Book 11: The Zombie Survival Guide
Continuing with the book_it_2006 project...
Book 11: The Zombie Survival Guide
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Humor
Number of pages: 272
Pages Read This Year: 3209
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best]: B-
Short description/summary of the book: from Amazon
In this outrageous parody of a survival guide, Saturday Night Live staff writer Brooks prepares humanity for its eventual battle with zombies. One would expect the son of Mel Brooks to have a genetic predisposition to humor, and indeed, he does, and he exhibits it relentlessly here: he outlines virtually every possible zombie-human encounter, drafts detailed plans for defense and attack and outlines past recorded attacks dating from 60,000 B.C. to 2002. In planning for that catastrophic day when "the dead rise," Brooks urges readers to get to know themselves, their bodies, their weaponry, their surroundings and, just in case, their escape routes. Some of the book's more amusing aspects are the laughable analyses Brooks proposes on all aspects of zombiehood, and the specificity with which he enumerates the necessary actions for survival-i.e., a member of an anti-zombie team must be sure to have with him at all times two emergency flares, a signaling mirror, daily rations, a personal mess kit and two pairs of socks. Comic, though unnecessarily exhaustive, this is a good bet for Halloween gag gifts and fans of Bored of the Rings-esque humor. 100 line drawings.
My Thoughts: I am a relatively new fan of zombie fiction (movies, comics, etc.), having just started to really enjoy the genre in the last few years, and I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I learned of its existence a few months ago. I've got mixed feelings about the result. The book is a lot of fun, but it's not funny.
Although labeled as "humor," perhaps "satire" would be more accurate. The book precicely mimics typical "survival guides," using the idea of a zombie outbreak as his catastrophe of choice. He covers virtually every scenario one could expect to encounter, gives a rundown of various types of weaponry and which are the best, how to survive in virtually any climate should you find yourself there during a zombie outbreak, and even a detailed timeline of all "documented" zombie attacks.
The resultant book is something that is quite entertaining for someone who is familiar with the genre and knows the stories and conventions that Brooks is lampooning. What the book isn't, however, is funny. I think I laughed just one time in the entire 272 pages. The writing is so spot-on that you lose the knee-slappers.
Another mark in this book's favor is how meticulous Brooks is. Even for something so outlandish, it seems that he's put a considerable amount of research into it (and not just watching zombie movies, but into how various weapons and vehicles function, among other things). The result is a book so well-constructed that it could serve as an invaluable resource for anyone attempting to write a zombie story of their own. (This is what a stupid character would do, this is what a smart character would do, this is what would most likely happen with this tactic, etc.).
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, but to call it "humor" is somewhat innacurate. It's just fun for people who dig zombies.
Next Up: Bad Movies We Love by Edward Margulies & Stephen Rebello
Book 11: The Zombie Survival Guide
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Humor
Number of pages: 272
Pages Read This Year: 3209
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best]: B-
Short description/summary of the book: from Amazon
In this outrageous parody of a survival guide, Saturday Night Live staff writer Brooks prepares humanity for its eventual battle with zombies. One would expect the son of Mel Brooks to have a genetic predisposition to humor, and indeed, he does, and he exhibits it relentlessly here: he outlines virtually every possible zombie-human encounter, drafts detailed plans for defense and attack and outlines past recorded attacks dating from 60,000 B.C. to 2002. In planning for that catastrophic day when "the dead rise," Brooks urges readers to get to know themselves, their bodies, their weaponry, their surroundings and, just in case, their escape routes. Some of the book's more amusing aspects are the laughable analyses Brooks proposes on all aspects of zombiehood, and the specificity with which he enumerates the necessary actions for survival-i.e., a member of an anti-zombie team must be sure to have with him at all times two emergency flares, a signaling mirror, daily rations, a personal mess kit and two pairs of socks. Comic, though unnecessarily exhaustive, this is a good bet for Halloween gag gifts and fans of Bored of the Rings-esque humor. 100 line drawings.
My Thoughts: I am a relatively new fan of zombie fiction (movies, comics, etc.), having just started to really enjoy the genre in the last few years, and I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I learned of its existence a few months ago. I've got mixed feelings about the result. The book is a lot of fun, but it's not funny.
Although labeled as "humor," perhaps "satire" would be more accurate. The book precicely mimics typical "survival guides," using the idea of a zombie outbreak as his catastrophe of choice. He covers virtually every scenario one could expect to encounter, gives a rundown of various types of weaponry and which are the best, how to survive in virtually any climate should you find yourself there during a zombie outbreak, and even a detailed timeline of all "documented" zombie attacks.
The resultant book is something that is quite entertaining for someone who is familiar with the genre and knows the stories and conventions that Brooks is lampooning. What the book isn't, however, is funny. I think I laughed just one time in the entire 272 pages. The writing is so spot-on that you lose the knee-slappers.
Another mark in this book's favor is how meticulous Brooks is. Even for something so outlandish, it seems that he's put a considerable amount of research into it (and not just watching zombie movies, but into how various weapons and vehicles function, among other things). The result is a book so well-constructed that it could serve as an invaluable resource for anyone attempting to write a zombie story of their own. (This is what a stupid character would do, this is what a smart character would do, this is what would most likely happen with this tactic, etc.).
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, but to call it "humor" is somewhat innacurate. It's just fun for people who dig zombies.
Next Up: Bad Movies We Love by Edward Margulies & Stephen Rebello