Customer Reviews

The Lifeless: A Zombie Thriller

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love zombies, so I may be a little biased, but I really did enjoy this book. It starts with a bang(literally) and just keeps going. I thought the focus on a high school not far from the epicenter of doom was fantastic. You're told what is happening in the major areas, but it's far enough away that you can relate to what's happening to these kids--no real authority to take charge and see them through makes it that much scarier. I also like that Lorne Dixon chose to blur the line between supernatural horror and real horror, reflecting the fear of terrorism that exists. The dual meaning of the title is genius, as well as the fact that the terror doesn't end after the initial onslaught--it's drawn out and leaves the reader wondering when, or if, it will end.
LOVE IT!!

I'm a big fan of zombie/post-apocalyptic fiction as well as Mr.Dixon's previous book Snarl, so I approached this novel with much anticipation. I wasn't let down. I was drawn in by the characters immediately, you don't find many teenagers in this type of book. Don't let the youth of the protagonists fool you, zombies don't care about the age of the victims. Even though I'm older than the protagonists, their lives and situations are familiar to many of us. The novel is refreshing because it gives us characters and a setting that are very uncommon in this type of novel. I enjoyed the brutal action against the zombies using improvised weapons, yet another refreshing change because usually in zombie fiction firearms are commonplace and easily mastered by anyone who wields them.

I don't want to give any of the plot away. I will say that Mr. Dixon offers up some truly startling and wince inducing violence as well as some memorable imagery, the ominous yellow fog featured on the cover being one such example. The writing was tight, fast paced, clear and masterfully described the action that was taking place. And trust me, you will not see the ending coming. I simply couldn't put the book down, that hasn't happened to me very much lately.

The Lifeless is easily one of the most enjoyable horror novels I've read this year and proudly sits alongside my favorites of the zombie genre. Coscom adds another stellar book to their roster and Lorne Dixon is a name every horror fan should be following. I can't wait to see what he does next.

After reading Lorne Dixon's previous book, SNARL, I'd been waiting to gobble up more of his fiction. I got the chance (after a relatively short wait) with his latest offering, THE LIFELESS, and yet again Dixon proves why he's a writer worth following. The book immediately tosses us head-first into the midst of a terrorist attack, the effects of which produce a toxic rainfall that kills (and subsequently returns to life) anyone who comes in contact with it.

Dixon knows exactly what buttons to push here. Within moments the reader can't help but be taken back to the horrors that unfolded in this country nearly a decade ago and the fear and helplessness that went along with it. As the explosions rock the early pages of this novel, you know the road you're headed down (or at least you think you do), and you know what people must be feeling, because we've been there before. Dixon reveals the events in a way that is sure to send shivers up your spine.

But as effective as he is at showing us the big picture, it's when he focuses the camera in close that Dixon show's off his well-honed ability at telling the tale. The story moves to a small group of high school students that have been spared the fate of their fellow classmates, now a hoard of blood-thirsty undead whose only desire is to snuff out any remaining life in the vicinity. The students remain trapped in the school's library, desperately trying to find a means of escape. But if you're looking for a story about human diversity and how people join together in moments of extreme distress, you've come to the wrong place. The lines that divided these kids during normal life remain in place even while the dead beat at the doors. The gritty reality that pervades this book is why Dixon is bound to become a prominent name in the genre for years to come.

Before long, we realize that the savagery of the undead isn't that dissimilar from the ruthlessness of the living. The heroes and leaders in this story are not who you'd expect. And as much as you think you can predict what will happen, each page seems to twist your expectations in every other direction.

Dixon doesn't waste words. The prose is smooth, natural, and easy to digest. And while he's great at cutting right to the punches, he still finds a way to seamlessly weave in a layer of depth to the characters. You almost don't notice it, but you quickly realize that you really care about these people, and from that moment forward you're hooked.

The ending further hammers home the theme and tone of the rest of the book: This is no fairy tale. No walking off into the sunset. Dixon manages to stir up all of our emotions, and after turning the final page you'll want to sit back and let it all finally sink in. And after that, you'll undoubtedly feel that growing hunger for more of his work.

When a group of terrorists inject themselves with a mysterious amber liquid, their bodies explode at different points around Manhattan (and several other U.S. cities), causing mini-mushroom clouds to rise and cause acidic rain that melts and distorts the flesh of anyone unfortunate enough to be near them. But after a few moments, the partially-digested corpses come back to life, hungry for flesh and blood.

Most of the novel takes place inside a New Jersey high school, where a small group of surviving students (along with the Assistant Principal) barricade themselves in the library and try plan a way of escape. There's class struggle, teen angst, and the Assistant Principal (a former cop) dealing with his past failures. There's also plenty of gooey-zombie goodness, lots of action and a realistic sense of doom throughout the entire novel.

While THE LIFELESS follows a standard apocalyptic-zombie theme, Dixon's terrorist-origin for the undead (that's never fully explained, making the novel all the more eerie) gives this one somewhat of a different feel. Fans of zombie fiction will surely eat this one up; Dixon's prose is quick and the story features several scenes guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

There is a strange yellow rain that falls from the sky and people that are caught in it become flesh hungry zombies. This books just takes off from the start with action, and just keeps going on throughout the book. I had never read anything by Lorne Dixon before but this book has hooked me on his writing. I highly recommend "The Lifeless."

After reading The Lifeless I figured out that the zombie genre may not be coming to a boring end. This stays away from the all too familiar formulas of the traditional zombie tales of recent memory. Lorne Dixon provides us with an original catalyst, well developed characters, and unique surprise or two. It is fast paced and never gives you a chance to look up from the pages to catch your breath. My only complaint is that I was left curious about a couple of the sides stories. I guess any good entertainer should leave their audience wanting more. I will be reading and hoping for more, from Mr. Dixon, In the future.

Zombie novels are a guilty pleasure of mine. Those who share this interest must admit that there is an incredible amount of terrible work out there. While I appreciate every effort, much is excruciatingly bad (some of the self-published work has not even gone through a spell or grammar check). That is why it is great to come across a good zombie effort which seems to be one out of every fifteen. Thankfully, Dixon's The Lifeless is a good one.

It stood out because of the uniqueness of how the zombies came to be. Without giving anything away, I thoroughly enjoyed the catalyst event brought about by terrorists. From there the book follows the basic formula of a small band of survivors, interpersonal conflicts, impersonal and overwhelming siege, heroism and cowardice, and thrilling escape. I love this formula and can read it over and over again. Sure I like the introduction of speedy zombies which has been a relatively new component in some books. I much less like thinking zombies, wildlife zombies, and supernaturally possessed zombies. Just give me a disintegrating world where the living are being overwhelmed by the dead and I am a happy zombie-guy.

Dixon's effort delivers against my wants and needs. The characters were interesting enough and the pace is solid. The metaphor of Miss Sonia's rapid cancer compared to the spread of the zombie condition is a little clumsy but well meant. Overall a fun read that you can finish in an afternoon.

Another great story by Lorne Dixon. Lorne describes his characters in great detail so that you find yourself pulled in. If you like zombies and love plot twists and turns, you will enoy The Lifeless.

From explosive beginning to explosive end, Lorne Dixon produces a memorable tale of the living dead.
When a strange, terrorist-driven rain turns fellow teachers and students at Verlaine High into shuffling, hungry zombies, a small band of survivors must fight to overcome impossible odds. More than just food for his monsters, Dixon's characters are real people with real lives: an ex-cop turned assistant principal haunted by a terrible failure; an orphan who is used to fighting battles on a daily basis; an alienated goth girl who finds compassion and caring for her fellow survivors; a dying school bus driver with a need to save the schoolchildren; a crazy bully with his own agenda.
Dixon breathes life into THE LIFELESS with tightly-wound action scenes, no-punches-pulled gore, moments of black humor, and finely-drawn characters that make us care whether they make it out of the hell they are thrust into.
Dixon, author of a wonderful werewolf novella titled SNARL which hit the stands earlier this year, has once again shown he can bring some new life to old, familiar monsters.
Add THE LIFELESS (and SNARL, too, if you haven't already) to your horror collection. And keep some space on that bookshelf, you'll want to pick up whatever other horrors Dixon cooks up in the future.

I just got done finishing 'The Lifeless' by Lorne Dixon and even though its a short book and a quick read, it will stay with you after you are done reading. I takes place in a your typical American Highschool and when the zombie's hit, its brutal. The violence is disturbing and the characters are interesting and compelling. Don't expect the happiest of endings though, its bleak and dark, but its horror and with zombies, it can't always end happily.If you don't like dark and sad endings then you might want to check something else out, but give it a read, you won't be disappointed. For the people who said there wasn't enough action, they must've been reading the wrong book. It doesn't have guns and missles constantly going off, these are highschool students using what they got. Check it out!