You may remember that last October, the blog was filled with all things scary, from bowing to the King of Horror, to vampires, to the supernatural, among others. Things that go bump in the night, it seems, tend to come and go in popularity, and right now? Zombies are it. Here are my top ten picks if you're looking to become acquainted with the genre of the undead.
1) The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman. If you've been loving on AMC's super-dark series, you owe it to yourself to go back to its roots. This graphic novel series by creator Kirkman is darkly witty and intense.
2) White Horse, by Alex Adams. I reviewed this back in the spring when it first came out, and it remains one of my favorites. If you're looking for a new twist on zombified fiction, this is absolutely one to check out.
3) Gil's All-Fright Diner, by A. Lee Martinez. Horror fiction tends to be dark, gory and intense, but it doesn't have to be. Martinez lends a bit of mad-cap humor to a tale of zombies, werewolves and vampires, and the result is a scream.
4) Lords of Salem, by Rob Zombie. I don't necessarily have an inside scoop on this one, but I am familiar with Zombie's music and movies. This novel tie-in to his up-coming film about the Lords of Salem, back and out for blood, is sure to be a grisly delight.
5) Zombie, Ohio, by Scott Kenemore. Is there such a thing as a smart zombie? College professor Peter Mellor thinks so, after dying in a car wreck and being reborn a brainy and brain-hungry zombie. Problem is, people keep trying to kill him, again, even as he tries to solve the mysterious circumstances surrounding his accident.
6) Monster Island, by David Wellington. First in a trilogy, Monster Island opens a month after a global disaster has rendered Manhattan an island of shambling undead. When an expedition arrives on the island, the zombies mobilize against the interlopers. Gruesome and intense.
7) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Elizabeth Bennet, zombie hunter! A killer parody, available both in novel and graphic novel format.
8) The First Days, by Rhiannon Frater. First in Frater's As The World Dies series, readers meet Jenni and Katie, two ordinary women, on the morning of the day the world ended. Thrown together by circumstance, they become a team bent on survival, rescue and escape as the zombie horde swarms in. Riveting.
9) Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion. Think zombie novels can't have a little romance? Think again. Here, the protagonist doesn't enjoy killing, but loves Frank Sinatra music and riding escalators. Against the odds, he falls in love...with a human. Surprisingly moving.
10) Breathers: A Zombie's Lament, by S.G. Browne. Proof that there is life, and love, after death, this is begins with our undead hero attempting to adjust to his new lot in un-life, and ends in a class-action lawsuit for zombie rights. By turns gory, sweet and hilarious.
I hope there's a little something in the list for everyone. If you have a monstrous addition to the list, I'd love to know, just leave me a comment. I'm back with some gothic classics on Thursday. In the meantime, happy (scary) reading!
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