HOW SCARY MOVIES AND GEORGE ROMERO SAVED THE WORLD

Originally posted on http://www.booksellerswithoutbordersny.com/

First, let's start off with a quiz to see if you should read Mira Grant's "Newsflesh" trilogy.

Do you like stories about

• Zombies?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Medical research, specifically epidemiology?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Politics?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Journalism?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Cloning?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Blogging?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Intrigue?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Post-apocalyptic civilization?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Do you like science fiction?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Do you like scary movies?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Do you like mystery/thrillers?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Do you like to poke things with a stick?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Would you like to find out how George Romero saves the world, and why "George" becomes one of the most popular first names in the English language?
• If you said yes, then read it.
• Do you consider yourself a "germophobe?"
• If you said yes, then read it.

The "Newsflesh" trilogy contains something for anyone who said "yes" to any of the questions above.

In the first novel of the series, "Feed," Mira Grant (the open pseudonym for Seanan McGuire) introduces us to Georgia and Sean, who run a blogsite called "After the End Times." "Feed" is told in first person from "George's" (don't call her Georgia) perspective. The story is set in the mid-21st century, a few decades after a global zombie apocalypse. The world has changed greatly, because civilization has prevailed over the undead, to a point. There are still zombies, and anyone who dies is going to come back as one. This is due to an incident in 2014 in which there was an unfortunate combining of two different molecular strains from two completely different medical research specialists. Now everyone is infected. Mankind has gone to great measures to protect itself from "amplification," the process by which one becomes part of the legion of walking dead. Finger-prick blood tests abound. By the time I was halfway through the book, my fingers tingled. Bleach showers are a part of everyday life.

People don't travel as much as they used to, for fear of running into someone or something (any mammal large enough to "amplify") that will try to eat them. But they still want information and entertainment. That's where Sean and his sister Georgia come in. They live blog encounters with zombies and post all their activities on the net. They are frequently accompanied by their friend Buffy (whose real name is Georgette).

The trio are chosen to cover a presidential candidate's campaign, and are plunged into a vast web of intrigue, with even more danger than their usual fare of zombie poking.

The second book, "Deadline," continues the story from Sean's perspective. Mira Grant does an excellent job of distinguishing the two voices. The presidential campaign is over, but the intrigue and constant danger continues and even escalates. We become more familiar with additional members of the After the End Times crew, as they attempt to uncover more secrets behind zombie amplification, and the tragedies occurring in "Feed."

The trilogy ends with "Blackout," in which the After the End Times team is seemingly safe from no one. Not their friends, their families, the CDC, or their political allies. To get into more detail would run the risk of having to post a "Spoiler Alert."

I first picked up "Feed" because I liked the cover, and I thought the title was pretty cool. I quickly became engrossed in the story, and subsequently devoured all three books.

"Rise up while you can." Pick up "Feed" at your local bookstore. Or you can acquire the entire trilogy at once. That way you won't have to make as many trips out of the house, thus avoiding all those bleach showers.

Alan Andrews
Basso for Hire