Commentary of Novel World War Z by Max Brooks

Max Brooks makes a similar point in his faux-documentary novel World War Z. Brooks, under his own name, takes the part of an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission to recount the history of the fictional World War Z. Because the novel is in the form of journalism, the narrative is fragmented and mostly implied; there is no protagonist, but Brooks does return to several “interviewees” multiple times. Although the true origin of the zombie pandemic is unknown, the story begins in China after a zombie from a previous outbreak bites a young boy. The Chinese government attempts to contain the infection and concocts a crisis involving Taiwan to mask the true purpose of increased military activity. The infection is spread to other countries by the black market organ trade and by infected refugees seeking a cure; an outbreak in Cape Town, South Africa finally brings the plague to global attention.

As the infection spreads, only Israel initiates a nationwide quarantine program and closes its borders. Pakistan and Iran destroy one another in a nuclear war, after Iran attempts to stem the flow of refugees from Pakistan. The United States does little to prepare, as it is sapped of political will by several "brushfire wars" and lulled into a false sense of security by an ineffective and fraudulently marketed vaccine. When the world recognizes the true scope of the problem, a period known as the "Great Panic" begins. The United States Army sends a task force to Yonkers, New York, in a high-profile military campaign intended to restore American morale. Instead, the troops are overwhelmed and routed by the zombies, due to reliance on tactics designed for human enemies, who can be demoralized into retreat...

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... try to secure the downtown area, they were quickly overrun by the zombie horde. After hiding in a burned-out tank, Rick is eventually recused by a group of survivors who have been making risky supply runs into the city. When he returns to the group’s camp outside the city limits, he discovers that his wife, son, and best friend are also part of this rag-tag band. After the tearful reunion, the question of what to do next drives the subsequent episodes.

Although the theme of societal breakdown runs throughout the entire series, Episode 5 (entitled “Wildfire ”) provides several strong examples of the fragility of modern societal structures. The opening of the episode reveals that the camp was set upon by a small group of zombies, with fatal consequences for several of the survivors. Prior to Rick’s arrival, the camp had been looking to Shane as their leader.