Years after a Zombie Apocalypse, what is left of America is under control of an oppressive Fundamentalist regime (sort of like Kansas). To some people, that would be bad enough. For Ian Sumner, that is only the beginning of his problems. He is part of a group of people who have just crash-landed in the middle of an abandoned wasteland full of dead things, and I’m not talking about Walmart shoppers. Surviving this isn’t going to be easy…
Review
I don’t scare easily. I tend to resort to snarky comments while watching a movie or reading a book that most people find creepy or scary. Blood, guts, nasty creatures that go bump in the night, its nothing that keeps me awake at night. What scares me, in a general sense, is the idea of the evil that normal men do in the vacuum that a breakdown of normal society creates. In DEAD THINGS, the fabulous debut novel by Matt Darst, the evil in question takes form of a Fundamentalist Church that rises up and takes control of the remnants of America after the dead begin to rise. Fundamentalism, in any form, scares the crap out of me. Combine opportunistic Fundamentalism, and combine it with a dystopian future where three quarters of the country has been abandoned due to a zombie outbreak, and you have a book that thoroughly unnerved me.
Where Darst excels best is creating a unique vision of the aftermath of America. This isn’t the country that you are used to. Things we have taken for granted is now considered sinful contraband; Star Wars, Playboy, the what not. Being into things like Astrology is a banishable offense. Things appear to be run with an iron fist. Darst’s writing is smooth and vivid. He brings this New World Order to vivid life in such a way that makes it absolutely realistic.
Ian, the main character, has a suitable character arc; going from shy and aloof to dependable man of action. Watching him grow is a fascinating ride, and you root for him to succeed. In fact, all of the characters in DEAD THINGS are well written. These are normal people literally caught in life-or-death situations that you find yourself rooting for, or wishing they’d disappear, and the fact that I found myself getting emotionally invested with these characters shows that Darst took special care with this book, and it absolutely shows.
This is a zombie book, however, and once Ian’s plane goes down, Darst puts the pedal down. Each character is put to the test as the group struggles to make their way towards safety. The zombie action, while not consistent and in-your-face, is used with a razor sharp efficiency. The sequence at the farmhouse is chilling and heartbreaking, written with a cinematic eye. When the zombies attack, it’s quick and brutal. The conversations about what may have caused the zombie outbreak is well-researched and are very plausible. If the z-poc actually goes down, look to the last part of this book for realistic answers to your questions. I also want to make a mention the whole “Lucas stealing ideas from Duneâ€comparison section. Hysterical and absolutely brilliant, especially considering I’m not the world’s biggest fan of George Lucas.
Any downside to this literary road trip? Well, not without getting nitpicky. I started it late the other night, and I couldn’t put it down until it was done. It is a unique vision, it is very well written, and I cannot recommend this book enough. I eagerly look forward to Matt Darst’s next book.
Available on the Kindle.
