World War Z: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox_Book |
{{Infobox_Book |
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| name = World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War |
| name = World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War |
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==Plot summary== |
==Plot summary== |
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{{plot|date=November 2007}} |
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The book charts a war against the undead from global [[pandemic]] to mass panic, and then to the eventual armed struggle to reclaim the planet. Rather than a grand overview or a single perspective, ''World War Z'' is instead a collection of individual accounts, each revealing an aspect of the larger plot and simultaneously presenting a very personal tale. These different accounts take the form of interviews. The book draws from [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] and [[Zombies in popular culture|zombie]] literature. "The Great Panic" chapter describes the rout of civilization in a similar manner to [[H.G. Wells]]'s [[The War of the Worlds]]. The tales cover many genres -- the story of a Chinese admiral who spent the war on a submarine would fit easily among [[techno-thriller]]s. The viewpoint is not exclusively American, but focuses on the global nature of the struggle. This use of small personal tales creates a patchwork tapestry of the larger events unfolding in the book. Brooks addresses current issues such as [[environmentalism]], the [[Iraq War|Iraq War]] and international [[Health disparities|health care]]. He also offers an interesting juxtaposition between the modern world and that of postwar Earth. For example, [[Cuba]] becomes the world's leading economy, [[Great Britain]] becomes a major producer of oil, and [[Tibet]] becomes the most populous country. This vision of a postwar Earth is startling in its contrast to that of today. It is implied that tribal groups such as South American Indians, [[Zulu]] of [[Southern Africa]] and [[Māori]] of New Zealand fared surprisingly well. One character relates an anecdote about 500 Māori taking on half of the [[Auckland]] horde, using traditional tribal weapons, did much better than the world's various military forces or Western civilians |
The book charts a war against the undead from global [[pandemic]] to mass panic, and then to the eventual armed struggle to reclaim the planet. Rather than a grand overview or a single perspective, ''World War Z'' is instead a collection of individual accounts, each revealing an aspect of the larger plot and simultaneously presenting a very personal tale. These different accounts take the form of interviews. The book draws from [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] and [[Zombies in popular culture|zombie]] literature. "The Great Panic" chapter describes the rout of civilization in a similar manner to [[H.G. Wells]]'s [[The War of the Worlds]]. The tales cover many genres -- the story of a Chinese admiral who spent the war on a submarine would fit easily among [[techno-thriller]]s. The viewpoint is not exclusively American, but focuses on the global nature of the struggle. This use of small personal tales creates a patchwork tapestry of the larger events unfolding in the book. Brooks addresses current issues such as [[environmentalism]], the [[Iraq War|Iraq War]] and international [[Health disparities|health care]]. He also offers an interesting juxtaposition between the modern world and that of postwar Earth. For example, [[Cuba]] becomes the world's leading economy, [[Great Britain]] becomes a major producer of oil, and [[Tibet]] becomes the most populous country. This vision of a postwar Earth is startling in its contrast to that of today. It is implied that tribal groups such as South American Indians, [[Zulu]] of [[Southern Africa]] and [[Māori]] of New Zealand fared surprisingly well. One character relates an anecdote about 500 Māori taking on half of the [[Auckland]] horde, using traditional tribal weapons, did much better than the world's various military forces or Western civilians. |
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===Characters=== |
===Characters=== |
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The book consists of a series of more than forty personal accounts from war survivors. |
The book consists of a series of more than forty personal accounts from war survivors. |
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===Major epochs of ''World War Z''=== |
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Brooks breaks down the zombie war into a series of distinct chronological periods according to the changing state of events and attitudes towards the situation: |
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==== Pre-War ==== |
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Brooks uses the term "pre-war" to refer to the time before the first infection of the Class Four outbreak, which is the main focus of the novel. The pre-war world largely reflects the modern real world. Some events that Brooks refers to in the pre-war take place in the near future. While there is no mention in ''World War Z'' of any encounters with [[zombies]] before the initial outbreak, in ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' the author does include a number of references to minor and moderate-sized outbreaks that occurred during this time period. Brooks has not stated if these two timelines are identical, but ''The Zombie Survival Guide'' is a real book in the ''World War Z'' timeline, as it is referred to indirectly. The flap copy on the hardcover edition's dust jacket is written from an in-universe perspective and mentions ''The Zombie Survival Guide'' directly. |
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==== The Beginning ==== |
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[[China]] witnesses the first reported outbreaks: refugees carry the virus to other nations. It is theorized in the book that the outbreak was the result of germ warfare research by the Chinese government that went out of control. China fears that other countries might see the zombie outbreak as a sign of weakness, so China fakes a military buildup to invade Taiwan. As the plague spreads through [[Africa]], it is first referred to as "African Rabies" or "Jungle Rabies." Although the virus is never mentioned specifically by name in the novel, it is highly suspected to be the [[Solanum]] virus mentioned in [[The Zombie Survival Guide]]. |
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In this section, we learn more about the infection: for example, the term "slow-burn", the classification for a person with a minor bite who may take a few days to become a zombie -- long enough to spread the plague to another continent if travelling by airplane. We also learn that organs taken from infected still hold the virus. When these organs are passed to others during transplants, they turn the receiver into a zombie. |
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Some military and intelligence organizations begin to identify the threat, but most world leaders dismiss the possibility of a large scale outbreak or the presence of a virus that would reanimate the dead. A corrupt pharmaceutical developer sells a vaccine ("Phalanx") for the zombie virus, earning a fortune. However, Phalanx is only a vaccine against real rabies, and just a placebo against the zombie virus. The decrease of cases over the first winter is credited to Phalanx but is really due to zombie-immobilizing cold weather. [[special forces|"Alpha Teams"]] are deployed by the US government to combat isolated infestations. The combined effects of the cold weather and Alpha Teams reduce the number of zombie outbreaks, and with Phalanx seen as an adequate vaccine, the populace is lulled into a false sense of security. However, by spring the zombies become more active with warmer weather, and soon begin to overwhelm government response. A female journalist breaks the news that Phalanx is useless against the virus. This alerts the public, but also leads to mass hysteria. |
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The only nation to take effective measures against the spread of the virus is [[Israel]], which enacts a voluntary [[quarantine]], and builds a massive perimeter wall around the entire country. This quarantine also contributes to the next major event in World War Z. |
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==== The Great Panic ==== |
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The Great Panic is the name given by Brooks to the time of mass hysteria surrounding humanity's realization of the reality facing them. The Panic begins when the infection starts to overrun countries in [[Europe]] and the [[Western Hemisphere]]. [[Refugees]] escaping from blighted areas help to speed up the rate of infection in other nations. At the same time, the undead begin to outnumber the living in Africa and [[India]]. Because of the level of denial that the USA is in over the nature of the zombie threat through the first winter, the public is unprepared. No large-scale warning is made, and due to the media-as-big-business culture in the United States at the time, many news outlets treat warnings of the zombie plague as yet another disease outbreak like [[Ebola]] or [[SARS]] outbreaks of previous years. As a result, the first that many typical middle-class suburban Americans know of the undead threat is when zombies come crashing through their living room windows. Soon, the number of zombies increases exponentially. |
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Many in [[North America]] attempt to migrate to northern [[Canada]]. However, no planned exodus is organized, other than news channels urging viewers to "Go North!". Many of the people who reach northern Canada are unprepared to camp there, and supplies eventually run low. Cannibalism occurs in several areas. Many had not expected the zombie crisis to last long when they left in mid-summer, and as winter hits (the worst on record, because of all of the particulate matter in the air from the fires of burning cities) large numbers are not prepared. An estimated 11 million people freeze to death that first winter in North America alone. |
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The peak of the Great Panic is the Battle Of Yonkers, where the U.S. military suffers a tremendous defeat in a highly televised battle against millions of zombies in [[Yonkers, New York]], due to poor military planning. The catastrophe has devastating consequences for the morale of the public and marks the end of a coherent American response for some time. Less than two weeks after Yonkers, the eastern United States is abandoned in a massive retreat by the military to establish a new defensive line at the Rocky Mountains. |
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==== Turning the Tide ==== |
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The Redeker Plan is developed by an ex-[[Apartheid]] government official, Paul Redeker, and copied by other nations (with varying names and details). Due to danger of infection and low resources, it is determined that not everyone can be saved. Redeker explains that the plan originated as a response to the worst-case scenario for the Apartheid government, full-scale rebellion by the native African majority. "Safe zones" are to be established for some civilians and cleared of all zombies by military personnel. However, some percentage of the population are simply to be used, essentially, as live zombie bait. They are to be set up and supplied in other sanctuaries, to draw zombies away from the safe zones and allow the people there time to regroup and reorient. |
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==== Homefront USA ==== |
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During this time immediately following the Great Panic, the United States restructures its government, military, and civilian population. Many of the changing tactics of the military and new tools of war and industry are discovered and implemented(Such as a tool/weapon called "LOBO," a shovel with a sharp serrated edge ). The seat of the government is moved to [[Honolulu, Hawaii]], and the majority of surviving Americans are encamped west of the Rockies. |
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==== Around the World, and Above ==== |
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This portion of the book deals with the consequences of the Great Panic and how people around the world respond to the undead. The rise of [[Cuba]] as an economic and military power is also covered. Another development is the beginning of an [[Oceania|Oceanic]] society (the "Pacific Continent"), made up of shipboard refugees. This section also refers to the destruction of the [[Three Gorges Dam]] and a second Chinese Civil War. The retreat of many Europeans to castles and other strongholds is also covered. Finally, a plan is put into action by the [[United Nations|UN]] to retake zombie-infested zones. The section also has a story on the crew of the [[International Space Station]]. |
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==== Total War ==== |
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This section deals with the war to reclaim the planet from the undead. Some old military tactics and technology — [[infantry square]]s, [[bolt action rifle]]s, [[airship]]s, — prove better than more modern methods. Canine units and deep-sea combat are covered as well. |
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==== Post-War ==== |
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Post-War is the time used to describe the age after Total War. All major cities are retaken. The majority of temperate and tropical areas are cleared. Many zombies remain in cold areas (such as Finland, Iceland, and Siberia), where the undead are frozen solid over much of the year; cleanup must be done during the brief summer thaw. These heavily infested areas are known as "White Zones". Bodies of water are also dangerous -- there are millions of undead under water which occasionally make it to land. The most heavily infected area other than the ocean floor is Iceland, due to a pre-war lack of military resources and an abundance of infected refugees; many species of whales become extinct due to their harvest to support the massive floating groups of people, almost entirely with the difference of whales in the North Pole area. |
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World War Z significantly alters the [[geopolitical]] and [[economic]] landscape. In particular, many governments collapse, and the political ties between certain nations grow stronger. One result of the war is a final peace settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The environmental effects of the war also hold great portent for the countries emerging from the depths of Total War. |
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==Audio book== |
==Audio book== |
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Revision as of 04:30, 12 November 2007
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Max Brooks |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror, Satirical novel |
| Publisher | Crown |
Publication date | September 12, 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback/Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0307346609 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
World War Z (abbreviated WWZ) is a novel by Max Brooks which chronicles the fictional titular "Zombie World War". It is a follow-up to his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide. The book was released on September 12, 2006, and it has a movie based on it in the pre-production stage.
Plot summary
The book charts a war against the undead from global pandemic to mass panic, and then to the eventual armed struggle to reclaim the planet. Rather than a grand overview or a single perspective, World War Z is instead a collection of individual accounts, each revealing an aspect of the larger plot and simultaneously presenting a very personal tale. These different accounts take the form of interviews. The book draws from post-apocalyptic and zombie literature. "The Great Panic" chapter describes the rout of civilization in a similar manner to H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. The tales cover many genres -- the story of a Chinese admiral who spent the war on a submarine would fit easily among techno-thrillers. The viewpoint is not exclusively American, but focuses on the global nature of the struggle. This use of small personal tales creates a patchwork tapestry of the larger events unfolding in the book. Brooks addresses current issues such as environmentalism, the Iraq War and international health care. He also offers an interesting juxtaposition between the modern world and that of postwar Earth. For example, Cuba becomes the world's leading economy, Great Britain becomes a major producer of oil, and Tibet becomes the most populous country. This vision of a postwar Earth is startling in its contrast to that of today. It is implied that tribal groups such as South American Indians, Zulu of Southern Africa and Māori of New Zealand fared surprisingly well. One character relates an anecdote about 500 Māori taking on half of the Auckland horde, using traditional tribal weapons, did much better than the world's various military forces or Western civilians.
Characters
The book consists of a series of more than forty personal accounts from war survivors.
Audio book
The abridged audio book is read by author Max Brooks and a full cast, including Mark Hamill, Alan Alda, Henry Rollins, Rob Reiner, and Carl Reiner. The audio book was published by Random House Audio, directed by John McElroy, produced by Dan Zitt, with sound editing by Charles De Montebello. The audio book was awarded with the 2007 Audie Award for best Multi-Voiced Performance.[1] Around half of the material in the book was omitted, mostly because of time constraints.
- Max Brooks (who authored the book) as the interviewer
- Steve Park as Kwang Jingshu, Chinese doctor
- Alan Alda as Arthur Sinclair, former SEC chairman
- Carl Reiner as Jürgen Warbrunn, Israeli intelligence officer
- Waleed Zuiater as Saladin Kader, Palestinian militant
- Jay O. Sanders as Bob Archer, director of the CIA
- Dennis Boutsikaris as General Travis D'Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe
- Jürgen Prochnow as Philip Adler, German army officer
- Dean Edwards as Joe Muhammad, disabled American artist
- Michelle Kholos as Jessika Hendricks, Canadian volunteer
- Maz Jobrani as Ahmed Farahnakian, Iranian Air Force major
- Mark Hamill as Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman
- Henry Rollins as T. Sean Collins, U.S. mercenary
- Eamonn Walker as David Allen Forbes, British author; as Xolelwa Azania; and as Paul Redeker, Afrikaner military strategist
- Ajay Naudu as Ajay Shah, Indian office manager
- John Turturro as Serosha Garcia Alvarez, Cuban businessman
- Rob Reiner as "The Wacko", Vice President of the United States
- Becky Ann Baker as Colonel Christina Eliopolis, US Air Force officer
- Frank Kamai as Nury Televaldi, Chinese smuggler; and as Tomonaga Ijiro, blind Japanese martial artist
- John McElroy (who also directed) as Ernesto Olguin, naval attaché
In an odd coincidence, the role of Philip Adler, the character who laments the cruelty of the German military strategy called the "Prochnow Plan", was played by an actor whose last name is Prochnow.
Film adaptation
A film adaptation is due for release in 2008 after the rights were obtained by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, with the screenplay being written by Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski. [2]