Commentary on World War Z by Max Brooks

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Recommended: The first world war

World War Z by Max Brooks is a book of interviews with survivors of a zombie epidemic, a worldwide event that ended before the interviews take place. The survivors tell stories of their experiences both with the living dead and with humanity during that time. In World War Z, it has been ten years since the United States declared victory in the fight against the living dead. The population has declined greatly and for those who survived, life has changed drastically. The man who compiled the final report on the effects of the war collected many first hand accounts of all fronts of the Zombie War. From government officials, military personnel, and civilians all across the world, World War Z is a chronicle of the war from those who saw the front lines. I really like this book because it uses vignettes, it is spookier than any horror movie, and that the book is just a bunch of interviews from different people.
Through the use of vignettes, or small stories which could stand alone, Brooks gives a realistic presentation of the story because it covers different aspects for what would happen in a zombie apocalypse. Two of my favorite vignettes are the ones of North Korea and Japan. The interview about North Korea is about how the interviewee doesn’t have the slightest clue on how the population in North Korea, the world’s most secluded country, almost completely vanished without a trace. The interviewee said their satellite images showed fewer farmers, less foot traffic in city streets, and fewer laborers on public works projects which has never happened before. The one about Japan is hilariously ironic. The interviewee in this one is researching the entire zombie outbreak but doesn’t have the slightest clue that it already had occurred. ...

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...e. There are other zombie-themed shows, books, and movies but I think World War Z tops them all, since it is during the post zombie apocalypse as well as in the modern world; this setting puts the readers’ universe in perspective with the very similar world that Brooks has constructed. This, paired with the interview format, creates a realistic effect which leaves the reader introspective.
All in all, this book is a definite must for those who seek a bone chilling zombie apocalypse theme, those who enjoy short stories, a good spook, or a realistic feeling. The variety shown in the different vignettes illustrate Brook’s mastery over different kinds of people, which feeds to the realism aspect of the novel. The realistic feeling is what makes the story so spooky - readers are left wondering what they would do in the different situations posed by the interviewees.

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