Our team of crack historians has uncovered the truth you never learned in school: the living dead have walked among us since the dawn of time. In this collection of gruesome tales from throughout the ages, the ravenous undead shamble through bloody battlefields, plague-ridden cities, genteel country estates, and dusty frontier towns. They emerge from foggy cemeteries, frozen barrows, loamy bogs, cursed mines, and gore-spattered operating rooms to prey on the living. But these zombies don't just eat people. They help painters and writers save their faltering careers. They unwittingly push humankind on the quest for fire. They topple evil capitalists and their corporate empires. They fight crime. They fall in love. Join us on a journey into our zombie-filled past... Neither history nor the living dead have ever been this exciting!
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Mike Norris
Format:Paperback
A remarkable study of the zombie-condition traced back to its original vector, an infected mammoth, that unwittingly shambled across the primeval hunting grounds of our ancient ancestors and into infamy, History is Dead tracks mankind's most gruesome affliction as it spreads, raising our dead across the continents, bridging cultures, and shedding light on ancient mysteries, like the Celtic peat bog-mummies in "The Gingerbread Man", and crossing paths with iconic greatness, in "The Loaned Ranger" and "The Summer of 1816". The zombie proves itself to be an effective weapon of war, in "The Barrow Maid", as well as a lover worth dying for, in Carole Lanham's wonderfully necrotic zombie-romance, "The Moribund Room".
A brilliant theme and an outstanding collection, History is Dead may arguably be one of the most noteworthy horror anthologies of 2007, and surely a contender for this year's Stoker Award nominations.
A brilliant theme and an outstanding collection, History is Dead may arguably be one of the most noteworthy horror anthologies of 2007, and surely a contender for this year's Stoker Award nominations.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I typically avoid trying to review Anthologies, simply because I feel that each story deserves to be taken on its own merits. I have read most of the zombie anthologies out there and have enjoyed all of them...some have some stories that really knock my socks off while others are just interesting and creative.
With the theme of history here, what we are served up is a dark menu of treats tied in with some of the major events in history. The Black Plague, the real genius behind the creation of Frankenstein, the great Chicago fire, etc. All of these events, along with several more personalized stories unrelated to figures of major historical prominence give us a tome of Alternative Histories that is quite intriguing.
It is challenging, to say the least, to be knowledgeable enough of a time period and the details of how people lived to be able to embellish upon the known history effectively with the injection of the living dead. That each of these authors boldly ventured forth to do so here certainly shows both an appreciation for history and a willingness to stand it on its head for the purposes of macabre entertainment.
From the start I have to say I really enjoyed the creative flare I saw with these stories-David Dunwoody's flashback to prehistory, Raoul Wainscoting's creative use of Shakespeare, Johnathan Maberry's creative take on a little fire in Chicago and most of the others had me grinning at the enthusiasm everyone had to come up with some really fun ideas.
I think that a book like this could easily be expanded with future editions, if these authors and others are up to the task of coming up with even more tales from other areas of history. The source material is endless.
With the theme of history here, what we are served up is a dark menu of treats tied in with some of the major events in history. The Black Plague, the real genius behind the creation of Frankenstein, the great Chicago fire, etc. All of these events, along with several more personalized stories unrelated to figures of major historical prominence give us a tome of Alternative Histories that is quite intriguing.
It is challenging, to say the least, to be knowledgeable enough of a time period and the details of how people lived to be able to embellish upon the known history effectively with the injection of the living dead. That each of these authors boldly ventured forth to do so here certainly shows both an appreciation for history and a willingness to stand it on its head for the purposes of macabre entertainment.
From the start I have to say I really enjoyed the creative flare I saw with these stories-David Dunwoody's flashback to prehistory, Raoul Wainscoting's creative use of Shakespeare, Johnathan Maberry's creative take on a little fire in Chicago and most of the others had me grinning at the enthusiasm everyone had to come up with some really fun ideas.
I think that a book like this could easily be expanded with future editions, if these authors and others are up to the task of coming up with even more tales from other areas of history. The source material is endless.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Peter Clines
Format:Paperback
-History is Dead- is a mixed bag, in a number of ways, but overall it comes out on top.
The walking dead are not all the mindless flesh-eaters George Romero made so popular. There are people "cursed" with undeath, some who've been brought back to carry out certain tasks, and some who've dragged themselves back for one reason or another.
Like any anthology, some stories are stronger than others. "The Reluctant Prometheus" gets points for sheer creativity. "A Touch of the Divine" is a stylish comeuppance story. "Society and Sickness" beat another undead/ Jane Austen parody to the shelf by several months. But my hands-down favorite had to be "Pegleg and Paddy Save the World" for its mix of humor and creepiness.
So it's not perfect, but it has many high spots and there's definitely something for everyone, no matter what kind of undead you like, no matter what context you like them in.
The walking dead are not all the mindless flesh-eaters George Romero made so popular. There are people "cursed" with undeath, some who've been brought back to carry out certain tasks, and some who've dragged themselves back for one reason or another.
Like any anthology, some stories are stronger than others. "The Reluctant Prometheus" gets points for sheer creativity. "A Touch of the Divine" is a stylish comeuppance story. "Society and Sickness" beat another undead/ Jane Austen parody to the shelf by several months. But my hands-down favorite had to be "Pegleg and Paddy Save the World" for its mix of humor and creepiness.
So it's not perfect, but it has many high spots and there's definitely something for everyone, no matter what kind of undead you like, no matter what context you like them in.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
History Is UNdead!
Zombies have coexisted with humans since before the birth of h. sapiens - that is, if we're to believe the team of "crack historians" behind HISTORY IS DEAD: A ZOMBIE ANTHOLOGY,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Kelly Garbato
4.0 out of 5 stars
history is bloody
I liked a dozen out of the 20 tales here but the writing from all contributors is top notch. If you like the idea of history being retold to include zombies, this should be in your... Read more
Published on February 23, 2011 by John Natas
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ripe for the pickings
History is Dead is a very fun read. While zombie fiction may not be exactly cutting edge, keep in mind Skipp and Spector's tremendous Book of the Dead was released in the late... Read more
Published on December 18, 2010 by Brian Rosenberger
4.0 out of 5 stars
No Mere Mindless Flesh-eaters!
I've wanted to read this since it first came out. It is a collection of zombie tales set during various historical periods. Read more
Published on August 18, 2010 by Lincoln Crisler
5.0 out of 5 stars
History Is Dead: A Zombie Anthology
This book was stated to be in very good condition but I say it was in excellent condition. Quick shipping.I would buy from this vendor again.
Published on March 17, 2010 by M. Shaffer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paffenroth Can Do No Wrong!
I am a massive Paffenroth fan, and once again he does not disappoint(duh!). Several of these stories have really stuck with me even after reading several other zombie novels. Read more
Published on September 29, 2009 by Scatoma
5.0 out of 5 stars
So good that it went to fast!
Excellent collection of short stories! Not the standard Zombie slasher, (which can be great too). The stories of what's behind the various Zombies throughout the years. Read more
Published on August 7, 2009 by Pat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Many Authors + One book = Great Stuff? what a Rare Gem, indeed.
Normally I shy away from collected works by many authors because the editors normally get sloppy. You normally end up with 30-40% goodness in a collection and, sadly, you pay for... Read more
Published on May 6, 2009 by TorridlyBoredShopper
3.0 out of 5 stars
Love Zombie stories
I love Zombie novels, graphic novels and Movies, but not the short stories in this book. The stories are quasi-related to the zombie concept and not as much fun as you would hope. Read more
Published on February 24, 2009 by Robert Laffer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Requiring Attention
I was almost at the very end of what I call the list of quality zombie fiction. So, after continuously seeing this item, I decided to purchase. Read more
Published on February 15, 2009 by S. Guinn
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
