Review: Haunting and effective "prequel" to the Newsflesh trilogy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2012
Set in the year 2014, Countdown chronicles the early days of the viral outbreak that gave rise to the zombie Earth we first witnessed in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy. At just 75 pages (and some of those are "extras"), Countdown is a quick read, but it's a powerful one. We don't see Shaun, Georgia or any of the trilogy's main characters (though we do get a look at the elder Masons' life pre-rising). Instead Countdown focuses on the scientists, journalists, activists and a few ordinary citizens that all came together to end life (and death) as the world knew it.While Countdown is nominally a "prequel" to the Newsflesh trilogy and is a logical starting point chronologically, it probably won't have the same impact if you haven't already read the main books. Knowing how the world changed makes the scenes and interactions in Countdown that much more haunting and effective. It reads a lot like the first part of Stephen King's The Stand. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed the Newsflesh trilogy, and that trilogy is a must-read for any fan of intelligent and engaging horror, zombies or not. It's a bit pricey given the low page count, but it's worth every penny.