World War Z: A Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks

Title: World War Z: A Oral History of the Zombie War
Author: Max Brooks
Paperback: 352 page
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Publishing Date: October 16, 2007
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307346617
ISBN-13: 978-0307346612

Reader's Annotation: Over a decade after the zombies war (a.k.a World War Z) raged across the planet a reporter writes a book using interviews collected by survivors.

Synopsis & Review: 11 years after a zombie plague rages throughout the world a reporter tells the story of the war through the people the survived it. From China, to India, from Africa to America the stories in this book are terrorizing, thought provoking, and yes, sometimes sadistically funny. For the keen mind the oral histories will play out like an echo of todays tragedies for the zombie lover alone no one will be disappointed.The beauty of Max Brooks is he not only writes social commentary here but he does it against a horrific, zombified backdrop that everybody has been before, however, his skill makes it raw, palpable, and frankly...scarily familiar. If you haven't gotten around to reading this book, it's time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the audio and should note the if you are taking a road trip or at the very least stuck in Los Angeles traffic, the audio is a role call of famous personalities and voices playing out the different the stories within. I would go so far as to reccommend the audio for readers who have already read the book!
Audio CD Info:
Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (2007)
Language: English
ASIN: B001IZFXMQ

Notes: Adult Content, Parental Suggestion Suggested.

Extras: Author/Publisher Website http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/worldwarz/index2.php

• World War Z is slated to be released as a film in 2010 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/

• Max Brooks is the on of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft.

• "I've no desire to become the next king of Jewish immigrant comics, but I am so proud of my old man" - About his father, Mel Brooks.

• He is the author of the comedic zombie blockbuster, The Zombie Survival Guide which has spawned a never ending out pour of merchandising from Card Decks, to Note Pads & Journals, to a Graphic Novel!
  

• View a video from the publisher's website (of the graphic novel) here.
  

A brief FAN MADE Book Trailer with splices/preview from the fantastic AUDIOBOOK (This is not licensed).



Two of my favorite Fan Made trailers made by a fan (Srsly guys, this is pretty good stuff!):

Another UnLibrarian Book Trailer! The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, by Carrie Ryan

Book Trailer by the Unlibrarian!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, By Carrie Ryan

• Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
• Author: Carrie Ryan
• Publishing Date:  March 10, 2009
• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736819
• Reader's Annotation: In an apocalyptic world Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fence that keeps The Unconsecrated out. Constantly surrounded by death, she is driven by the need to know more. But can Mary survive when she is forced to go down the paths she always dreamed of, and is there really anything other then death waiting for her?
• Synopsis:  As a child Mary's mother tells her of an immense ocean. This place is beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth and has water as far as the eye can see. But, in Mary's village the sisterhood preaches there is nothing outside the Forest of the Hands and Teeth. The only safe place is that of of the village and it is the people's duty to keep the human race from being expelled forever. It is Mary's duty to watch her mother who longs for her lost love (Mary's Father) who has been taken by The Unconsecrated. Mary knows that her mother longs to be with him and she fears she will give herself to The Forest and The Sickness. Meanwhile, the spring vows and binding ceremonies are coming and men in the village are speaking for the women. Mary has only ever longed for one boy, but it is another that seeks her hand. Mary's duty is fast upon her it may not be anything she ever expected. 
• The beauty of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan's first book, lies within it's stark voice that never wavers from it's bleak tone that alludes to that small voice of hope at something more that lives in the back of all our minds. The book doesn't pander to the sugar coated, everything will turn out ok devices that are so inherent in YA lit today. It is refreshing despite it's topic of zombies (a genre being penned at a rate to rival the vampire literary epidemic). The zombie or vampire fan will devour this easy read but not be left without provoking thoughts and conversation. I have the slightest feeling the popularity of this book will spread like the disease of the Unconsecrated. 
  
• Extras: Seven Star Pictures have already bought the rights to the book for a film. It is slated for release in 2010. 
• Medium levels of blood and violence may leave the timid reader uncomfortable, but for the most part warnings for parents and readers are mild. 
  
• Author's Website:  http://www.carrieryan.com/news.php
• The book trailer was a Teen Book Video Award 2008 Finalist.  It is one of the best I've seen! If you are thinking of reading this book you must watch the trailer! 
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• The UnLibrarian is currently working on a fan "casting" book trailer! Stay Tuned!  

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem

By: By Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

Publish Date: 2009

ISBN: 1594743347

Page #: 320 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fiction, Horror

Age Level: Adult, Older Teen

Series Titles: n/a

Subjects: Zombies, Regency Romance, Classics, Satire

Reader's Annotation: Jane Austen's beloved classic Pride and Prejudice now has zombies! After coming out of copyright, Graham-Smith brilliantly adds his own twist by transforming this literary classic with a few choice words here and there (and what a difference)!

 

Synopsis & Review: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins the literary transformation of the famous first line of one of the worlds most beloved works of fiction of all time. But if you are like me and so many others, you wouldn’t read Austen to save your life. Unless of course, your life was being threatened by Zombies! I adore a great deal of classics, but in the case of Austen I was particularly inclined to stay away. Now, with open arms, I am taking in my Austen as I never thought I could. Seth Grahame-Smith delivers a hilarious mash-up of Austen romance, Austen dresses, & Austen manners, and now Austen style zombies. (Note the zombie woman who wastes such a fine wedding gown while praying on brains. ‘Tis a shame.) Readers with a taste for Austen, a taste for zombies, or any variation of the two will revel in the satiric re-telling that aptly plays on the original heroine (Elizabeth Bennet) by keeping her as the spirited and determined central character she always was, but now she carries a Katana and martial arts training! Ms. Bennet, who holds a singular talent to slice and dice the demon dead that has been unleashed upon English countryside. Enter Mr. Darcy an arrogant zombie fighter who is drawn to Ms. Bennet and her skill to kill. Their love affaire de couer takes them through all the woes and wins of the original work but turns them into a cutting edge dance with “unmentionables” (a more Austen-esque term then undead I think) at the core. For those of you who abhor romance this is the romance for you. And for those of you who abhor violence, well, dare I say: this is the horror story for you! On a personal Level, I could not recommend a book more! IN fact, this is a Darcy that I can really sink my teeth into! Or shall I say in spirit, I am in want of more! It must be noted that Grahame-Smith does an excellent job at seamless transitions from Austen to zombie moments. Fans of Austen will get a kick out of it! 

Notes: Obviously violence should be taken into parental consideration for younger readers, however comedy and romance tempers the real threat of offensive material (I often laughed at loud). A great choice for reluctant readers of classical literature.

Not surprisingly, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is already being optioned for a movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1374989/

Stars: 5

Extras: Seth Grahame-Smith: A "polite" Q & A

How did the book come about?
SETH GRAHAME-SMITH: I'm an aspiring screenwriter living in L.A. At the moment, I'm executive producing a pilot for MTV that I wrote which is a sort of updatedWonder Years-meets-Superbad. But I also wrote a book called How to Survive a Horror Movie and another called Pardon My President, which was letters of apology from George Bush to all the people that he had wronged. My editor at Quirk had wanted to do a mash-up of some type for a long time. He had all these lists of public domain titles and lists of modern literary devices. The robot phenomenon. The vampire phenomenon. And zombies. And we arrived at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies because, when you take a look at the original book, it's almost as if, subconsciously, Jane Austen is laying out the perfect groundwork for an ultraviolent bone-crushing zombie massacre to take place. For instance, there's a regiment of soldiers camped out near the Bennett household. In the book, they're just there for characters to flirt with. But it's not that big a leap to say, Okay, they're there because the countryside has been overrun with what they call the "unmentionable menace."

The what, now?

SETH GRAHAME-SMITH:"The unmentionable menace." They call zombies "unmentionables" because it's a very polite society and the word "zombie" is kind of like a curse word. These aristocrats are trying to get on with their lives as best they can, despite the fact that the country is being devoured around them. They still have their balls and their teas and their manners. It was terrific fun to write, in the style of Jane Austen, describing horrific deaths and entire villages being slaughtered and burned to the ground.

Source: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/02/monster-mash-up.html

BOOK TEASER BY THE UNLIBRARIAN: YEA, THAT'S ME. AND YEA, I MADE ANOTHER ONE...

Zombie Blondes, By Brian James

• By: Brian James
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Publish Date:  2008
• ISBN: 0312372981
• Page #: 240 pages
• Reading Level: Young Adult
• Classification: Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal
• Subjects: Cheerleading, Family, Fathers-Daughters, Fitting-In, High School, Popularity, Zombies
• Reader's Annotation: Ever felt like the popular girls in your high school are all the same? In Hannah's new neighborhood everything is deathly quiet and strange but she is so desperate to fit in that she decides to ignore the scary truth.
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• Synopsis: Hannah has moved to a new town with her father. The first thing she notices when she moves in is the strange quiet on the streets. When she goes to her new school, she notices that things are weird there too. The popular girls, the cheerleaders that is, are all scarily the same. They are beautiful but stark white, dead white actually, and Hannah notices their oddness. Dealing with her father who is on the run (due to personal problems ratting out a cop) moves her around constantly, so when she arrives to this town she accepts her fate as the unpopular girl. When the "cheerleaders" offer her a chance on the squad, she is faced with the hope of fitting in and being popular. The problem is, it's hard to ignore the horrible truths unraveling around her, not to mention the fact that her friend Lucas is telling her the cheerleaders are ZOMBIES!
• Notes: Zombie Blondes raises some good metaphors about high school life, fitting-in, parental relations, and communities (much like the general zombie metaphors in films since the 1960s). However it is important to note that this book is an interesting mix of predictable characters juxtaposed with some exciting twists that save the book from predictability. Zombie Blondes is a fun read that although not perfect, worth your while!
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• Stars: 4
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Generation Dead, By Daniel Waters

By: Daniel Waters

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Publish Date: May 6, 2008

ISBN: 142310921X

Page #: 400 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Racism

Age Level: Older Teen

Series Titles: 

Generation Dead (Book 1)

Kiss of Life (Book 2) (Release Date of Sequel: May 12, 2009)

Subjects: Living Impaired, Zombies, Romance, Comedy, Fantasy

Reader's Annotation: Nobody is sure why dead teens are coming back, but scientists guess it may have something to do with a cross between raging teen hormones and too much preservatives from fast food. One thing is for sure, nothing will be the same for the living impaired Tommy, still living Pheobe, and the high school football team: ever heard of dead weight?

Synopsis: In a literary world taken over by Twilight* and the undead, maybe it's time for a love interest who has one dead, dragging leg behind him instead of superhuman speed & strength. Perhaps the living impaired Tommy can become your anti-Edward. Pheobe, Generation Dead's main goth girl (who practices the irony of dressing up dead amongst dead people) has her eyes set on the wrong guy: Tommy. Tommy is a zombie. Excuse me, the politically correct term would be living impaired. I apologize for my insensitivity to the undead community. I did not mean any harm. At any rate, Pheobe has never been part of the "in" crowd, but Tommy's crowd is outside even the outside crowds. In fact, Oakvale High is aghast with disgust over Pheobe falling for the dead kid that heads the crowd that no one wants to talks to. The living impaired are ignored in every way possible in this school. Zombies are treated more like segregation in the south then kids who just don't fit in. But, Pheobe crosses the line that the other kids won't dare cross; And what happens when her living best-friend gets left in the dust? I couldn't help falling for her and her infatuation with the zombie Tommy. This is not a book to be missed. Generation dead is funny, witty, romatic, and resplite with gooey dead people! Just don't call 'em Zombies! 

*By the way, I enjoyed Twilight, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bit zombifying.

Notes: A great book to read for the zombie fan but also a fresh take on segregation.

Stars: 5 

Extras: Author Blog http://danielwaters.com/

Tommy's Undead Experiences Blog http://mysocalledundeath.blogspot.com/

Zombie rights march on Boing Boing http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/27/zombie-rights-march-.html

Brown v. Board of Education on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education

Zombie Honeymoon (Film), Directed By David Grebroe

• Director: David Gebroe
  
• Writer: David Gebroe
• Producers: David Gebroe, Bret Harrison, Christina Reilly, Josh Blumenfeld, Larry Fessenden
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Showtime Ent.
• DVD Release Date: February 14, 2006
• Run Time: 83 minutes

Reader's Annotation: Madly in love, Danny and Denise get married and head off into the sunset to the beachy honeymoon. But after being attacked by a Zombie their honeymoon turns into a nightmare. How far will Denise go to stand by her new undead Husband?

Synopsis: Denise and Danny have the perfect love. They get married and head off to a perfect honeymoon on the beach. Out of nowhere a zombie rises out of the ocean and attacks Danny, only to drop "dead" minutes after. Free of the threat it soon becomes clear that Danny is dying! Denise rushes him into the ER where he flatlines and dies. Denise devastated by her sudden and unexplainable loss is stunned when minutes after being dead, Danny opens his eyes and is back in her arms. They head home feeling blessed with a second chance at young love. But not soon after she begins to see changes in her true love. Will she be able to deal with the truth that Danny is permanently changed? What's more can either of them survive it?

Notes: Despite it apparent lack of rating, neither being categorized as teen or adult, director Greboe delivers what is the most un-offensive horror movie ever made. One part romance, the other Zombie-Comedy, this B-Movie Indie flick is what teens and adults alike will have to admit is a pre-curser to the Twilight Phenomenon.  Dedicated to his sister's late husband who passed away in a surfing accident weeks after they were married, this movie is a heartbreaking yet funny twist on the traditional zombie genre. It is a diamond in the rough, and not to be missed. 

Warning: Light sexual acts (they are newlyweds after all) and horror scenes are in the film (although mostly funny), but upon parental approval, I think this is the least offensive "non-rated" film that both parents and older teens will get a kick out of!

Extras: http://www.zombiehoneymoon.com/

A Second Honeymoon? I can hope! Even though the trend of making zombie films is getting more tired than pretty much any other sub-genre in the history of horror, it still doesn’t dampen my desire to see some of the ones that sound like they may either do something different or, at the very least, be a good time. Zombie Honeymoon (review) was a decent example of the latter, so news on a possible sequel piqued my interest.

“I’ve been in talks with the lead actress, Tracy Coogan, about reprising her role of Denise, and we’re excited about the prospect of working together again,” director David Gebroe told Fangoria in a recent interview. ”I just need financing, and we’re ready to go. I always figured I wouldn’t bother working on a sequel unless the first one was successful enough to warrant it. Well, Zombie Honeymoon definitely was, so there’s certainly an audience for a follow-up.”

So how to follow up the massive slaughter that ended the first film? Gebroe’s being tight-lipped about it but did say that the concept is ”fresh and unpredictable enough over the course of a second installment.”

Gebroe’s working on other projects as well, including one that may be produced by An American Werewolf in London director John Landis if all goes according to plan. No more details were available for that one either, but we’ll keep our ears open...

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: The Movie?

NEWS ABOUT BOOKS

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT A BOOK REVIEW)

P&P&Z THE MOVIE?

As if I wasn't already beside myself excited about the novel which will release in April, I hear now the book of our dreams is going to be the film of our dreams. Thanks to Megan for the Book tip and to Vlad for the film tip.

Article Source

"Jane Austen is rolling around, decayed and foul, in her grave. I am sure by now you have heard about the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which Seth Grahame-Green has 'tweaked' from the original Pride and Prejudice romance novel by interspersing scenes of terse, reserved protestations of love and propriety with zombie carnage. Genius, you say? Yes. Total genius. But now, studios are in a bidding war over who gets to make this into a movie. Now that Jane Austin is public domain, her work is up for grabs (hear that, people?) and studio execs with no original thoughts can mush her work into anything they think will make money. What's next for studios, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights where Catherine returns as a Japanese ghost to haunt and terrorise Heathcliff? Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre where Mr Rochester keeps something worse than his wife in the attic? George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss with human sacrifice?
Er, you better read on...
“It quickly became obvious that Jane [Austen] had laid down the blueprint for a zombie novel,” said Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author and comedic genius Grahame-Smith to The UK's Sunday Times. “Why else in the original should a regiment arrive on Lizzie Bennet’s doorstep when they should have been off fighting Napoleon? It was to protect the family from an invasion of brain-eaters, obviously.”
Zombie slayers, kung fu, and Fitzwilliam Darcy as a ninja, cannibal hordes from London sweeping the moors putting a damper on croquet games and garden teas - it just doesn't get better than that."

Living Impaired. Again.

What I am waiting for:

Generation Dead: Kiss of Life

Release Date May 12, 2009



Pre-Review via Amazon

The Kiss of Life.

The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.