Review: Zombie Buffet
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 13, 2012
This is a collection of stories about background characters fromLZR-1143: InfectionandLZR-1143: Evolution, and I have to say, I really enjoyed this sampling of Bryan James' writing.THE PILOT was about a zombie outbreak on a plane, but it relied more on suspense than gore, avoiding the cheese factor, and providing a thrilling climax.THE BOY was told through flashbacks to a zombie outbreak on a cruise ship, but the ending was a little too vague for my liking.THE FRY COOK focused on a zombie attack at a fast-food drive-thru (loved the duality), and included an unusual twist that was a total surprise.THE INMATE didn't really have actual zombie interactions, and read more like flash fiction.THE SUBWAY PASSENGER is my absolute favorite in the entire collection, and one of my all-time favorite zombie short stories, with a terrifying zombie outbreak scenario.THE SNIPER was another bit of flash fiction without any up-close zombie action; it was a disappointing ending to the collection, especially after reading the previous story.If there had been more zombie action, I would have given this collection 5-stars. In any case, it was good enough to put Bryan James on my zombie-lit radar, and I can't wait to read the actual series.