Living Dead 2 [Paperback]

So far I am half way through this book and it's already 100% better than the first. The first was ok but alot of the stories were repeats from another anthology style book. This one has more zombie ZOMBIE related stories and not so much the stupid voodoo style zombies. just a much better read, just wanted to put this on here for those of you like me that were put off by the first living dead, had some good stories in it just not enough this one has a lot more and by some better authors..kinda wish j.l. bourne had done one too but i'll take brooks, maberry,kirkman, keene,and moody.

If you were to read the reviews I gave for John Joseph Adams other anthologies ("The Living Dead" and "Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse") you would understand my reluctance on purchasing yet another collection edited by him. However after other positive reviews and my growing library of zombie fiction, I caved and bought his newest: "The Living Dead 2".
And fortunately it is an entirely different monster (pun intended).
Of the 44 short stories collected in this anthology, 22 were some of the best stories of zombie horror I have read.It should come as no surprise that the well known authors in here prevailed: Brian Keene's ("Lost Canyon of the Dead"), David Welington's ("Good People"), Max Brooks's ("Steve and Fred") and Robert Kirkman's ("Alone Together") works were outstanding but to me it was some of the lesser known, obscure and new authors on the block whose stories captivated me the most. Having already read both of Joe McKinney's novels ("Dead City" and "Apocalypse of the Dead"), the fact that his short story "Dating in Dead Town" was incredibly rich and entertaining was of little surprise to me. "Who We Used to Be" by David Moody and the disgusting, yet highly enjoyable "Zombie Gigolo" by S.G. Brown (a story that won 3rd place in the annual Gross out Contest in the 2008 World Horror Convention) take the reader into the mind of the undead, answering the questions of what the undead feel, think, and do.
With so many good stories, its hard to find the best works but I believe the best piece(s) ,for me anyways, comes to a 2 way tie between Gary A. Braunbeck's "We Now Pause for a Station Identification" and the fantasticly written and original "The Rapeworm" by Charles Coleman Finlay. The former, a radio broadcast by who is perhaps the last man on the planet, the later, a take on a zombie plague brought on by something from outer space.
The problem with "The Walking Dead 2" though comes in those other 22 stories and even those arent that bad when compared to some of the works from the first anthology. Where "Dead 2" really starts to loose it's readers comes at the end. Of the final 3 stories (All of which are probably the weakest of the bunch) the killer is the John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow piece, which is a real shame when considering Skipp is the grandmaster of all things zombie fiction. Unfortunately that story is so bizzare, so convoluted and completely horrible that it becomes the "Neuromancer" of zombie fiction (read my review of Neuromancer to understand where I am coming from). Couple that with the ridiculously boring "Category 5" , the completely strange (and Brian Keene-esque ripoff) "The Skull faced Boy" and the much too long "He Said, Laughing" and "The Living Dead 2" looses a very possible and much earned 5 star rating.
So is "The Living Dead 2" worth your time and money? Absolutely. Where else are you going to get 44 different takes on the zombie genre for only a measly 16 bucks. Sure a few of the stories in here are flops, but who knows, maybe you will like them. For any zombie enthusiast, I say this: "Buy it". If nothing else, it'll look good on your bookshelf.

The popularity of zombies is undeniable given the raft of books, films and now an AMC television series. And my own enjoyment of the zombie genre is a bit of a mystery (more so to my wife though). That is why I like the introduction by John Joseph Adams who states these reasons for the popularity, zombies are:

- an enemy that used to be us, that we can become at any time;
- a canvas writers can use to comment on almost anything;
- a morality-free way to fulfill a world-destruction fantasy; and
- a monster that remains scary and cannot be easily romanticized.

I would add that much of my own fascination is based on how I think I would do in a zombie-infested world. Would I survive?, would I survive with honor?, would I be a leader?, and what would I gain or lost of my own humanity? Deep huh? In actuality, I just love these books as thrilling escapes. And I applaud this collection which is stronger than Volume One.

Standouts for me included: Kirkman's Alone Together which has a forlorn twist, Barnes & Due's Danger Word that explores loyalty, Wellington's Good People that provides fun formula, Keene's Lost Canyon of the Dead that could have been co-written with Douglas Preston, Brooks' Steve and Fred which explores heroism versus survival, Fingerman's The Summer Place features a lead character one can empathize with, Edelman explores an anti-terrorism angle in The Human Race, and McAuley's The Thought War will get you thinking.

The editor provides interesting information on each contributor along with a thoughtful introduction to each story. I found this helpful as it provides other titles from these authors to seek out. Definitely great entertainment overall and practically speaking a solid value for the dollar as there over forty stories. I am looking forward to Volume Three.

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