So Long, and Thanks for All the Brains [Paperback]

Matt Nord (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2012

In a world where the dead walk...
In a world where the living struggle to survive...
In a world where Munchkins fight alongside flying monkeys...
Those are just some of the things you will find inside this mammoth book of zombie fiction by writers from Michigan to Malaysian, from Austin to Austria.
So, pull on your bibs and prepare to sink your teeth in.
There's plenty of brains for everyone!

With stories by Bint Arab, Robert Forrester, Michael C. Dick, K. A. Masters, T. Fox Dunham, Kenneth E. Olson, Jason Papke, Richard Jay Goldstein, T. L. Barrett, Theresa Derwin, Joe Sherry, Jack Bantry, Bruce L. Priddy, Jonathan Wood, Gary Madden, Nicky Peacock, Douglas J. Moore, Iain Rob Wright, Dale Elster, Rebecca Snow, T. L. Decay, Philip Harris, Annie Neugebauer, Jamal K. Luckett, Marc-Anthony Taylor, Michelle Ann King, Suzanne Robb, C. Douglas Birkhead, Anne E. Johnson, Indy McDaniel, Bryan Vogt, Paul S. Huggins, Stef White, Jim Gadsby, J. Rodimus Fowler, Golda Mowe, Mihai Boc, Jessica A. Weiss, B.E. Scully, Scott Lininger, Katie Young, Allen Jacoby, Kelly Evans, S. Wayne Roberts, Alyn Day, R. S. Pyne, Kristal Stittle, Theresa Derwin, Pembroke Sinclair, Justin Sharples, Vince Liberato and an amazing cover by Gary McCluskey

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1466288140
• ISBN-13: 978-1466288140
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,032,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Have some brains with dinner! December 23, 2011

By Alex McDermott

Format:Paperback

I've always had a soft spot for zombies. I'll admit it! But even as a long-time fan I can see when a walker has passed its less than fresh date! In the wave of zombies over the last number of years, the story seems to be getting stale. So Long, And Thanks for the Brains is a welcome change from the traditional but tired brain eating Romero clone so popular now.

A lot of the authors in this collection really push boundaries for the walking dead. The opener, "Remembering Human" by Bint Arab, turns the narrative on its head by giving us the zombie's point of view as it slowly loses the last traces of humanity. In the government experiment gone wrong obsession, a lot of people don't realize where the true zombie legend comes from! In "Troubleshooter" by Gary Madden, we return to the real zombie concept, voodoo priest and all! Robert Forrester's "Necropolis is Burning" describes a unique post-zombie apocalypse world where walkers are a `normal nuisance' to be dealt with. "Dry Rot" by Jamal K. Luckett is a really fascinating look at leprosy, zombies, and what happens when superstition and reality collide. Vampires and zombies share space in "Unusual Appetites" by Jessica A. Weiss. Like Luckett's story, B.E. Scully looks at what happens when the very real meth epidemic morphs into something much darker. These are by no means the only standouts here. This collection has an incredible list of authors!

Anthologies, particularly those with a specific theme, can run the risk of repetition. So Long is 474 pages and some of the stories sounded too similar. I found myself skimming through the third government experiment gone wrong story. There were also a few that dipped into the gratuitous zombie violence with little plot category. The standout stories here were more than enough to make you forget the weaker ones though! If you're tired of the same old zombie trite this is your answer!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review December 21, 2011

By Ryan

Format:Paperback

As the previous review stated, this is a superb new anthology! It's always good to see these little publishing companies churning out quality horror, and that's certainly what the collection is. I like to start with the bad news:

Cons: The collection contains a LOT of nontraditional zombie works. To be fair, that could be a good thing, but I'm kind of a stickler for the classic, mindless-moaning-flesh-eating-shamblers, that can't think or fight or do anything constructive. Quick Note: The first piece in the anthology, Bint Arab's "Remembering Human," is definitely nontraditional, but although my reactionist genes were twitching, I had to enjoy it. Second, as the first review pointed out: This was a looooong anthology, and some of the fat definitely could've been trimmed. I don't have any complaints about the novel preview at the end; it was pretty good! But it really doesn't seem to fit with the anthology as a whole, maybe not at the end like that. I dunno. And thirdly, the price is a little bit higher than usual, anthologies are usually around $15 or so, especially paperback.

Pros: But the good FAR outweighs the bad! The book is full of excellent stories from up and comers and established horror-jockeys alike! Some who deserve mentioning here:
-"Remembering Human" by Bint Arab
-"OCD" by Joe Sherry
-"Unusual Appetites" by Jessica Weiss
-"Waiting for Gordon" by Allen Jacoby

All in all, the book is worth buying, and a great read for the zombie enthusiast on your gift list.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Addition for the Zombie Enthusiast ! January 17, 2012

By JET

Format:Paperback

This collection of stories is an awesome addition for the zombie enthusiast. It's a nice mix of shorts and longer stories with plenty of brains on the menu!