Oh, yes.
I have never actually read a zombie novel because in the past I had difficulty separating the genre from the medium; to me, zombies belong on film. It sounds kind of ludicrous when I read that back to myself, there seems to be no reason why an expertly written novel couldn't see the dead crawling back to life to wreck havoc and social commentary on an unsuspecting world. And yet, the zombie novel was a tough sell. Is it because I saw the zombie story as a shared experience? One had in a darkened theatre somewhere around midnight? Perhaps... Personally, I think its to do with spectacle though. The zombie apocalypse as represented on film is often quite grandiose. Think of moments like Jim (Cillian Murphy) waking from his coma in 28 Days Later and finding a deserted London, or the undead clawing at the shopping mall doors in both the original Dawn of the Dead and its remake. Zombie films are often memorable specifically for great (and frequently over-the-top) set pieces that I feel can't be translated into novel form.
However, I want to be proved wrong. There has been an influx of well-received zombie novels since Stephen King's Cell back in 2006 (trust that man to lead the way). This includes World War Z by Max Brooks; The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan; Handling The Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist (the author of Let The Right One In); and of course, Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I would love to hear from anyone who has read any of these books, mainly so I know where to start.
Star Wars: Death Troopers [above: awesomeness] is an upcoming addition to that list taking place a few years after A New Hope... that's right: this horror story is canon. The Random House site has a short synopsis to give you a feel for the novel. It will be released October 13. I'm not sure whether this will be a worthy addition to either the Star Wars or zombie genre but for the moment: I am on board!
Now, the five authors I listed above have something else in common (other than great taste): each has sold rights for their novel to be turned into a feature film. Lets hope they do have something to add to the genre...
Now, the five authors I listed above have something else in common (other than great taste): each has sold rights for their novel to be turned into a feature film. Lets hope they do have something to add to the genre...
