Review: Successful reanimation of the zombie genre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2014
Red Dust: The Fall collects three stories, each set apart about seven years. While loosely connected, each story can also be understood on its own. However, reading all three parts together is much more satisfying, as the reader recognizes reappearing characters and follows the development of the spreading zombie plague.The first part, The Lost Party, introduces us to a different wild west era, where the undead have risen and are hunting for living prey. One man, Masterson, set out to trace a lost trek of settlers. Through the pages of one of the settler's diary, he learns about the horrible dangers lurking in the darkness and the terrible fate that has overcome the people he came looking for. Each diary entry grows more gruesome and desperate, telling of the dwindling numbers within the trek and fading hope. Masterson continues his search, but at the end he has to witness the horrific truth with his own eyes. While the reader is spared gruesome details, at the end he can vividly imagine what will happen to Masterson with his own fantasy, which makes it much more creepy than reading a preformed description.Now that the stage is set, the second part Feud delivers a mix of western and zombie story. It contains all the classic ingredients: a mysterious lone stranger coming to a small town reigned by a self-acclaimed mayor; a storybook saloon with the obligatory beautiful girl named trouble; and a blood feud between two men. Though this is also a zombie story, those creatures are not the main focus and we don't have to experience yet another outbreak scenario. Seven years later, zombies are already a well-known threat people have become used to and fighting them is a constant part of everyday routine. However, as the urge for revenge grows, one man succumbs to madness and turns loose an army of the undead upon his rival, oblivious to the danger this brings to all people.The last story, The Last Rider, focuses on the adventure of a young courier named Isaac on his way to deliver a package. During his journey, he more often than not encounters the true monsters of the living kind. Racial hatred and war are still in full swing, regardless of the undead threat endangering all mankind. Instead of uniting all people to fight together for humanity, zombies mean only another danger for life in the wild west, maybe even encouraging men to turn against one another. All the while, we witness how Isaac stays true to his principles and holds on to humanity, regardless of the danger he puts himself in repeatedly for others.While there are still some sentences in need of proof-reading, they can be easily dismissed in favor of a distinctive and gripping writing that keeps you glued to the pages.With its original western theme, Red Dust: The Fall is an outstanding work of fiction, serving fresh flesh to the recently gone stale menu of zombie books, which will sate not only the taste of genre fans.A fourth installment titled King is already published, expanding the story of a character introduced in the third part. However, I do hope the authors will also write a prequel focusing on the Indians shortly mentioned in part one, as they seem to know more about the plague and maybe its origins.Highly recommended!(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)