You could say that about any disaster movie (I see zombies as more disaster than monster movie, same thing, a vast seemingly unstoppable force comes across our heroes). Its just that the bit where an explanation is squeezed in seems a little bit, dare I say it, too geeky.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie Wars
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You could say that about any disaster movie (I see zombies as more disaster than monster movie, same thing, a vast seemingly unstoppable force comes across our heroes). Its just that the bit where an explanation is squeezed in seems a little bit, dare I say it, too geeky.
I agree that zombie apocalypse type movies are a form of disaster movie. However, unlike WWZ they tend to focus on a group of characters who are in some way connected to each other and often the disaster itself. Be they seperated by the disaster or throw together because of it, the stories tend to be insular and concerned only with drama based on character interaction with the disaster itself (whatever it is) being little more than a catalyst. With WWZ on the other hand it's really about the war itself and it's impact on society rather than the plight of any specific person or group of people. The biggest difference is in it's sheer scope, so in a sense it's a "Disaster Movie Anthology".
It is a pretty good book. I loved the part that is an obvious reference to Bill Maher and Ann Coulter going at it when faced with their impending doom.
I can see pretty much humans reacting the way they did in the book. I wouldnt doubt one minute that whole sections of live humans will be abandoned while the "fittest" hole up in fortresses until the time where they can go out and kill the zombies.
I can see pretty much humans reacting the way they did in the book. I wouldnt doubt one minute that whole sections of live humans will be abandoned while the "fittest" hole up in fortresses until the time where they can go out and kill the zombies.
I think the book makes it clear that precisely that tactic is what saves humanity and allows what's left to fight back. The difference being is that those strongholds left behind are regularly resupplied and supported to help them last as long as possible. The rational being that the longer they hold out, the longer they keep the larger swarms distracted.
My favourite bit of human hubris in the book concerns the chapter where some celebrity decided to hold up with a bunch of other celebs and hollywood bigwigs then webcasts themselves surviving in style...I mean you can really imagine some rich idiot thinking this is a good idea. I get the impression the celebs are supposed to be real people, but I've not been able to figure out exactly who everyone is based on the descriptions.
I seem to remember Paris Hilton and Larry the Cable Guy being two of the ones, that while not named, were unmistakably described in that chapter.
I thought the book started off really strong but eventually petered out towards the end. Once it got in to the obvious satire and the sort of, I dunno, agenda driven writing, my interest waned. I thought the chapter about the celebrities was terrible, and I don't think I even bothered finishing the "boo hoo animals" chapter. I also found much of writing from the non-western perspectives too trite for my liking, but not enough for me not to enjoy those chapters. I really enjoyed the first half of the book though.
Couldn't get into the novel but have bought the audio book that features an actual cast reading with Max Brooks playing the narrator (essentially himself within the universe of the novel). I've heard great things about the audio book so I'm looking forward to listening to it.
The idea that they would start to crack under pressure like that, or that the military would go in like that. I mean I understand the idea behind it all, but the troops would've been well briefed about the zombies imo and the tank shells, air strikes etc would've done enough damage to the zombies brains or limbs to disable them. It wouldn't have been half as terrible or as much of a defeat as was described.
I thought it was Colin Powell, actually. Obama wasn't on my radar yet when I read it.
Any guesses who the VP was supposed to be?
Marian
The President was Colin Powell. The VP was Howard Dean (all of his sections were in Vermont)/ The specifically note that the POTUS and VPOTUS were from different parties/
It was Powell, at one point in the book it mentions that he (the president) didn't even ask about his family members in Jamaica
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Sort of sounds like the movie Ever Since The World Ended. There are no zombies in it but it deals with the aftermath of a global disaster. Also Adam Savage is in it!
Same here. Best zombie book I've ever read. I could not put it down. Soon to be a major motion picture -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/
You want to read a good book along the lines of what you cited above, try Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. Written in 1949 it's one of the best 'what happens to mankind and the planet after a devastating disaster' books.
The Morningstar Strain: Plague of the Dead is pretty good as well.
