It’s the near future, a mere ten years after the official end of the world-wide catastrophe known as the Zombie War. The survivors (a shockingly small percentage of the pre-war population) are rebuilding their homes, nations, and cities. Militaries are still eradicating the last traces of the undead from oceans and arctic lands. Max Brooks collects a series of interviews with survivors, while their memories are still fresh. He begins with the doctor who first attempted to treat “Patient Zero,” the source of the outbreak. He continues into the Great Panic, relating stories of those who did not, could not, believe the first news reports, the government officials who crafted desperate plans for their citizens’ survival, and the refugees seeking safety anywhere they could find it. The next section focuses on the changing strategy of the world’s military forces, from defensive to offensive, and the humans and methods that finally defeated the undead. Each survivor has an important story to tell, and the interviewer does not get in the way. A fascinating tale, highly recommended for adults and older teens.
