Zombies are hot! Over the past few years the surge in popularity of the zombie film has been incredible. Films such as “28 Days Later”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Land of the Dead”, “Resident Evil” and “Shaun of the Dead” have certified the living dead as reigning stars in horror. This has not been overlooked in horror literature as there have been numerous outstanding books released over the past years dealing with the undead. The latest ghoul-fest comes from Cemetery Dance’s Mondo Zombie. The book features 27 stories from the likes of Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, Yvonne Navarro, Steve Rasnic Tem, Robert Bloch, Douglas E. Winter, and more. The only theme is zombies, as each writer presents the flesh-eaters in their own unique way…sometimes with pure horror, sometimes with humor, and sometimes with even tragic sadness. It’s the eclectic nature of the stories that make them so appealing. While many draw upon the influences of film with a mysterious plague causing the dead to return to life, it’s what direction the story goes in after setting up that preface.
Anne Abrams gets things rolling to a ghoulish start in “Next to Godliness” in a story that not only involves zombies, but necrophilia as well. Adele is a compulsive clean freak, afraid of even being touched by a man. Her job in a funeral parlor finds her many sexual partners, all freshly cleaned and well groomed and perfumed…until the dead start to rise and rot…
Richard Laymon’s “Rise” is a gory, twisted erotic tale of two lovers escaping the city from the zombie hordes to what they think is the safety of the country where they hideout on a small mound in the middle of a small lake, keeping a vigilant eye out for the undead. But then a moment of passion changes everything.
“The Visitor” by Jack Ketchum is perhaps the most tragic, saddest story in the book. A man comes to visit his wife in the hospital every day after she is bitten by a zombie. He brings flowers and balloons and regales her with old stories, until she finally dies. But that doesn’t stop the man from continuing to show up at the hospital, and visit each new plague victim that is put in the same room…and sharing the same old stories with them. Ketchum so evocatively captures the feeling of loneliness of the man, desperately wanting to share time with someone…anyone.
Robert Bloch’s “Maternal Instinct” shows that not all undead are created equal. Jill, the head of a think tank trying to come up with a solution to the zombie plague is summoned to the White House to meet with the President and Surgeon General to reveal her findings. Jill will find out that not all zombies are mindless…
“LeVanta Muertos” from Steve Antczak and Gregory Nicoll is the comedy relief in the book…and what relief! Two rednecks Steve & Rett are in their pickup truck (what else!) and on their way to the only safe haven left called The Compound. But only certain people are allowed inside…certain people who can contribute something special. Steve and Rett are convinced that their special zombie killing chili will get them inside. It’s as if the Blue Collar Comedy guys met George Romero!
Buddy Martinez’ “Anonymous” kicks ass and doesn’t bother taking any names with his short, violent tale of a former ad executive yuppie, living the good life in the burbs, who becomes an elite zombie killer when the plague strikes, and his family becomes ghoul food.
No matter how you like your undead…rotting or clean…irreverent or horrific, you’ll find them all in Mondo Zombie. It’s a simply superb collection of zombie tales with many new and fresh ideas from this talented bevy of writers.
– Tim Janson
- 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
