Review: The Undead Nation Anthology
The Undead Nation Anthology contains 14 short stories that for the most part pertain to the reanimated/undead/zombie genre.
Compiled by Alan R. Gandy and Calvin A.L. Miller II, Undead Nation contains some interesting work within the genre and is well worth reading. As with any anthology, there are some stories that stand out and are written exceptionally well, some average stories and at least one or two that are good attempts but could use some work.
The beginning three stories, I Will let the Warm Blood drive my Thoughts by P.H. Clarke, Gumdrop City by J.Z. Murdock, and Rebecca by Rhonda E. Kachur, follow similar storylines of confusion and loss with a nice touch of horror and shock thrown in.
The Eyes in the Mirror by Drew Mackay was an interesting look not so much into the zombie/undead but more into a supernatural possession of one’s mind from an ancient text. Well written with a nice background laid out for the family that this possession occurs in, this work is quite good.
Silver Moon by T.L. Mitchell is the one story that I wondered how it snuck into this collection as it wasn’t really within the undead genre but pertained to lycanthropy. With the numerous and various permutations of the mythos of werewolves, to the best of my knowledge none have hinted at them being undead or reanimated dead. While this contribution was an excellent entry, I felt it really didn’t fit in with the rest of the selections.
Entire Journal by Audy Myrton was one that I had some problems with. This story was done as journal entries similar to what another author had done with his work. It starts with a mention of Max Brooks’ Solanum as the cause for a viral outbreak. While this is not an issue per se, it does date the work a bit but shows that the author could be using the work to honor Mr. Brooks work. The problems I had with this story were the poor writing and structure along with some spelling issues. Granted, this was done as a journal format but, just as one other author that has done this, the story was broken up, somewhat clunky and not all that enjoyable. The characters were one dimension with no real depth and there was no ‘connection’ with the reader at all. Not a horribly bad entry but not one of the better ones either.
Dement by Lyle Perez-Tinics contained a nice twist ala Ground Hog Day that didn’t appear until the end. Well written with nice presentation, Dement was smooth and flowing with minimal lags in the plot. I found it something I would have expected in Tales from the Crypt or quite possibly the Twilight Zone.
I Am Become Death by Jenna M. Pittman was a nice play on the phrase that Alan Oppenheimer stated when he saw the first nuclear bomb test. While not related to that moment in history at all, Ms. Pittman’s work plays out more like a Destination Truth/Ghost Hunters episode gone bad in a really big way.
A Walk Deferred by Christina Rause I found to be rambling and surrealistic in its telling. Rich in details although a bit confusing, it told about a strange meeting of something in the woods that was familiar and comforting to the main character. With no clear defining of what the creature was, it was difficult to place this story within a specific genre. I’m leaning more towards paranormal encounter than undead.
Wocak Wocka Bridge by Eric Tavares is yet another entry into this anthology that was difficult to place within a genre. It contained a horror/drama mix but not what I would call an undead participant. The storyline was more along the lines of some kind of evil presence in a rural setting akin to a Wendigo more than a reanimate.
Decapoda Animuscide by Holly K. Wood is still another entry where I had to ask about the undead relationship to the plot. The storyline appears to be possibly based on Stephen King’s The Mist and some works by Brian Keene. A rogue, space based anomaly sweeps the planet and opens a doorway to another dimension or maybe rips into space/time and allows strange creatures to ravage the planet. Whether these creatures are undead or just hard to kill based on the primary weapon used within the story, samurai swords, is unknown. An interesting survival tale that tried to encompass most stereotypical events and some clichés, this was an enjoyable read.
The Blighted Legacy of Micanor Lavan by Opal Zushaquon. The main character name, similar to the infamous Anton Levay was, I believe, done on purpose by the author. Beginning in 1968, the story depicts the literal blighted existence of the Lavan family. Told more as family history with homage to H.P. Lovecraft, this entry is interesting but does not contain any overt depiction of the undead or any reanimation. However, it does allude to a possible undead connection later in the story as related by a relative but contains no direct contact with reanimated corpses or outright zombies.
Satan’s Cadaver by Alan R. Gandy contains several genres in a nice smooth overlap. We have drama where a teenage girl finds out that her family is more than she expected, a family secret, vampires and of course, zombies. Not to spoil the story, I won’t tell you how it all ties together. This entry was very well written from a 1st person perspective.
Cold Blood: The End by Calvin A.L. Miller II is one entry that truly fits within this anthology. Centered around a hospital during a wave of inexplicable circumstances occurring on December 24th, this story has horror, suspense, reanimation and some excellently described gore and action. The confusion and chaos depicted inside the hospital and the eagerness of friends and family members who want to get inside or are already inside the now quarantined hospital is illustrated quite well. The twist at the end makes it all worthwhile.
Overall, The Undead Nation Anthology contains great work by all the contributing authors. All the proceeds from this book go to breast cancer charities.
Available at Amazon.
