6. World War Z - Max Brooks
A harrowing tale of mankind's unwavering survival instinct in the face of unmitigated terror and certain death, World War Z does what few zombie stories have before it, it makes the survivors more interesting than the zombies stumbling after them. Each chapter presents a different viewpoint of the zombie apocalypse, at one moment giving us hard facts and reasons behind the viral outbreak, and a few pages on, keeping the viewer glued to the page with tales of survival through the most unlikely of means, all the while presenting fully formed characters that feel like real people, but in extraordinary situations. With each chapter, a different viewpoint is given, varying from American soldiers battling a bloodthirsty horde in the suburbs of Yonkers, New York to the story of a blind Japanese gardener in self imposed exile in the wilderness, to the thousands of citizens carelessly fleeing to Arctic regions on the assumption that the zombies will be rendered harmless by the frost, and everywhere in between. An anthology style series, with each episode depicting a different viewpoint of the pandemic would provide ample time for viewers to immerse themselves in the post-zombified world, or failing that, choosing the most interesting stories and presenting them each as they learn to survive their new surroundings could see a welcomed antithesis to The Walking Dead's stoic claustrophobia.
Is It Happening? Unfortunately for fans of the book, this year's film adaptation is probably the best they are going to get. While an enjoyable but flawed take on the zombie apocalypse on a global scale, the streamlined story and amalgamation of a few of the novel's characters into Brad Pitt's retired investigator is a far cry from the book's multi layered story and large cast.