It's the End of the World as we Know It (World War Z - Max Brooks)

Member Name: samueltyler

Product:	World War Z - Max Brooks
Date:	17/09/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great structure, feels real, intelligent

Disadvantages: Interview structure may put some people off

If society is ever going to learn from its mistakes it must make sure that it studies its own history. With the 70th anniversary of the start of WW2 the number of people who were there and can still tell their tales is diminishing. Therefore, we must interview and preserve as much of this living history as we can to help prevent another world war. Historians have used primary sources as a means of study for centuries and as someone interested in modern history I am a firm believer of asking the source. What would happen though if another war did occur? The history would be written by the victor and would probably skirt over the biggest atrocities. If a new world war did occur the chances are it could be the last and humanities time in Earth could come to an end. Best to get the real life stories of those that fought on all sides before the people die young - especially if they fought a Zombie army!

'World War Z' is the chronological retelling of the Great Zombie War that almost wiped out the human population over a ten year period. Told in a series of interviews our narrator discusses with many people from across the world the causes, events and end of the war. Interviews range from the first sighting of the living dead in China to the massive outbreaks in 3rd World Countries. How did the various world powers deal with the outbreak? Some chose isolation, others the use of their own citizens as a means of escape. Finally how did the human population finally overcome the threat? A threat that increases every time that you lose a solider?

As a historian and a genre fan, 'World War Z' could be a book that was specifically written for me. Told in a series of talking head interviews it reads like a serious academic text on the matter of the Zombie Apocalypse. The fact that it has never happened (yet) is immaterial as Max Brooks is able to paint a worldwide view of what may happen if the dead did walk the Earth. There are so many subtle elements to 'WWZ' that make it stand out. The Zombie novel has become a fad genre in recent times and a lot on offer has been dross. Brooks takes an intelligent and entertaining take on the genre and has produced perhaps the best book on Zombies yet.

The structure itself is sublime. Split over several sections the interviews methodically go through the different steps of the war. Starting from the early sighting the interviewer talks to those that were first to suspect something was wrong. What makes the book stand out is the true international feel that it has. Brooks spans the globe as he highlights how different cultures dealt with the undead. What is also brilliant is the way that the interviews feel so real and natural; each talking head has a personality that comes through and added realism is provided by the intentional use of errors that the interviewer corrects for you. The natural fluidity of the interviews means that one speaker will mention an event in passing, only for another of the interviews to be about someone who was there. By referencing events from later in the book (or earlier) it feels that Brooks has created a full timeline that the interviews hang off.

One issue that could arise with a book about Zombies is that the reader has seen it all before as the chances are that if you are reading this book you are into the genre. It's true that a lot on offer in 'WWZ' is generic Zombie fare, but very well written. However, the book is not about the Zombies, but the people who they affect. IMO, all the best genre novels are about the human aspect of people in amazing circumstances and Brooks provides this. The fact that the book deals with the Zombie outbreak in a very human and natural way makes it excel. How do you prevent the undead unthawing in the spring? What is to stop Zombies rising from the seas? Some of the best parts of the book are about how different nations methodically went about ridding themselves of the plague of undead.

With its Zombie lore in plain view 'World War Z' will not appeal to those who dislike science fiction or horror. This is a shame as its intelligence and brilliant writing means that it transcends the idea of genre and just becomes a great book. The interview structure may annoy some people, but for me it made it a far more believable tale and accessible to those who usually avoid this type of book. With some interesting new ideas on the genre and a vivid creation of a world gone to Hell, Max Brooks has written one of the best science fiction novels I have read in a while.

Sammy Recommendation

Author: Max Brooks
Year: 2006
Price: amazon uk - £6.99
play.com - £6.99

Summary: A must for genre fans