Many would endure the torment of the night to come but not survive to bear witness. By morning their flesh would be scattered, filling the sarcophagus guts of the undead. This town – all towns – would become a living morgue. Countless battles between the forever hungry and the true living, survivors in locked homes, enclaves defended and lost, civilisation eviscerated, charnel streets; this was evolution's unnatural selection in action.
The Post-Industrial Zombie Apocalypse
4/5 Amazon Stars
The zombie apocalypse crashes a wedding, and the characters are forced to survive the aftermath in misery and fear. The premise is basic but the quality of writing is anything but; the author's use of imagery from the first page establishes a consistent tone throughout. The prose is descriptive but not overbearing, which is refreshing because I enjoy work that uses a greater range of vocabulary without seeming forced or plucked out of a thesaurus. As an American reader, I enjoy the changes in lexicon; most work from the UK tends to stray from cultural vernacular, which might be an attempt to lure a more "American" audience. However, I think the story has far more credibility when the setting is used appropriately and norms are observed.
There isn't anything overly original in this tale, and I loved the twist; I think the concept should be explored more thoroughly. This story would've worked better as a longer piece or the promise of some continuation, as I was left wanting more. The amount of characters in the story was a bit much, considering there wasn't enough to room to provide characterization, or even have a chance to differentiate between the survivors. In a way, this serves to further isolate the characters, which works considering how the setting's description parallels the sense of eroding normalcy.
A quick zombie read that does a great job of underscoring the isolation and desperation the characters face, with excellent, well-edited prose and an authentic setting. This author could really do some damage with a longer work. I was provided an opportunity to review this work; I look forward to reading more of Bebbington's work in the future.
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