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The Zombie Survival Guide
June 11, 2005
If you picked this book up at the store and thumbed through it, you'd probably conclude that it belongs in the "Humor" section of the bookstore because it's a kind of parody of every dumb thing that victims in zombie horror movies always do. But once you actually start reading this thing, you realize it's not really funny, not in a laugh-out-loud way. The only humor in the whole thing is the meta-joke that the author takes zombie-preparedness so seriously. Rather than being the tongue-in-cheek lampoon that you probably expected, the book's tone is
completely serious, with practical and well reasoned advice about how to survive a zombie attack, how to most effectively go on the offense against the undead, and how to escape from a zombie-infested area. The best way to describe it is probably as non-fiction set in a fictional world where zombies really do exist.
None of this is to say, however, that it isn't a good read. In fact, I was totally engrossed through the whole thing, thanks in no small part to how approachable the text was, even for such an outlandish topic. I can't really explain why I was so interested in hearing, for example, about how best to hole up in your house to survive an undead siege (tip: take all your supplies to the top floor then demolish the stairs --zombies can't climb). But I was. I've never read anything so absurd and rational at the same time.
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Tags: Book Review, Zombie
Comments
Posted by Shawn on June 12, 2005 5:26 AM:
Have you seen Shaun of the Dead? The people in that movie should have read this book.
Posted by Jamie on June 12, 2005 6:36 AM:
No, but I want to. I hear it's funny. Heck, I haven't even seen the George Romero zombie movies that the book is largely a tribute to.
Posted by Shawn on June 12, 2005 7:44 AM:
It is a very funny movie and now you will be able to shout helpful hints to the characters as you watch!