by Joe McKinney
First published 2014
This collection brings together McKinney's zombie short stories that connect his Dead World universe and explore new apocalyptic territories. Stories like "Ethical Solution" and "Dating in Dead World" fill gaps between the novels, while "Survivors" earned critical recognition for its portrayal of life among the undead. The collection ranges from "State of the Union," which uses political satire to examine society's collapse, to historical pieces like "Starvation Army" and "Paradise of the Living Dead" that show how the zombie plague might have unfolded across different eras. Each story demonstrates McKinney's ability to find fresh angles in undead fiction, whether exploring the practical challenges of romance during an apocalypse or examining how government structures crumble when the dead rise. The tales move between intimate character studies and broader social commentary, all unified by McKinney's distinctive approach to zombie storytelling that helped establish the modern undead genre.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, horror, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, intimate-character-studies
340 pages · Paperback · JournalStone
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence