Choose Your Own Zombie Adventure

CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE by Joe McKinney, Armand Rosamilia, Tonia Brown, Joe Mynhardt, Aurelio Lopez III, and Alex Laybourne. The beginning introduces Blaze and lays out his situation, which ends with him needing to make an important decision on how he chooses to live in this sinister purgatory. He can fight zombies with his new companions, fight zombies on his own, kill his companions, find new companions a couple of different ways, or take on the Gatherers. I chose to read the endings in this order: Lopez III, Laybourne, Mynhardt, Brown, Rosamilia, and McKinney.

My favorite ending is the one written by Aurelio Lopez III. I felt his piece stood out more from all the others, which surprised me because I've never heard of the author before now. In fact, despite this collaboration being written by some of my favorite zombie authors, the other endings are just okay...well-written, but nothing exciting. I think the overall setting prevented the authors from showcasing their true talents.

However, if you're looking for something different to read, give this a go.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Holiday of the Dead

38 holiday-themed zombie stories from new and established authors...

Over 500 pages crammed full of flesh-eating horror and dark humor from the cream of UK, US and Canadian talent. Theme parks, serial killers, seaside resorts, Christmas, Thanksgiving and fishing trips.

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HOLIDAY OF THE DEAD is this a great sampling of some of the best authors from the zombie genre, but an incredible showcase of what the horror sub-genre has to offer. Too many people think zombie stories are comparable to zombie movies, when, in fact, undead stories have evolved far more than the undead in the film industry.

This anthology exceeded my expectations...various locations, an array of holiday settings - everything from weekend getaways to major holiday celebrations, and some of the best zombie action I've ever read.

I would definitely put this collection in my top ten list for anthologies.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Snake Oil

LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE by Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty is a supernatural coming of age story told from the POV of a grown man looking back on a boyhood memory of one particular summer. While filled with suspense, I wouldn't label the story as horror, and I am disappointed with how much backstory is left out.

Up to this point, I have enjoyed everything published by Grinning Skull Press, and Joe McKinney is one of my favorite authors, but I've never heard of Michael McCarty. Even so, I'm not going to blame McCarty for my disappointment in this story. I haven't been this dissatisfied with a story since I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King.

I'm reminded of a college professor who told me, "Don't put a gun in your story, unless you're planning to use it before the end." There are many guns in this story which never go off with a bang. The dark history of Mark's family is established, but readers are not given any detailed reasons why the older generations appeared to be involved with a snake cult...no specific backstories with Abraham and Ulysses Gaitlin, aside from a brief mention of their falling out.

Another character, Ben, makes a big deal about how dangerous the abandoned village of Gaitlinville is, but, again, he doesn't venture into the history of the church, much less the history of the land/lake. Mark's dad attempts to tell the teenager something from the past, more than once, but remains vague. After a while, limiting the story to Mark's POV appears to do more harm than good. Basically, Mark's character, as an elderly man reflecting on a turning point in his life, sucks at storytelling.

Out of curiosity, I read the other reviews posted on Amazon, and the ones praising this book appear to have read a completely different story than the one I read. If you're expecting this to be anything like GSP's other horror stories, you will be disappointed by the lack of depth and action.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadlands: Book Two

THE DEAD WON'T DIE by Joe McKinney is the second book in the Deadlands series. The survivors from Arabella have arrived in Temple, only to be treated as criminals and mocked for their Code. While the first installment is a zombie horror novel, this book is a sci-fi crime drama, and the undead are just about the only thing the two stories have in common, aside from the three main characters. The writing style has changed so much, I wouldn't believe this to be a McKinney novel, if his name wasn't on the front cover.

I appreciate reminders of what happened in the previous book, but the author references the events in PLAGUE OF THE UNDEAD so often throughout this sequel, the pace of the story drags like the broken leg of a zombie. I'm also disappointed by how little takes place. There is a lot of action, but not much progress is made by the characters, and the ending is abrupt. I'm also shocked at how bad the editing is...more than once, a section of dialogue seems to be missing from a conversation.

I'm kind of sick of the characters at this point, as well. Jake keeps flashing back to having teenage sex with Kelly, Kelly barely shows any personality, and Chelsea is always screaming and crying. How in the hell they've managed to stay alive with all the noise they make is a mystery to me. Even for fiction, it's just ridiculous.

I hope McKinney returns to the style of writing he uses in the first book, otherwise, I don't see myself recommending this series. If you're expecting this to be anything like his Dead World series, you're going to be disappointed.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadlands: Book One

PLAGUE OF THE UNDEAD by Joe McKinney describes a post-apocalyptic world 30 years after a man-made plague with zombies. The town of Arbella can barely contain the population of ten-thousand people, offspring of the First Generation to survive the initial outbreak. A group has set out to see if it is possible to safely expand their borders; however, their decades of isolation has left them unprepared for First Contact.

The people of Arbella live by a strict Code, which has helped them survive and thrive, but a betrayal of trust will jeopardize the expedition. There is also the mystery of the exotic airships, which appear to be able to herd the undead hordes.

McKinney basically brought together science fiction and horror to create what I believe is one of his best stories. He ties in the cause of the plague to the reason there are still zombies three decades later, and provides one hell of an explanation for the movement of the hordes.

Last, but not least, McKinney includes four short stories that are extremely entertaining. They include a type of survivor called a Faker, which is devastatingly haunting.

You don't have to be a zombie fan to appreciate the sci-fi horror between these pages.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Savage Suspense

THE SAVAGE DEAD by Joe McKinney is more of a crime thriller than a zombie horror novel. The infected are just a small detail in a story about an assassination plot to take out a Senator who has been fighting against Mexican cartels. One cartel in particular attempts to use a biological weapon on a cruise ship to take out their target.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, as well as the mix of action and moments of introspection. Details about their personal issues adds extra suspense to every scene, wondering how their pasts will affect their decision-making and not knowing what each is willing to do to survive.

I'm satisfied with the ending, if this is a stand-alone, but I wouldn't mind a sequel with Ramon being hunted down.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lame Ending to Great Series

MUTATED by Joe McKinney is the fourth book in his Dead World series, and the weakest one, in my opinion. I can't even believe McKinney wrote this. The writing style is nowhere near the same level of storytelling found in the first three books, and the characters leave a LOT to be desired.

In particular, Niki is a joke. Not only is she unrealistic, she is more suited to a campy comic book than a dramatic survival novel. Even the bad guy, the Red Man, is not as bad as the cheerleader turned terminator. There were so many quality characters (not to mention the variety) in the previous installments, I can't begin to imagine what McKinney was thinking when he decided to make Niki's mission the main storyline.

Not only is Niki a poor excuse for a character, just having someone like her in the story took away from the potential of the rest of the characters. The Red Man could have been more sinister, Ben could have been a bigger source of strength for the group, Nate and Avery could have had more of a relationship, and Sylvia should have been THE main character. Even Fisher and Stoler could have been more involved.

After having to put up with Niki and her over-the-top action scenes throughout the story, the ending is a disappointment as well...too simplified and rushed. If you love the series, do yourself a favor, and skip this one. Whatever you think happened to the group who escaped from Jasper will be better than what McKinney did to his survivors.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead World: Flesh Eaters

Battered by three devastating hurricanes in a row, the Texas coast is flattened. But for the people of Houston--and soon all of America--the most terrifying events are just beginning...

FLESH EATERS appears to be a prequel to Dead City and Apocalypse of the Dead, revealing how the outbreak began in Houston, and how it was spread into the other major Texas cities. The characters slowly realize that the multiple hurricane damage that has altered the coastline permanently is the least of their worries. The zombie virus is explained in great detail, and this form of the undead really sets McKinney apart from other authors in the zombie genre.

McKinney has gone to great lengths to make the entire series as realistic as possible, and if you haven’t read all three books yet, I strongly recommend that you put it on your Halloween must-read list. I can't wait to read the fourth book in the series!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead World: Apocalypse of the Dead

Two hellish years. That's how long it's been since the hurricanes flooded the Gulf Coast, and the dead rose up from the ruins. The cities were quarantined; the infected, contained. Any unlucky survivors were left to fend for themselves.

APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD, McKinney’s second book in his Dead World series, takes place two years after the outbreak in Dead City, and includes more details about the source of the zombie virus and its nature. The military has sealed off the Gulf Coast, trapping thousands of uninfected survivors with the remaining zombies. The newly formed Quarantine Authority cannot hold back the zombies or the people desperate to escape the Q-zone.

AOTD changes things up with multiple POVs from characters that slowly converge upon the same time and place in North Dakota, as the rest of the US falls to utter destruction. Worse yet, there is a new strain of the virus making it difficult to identify the infected. The characters are the most striking mix I’ve ever read: convicts, the elderly, porn stars, religious fanatics, and even a blind woman.

When the world goes to hell, McKinney throws everyone into the fire.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead World: Dead City

Battered by five cataclysmic hurricanes in three weeks, the Texas Gulf Coast and half of the Lone Star State is reeling from the worst devastation in history. Thousands are dead or dying--but the worst is only beginning. Amid the wreckage, something unimaginable is happening: a deadly virus has broken out, returning the dead to life--with an insatiable hunger for human flesh...

DEAD CITY by Joe McKinney was first released in November 2006. Back then, my son was only a year old, so the scene with Eddie Hudson struggling to release his son from the car seat – while zombies closed in around them – really scared the crap out of me. I had no idea that it was going to be part of a series continued years later. I decided to revisit the series to refresh my memory.

Dead City is told from the POV of police officer Eddie Hudson in San Antonio, TX. At first, he tries to keep the peace when a viral outbreak (linked loosely to flooding and corpses resulting from several recent hurricanes) turns people violent and cannibalistic, but when Eddie realizes he is dealing with zombies, his new mission becomes reuniting with his wife and infant son, April and Andrew. It’s hard to believe that the majority of the story takes place in the span of one night…it’s a nonstop thriller with lots of gore from start to finish.

This is one of my favorite zombie series, and I've continued to reread the series over the years. Even though my son is now a teenager, this particular story still hits me hard as a parent.

As always,
AstraDaemon