Customer Reviews

"Unabridged, Unabashed & Undead": The Best Zombie Short Stories by Eric S. Brown

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Hello Good Librarians!! I just wanted to tell y'all that "Unabridged, Unabashed & Undead" is a frekin' incredible read. All together and for the very first time is this huge collection of the best zombie short stories by the "Madman of the Zombie Short Story" ... Eric S. Brown!

I am extremely proud and extemely please to be a part of making this available to you. "Library of the Living Dead Press" is just starting out, but with this collection I know in my undead heart that we'll make a huge impact for the zombie genre of books.

If you buy the book and don't LOVE IT .... I'll buy it back from you. How many times have you been made this offer? Never, I'm sure. And I do mean it. That's how positive I am that you will devour this tome of zombie goodness like a starving zombie. But please eat it in small chunks, chew propery and savor the taste. It's THAT GOOD!

Undead love to all of you who are supporting "Library of the Living Dead Press" in general, and Eric S. Brown in particular.

Take a breath between each of the stories. You'll need them to scream!

Dr. Pus

Head Honcho of "Library of the Living Dead Press"

Eric S. Brown's #1 fan!

So I got this book in the mail on Wednesday and I could not stop reading it. Most of the stories are very short indeed but don't let that fool you, even the shortest story in this collection is amazing. In a very few words Eric manages to convey huge visuals and massive emotions. In this book we run the gamut from zombie hunters to super heroes versus zombies to zombies on alien worlds in a strange techno-future.

I devoured this book, it was fantastic! I wish I could sing its praises on the streets, but sadly with my singing voice I would most likely wind up in jail for public disturbance. So instead I will let you know here that you must buy this book and read it.

This book will give you the creeps. You will find yourself identifying with quite a few of the people in these stories. And several times you will wish you were the people in these stories. But mostly your going to enjoy this book in every way.

Eric paints with a very detailed brush bringing us a sharp detailed account of the zombie apocalypse, over and over again. You will cheer the good guys, laugh at the bad guys and overall enjoy this book very much. I will tell you that several of these stories moved me on a very personal level, and that I absolutely loved this book.

If you have ever loved a zombie movie, or a zombie novel or a zombie comic book that you absolutely have to buy this book and read it, I promise you will not be disappointed.

Dear Eric S. Brown, you my friend have a new fan for life sir and thank you very much for sharing these stories with us.

If you purchased this book you are in for a treat. I'm a HUGE fan of the horror genre. I was not disappointed at all in this book. Each story will scare the undead crap out of you!

Possibly, Brownies it an apt comparison for this collection. They're small, rich in flavor, and you can't eat just one. The problem with Eric S. Brown's stories here is that they entice the taste, and leave you wanting more. Perhaps with encouragement we can have him expand a few into a novel. Each one is a unique, tasty, helping of zombie goodness.

Eric S. Brown chambers some forty-odd rounds of undead genius and unloads them rapid-fire into your mind. How can one guy write so many stories about zombies and still keep it fresh? Because he isn't afraid to explore insane new frontiers in what it means to be "the living dead". Some of the stories are quick bites and others give you more to chew on, but they each stir the imagination. As an avid zombie lover, I mean that.

This zombie craze has incredible legs on it, with support in every medium - but for zombie fiction to endure, one mustn't hesitate to push the envelope. That's Eric S. Brown all the way.

See above? I am so totally bummed that I spent money to read some high school freshman's after school attempts at zombie fiction. I was so excited to read this book, but by the fourth or fifth story it was really apparent to me that this author and I were simply not on the same page intellectually. F.Y.I., Eric S Brown, you might want to let the reader know that the zombie is a wolf when it makes its first appearance, and not leave him/her thinking he/she missed some pages, (especially if she is a new Kindle user!) having to go back to regroup and figure out the "zombie" your hero just killed is not human! Most of the short stories were really nothing but two to three page snippets detailing the last few moments of some schmuck's life. Usually no backstory to give a feel for the character and their situation, (I had) no feelings/sympathy for any of the characters at all, no suspense, typos all over the place, a HUGE disappointment. And the cover was so cool.... I guess you really CAN'T judge a book by its cover.

It's not often I get a collection of short stories - of any kind - and like ALL of them. But I liked all of this much varied anthology by Brown. If you like zombies, there is bound to be many stories in "Unabridged, Unabashed & Undead" that you'll appreciate. Some of the stories are very short and some are almost novella length. It is great having SO many collected together. I wouldn't mind seeing quite a few of these expanded into novels.

NOTE: A couple of these stories are also in Space Stations and Graveyards but only a couple. Also, the editing isn't the worst I've seen in these quickly published books but there are some errors.

I first read Season of Rot (Mr. Brown's collection of five zombie novellas) and became instantly addicted. Now I have finished Unabridged, Unabashed, and Undead and I can honestly say I am even more impressed with Eric S. Brown.

Unabridged, Unabashed, and Undead is the exact opposite of Season of Rot in a few respects. Where Season of Rot was five longer stories Unabridged, Unabashed, and Undead is forty some odd short stories. Some of the stories here are a little longer but several would fall into the length of zombie flash fiction. One of the amazing things about Eric S. Brown's writing is he can draw you in a single paragraph and then twist you up and down and back around before you know it. It seriously takes this man less than two thousand words to tell a wicked zombie tale.

The zombies here are as varied as only Eric S. Brown could make them. You've got zombies in the past, present, and future. Zombie animals of all sorts wage havoc against the living in several stories. There are even stories of zombies on far distant planets and zombies attacking super heroes. The stories are told from different perspectives and offer a vast view of the zombie genre.

With over forty stories I can't possibly tell you about them all but I'll pick a few of my favorites for you.

A Bad Day at Work follows a man who works for a company that sells zombies to the public after rendering them harmless and clean. A great opening story!

The story Dr. Pus is a nod to the man behind both Library of the Living Dead Press and the Library of the Living Dead Podcast. It tells the story of a zombie expert trying to keep a band of survivors alive.

Night Shopping is about three guys looting supplies and it features an unexpected emotional gut punch that you just don't see coming.

The Walk is about the slow race for survival at the end of the world, this story is a prime example of how unique and bleak Eric S. Brown can be.

A devoted boyfriend follows his thrill seeking girl friend in Dead Thrills. This story is only two pages long but it manages to pack some of the most terror in the whole book.

The Dead Eater is another short one that just rips my face off every time I read it. During the Apocalypse every one still has to eat; some better than others.

Viral is a little longer and it is centered in a small wooded town under a strange epidemic. CDC agent Nathan Reed responds to a disease that raises the dead and it is spreading quick.

Set in the future on a far away planets Omega Level 5 and Reapers at the Door are both two fantastic mixes of zombie fiction and action packed science fiction.

My most favorite is Weeds. Set during the Civil War this story features the most unique zombies I have ever encountered. Two soldiers fleeing from the enemy stumble upon a town covered in weeds and grass. The two explore the silent town and discover the horrible secret behind the overgrown town.

I enjoyed all these stories and in telling you about them I want to go reread the entire book. I think Unabridged, Unabashed, and Undead is the book I would recommend for anyone new to Eric S. Brown or zombie fiction in general. Eric S. Brown has earned the nickname "The Zombie Master" and Unabridged, Unabashed, and Undead proves it.

Beware, when, not if, when you buy this book prepare yourself for a barrage of goodness. Inside of this book you will be treated to a variety of zombie shorts that vary as much as the zombies do. Do not hesitat to pick this one up, you will not regret it.

What an amazing collection this is! Mr. Brown dropped the reins on this one and let the undead roam free. He went places I didn't expect and covered a wide range of zombie stories I never imagined. Nothing is safe. He does a very good job of jumping right into a story, getting right to the guts (sorry) of it and taking you on a short vicious ride. Are there many happy endings? Guess that depends on your perspective. If you enjoy well-thought out zombie stories, Eric S. Brown is your man.