Apocalypse of the Dead

Two years after the outbreak of zombification chronicled in McKinney's first novel Dead City, things, as you might expect, are not turning out well. A containment wall around Houston and other intensely infected regions contains not only the infected but those survivors who have been trapped inside now for two years. And they are pissed and always trying to get out. They of course do get out, carrying the infection with them. And as if that is not bad enough, there are signs the virus has gone airborne.

Dead City took place during the first night of the outbreak in San Antonio and focused on one police officer's struggle to survive. McKinney's second novel follows groups from Texas, Florida, California and Mississippi who band together in shifting groups to move north towards The Grasslands, a compound in South Dakota rumored to be a zombie-free paradise overseen by the benevolent man of God, Jasper Sewell. I don't think this is a spoiler, since nothing comes as much of a surprise in this book: Sewell is a dangerous nutcase. The weakest aspect of McKinney's novel is that he creates Sewell by taking all his cues from the Rev. Jim Jones playbook.

But McKinney offers the reader a fun, gory ride. His characters range from brave to cowardly and from noble to craven. Several are genuinely evil, but others redeem themselves when put to the awful tests they encounter. McKinney must, however, have a soft spot for women. With one minor exception, each female character is good as gold, whether she is a blind virgin from West Texas or a famous porn star.

Apocalypse was nominated for a Bram Stoker award, and McKinney's most recent book, Flesh Eaters, just won that award for 2011. He knows how to deliver for his audience. There are many effective scenes here that have nothing to do with zombie attacks, and the characters are entertaining. Those moments when a someone quotes from Herman Hesse or Albert Camus stick out like a festering zombie-bitten thumb, but most of the dialog is quick and pointed.

I find myself looking forward to Flesh Eaters.