This is, I think, the third time I read Feed: each time, I firmly intend to carry on with the story, but I always need Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
This is, I think, the third time I read Feed: each time, I firmly intend to carry on with the story, but I always need a little bit of a break after the gut punch that is the ending of Feed itself. This time, I’m successful (as I type this, I’m 100 pages from the end of Deadline), but it’s still a gut punch, and Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant really knows what she’s doing with that. I love Georgia in all her capableness, I love the world-building with the Irwins and the Fictionals and the Newsies and just… all the stuff that’s been put into making it a fully realised post-apocalyptic, post-privacy world.
It’s especially weird to read after the last US elections and President Trump, because the Senator they’re following to the White House is actually a Republican. And he’s actually a good guy whom you can kind of root for.
I think maybe the one argument I have with it is that some parts of it lack quite the tension you’d expect from being chased by a zombie horde. Personally, it works — after all, this is Georgia’s job — but still, it’s not quite the endless ride of thrills some readers might expect from a zombie novel.
I’ll stick to not touching the epidemiology, etc, here. I’m not sure I can quite see how viruses based on the common cold and Marburg could recombine — they’re so different in structure and needs — but on the other hand, to paraphrase a great fictional scientist, viruses, uh, find a way. Just look at what HIV can do.
I don’t love Shaun — he’s okay, but not my thing — but darn, am I ever into Georgia as a character. More of her all over the place, please....more
Deadline is narrated by Shaun Mason, of whom I’m rather less fond than I am of Georgia. Not that we’re quite bereft of Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
Deadline is narrated by Shaun Mason, of whom I’m rather less fond than I am of Georgia. Not that we’re quite bereft of Georgia in this book, because she’s very much present through Shaun. Literally, at times: he talks to her and imagines her replies, and sometimes even feels her hand on the back of his neck or sees her leading him to something, etc, etc. His trauma’s pretty intense, his temper’s pretty bad, and though you can sympathise with how torn up he is, he’s also somewhat unpleasant in the way he treats his staff.
It’s a joy to get to see more of Becks and Mags, though there’s not much else about this book that you could call a joy: the hits keep on coming, from terrible revelation to terrible revelation. There’s less about politics in this one and more about the science, particularly the CDC, and I found that interesting. (And monstrous. The real monsters here are not the zombies, but the other people who perpetuate their existence.)
I was a little sad that Rick doesn’t appear at all in this book: I hope he is going to appear more in the final book of the trilogy. All in all, I’m geared up and ready to go for Blackout. Deadline does suffer a bit from being the middle book, I think, but it does have some pretty tense scenes and awesome reveals, so I’m not going to drop the rating....more
I read Feed for the first time a few summers ago, and enjoyed it enough that it stuck in my head. At the time, I think I found the contagion aspect ofI read Feed for the first time a few summers ago, and enjoyed it enough that it stuck in my head. At the time, I think I found the contagion aspect of it pretty horrible; I was very much more anxious then, and the idea of a cold curing virus combining with a cancer killing microbe to cause a zombie rising — ugh, it just gave me chills. This time, though, it wasn’t as much of a focus for me: it was just part of the story, and not even necessarily the major part. There’s still something profoundly horrible about the idea of carrying the sleeping contagion in your body all your life, constantly needing to be tested in case the virus levels are shooting up, constantly needing to be afraid of your own body and the people around you; I’m not saying that aspect isn’t well done, because it definitely is and that discomfort colours the whole book.
But I was also able to enjoy the humour, the banter, and the thriller aspect: the political race which Georgia and her team get themselves involved in, the bonds between the characters and the way they bend and break under pressure, the whole world built after the zombie apocalypse has failed to wipe out humanity. I really appreciated the way it dealt with issues like people avoiding physical contact, side effects of the virus like George’s eye dilation, the effect on policy and public life in the US. And I appreciated the presidential race, much as I don’t feel like it could be written right now.
It’s not so much the bad guy; you can see him in current American politics, larger than life and twice as scary. But the sympathetic, tolerant, relatable family man Republican… none of the Republican candidates felt anything like that. It feels like a kind of politics that’s out of reach right now, because the bad guy is all we’ve got, and we can see that more moderate politics isn’t winning people over. It was so weird reading about this fictional presidential race, with plenty of high stakes in its own way, but comparing it to the current presidential race and its demagogues… I kept thinking that Senator Ryman couldn’t be Republican, because he couldn’t stand with the things the Republican party is saying and condoning right now.
Which is probably an odd perspective to have on a zombie book from a few years ago, but that’s the joy of rereading or reading older books; you get whole new perspectives.
Lest I sound like the politics is the only interesting aspect, I was also immensely caught up in the relationship between Shaun and Georgia. Their co-dependence, their ability to cover for each other’s weak points, the way they worked together — and especially the last few pages of the penultimate section of the book. Gah. I forgot that this book actually really gripped my heart strings, and it did so doubly this time.
In a way, I like Feed as a standalone novel. The emotional arc of the characters is devastating, but where the story ends leaves you some room to wonder without being agonising; the political situation was never really the key thing for me; the zombie situation is at a fairly steady-state, or so it feels.
I was recommended this initially because there’s some LGBT content and an asexual character. Well, just to deal with that upfront: there’s a characterI was recommended this initially because there’s some LGBT content and an asexual character. Well, just to deal with that upfront: there’s a character who is, at least, not straight, and there’s a character who isn’t interested in sex. However, she’s not interested in sex because she’s not human, so that’s kind of… not asexuality. If you interpret her as ace, though, she’s also arguably aromantic.
Still, it’s an interesting story/world. It’s got a reasonably unique take on zombies, and an interesting historical background — there’s history and economics driving the plot, which makes it feel that much more fully realised. The main characters are all pretty young, and they mostly seem to react to things in a normal way for their age. Pacing and writing are reasonably good, too.
I think the only reason this is standing out, though, is because of the LGBT/ace characters; it has potential, but it didn’t sparkle for me. It was easy to read, but not unputdownable. I know there’s a second book, and I’m not in any hurry to get hold of it. It lacks a compelling spark of life, I think.
If I were more secure in my ability to be humorous and keep it up throughout the review, doubtless I’d review this book with the same serious tone it If I were more secure in my ability to be humorous and keep it up throughout the review, doubtless I’d review this book with the same serious tone it takes: this theory about zombies is intriguing, this one is confirmed by personal experience, this one is ridiculous, etc. Since I’m not particularly funny, I’ll refrain. It takes a deft touch to do it at any length, and I don’t think Max Brooks really succeeds here. It becomes just a boring catalogue of things — some of it is interesting, like various ideas on how to defend different types of buildings, different ways to arm yourself for best effect, etc. But because it’s modelled very closely on the survival guide genre, it remains mostly interesting to that crowd. I’d be interested to see a survivalist’s reaction to this book, actually.
Now, I’m not going to deny I have a zombie survival plan. It goes like this: “Find my dad as soon as possible. Ensure he is armed and we have food, water, and a stock of books. Let Dad protect me. Survive.” And yes, I’m that confident: my dad would survive a zombie uprising, and he’d put a bullet through my head before he’d allow me to turn into a mindless zombie. Draw whatever conclusions about my family you wish from that…
There’s some joke here about me getting into a mindless rage because I don’t have enough books vs. turning into a zombie and how you tell the difference, but I suck at humour, we’ve established this.
Anyway, the best part of this is the section of historical records of outbreaks, and that only where they’re more creative. By a certain point, they become repetitive, and the conspiracy theories are obvious without the point needing to be laboured. I’m sure there must be real records that you could use as evidence for past zombie uprisings, but I don’t know if Max Brooks incorporated any – that would require having the give-a-shit to look up each incident he mentions, and I don’t have it....more
There are some unique ideas in this book; the way vampires and zombies are recognisable, but somewhat different, always makes for some added interest.There are some unique ideas in this book; the way vampires and zombies are recognisable, but somewhat different, always makes for some added interest. Unfortunately, I didn't really get into the world and plot around that. Instead of occurring within the world, the world seemed to be created for the plot -- which of course, it is, but you don't want the reader to realise that. You want there to be an awareness of the world around the events of the novel, and that was lacking here.
As other reviewers have said, the quality of the writing is fairly mediocre; it's certainly functional, but it's not deathless prose at all. It's a very teenage style, and all in all the book comes across as being for the YA audience. That tone in the narration is a little awkward, as the main character isn't a teenager in one sense -- physically, he is, but if I remember rightly, he's older than that in experiential terms, because he ages slowly as a vampire. The adolescent outlook doesn't just come with a teenage body, but with teenage levels of experience.
The insta-love thing other reviewers have mentioned is also pretty problematic, not to mention the fact that one of the romantic leads is somehow a "good" zombie, and yet needs to tear apart and eat living humans. Maybe there's some way to make that less horrifying, more equivocal, but as it is, I couldn't get past that fact to see him as a unproblematic "good" guy. (And I don't think the intention was to make him a problematic lead.)
Anyway, all in all, I can't say I really enjoyed this, which is a shame because the tweaked supernatural characteristics could've been interesting....more
Received this to review from Netgalley. I enjoy most Angry Robot books, but this one was a cut above. They normally have new and intriguing ideas, butReceived this to review from Netgalley. I enjoy most Angry Robot books, but this one was a cut above. They normally have new and intriguing ideas, but this was a whole world that felt organic, revealed slowly, with no unnecessary detail. The whole idea of the Weir was perfect -- enough information that they were frightening, but not so much that the mystery went out of it and left them ridiculous. They're sort of zombies. High tech zombies. They're not invulnerable, and their danger isn't hyped up unbearably -- danger comes from all around: the Weir, basic survival, and the gang on Three's heels.
I didn't expect some of the twists this book took; some were obvious after another previous turning point had been passed, and yet at the same time it wasn't obvious that that would have to be the outcome. And I loved the way the characters developed: the way relationships slowly grew between them, and the way that very little could be seen as black and white.
Ultimately, I don't know how to talk about this book without spoiling the experience. It's a little bit of a Western, a little bit sci-fi, a little bit horror survival story. It's absorbing and well-written, and surprised me on many fronts, and I'll rec it to everyone once it's published. If you have a Netgalley account, this is one not to be missed; if you're an Angry Robot fan, part of the Robot Army, likewise; if you're not, may I suggest that this is a most excellent place to start?...more
Uh -- what was this? I was intrigued by the idea -- although slightly worried that Stephanie Meyer endorsed the book on the back cover -- but it reallUh -- what was this? I was intrigued by the idea -- although slightly worried that Stephanie Meyer endorsed the book on the back cover -- but it really failed to convince me. The Romeo and Juliet parallels are hideously forced, and R is a really, really articulate, thoughtful, philosophical zombie... which, yeah, not convincing. I kinda wanted this to be gross, a little frightening: not necrophilia-gross, but at least a bit closer to Tim Waggoner's Nekropolis books where Matt's limbs do have a tendency to fall off and the love that's there between him and Devona has to surpass the physical. With the ending of this, it felt just like a fairytale, far too pat. I didn't think you could Twilight-ify zombies, but apparently you can.
I've reviewed the three main titles separately, but I wanted to put down a quick note about the short stories in this book, too -- they're worth readiI've reviewed the three main titles separately, but I wanted to put down a quick note about the short stories in this book, too -- they're worth reading, bridging the gaps and filling in the holes quite satisfactorily. I'm glad I had the collection both for those and because it was easy to go from one book to another without having to pause. Which is weird for me to say at the moment because -- look at my currently-reading shelf -- I'm doing nothing but pause.
Overall, the collection of three books could have tighter writing and so on, but I found it really fun and addictive, and I'm going to keep reading Tim Waggoner's work, there's no doubt of that....more
After reading this article in the New York Times, I had to try reading this. I mean, I love genre fiction and I have a degree in English Literature, sAfter reading this article in the New York Times, I had to try reading this. I mean, I love genre fiction and I have a degree in English Literature, so you'd better hope I've got the intellectual side down since that's about all my degree seems to be good for demonstrating... Surely I'd get the best of both worlds out of this.
And, you know, apparently that degree doesn't say a damn thing, because I just found Zone One boring. I read the first twenty-five pages rather hopefully; something about the prose style did sweep me up and keep me turning pages. But as I got further into the book and nothing happened, and nothing happened, and nothing happened, I began to lose my patience. Literary fiction is great, even when it spools out slowly -- Kazuo Ishiguro's work is slow and good, in that way -- but this just bored me. I felt nothing about the words on the page but apathy. The back promises a 'punchy cocktail of horror, comedy and social critique', but I didn't really find anything but the latter, and I'd heard all that before...
This bit from the article sums it up all too well:
A plot summary is impossible: there isn’t a plot. To make matters worse, the protagonist is a laconic introvert of self-avowed mediocrity. The only ostensibly interesting things about him are his nickname, Mark Spitz (the explanation for which is withheld so long that the payoff stakes rise perilously high), his tendency to hallucinate falling ash and his ominous flirtation with the mysterious “forbidden thought.” Spitz is a sweeper and, for the novel’s three-day, flashback-filled present, our guide to the new (and hence the old) reality.
And then the bits of the article about the supposed pay-off never -- for me, anyway -- materialised....more
It took me a while to get into this series, but now I'm sure I'll be following it to its conclusion -- which I certainly hope this book wasn't, with tIt took me a while to get into this series, but now I'm sure I'll be following it to its conclusion -- which I certainly hope this book wasn't, with that ending. It's opening out more and more from a simple story of a PI whose gimmick is that he's a zombie: he just saved the underworld for the third time and there's no way he's getting out of the spotlight now. Besides, his wife's bearing twins.
The writing improves throughout the three books, or at least I didn't notice as many things that jarred here. I did notice some typos -- skipped punctuation and the like -- which should ideally have been caught, but eh. He has a female character front and centre, for the most part -- less so in this book because of the kidnapping thing that goes on, but she's still there and pretty kickass, and there are other strong female characters as well. Pretty good, for something based on the PI/noir genre.
Not the highest of literature, maybe, but fun....more
This book didn't start out so well, what with the repetition of descriptions almost verbatim from the first book and the short stories, but it's stillThis book didn't start out so well, what with the repetition of descriptions almost verbatim from the first book and the short stories, but it's still pretty more-ish, like the first book. I read reviews of this when I was part-way through, for some reason, and had to laugh when someone said they wished Devona wasn't a character so it could get back to being a book like the rest of the "dick genre". Pretty apt way to put it, considering most private detectives have and are dicks, and even the ones I love can be very misogynistic. It's great that Matt has a girlfriend, and respects her, and works alongside her, and that they work through their issues.
The plot itself got spoiled for me (by that same bad habit of mine of reading reviews looking for spoilers), so it wasn't surprising, but I thought it was reasonably well done -- building on things mentioned before in the first book and the short stories, and carrying a narrative forward. Bonus points because Devona is not a side-plot or side-character, she's centre-stage and involved in almost all the action.
While I think Waggoner's writing can be pretty lazy, I'm sure I'm going to go on and read Dark War. It's a lot of fun....more
I haven't actually seen Dollhouse, but I heard good things about it and I generally trust Joss Whedon's imagination, ever since I saw Firefly. So, wheI haven't actually seen Dollhouse, but I heard good things about it and I generally trust Joss Whedon's imagination, ever since I saw Firefly. So, when I saw this on Netgalley, I requested it and read it as soon as I was given access to it. The art is great throughout: the artist/s captured the actors very well, and it all comes together nicely. I think I liked the scenes of Alpha's fragmenting hold on his personalities most -- I wouldn't have believed, knowing Firefly so well, that you could make Alan Tudyk look that evil.
The story itself is pretty standard for speculative fiction, I guess: it involves people's brains being wiped so they basically become zombies, trying only to kill others and convert others to be like them. It's played out pretty well, though. The Ivies and Alpha are extremely interesting -- philosophically and in terms of figuring out what's going on in their heads -- though Trevor is a bit of a cipher for the reader, a way in to the story even if you don't really know what's going on (i.e. you haven't watched the series).
Definitely interested in watching the series now, and I think I'll pick this up in hardcopy for my collection....more
Crumbs is a fascinating rewrite of the well known Hansel and Gretel story. Elora Bishop brings a twist to the story, setting it in a post apocalyptic Crumbs is a fascinating rewrite of the well known Hansel and Gretel story. Elora Bishop brings a twist to the story, setting it in a post apocalyptic world, with a disease turning people into -- basically -- zombies. It's very short, and the main story is quite small, but the set-up is good enough to carry a bigger story. Mind you, I'm glad that this sticks to being about a girl and her brother finding safety, and about the girl falling in live -- there's plenty of zombie novels out there and not enough LGBT fiction.
The voice of this story -- first person -- is a bit different to Elora Bishop/Sarah Diemer's work, which is good -- felt real. I enjoyed it....more
I read a couple of friends' reviews of this, and downloaded a sample chapter, and it just sort of got under my skin -- the whole idea of it. It does sI read a couple of friends' reviews of this, and downloaded a sample chapter, and it just sort of got under my skin -- the whole idea of it. It does something pretty original with the mythology it uses, with dragons and with zombies -- something I've certainly never seen before, anyway. It's a novella, but it got me as involved as if it were a full-length novel: I held my breath for much of the last two chapters.
It's full of guts 'n' gore, so descriptions of that kind of thing gross you out, then you probably won't enjoy this, and there's also descriptions of drug-taking, which might make you uncomfortable. Normally, both the gore and the drugs would make me uncomfortable, but the story made it make sense.
The main antagonist and protagonist are both strong female characters, too, which might be a draw for some!...more
I wasn't sure if I'd really enjoy this series, but I picked up the book and devoured it in a matter of hours without even getting distracted, so, you I wasn't sure if I'd really enjoy this series, but I picked up the book and devoured it in a matter of hours without even getting distracted, so, you know. I even read two of the short stories that slot into the series.
That said, I'm not so wildly enthusiastic about it that I want everyone to read it right away or anything: it was an easy read, enjoyable for that, and I liked the world of Nekropolis, but... There's not much substance there, really, somehow. I don't know how to make that make sense -- I enjoyed it, but I didn't get emotionally involved, not in the main character or in the romance.
But, for once, I'm perfectly happy with that. Apparently sometimes I can go for a plot that just rolls along....more
I'm wavering between three and four stars for Feed. I'll start with the things that annoyed me -- and it's really one big one: the narration. There isI'm wavering between three and four stars for Feed. I'll start with the things that annoyed me -- and it's really one big one: the narration. There is no reason given for why the narrator is saying all these things: if she were narrating in her head, there'd be no need for the massive infodumps, because she knows what's going on and how the zombie apocalypse started. Also, for plot reasons, it shouldn't be in past tense, it doesn't make logical sense for it to be in past tense, (view spoiler)[unless she's narrating from beyond the grave (hide spoiler)]: if that's the case, there's no explanation of that. She also mentions details that don't turn out to be relevant, in a way that makes me expect them to be -- e.g. mentioning backup batteries and how Buffy didn't check them, and then it just doesn't mention them again.
Also, I have to say, I didn't get emotionally connected with the story until the end of the second part, and I wasn't really emotionally connected until the end of the third. Mind you, I fought tears through the fourth and fifth parts, so it's not as though I never connected with it.
I enjoyed the characters, particularly the minor ones: Mahir, Senator Ryman, Emily Ryman. I did think the villain was a bit of a cardboard cut-out: you knew he'd be evil all along, just because the narrator doesn't like him.
If zombies freak you out, I don't recommend it. If disease freaks you out, I don't recommend it. If you want a zombie book with politics and an emotional kick, I recommend it. Just don't blame me if the narrator bugs you and the first part is kinda slow....more
The companion to the fourth season of Supernatural, mostly held high in my heart because of the introduction of one Misha Collins. This volume has theThe companion to the fourth season of Supernatural, mostly held high in my heart because of the introduction of one Misha Collins. This volume has the usual stuff -- interviews, character bios, discussions of individual episodes... I like all the titbits about the pranks Jared was pulling on poor Misha....more
World War Z uses an interesting concept: the idea of collecting an oral history about something that didn't really happen. I like the idea of this in World War Z uses an interesting concept: the idea of collecting an oral history about something that didn't really happen. I like the idea of this in itself -- Ursula Le Guin's Always Coming Home convinced me of that -- and thought this was a fair enough attempt at it. The political scenarios are well thought out, and the consequences of all sorts of different actions and ideas are traced through to their conclusions. It really could happen this way, and it really could be recorded this way --
By a biased, probably white, male, of course. It'd be really clever if Max Brooks wrote it that way on purpose: male interviewees outnumbering the female, political bias on the part of the archivist, etc.
It'd be nice to think it was done that way on purpose, even, but I can't quite buy that, cleverly put together as the whole thing is. Cracks show, like the general evenness of tone: all the different narrators sound very similar, the political slant is nearly all one way, etc. It remains obviously a book by a single author. Still, it's a fun central conceit, and though I began to get a bit bored of it by the end, it was an interesting take on a what-might-be....more
I don't think I actually read it all the way through, but I read enough to get the gist. The juxtaposition feels ridiculous, sometimes in a good way aI don't think I actually read it all the way through, but I read enough to get the gist. The juxtaposition feels ridiculous, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad, but for what it is, it's reasonably well done. ...more
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