World War Z
 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), Ebook, Audiobook |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0307346609 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (abbreviated WWZ) is a novel by Max Brooks which chronicles a theoretical zombie apocalypse, specifically the titular "Zombie World War", as a series of after-the-fact oral history interviews with prominent survivors.
Though a follow-up to his humorously deadpan previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide, WWZ is much more serious - even tragic - in tone, and strives (within its fantastic premise) to be both factually and psychologically convincing. The book was released on September 12, 2006; a movie based on it is in the pre-production stage.
Plot summary
Taking place in the 2010s, the book charts a war against the undead from global pandemic to mass panic, and then to an 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 War on Terrorism 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's capital Lhasa, becomes the most populous city. 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 how 500 Māori took on half of the Auckland horde, using traditional tribal weapons, and fared 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
An abridged audio book was published in 2007 by Random House Audio, directed by John McElroy, produced by Dan Zitt, with sound editing by Charles De Montebello. The book is read by author Max Brooks, but includes many other actors taking on the roles of the many individual characters who are interviewed in the novel, including Mark Hamill, Alan Alda, Henry Rollins, Rob Reiner, and Carl Reiner. The audio book The audio book was awarded with the 2007 Audie Award for best Multi-Voiced Performance.[1]
Film adaptation
A film adaptation is in development 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]
References
- ^ Audio Publishers Association (2007). "Audie Award press release" (.pdf). Audio Publishers Association.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Nicole LaPorte, Michael Fleming (2006). "Par, Plan B raise 'Zombie'". Variety.
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