Title: Zombie - An Anthology of the Undead
Author: Tim Lebbon among others. Edited by Christopher Golden
Publisher: Piatkus
Publications Date 18 March 2010
Paperback: 500 pages
Genre: Horror
Tags: Zombies
In The Dust by Tim Lebbon
Short Summary:
Three people inside an enclosed town collecting the dead before they turn into zombies and handing the bodies over to the authorities for scientific research in hope of a cure. The town is sealed off from the rest of the world and Toby, Bindy and Jamie are prisoners inside.
Review:
In The Dust had most of what I like about zombie stories: desolation, isolation, fear and loneliness (actually that makes me sound a bit weird), as that's what I expect from this kind of horror. We don't get to meet the zombies until the last couple of pages and it was only fleeting, but what Lebbon was able to do in such a short time was give all the environmental and atmospheric descriptions of a zombie populated world, so it really wasn't an issue for me.
In The Dust had me believing from the first page. I felt for the characters, I liked them, rooted for them. I was very surprised I felt this way as it usually takes me a good fifty or so pages of a book to get into the story. I think it was partly due to the fact that this story actually felt like a chapter from a larger work and left me wanting more. And not only to see where the story would go but to see where the story had been.
The female character, Bindy, started off as having a fairly weak personality but by the end she was strong, especially in the realisation that the world was pretty doomed and that life probably wouldn't get any better. The story was seen from the point of view of Toby in a third person narrative and I liked him immediately. I felt sorry for him as he searched for his wife in the rubble of the town, hoping she was dead and not the undead. I'm sure Toby would make a great character if placed in a novel. The last character was Jamie, young, naive and ultimately foolish who comes to his end as I guessed he would.
In such a short space of time Lebbon managed to give his characters depth and make them interesting. He also introduced a smidgen of lovin' too, but it's the 'clinging to you because you're all that's left and there's pretty much no hope' kind of love. But it was sweet, endearing and totally understandable.
I am amazed how In The Dust felt so complete in just thirty plus pages and I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it.
**I will be reviewing some of the short stories in this anthology throughout the week. Look out for Book Review Part 2 later today**
Thank you to PIATKUS for sending me this book for review
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8 comments:
The first time I saw the cover of this book, it gave me a shiver! I've never read anything zombie-related but this sounds like something that will surely creeps me out! Wonder if you've read the book by Carrie Ryan, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Heard that it is a good book.
I love Chris Golden so I might give this one a go one day. Love the cover too.
So jealous. I've been lusting over this one since I first heard about it. Love zombie stories.
I'm am addicted to zombie stories right now so I'm going to have to have a look at this one:) Thanks for highlighting it:)
Sounds like a great start to the anthology! Thanks for highlighting the individual stories, and I think this is a great idea. Looking forward to the rest of the reviews!
I have a love/hate relationship with zombies. I can't quite make up my mind, though I did write a short story with my husband that had zombies. I had to de-gross them slightly. BAHAHAHAHA
I read Part II of the review and I'll watch for your others. Hmmm...will I read it or won't I?
I love short pieces that feel complete. Sounds like a good collection so far!
One thing I like about zombie stories are how some characters turn into a kind of superhero.
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