The Next Biological Assault

BRUTAL PLANET by Sean P. Murphy is an oldie, but goodie. Told mostly from the POV of an anthropologist named John, this zombie novel is full of incredible action scenes, and some great dialogue between characters. Creating a main character who is able to make professional observations about the undead is a superb decision by the author, providing an intriguing angle to the story I think zombiephiles will enjoy.

Murphy mixes up the storyline with a major flashback about halfway through, instead of dumping all of John's survival experiences on the readers at the beginning. I felt I knew John as a person, and not just a character. However, for the life of me, I don't understand why the other characters insist on calling John an a-hole, while he continues to save their lives.

I hope Sean P. Murphy returns to write more stories with the same formula: lots of action and solid character development. In the meantime, I encourage my fellow zombie fans to overlook the editing issues, and add Brutal Planet to their reading lists.

As always,
AstraDaemon