Review: Some Serious Potential Here
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
Aftermath by Edwin Stark is a fun little almost-ready collection of zombie tales by an author who seems to have the potential to become a force in this particular genre.  He shows, humor, imagination, and a unique take on zombie lore.Now, I'm going to take it piece by piece.First the cover:  I'll admit it.  As it stands now, I hate the cover.  I have no idea what it has to do with zombies and would urge the author to spend a little money on something that looks more professional.Introduction:The author spends time warning you about his grammar, his English, and some of his literary disappointments, telling you basically if you are a grammar Nazi, don't read the book.  I do not give a pass for language skills.  If you are selling your work for money, it should be ready for publication.  The introduction was off-putting and I would urge the author to let his work speak for itself.Aftermath:This is the first story in the collection and, contrary to many of the other reviewers, I found it to be the least successful.  This is somewhat standard zombie fare, starring an eleven-year-old boy named Danny who lives in a community of survivors.  Danny is a tough kid and has to use his strength and intellect to get out of a very sticky situation.Although I liked Danny and enjoyed the story overall, there were numerous POV issues and characterization issues.  Danny felt like a very old man rather than a child.  There were oddly antiquated turns of phrase that pulled me from the story time and time again. On a positive note, although this was a very standard zombie story, there were a few unique details that made this story stand out from many of the other zombie tales out there.The story did end abruptly, with no satisfying conclusion.Zombie Cab:This is the second story in the collection, and it's here that the author shows his real skill.  He uses the shorter form very adroitly, showcasing his storytelling skills and his humor.  It is very hard for a book to make me laugh and this one garnered some real chuckles.  The story is unique, funny, and left me smiling.  This one may not be for the zombie purist and it did leave me with some world building questions (important even in a short short!), but I really enjoyed this one.The Day the Zombies Roamed Venezuela:This is the final story in the collection and it's unique, funny and a little scary as I could actually see people using the infected in this way.  Yet again, the author shows his wry humor.  This particular tale is very tongue in cheek.  I was impressed by the fact that the author could take such a short tale, but really show the reader the global implication of the zombie problem.  Yet again, he had me laughing, which was completely unexpected.Overall Conclusions:The first story, in particular, needs tightening and a good beta reader who can advise the author on some of the archaic expressions and POV/Characterization issues.  However, in general this is a satisfying collection of dark little zombie morsels.  The author shows humor and storytelling chops and, in spite of my nitpicks, I enjoyed reading this little book.  I felt my .99 was well spent and think that that the author could be someone to watch in the future.  With a little streamlining, I would not be surprised to see the author picked up by a major publisher one day!This is a 3 star collection with 5 star potential.