World War Z by Max Brooks will be hitting theatres this June as a film adaptation. By the looks of the trailer, the movie will be much different from the book, but since it stars Brad Pitt, we’ll give it extra points anyway
World War Z approaches the event of a Zombie outbreak from a global standpoint through a series of interviews with survivors 10 years after the “war.” It presents the interviews in a chronological order, from those who witnessed the first outbreaks, to the spread of the infection, to the “Great Panic”, to government response, and eventually to the fight to eradicate the zombies and reclaim the planet. The types of people and their involvement vary greatly, which made it interesting, added a sense of humanity, and gave a thorough overview of what it would be like if a Zombie outbreak were to occur. Some of the cases I found most interesting include a “feral child” who presents a dramatic and moving re-enactment of her heartbreaking childhood experience, an old and blind Japanese man who survived by retreating to the mountains, a smuggler who worked to smuggle the infected out of China and aided in the disease’s spread, and a sharp shooter hired by a wealthy man to protect a mansion full of celebrities.
So, if you like The Walking Dead and need that Zombie fix to tide you over until next season, give World War Z a try. You won’t be disappointed. Also recommended for those who like to read strong narratives, science fiction, horror stories, or apocalyptic fiction.