|
 |
| BOOK
REVIEWS |
|
The Rising
(2003)
By Brian Keene
- Preview
the 1st Chapter of 'The Rising' in PDF Format -
Reviewed By Dead Kev
Ever wonder what it would be like to be one of the last survivors
in a world overrun by the undead? If so, now imagine what
it would be like for those undead to be intelligent, capable
of speech...using weapons...and driving cars. Not a good situation
to say the least, but that's what you'd be up against if you
were living in the world of Brian Keene's...The Rising.
The first chapter thrusts you into the hellish aftermath of the rising. That's where you we meet Jim Thurmond, one of the unlucky survivors. He's watched helplessly while the dead return to life and fill the Earth with intelligent zombies with an appetite for human flesh. Left with no hope, a message from his son Danny finally pulls Jim from the brink of insanity. His son is alive, but for how long? To rescue him, Jim must travel hundreds of miles and face overwhelming odds. Luckily for Jim, he's not the only survivor of this undead usurpation. An elderly preacher, a strong-willed ex-prostitute, and a guilt-ridden scientist, among others, eventually join him. They must battle both the living and the dead as they journey to save Jim's son, as well as themselves.
Far from your average undead romp, Keene has spun quite a unique and captivating tale that will keep you turning the pages! It's this type of originality that will keep the zombie sub genre fresh and inviting to new fans. We're not dealing with slow, mindless creatures wandering aimlessly until they sense the presence of warm flesh and brains. These zombies do things that I've never seen them do before. Given their creative cause for existence, it makes perfect sense. Without giving too much away, corpses are simply shells that have become inhabited, with their only limitation being the fragility of the particular body. And not just human bodies are being affected. Very few movies and books have tackled the issue of reanimated animals, so this was a welcome addition. It wasn't added just for the sake of mentioning it either, nature plays a pretty large role as the story unfolds and presents more than a few challenges to the characters.
While I may have desired a little more explanation on the science of how and why the rising occurred, and maybe a little more background on the evil behind it, I know that wasn't Keene's focus, or his intent. It's clearly a very character-driven plot and a lot is purposely left to the imagination. Keene's successful in driving the plot by making the reader care about his characters, then putting all of them through the wringers, and then put through again. It amazed me how in just a single chapter I could get hooked on a character, even if that character was never seen again. And the reader quickly learns that everybody is expendable.
If you're like me, you bore easily. It's not the easiest of
tasks to keep my attention focused and to keep me interested.
No worries with that with The Rising, as every chapter
held me in its grasp and had me anxious for more. The violence
is graphic and Keene pulls no punches, while the atmosphere
is masterfully set to give readers that feeling of true isolation
and hopelessness, while still giving us just enough to stay
optimistic. I must say that the ending was a bit more abrupt
than I had expected and leaves the reader hanging, but that's
not necessarily a bad thing. It still works and works well.
Personally, however, I was slightly frustrated with the end
until I learned of the sequel. That frustration has since turned to joy, and
eagerness while I wait for...More Than Infinity.
| DEAD KEV'S ADVICE |
| A novel every horror fan will love and a must-read for fans of the living impaired! Fresh, innovative, and full of suspense!
|
ZOMBIE LESSONS LEARNED |
1. When hunting for food, make doubly sure that what you shoot at is alive.
2. Those privy to the most weapons are in control, even if they aren't exactly sane. |
| FAVORITE QUOTES |
- "We are your masters. Demons, your kind called us. Djinn. Monsters. We are the source of your legends - the reason you still fear the dark."
- "The color of death isn't black. It's red."
- "Can I have a hug?"
- "This is our world now. Surrounded on all sides by the dead."
|
| INTERESTING
TIDBITS |
| The Rising earned Brian a second Bram Stoker
Award (horror fiction's highest honor) for Best First
Novel. Brian also won a Stoker in 2001 for Jobs
In Hell. Brian optioned The Rising to a
Hollywood production company in a six-figure deal. |
| HARDCOVER
DETAILS |
| Delirium Books |
| March 1, 2003 |
| Limited Edition - 300 copies (signed
& numbered) |
| Deluxe Leatherbound Limited Ed. - 26
copies (signed & numbered) |
| Ultra Leather Ed. w/Leather Hinged Box
- 6 copies (signed & numbered) |
| 324 Pages |
| Dimensions (inches): 1.25 x 8.50 x 5.75 |
| ISBN: 1929653417 |
| PAPERBACK
DETAILS |
| Leisure Books |
| January 6, 2004 |
| 321 Pages |
| Dimensions (inches): 0.95 x 6.78 x 4.24
|
| ISBN: 0843952016 |
REVIEW THE BOOK YOURSELF ON THE MESSAGE BOARD!
|
|
Copyright © 2002-06 - All Things Zombie.com
Best viewed with IE 6 at 1024x768
Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
All Rights Reserved.
|
|
