Review by Zelinda -- The Ultimate Guide to Zombies

[Zelinda]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Ultimate Guide to Zombies" by Dave Robertson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Do you believe in Zombies, or in the possibility that they could exist? If either of these is true then The Ultimate Guide to Zombies is the book for you! But wait…if you like the Zombie genre in books, movies, plays, songs, cult events, even weddings, you will also like this book. And you may still like it even if none of the above is true. Because not only is this is a book about Zombies - the “ultimate” adjective is no exaggeration – it is also a book about history, anatomy, philosophy, and all manner of other information interwoven through the stories about Zombies.

I started this book once and put it down, as I am not a Zombie fan, and, well, Zombies aren’t real. Are they? But the book kept calling my name, so I picked it up again and I’m glad I did. Besides being hilarious, the book is informative, intelligent, and fun. You could even find yourself believing that Zombies could exist and learn how to protect yourself from them.

The author starts off by giving a history of Zombie books, films and plays beginning in the early 1900s. He explains their evolution, using examples of Zombie culture from that earlier time up until the present day. After this short history of Zombies, we are treated to definitions of the various types of Zombies. There are all sorts of them, based on various physical and mental states they exhibit. For example, the original Zombies were slow-speaking and slow-moving, incapable of communication. They were basically automatons created through Voodoo magic. The author calls them Voodoo Zombies. Other types of Zombies with specific characteristics are identified, but as the genre evolves there is some hybridization. Some of the so-called Zombies are considered not to be Zombies by Zombie purists, but there is no consensus, so they are included in the author’s listing.

At the end of some of the chapters, the author includes a paragraph called Zombie Media, in which he lists the various products associated with the media explored in that chapter, and gives information on where to obtain them. Anyone wanting to find out more about Zombies can access these resources easily.

This book is bursting with humor, and the more authoritative the author is, the funnier the book is. There are chapters on the Zombie anatomy, how Zombies are created, how to kill them, and many other chapters that expand on the topic of Zombies. The tongue-in-cheek absurdity and wit the author employs is stellar.
One thing I especially liked about this book was the information that could actually inform or help any reader, Zombie fan or not. For example, there is a section on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. Subtract Zombies from the equation and you have a bona fide disaster preparedness guide. There are plenty of other examples of life skills and knowledge the reader can obtain through reading this book.

The editing of the book was exemplary and I found no errors of any kind. There were times when I felt a subject was redundant and found myself losing interest. Other than that, I had no complaints about this book. Although it is presented as a guide, this is a book of fiction. Its fine writing and quirky humor are more than enough reason for giving it 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Ultimate Guide to Zombies
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Like Zelinda's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jan Moraa Onsomu]

Nice review! I don't believe in zombies and I doubt I'd need a manual for the zombie apocalypse, but I could use the life skills you mentioned in your review!

[kandscreeley]

I'm not a huge Zombie fan either, but it does sound like a fairly interesting guide either way! Thanks for the review.

[LittleZee]

Well, if your review holds true I don't think any zombies, fictional or otherwise, are going to stand a chance against my knowledge once I pick up a copy! Definitely gonna see about getting this book!

[Chris Jablonski]

I'm no friend of the zombie genre, however you have given enough insight into this book that I will look for it.