This video offers a [...]]]>

Read any zombie book and it is quite obvious: Your car is one of the most vulnerable places you can be in the midst of a zombie outbreak. Sitting in your vehicle on a traffic-jammed highway in the midst of a zombie outbreak is almost as bad as being at the mall….

This video offers a very detailed look at the role of your car in a zombie apocalypse and includes important points like how to choose a vehicle, modifying it and then using it. When a zombie outbreak begins, the last thing you are going to have time to do is shop. So this video focuses on materials that are readily available. It also has tips on other things you will need during a zombie outbreak like weapons, food,water, first aid and entertainment.

As soon as I solve the format issues, I will post the entry.  Thanks for your patience!

I am also skipping [...]]]>

There is so much new, good zombie literature out there right now, keeping this a list to a managable length is tough. Because there are so many full length books available, I am concentrating on  them, which means no comics and no anthologies on the list. My sincere apologies to The Walking Dead fans!

I am also skipping books like Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry For Your…Brains by Ryan Mecum.  While I agree that there is a certain symmetry to zombies and haiku (zombies are notoriously “in” the moment), I must reject for this list books that have no real survival skill teaching value. (This book not available for the Kindle)

I am also rejecting books that are too advanced for this introductory study guide series like Jonathan Mayberry’s Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead. Although, I have to say that that since I am a big forensics fan, zombie forensics really sound intriguing!  (Unfortunately, this book is not available for the Kindle,  either)

Since there are such a large number of these books that are so good, I can’t, in all fairness, give them a ranking.  Therefore, I am listing the authors in alphabetical order.

J.L. Bourne:

J. L. Bourne is actually a military officer and his books are extremely survival oriented.  The first book started out self published on the web and developed a following from there.  The books have their own unique take on the zombie phenomenon and really strongly focus on survival methods and weapons. That means you are more likely to read a detailed description of an MRE or field stripping a weapon than gory descriptions of pus-filled zombies. But Bourne’s books are compelling, delicious reads.

And honestly, don’t you want to know whether an M-4, an MP5 or an M-16 is more effective at killing zombies? I thought so….

Day by Day Armageddon

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile

Available for the Kindle.

Max Brooks:

Max brooks has become quite the zombie expert. The Zombie Survival Guide has sold over a million copies. It is not unusual to see Max Brooks’ World War Z listed at the top of any top zombie books list. And, it is being made into a movie staring Brad Pitt. Funny? Yes. Poignant? Yes. A must read? Absolutely!

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War 

Both are available for the Kindle.

Bonus Tool: The Zombie Survival Guide Deck: Complete Protection from the Living Dead.  These are flashcards to use with the Zombie Survival Guide.

S.G. Brown:

Civil rights for zombies? Yep!

This is a very different kind of zombie story. Imagine your child died. Then, he reanimates as a zombie. And, to keep him in your home, you have to have a license. And, he has to go to therapy. And, if he’s out after curfew, he gets picked up by animal control. And, you have to pay a fine to get him back. And, did I mention that they have absolutely no rights? This is an extremely thought provoking look that makes you see things from an unusual point of view.

Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament 

Available for the Kindle.

David Dunwoody:

Empire is a different kind of zombie novel, with its own twists and turns. The book has been hailed as “A macabre masterpiece of post-apocalyptic zombie goodness.”  In an unusual move, the book is set 100 years after the zombie outbreak begins. The reasons for the outbreak have a different explanation.  There are several kinds of zombies and they range from slow to fast.  The appearance of the grim reaper add an interesting twist to the novels, as does an antagonist who wants to use an army of the undead to create an empire. According to the reviews, this book tends to polarizing; people wither love it or hate it..

Empire (Zombie Novels)

Available for the Kindle.

Rhiannon Frater:

This series started out self published. Just a few pages in, I was absolutely hooked. This book has really interesting  women characters and I would love to do a feminist critique on these books! It is another one of those books that takes you from laughing hysterically to helplessly sobbing and back to laughter again. Plus, I learned so many new ways to kill zombies! 

As The World Dies: The First Days: A Zombie Trilogy

As The World Dies: Fighting To Survive: A Zombie Trilogy (Volume 2)

As The World Dies: Siege: A Zombie Trilogy

Currently available for the Kindle. Note that these books will soon be published by Tor.

Additional Untold Tales are available on the forum at the author’s website.

Seth Grahame-Smith:

This was the first of the now many literary mashups. Grahame-Smith has admirably truly captured Jane Austen’s “voice.”  The zombies are actually a nice addition to the story. This book spawned a large number of mashup adding zombies to classic works of fiction.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

   There is also a prequel available by Steve Hockensmith: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, but I haven’t read it yet.

Available for the Kindle.

Brian Keene:

Another very different take on the zombie story, both for the nature of the zombies and the origins of the outbreak.   Zombie bunnies?  Zombie goldfish? And, fast moving, thinking zombies?  Definitely thought provoking.  This is a series that, like David Dunwoody’s Empire, people either love it or hate it. 

The Rising

City Of The Dead

Available for the Kindle.

David Moody:

These books were originally self published. In fact, the author gave the first one away for free on his website to build a following for the book.  While not your typical Romero-esque zombies, these books are interesting and I feel are an important addition to the zombie canon. The series will be reissued by St. Martin’s Griffin starting in October, 2010

Autumn

Autumn: The City

Autumn: Purification

Autumn: The Human Condition

At least the first in the series is planned in a Kindle edition.

And of course, I have a  To be read zombie list that includes the following:

Monster Island: A Zombie Novel (Available for the Kindle.)

Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Saga (Available for the Kindle.)

I, Zombie: Tomes of te Dead Series (Available for the Kindle.)

Brains: A Zombie Memoir Available for the Kindle.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Available for the Kindle.)

The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead  (Available for the Kindle.)

Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel  (Available for the Kindle.)

36 Hours by Anthony Barnhart (This does not seem to be available on the Kindle and I am not sure if it is still in print.)

So, did I miss anyone’s favorites?

Next up: A new seminal zombie dictionary and personal training seminars for the Zombie Apocalypse!

The First Zombie Film

The first zombie film was 1932’s  White Zombie with Bela Lugosi. The film featured voodoo and hordes [...]]]>

Much of the information we need to survive a zombie attack is clearly laid out in the films of the genre. The list below are just the bare minimum of what I consider to be some of the “classics.”

The First Zombie Film

The first zombie film was 1932’s  White Zombie with Bela Lugosi. The film featured voodoo and hordes of zombies, not trying to eat the living,  but laboring for thier voodoo master. Known more for Lugosi’s performance and the great atmosphere conveyed in the film, it is now considered a classic. And, since the it is in the public domain, you can watch the entire film on YouTube. You can also download it (along with other goodies)  at the Internet Archive.

The Romero Films:

It is 1968. George a Romero makes history with his film, Night of the Living Dead. This is the movie that started it all. Because of an error, this film was in the public domain immediately after its release. You can also view this at YouTube and download at the Internet Archive.

You cannot underestimate the effect that this film had on the industry and popular culture.  The debt the horror and slasher films genre owes George A. Romero is astounding, as even a brief Google search shows. Romero paved the way for a new generation of horror movies around the world. Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci’s 1979 work, Zombie 2, was actually  billed as a sequel to Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.  Slasher flicks like the Friday the 13th and the Nightmare on Elm Street series probably would not even exist. 

Take a look at the trailer:

So. The essential Romero films are:

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Dawn of the Dead (1979)

Day of the Dead (1985)

I would also include Land of the Dead (2005) because from a social commentary level, it really moves the series along.

For true Romero purists (and completists), Diary of the Dead (2008) & Survival of the Dead (2009) complete the series

There is a great blog series that covers the classic Romero films and can be used as a study guide: http://www.thedorkreport.com/2009/02/16/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-part-1-night-of-the-living-dead/

The Romero Remakes:

As far as the remakes go, people either love them or hate them. I am personally quite fond of Night of the Living Dead 1990. I love the portrayal of Barbara in the film and applaud her actions at the end. As far as the rest of them, I couldn’t stand them. Although the original Dawn of the Dead is hands-down my favorite Romero flick, I could barely sit through the remake.

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Day of the Dead (2008)

Important note:  

A few caveats: Just because a movie had living dead or of the dead in the title did not mean that it had anything to do with any of the series.  Movies such as  Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane fall into this category. These films are not part of the canon! Understanding which movies belong in the established body of work keep you from being duped by fakes like this one:

The 28 Days Later Series:

The 28 Days series updates the zombie film genre. Outbreaks are spread by virus and it is murderous rage that consumes our zombies. They also move amazingly fast. It is fairly common anymore to see comparisons between slow, Romero-style zombies and those that move fast as in 28 Days Later.

28 Days Later (2003)

28 Weeks Later (2007)

The next film in the series, 28 Months Later will be out in 2011.

The Resident Evil Series:

Okay, I know that you have to take a movie franchise that is based on a video game with a grain of salt, but when I started watching Resident Evil series, I was surprised at how good the first movie was. They really are must see movies for the zombie purist.

Resident Evil (Deluxe Edition)

Resident Evil – Apocalypse (AKA Nemesis) (2004)

Resident Evil – Extinction (2007)

Return of the Living Dead

A comedy zombie series makes the cut? Yes, indeed. And the reason? One word: Braaaaiiins! Chances are, if you are a zombie aficionado, you will find at least the first two of these movies delightful.  (Three starts to get a little darker, and rumor has it that 4 and 5 are just bad!)

A note for horror buffs: 1985’s Return of the Living Dead feature actress Linnea Quigley, known as the Queen of the Screams. Her performance  is a classic.

The Return of the Living Dead (1985) (1985)

Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)

Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

Return of the Living Dead 4: Necropolis (2005) and Return of the Living Dead 5: Rave to the Grave (2005)

Another movie that is considered to be a comedy zombie classic is Shaun of the Dead (2004) I have to confess, I didn’t get this flick. Not until I saw the end. And not until seeing it a few times.  But I do find the end of the film  hysterically funny. I so totally recognize my son and his best friend since kindergarten in the ending sequence.

Some of you may notice that I left Zombielandoff the list.  While many are considering this to be a modern classic, especially with sequels in the works, I was disappointed in the film.  You can read my review here.

This list is just a beginning list of what I consider some of the classics. Different people have different fims that make their ”Top” lists. On the web, you can find lists of  top 20 zombie films and even a Wiki list of over 300 zombie films.  And there are films like The Evil dead that have reanimated dead that some people think should belong on the lists  of zombie films (I personally don’t).

Next up, we are going to be looking at zombies in books. By the way… Did you know that Brad Pitt will play the journalist in a film based on Max Brooks World War Z? 

Study Hints for the test:

There are some classic lines from some of these films that are so well-known, that they will be on the test! Lines like:

“They’re coming to get you, Barbara.”

“When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”

And of course, the classic, “Braaaaiiins!”

Can you think of any others? Or do you have a favorite line or scene from one of these films?

If you are unfamiliar with zombies, you might think that the idea [...]]]>

Tomorrow on this blog we are going to look in earnest at teaching aids for combating a zombie apocalypse.  But in the meantime, I thought that some might benefit from additional information that gives perspective and background for what you will need to learn to survive.

If you are unfamiliar with zombies, you might think that the idea of a zombie outbreak is pretty far-fetched. Au contraire, mon ami, the basic course of an outbreak has actually been clearly laid out.  To understand the generally expected scenario, read How Everything Goes to Hell in a Zombie Apocalypse.  This graphic depiction  shows the usual course of events in a zombie infestation. Remember, this is a typical outbreak; your area’s specific outbreak may vary considerably.

However, there is one important fact that holds true in all zombie infestations: If you are bitten, you will die and reanimate as a zombie! Your primary concern in a zombie apocalypse is to avoid being bitten!

Those unfamiliar with the magnitude of zombie lore that exists are usually surprised to see just how exactly how far science has come in studying this phenomenon. Advanced statistical studies have been done on survival rates, and scientists can even accurately calculate the length of time someone will survive after being bitten.

And a final warning:  There is no such thing as a safe zombie, as the following video shows:

Up tomorrow, Zombies in film….

Since this is a matter of public safety that concerns all [...]]]>

No, it is not marked on the calendar or anything (although there is a zombie awareness week in Australia). It is just that it has come to my attention that some of my readers are not as well versed as they should be concerning zombies. 

Since this is a matter of public safety that concerns all of us, I have taken it upon myself to do a bit of educational zombie posting this week to try to get those at the bottom of the class up to speed.  We are going to be looking at books, film, video, news and more to help round out your knowledge of the undead.    Those of you who are familiar with zombies, their spread and the various methods of eradication may consider this a review.

Please pay attention and take notes: There WILL be a quiz at the end of the week!

I thought it best to begin with the bare minimum of information that each of us should be aware of.  Of course, we need look no further than our own government for this basic information, offered in the form of a PSA (Public Service Announcement):

Any questions?

Okay, I’ll confess: I love zombie movies. Heck, I love zombies, period.  Wait until I get around to posting the reviews on the last few zombie books I read.  You’ll see.

So I was really excited this week when Zombieland finally came out on DVD because I had missed it when it was out in the [...]]]>

Zombieland

Okay, I’ll confess: I love zombie movies. Heck, I love zombies, period.  Wait until I get around to posting the reviews on the last few zombie books I read.  You’ll see.

So I was really excited this week when Zombieland finally came out on DVD because I had missed it when it was out in the theaters. Now, I know that it is supposed to be more comedy than horror,  but still.  We are talking zombies here (see above, paragraph one). My husband (who does not do horror films) was even willing to watch this one with me for movie night on Saturday.

Nearly twenty-four hours later, I am still trying to figure out how to describe this movie. It started out really funny – laugh out loud funny. The ending was so-so.  The middle was totally blah.  Even Shaun of the Dead was better than this. The character development and the acting were just about as uneven.

And the zombies? I don’t even know what to say about them.  Nowadays, you have to distinguish between traditional, slow-moving zombies (Romero), fast-moving zombies (28 Days Later ) and everything in between.  These zombies were incredibly inconsistent,  making it hard for the average zombie afficiando (moi) to figure out what’s going on. This one was so poorly explained, I am not sure these zombies were actually dead (or dead dead, if you know what I mean).

One of the special features said that this idea was originally conceived as a one hour pilot for a TV series. This definitely explains why the beginiing was the best part of the movie.  Ironic isn’t it –  if they’d left it as a TV series, it might have actually been a good one!

Update 2/10/2010: Just heard that there are plans for Zombieland 2…Why!?!?