECULATIVE. ZINO ALERT!
This is more a full on science fiction story than a sci-fi/horror hybrid that most zombie works seem to be. Here, synth brains get implanted into corpses to make workers and sex slaves (MEATHOUSE is the place they keep the corpse-girl-meat) on some planet, star, whatever called SKRAKKY. These are zombies in the mindless-drone-controlled-by-someone-else vein. I got about halfway and skipped to the next story. Sorry, I mean, I was working with the variety-of-stories idea and with respect to author GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, this just felt all wrong for what I’d expected in this book. I do hafta give props to MARTIN who goes there by opening the story with a full-on, graphic corpse/meat fucking scene that I’m sure pissed off a number of female readers when it was first published — that took some balls (no pun intended). NEXT.

22) DEADMAN'S ROAD- Joe R. Lansdale: ZINO. WESTERN.
Oddly enough, author Lansdale is credited as having created noted works of zombie fiction in his intro. It is strange then, that here, with DEADMAN'S ROAD, Editor Adams has chosen from him a tale that is not particularly zombie. It's actually more a supernatural-ghostly-creature-thing in the Wild West kind of yarn. I was immediately reminded of the Manga comic PRIEST, and the undead gun totin' Unholy Man and the Supernatural, truly WILD West terrain he traverses. These almost seem like brothers in vibe (and I've enjoyed that Manga when I could find it, BTW). If not for this similarity, I likely would've saved this tale for some rainy day since I don't care much for Westerns, even if steeped in horror. Here, a wandering Reverend comes upon a lonely cabin looking for a night's stay. Also there are the cabin owner, a town's Deputy and the prisoner he's escorting back to the Gallows. The lone Deputy asks the Rev for the accompaniment of his extra guns back to his town. They find out the quickest way, and the only way the Rev will spare time to go back, is up Deadman's Road, a place inhabited by some supernatural creature, once human. This is the tale. No doubt, this is a well constructed piece. Suitable chills, and yes, I enjoyed it. But zombie tale? I think not. Felt more like CANDYMAN in the West or something. I know it's stated that Lansdale's other work has been reprinted, but having not read those works, I bet I'd rather have seen those than this kinda sorta zombie-ish yarn. An effective, recommended HORROR read. But keep on moving for true zombie action.

***23) SKULL FACED BOY – David Barr Kirtley: APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES. FLESH EATERS.
Zombies form groups and take over the world. I first listened to this tale as a podcast on Pseudopod (downloadable from iTunes for free). Not bad. Romero adherents will scream bloody murder and have LAND OF THE DEAD flashbacks. This is geared more for the crowd who digs THE RISING and MONSTER ISLAND type of zombies (i.e. talking, organized, strategizing zombies). This late in the book, I’ll take anything that even suggests there’s a world ending and zombies taking over. Hell, they could tap dance and whistle Dixie before eating their victims for all I care. Just bring on the apocalypse, dammit. Here, a kid gets into a terrible accident with his buddy. It just so happens that the world itself is ending and everything dead is coming back to life. They both quickly realize that they are part of this new uprising. Now that was a nice idea. The guys, now dead, go their sepearate ways. One returns home to find his family holed up with other survivors. The other, so named the Skull Faced Boy due to his injuries begins to form a zombie army. I enjoyed this more in book form, though the audio was serviceable. I still have a tough time with the zombies-form-an-army-to-fight-the-living concept but it’ll do though.

***24) THE AGE OF SORROW – Nancy Kilpatrick: APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES.
Five years following an outbreak, a woman survives on one of the last places on earth to fall, New Zealand. This is an interesting study of solitude, and refreshingly, from a female perspective. Overall it’s pretty enjoyable and well-done. The depiction of loneliness and despair is convincing and you don’t realize how male-dominated zombie lit is until you read a piece like this. A keeper. Pretty good addition to this tome.

25) BITTER GROUNDS – Neil Gaiman: VOODOO ZOMBIES.
OK, someone’s gonna slap me. I am not familiar with Neil Gaiman’s work. I am familiar with his name and that he is hotshit as far as authors go. However, the story was kind of a bore. A man takes another man’s identity, who just happens to be doing a paper on the Haitian Zombie Coffee Girls. The guy who’s doing the paper disappears and our protagonist takes his place at some convention down in New Orleans where he was going to present his paper. The atmosphere was good but overall, still a tiresome affair. Another case of in-another-book-I-woulda-coulda-enjoyed-this-more.

***26) SHE’S TAKING HER TITS TO THE GRAVE – Catherine Cheek: VOODOO ZOMBIE.
How can you not love a story with a title like this? A trophy wife returns from the grave and embarks on a journey of sorts to find out who brought her back. Tongue-in-slowly-rotting-cheek, and yet touching. It’s an interesting blend of the gruesome and silly. We’re along for the ride as we watch poor Melanie falling apart literally. It’s all rather sad as she plods along realizing her body ain’t what it used to be and the reactions to her new found looks are for all the wrong reasons. I really enjoyed this one.

***27) DEAD LIKE ME – Adam-Troy Castro: APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES.
A very good psyche piece. What happens when you are a survivor who decides the best way to manage one of these inconvenient zombie outbreaks is to become one yourself? Well, not one as in dead, but to act and look like one? An interesting concept and portrayal of one man’s slow decline into madness. A pretty harsh tale. Another good EotW addition with a refreshing perspective.

28) ZORA AND THE ZOMBIE – Andy Duncan: VOODOO ZOMBIES.
This was lush, well-told and interesting. But as a zombie tale, it was a chore and a bore to get through. Pass!

***29) CALCUTTA, LORD OF NERVES – Poppy Z. Brite: APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES.
This was one of my favorite tales in this book. It made wading through some of the last few clunkers worthwhile. I’d heard much about Poppy Z. Brite from a friend who was already a fan of her work. This was my introduction. An outbreak happens and in India the living population lives side-by-side with the zombies…kind of. The whole idea sounds a bit silly, but this tale is done quite well. The Third World grime of Calcutta feels tangible and nasty, especially if you’ve been to such a place. I couldn’t help but think that if I am to endure zombie stories where there’s a new spin, then this is how I’d like to read them. CALCUTTA LORD OF NERVES makes you feel like you are there in the midst of the whole stinking mess. Be ready, because you’ll want to wash afterwards. Visceral. I enjoyed this addition very much.

30) FOLLOWED – Will McIntosh: SPECULATIVE ZOMBIES.
Here, bad people (read: rich people, etc.) have zombies follow them around. The more bad things that you do, the more zombies you get to follow you. A man finally gets his first zombie and isn’t quite sure why. Here’s his tale. An interesting idea, though rather silly. I kinda liked it and kinda didn’t. It reminded me of the voting zombie idea where it’s a fresh take on zombies, but I’m not sure what I think of it now that I’ve read it.

31) THE SONG THE ZOMBIE SANG – Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg: SPECULATIVE ZOMBIES.
I have always wanted to read a Harlan Ellison tale. Now I have. As a zombie tale, this was another one of those that was interesting if it wasn’t part of a Living Dead compendium. I would have enjoyed this much more as part of a science fiction anthology, which is where it really belongs. Here, it just adds to the batch of yawners and disappointments.

32) PASSION PLAY – Nancy Holder: PSEUDO-APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES.
The Plague has subsided and here, the church decides to substitute a zombie for Jesus. I mean, you can actually hammer nails into its hands right? Perfect for crucifying. Well, god ain’t feeling none of this even if the play is for him. More bad church leaders get their comeuppance. Too bad life doesn’t imitate art. Plague or not, and even though this was OK, I’ll still say pass.

***33) ALMOST THE LAST STORY BY ALMOST THE LAST MAN – Scott Edelman: APOCALYPSE ZOMBIES. FLESH EATERS.
It’s the end of the world and zombies are loose. The narrator happens to be an author who keeps time by writing yarns about how it all ends, how he ends and so this story starts and stops and starts and stops. And so it goes. This was an interesting idea, though kind of annoying after about the 3rd “story”, but this is unavoidable if the main protag spends his time writing these stories as part of our story. Didja get all this? I couldn’t help but think that the real author had a whole bunch of Post-It notes lying around with ideas scrawled on them, and this is what he came up with to use them all. Kinda cool, kinda clunky. Still, I enjoyed it for the most part.

***34) HOW THE DAY RUNS DOWN – John Langan: APOCALYPSE. PLAY.
Yes, you read right – this is a PLAY that closes out the book. Well, it’s written as a play or script. I’m not sure what I think of this format after reading “normal” stories for 456 pages previous then suddenly BAM! First of all, it took about three or four tries to even get into this piece simply because, anyone reading a script/play/screenplay etc., can tell you, it ain’t exactly the smoothest reading. There are stage directions and the usual script details that totally distract from a smooth reading experience. Plays are not meant to be read for enjoyment unless you’re a performer, industry type or literary masochist. For us regular folks, it can be as enjoyable & easy to read as an electronics manual. If this was put out as a play I would definitely go see it, but as reading material, its weakness is the distracting format. In it, we are “Hosted” by the Stage Manager. From a tombstone propped stage, he leads us through a number of survivor tales tied to the tombstones. The theater is cued to light up in various places with action, sounds, lights etc., as the tales proceed. There’s even a mob of zombies crowding the aisles of the theater at one point as part of the performance. It’s this area that the story is most painful to read as we are described how certain points will light up in the theater over by a certain audience section and over at another point this will happen, and from over there, that will happen. It’s jarring and takes away from otherwise excellent survivor tales contained. As is, think if WORLD WAR Z were a stage play, it might look a little bit like this. After reading all the other stuff, this format kinda hit me like a brick. But I did eventually like it and you might too if you don’t care about or can get past the format.

CONCLUSION: For the price, I cannot say that THE LIVING DEAD isn’t worth it. This will be a bonanza for some of you at this price. Others will feel like they just picked up one of those 50 movies for 20 bucks DVD tins at Wal-Mart. About half of the content was enjoyable. Just because I wasn’t in the mood for a bunch of these, I cannot shred this book, since there’s a friggin’ wide array of styles and authors that I at least got introduced to for better or worse. I can understand the need to mix the stories up as this kept readers in the dark about what was coming next. Unfortunately, that worked against it and made what should have been an orgasmic read kind of like bad sex.

Also, if I knew I wasn’t going to review this book, I quite frankly, would have given up on this at the halfway point. To Editor Adams, I hope if there’s a next time, you focus your Dead offerings with more consistency. You obviously have access to some good stuff that was left out. A Volume 2 would be most welcome, but perhaps you could separate theme and styles. We don’t all like just any ol’ kind of Living Dead. I would rather have jumped straight to the “Apocalypse Section” and read the other pieces at my leisure (and loved you for this option) than endured the near torture of some of the stories while reading sequentially.

With this review, I hope you Romero fans will see what you are getting into if that style is all you want. For anyone else who isn’t as obsessed by the desire for apocalypse, do give this a try. You will stay busy for quite awhile exploring the works here. It gives the reader an expanded view of what the Living Dead as a subject could encompass. THE LIVING DEAD seems to be the definitive anthology on all things reanimated at this point and for that I give Adams high marks. It is an impressive collection, if flawed, but it is worth a look for anyone wishing to explore the possibilities of the Undead as a genre.