World War Z

In the spirit of Halloween, I chose to read Max Brooks' World War Z, An Oral History Of The Zombie Wars. This story, though it was entirely fictional, was very eerie to read. Max is also the author of The Zombie Survival Guide which I've also read, and both books are so well done, you'd almost believe that the earth truly had been invaded by the living dead.

World War Z tells the story of the zombie war from many different perspectives. It recounts personal experiences, like one woman who fled with her family to Canada to wait for the cold to freeze the zombies, only to find that human beings are just as vicious as the living dead. It speaks from the view point of military personell, who have insight on the missions they were ordered to partake in. Sometimes these missions involved a great deal of moral dillema, sometimes they ended in the untimely demise of civilian lives. It also tells it from the viewpoint of those who were civilian "soldiers", and the battles they saw and the horrors they faced. This book, to zombie fans and impartial readers alike, was very enjoyable (as long as you have a strong stomach and an open mind).

I, personally, enjoy Max Brooks' stories, because I have always believed that zombies are the most terrifying monsters, much more than vampires, werewolves, or devils. This started a few years back when I first saw 28 Days Later. While it is highly unlikely, the potential for a "zombie" outbreak is scientifically possible. I don't believe that the dead will just randomly rise from the grave and attack humans, but to say that there is a disease that infects the human race, kills their bodies and minds and turns them into cannibalistic, contagious killing machines who crave human flesh and who's only demise results from destroying their brain and NOTHING less, is truely a terrifying prospect