Yawn of the Dead

Daniel Kraus fails to breathe life into Romero's long dead project.

First off I am huge fan of all things Zombie and I've read widely in the genre. Romero is the grandfather of all modern zombie media and if you're a massive fan of his you won't want to miss this just out of pure curiosity. But is it a good zombie novel, well you'll have guessed by the title I for one think not. I fell sorry for Daniel Kraus, a book like this could never please everyone and I do feel he's done as well as he could Spirit Writing this novel.

He's been faithful to Georges vision for this novel but the problem is that George himself the progenitor of all things zombie couldn't finish it and not because of his tragic death. It's obvious from a plot perspective that he had no idea where the story was heading. It reads like a a poor copy of some of the golden age Permuted Press zombie titles with a splash of Max Brooks world War Z wedged in to save from having to write a narrative. We're given a wide sweeping tail that brings together disparate survivors from the initial out break but with out a satisfying continuity.

Characters are explored in the initial out break and then "boom" it's 10 years later and they're all together lets ignore how that happens and the intervening decade of their survival. The characters then go on to take actions that are incongruous to their exposure to the world building let alone their characterization. Add to this a unconvincing third act with the introduction of a protagonist who upsets five years of idyll for the group in little more than two pages.

There are silly apocalyptic inconsistency like there still being gasoline and rubber gloves ten years in but most authors make those kind of mistakes.

We also get the introduction of zombie animals, which Romero wanted to add but never found the vehicle to do so. Personally I've never enjoyed zombie animals, they're an attempt to up the ante but unlike 28 days later Running zombies (ok argue that an other time) or Zack Snyder Dawn of the Dead never really add anything to the horror. What makes it worse is that Romero zombies have progressed, from mindless ghouls to the sentient Bub and Big Daddy and there was an inclining from the films that this would lead somewhere. Sadly it does not and neither do the little clues about zombie infection or behavior. We the reader are left know less about the zombie condition than when we started. There's a philosophic point to be made with the zombie, but again it's only hinted at and never coalesces into the nugget of wisdom you might hope for.

There is a thread that runs through this book (quite literally at points) but it is utterly contrived and just jars each time it comes up.

Over all this was a below average zombie tail only of interest to die hard (take that as you may) Romero fans. Sorry Daniel I think you did a great job within your constraints but you were never going to resurrect the greatness of Night, Dawn or Day of the dead.

5 people found this helpful

Nope. Just couldn't finish this.

I held on as long as I could, but somewhere around the 24hour mark, I gave up.
This isn't the story of the zombie apocalypse, these are the individual stories of a group of people I just couldn't give 2 hoots about. Totally unrelatable and unremarkable characters. Long, ambling back stories of no relevance.
Just.....just dont.....

2 people found this helpful

By Romero....the King of the Zombie Flick....

So you know when you see the name George A Romero before a movie more than likely it’s going to be about zombies, zees, the undead, gore, death and carnage so you can guess this books is the same. Well it is but Romero died before it was completed and Daniel Kraus picked up the reins, tweaked it and then finished the book. And I have to say I think Mr Romero would be proud of what Mr Kraus has achieved.

One of my first dates - away back in the mists of time I may add - was going into see the original Dawn of the Dead and I became hooked on the “.....of the Dead series” and you know this book fits right in there. It follows the same formula which in my opinion never gets boring. Can mind the movie but not the lad who took me into see it!

In a nut shell we have a cast of characters who we follow over a set amount of years - that is from the beginning of the outbreak till the end or is it.... well no spoilers here! But more interestingly we find out what it is like changing into a zombie and being a zed. This is an interesting twist and I enjoyed these parts the most.

It is a long book but I think it needs to be as our main characters backstories need to be told ...fleshed out as it were and I have to say I was rooting for some more than others! There are some really scarey moments in this book - I’ve a tendency to listen to horror late at night in the dark and on my own. 🤪

What can I say ...it’s a really good 27 hours worth Zombie Apocalyptic book with all the usual tropes and I liked it! It’s well narrated with each character having their own identifiable voice and it’s worth a credit.

‘When there’s no more room in Hell....the dead will walk the Earth’ Romero Dawn of the Dead...cheers!

2 people found this helpful

The Ups and Downs of the Dead

I'm a big zombie film fan, though I'd contend that only a handful of truly great zombie films have been made. With his original 'Dead' trilogy, George Romero was responsible for three of them. Great - or even just good - zombie novels are even rarer, so I was hoping this one, part-written by the master himself, would join their ranks.

The first part of the book is overlong, and it is overwritten, especially in the early stages. Action set pieces are drawn out to absolutely intolerable lengths. There are action scenes, which in a film might take 30 seconds of screen time, take about an hour of narration time. At one point, a teenage girl caught in the thick of some bloody mayhem lets out a scream, and we get to hear her musings on how she perceives her own cry to be like a feminist roar. Maybe that's something she might reflect on later, but surely not while a dead woman is trying to bite her arm off, or whatever?!

The characters are well-rounded but not all of them feel real. Worst of all, they display 'horror film stupidity' at various points. Characters acting totally against type - or suddenly losing their basic good sense - because the plot needs to be driven forward. A battle-hardened survivor, 15 years after the outbreak begins, gets bitten after running her fingers along a zombie's lip, lost in some silly reverie. I mean, c'mon.

Despite all this, I'm glad I persevered past the first 10 hours or so. After those endless introductory scenes, and as we move into the more sprightly middle section (The Life of Death), and the third section, the quality picks up and it contains some really cool ideas. One character's death scene is genuinely moving. The occasional use of zombies as characters, written using the second person perspective, is properly creepy and works very well indeed. The discussions about politics and leadership, after a Trump-like populist insinuates himself into the group, are packed full of ideas you can really chew over.

Though I'd question the need for two readers, the duo have great voices and are good performers, particularly the gruff Bruce Davison. But there's some occasionally dodgy editing and it doesn't help that much of the writing appears to be a little difficult to read. Big, unwieldy, needlessly complex sentences. AND where do you PUT... the emphasis?

Whatever. I'm glad I stuck it to the end. This is a good zombie novel. The final essay by Daniel Kraus is great. I recommend it.

1 person found this helpful

Boring, convoluted, waste of my time

If this was a book I would have gone straight to the back page and still thought I'd wasted my time. Obviously the Master of Zombie horror can't beat some life into an undead zombie horse. Only wish I could get my credit/money back. Good luck if you are trying this, you'll need it

The deepest dive yet into the goo of the Dead

It’s all here, like a Frankenstein’s monster made anew between Romero and Kraus. An epic, aptly conclude post-life in the case of George.

This is truly beautiful work. The book unfolds to become a re-membering of existing native threads and characters that bleed seamlessly into this new story as yet untold. This definite end to the Dead chronology could not have been executed with more exquisite care.

frustratingly awful

I bought the book when it came out and gave up after about the second chapter.
got this audio book to try again.
I found myself switching off in boredom and frustration. I think whoever actually wrote this must have been paid by the word.
terribly disappointed.

A Bit Of A Slog

Whilst I love most of Romero's output on the big screen, I found this audiobook a bit harder to digest, covering certain charachters and their plight of survival I found some were more interesting than others, and those that didnt grab me then became a slog to complete their arc, especially when compared to other works such a World War Z (not the film !!) it falls short on impact, of which WWZ had many as well as a more entertaining and engaging plot, and as both essentially cover a world in the grip of the undead, its a shame Romero got out zombied, but even Kings lose their throne eventually. Definitely for fans of the genre and the horror and gore elements are well written and visceral but with Romero now gone and TV programmes rinsing the genre for all its worth I think we have had the very best out of Zombie fiction, I cant see anything new or surprising grabbing me, let alone frightening me. So with this work, I have respect for it, parts of it were excellent, but it underwhelmed me in the end.

best thing I've listened to for years

This book is the culmination of a lifes work and took Goerge 36 years to write (but not finish). for any fans of the zombie genre this is a must read.

MASTERPEICE!!!

had me gripped from start to finish! a great tribute to George! plenty of twists and gore, so much gore :-D

loved it!!

would b one hell of a movie/trilogy/tv series *wink wink*