DEAD SEA

This smiley little story was penned by Brian Keene and published by Leisure Books, NYC, 2007.

AND WHAT A STORY! This is the happy tale of how Baltimore was taken over by flesh-eating zombies, and how the few remaining live humans were forced to run for their sorry lives – out to the open ocean on a boat that is less than perfectly seaworthy. But it turns out the zoms may have followed them out onto the briny. WILL ANYONE SURVIVE?

This book is full of great stuff. I like the way most of the people on the boat have no clue how to survive on the ocean. I like the realistically unlikable, irritating characters, just like the real live humans I work daily to rescue from their hairy monkey lives. I like the way the zoms take over utterly, leaving nothing for the living to do but run. I like the changes the author rings on the flesh-eating zombie archetype.

WHY CLIFFIE RECOMMENDS THIS AS FINE LEISURE READING FOR ALL OPERATIVES:

>> Two words: MANEATING. FISH.

>> OK, a few more words: This is a satisfying story that allows the reader to watch humanity’s safe territory shrink down to almost nothing. First they flee the sidewalks, and find themselves trapped indoors. Then they flee the city itself. Then they flee – chuckle! -- dry land. And it gets way worse from there, believe me.

>> The message is utterly delightful: THEY’RE COMING, AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. So easy to change to WE’RE COMING, AND THERE’S NOTHING etc. etc. etc.

>> This was a quick read. It’s as thick as your average novel, thicker than some certainly, but I got through it in just a few hours, wishing I knew exactly how it comes out.

>> Why don’t I know how it comes out? Keene doesn’t actually tell you. DO I SMELL SEQUEL?

>> I realize this stuff is pure wish-fulfilling fantasy, but sometimes you have to just let your brain lie fallow, and allow yourself to be replenished with a burst of happiness, too rare here up on dry land. This is one such revivifying jolt. WE’LL GET BACK TO THE WORLD TAKEOVER SCHEME TOMORROW.