“Apocalypse of the Dead” is a zombie epic packed with non-stop action and horror and a huge cast of well crafted characters.
This is the follow-up to “Dead City,” which explained the origin of the zombie plague at hand, a by-product of a Katrina-like hurricane on the Gulf Coast. The few survivors of that area are living in a quarantine area. A group of survivors breeches that area’s security, spreading the virus further. Meanwhile, a mad preacher has created a fortress for his followers in North Dakota. His “church” has become its own separate state where he has absolute rule.
Much of the novel takes place in several different parts of America between The Gulf Coast and North Dakota. The huge cast of characters battle zombies as well as other humans reacting in some bizarre and violent ways to the anarchy surrounding them. In epic style that brings to mind Stephen King’s “The Stand,” all of these groups converge, for various reasons, upon the religious compound in a superb climax.
When first reading the novel, one is a bit bombarded with lots of characters to keep track of and a few times it takes McKinney a while to return to certain players. But as the plot progresses, the groups begin meeting up with one another so this only lasts for the first hundred pages or so.
There is action on page one and it never lets up for long. McKinney creates realistic scenes of disaster and mayhem and pulls no punches. There is plenty of violence and gore but it is never gratuitous, considering the dark subject matter.
Another element that makes this a great read is the author’s cynical vision of human nature, no doubt fueled in part by his law enforcement background. The zombies are mindless killers, but often certain humans are a far more despicable menace. The evil that humans do to one another in this apocalypse sometimes makes the zombie threat pale in comparison.
While this novel builds to a satisfying crescendo of violence and suspense, it clearly sets up another volume and I will definitely read more.
This is a must-read for any fan of epic horror, whether zombies are “your thing” or not.
– George Wilhite
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
