Rise

August 22, 2016
Grant expands her clever and disturbing viral zombie apocalypse Newsflesh universe (Feed, etc.) with this satisfying collection of eight novellas (six previously published in digital or limited print edition form) accompanied by brief authorial introductions. "Everglades" is a sharp, brief, and discomfiting treatise on the cruelty of nature. "Countdown" provides multiple perspectives on the events, both well-intentioned and malicious, that led to the world-changing creation of the Kellis-Amberlee zombie virus. The exceptionally tragic "The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell" is a particularly effective encapsulation of everyday struggles in a postapocalyptic life. New stories "All the Pretty Little Horses" and "Coming to You Live" bookend the collection. "All the Pretty Little Horses" provides insight (if not sympathy) into the evolution of Michael and Stacy Mason, parents of series protagonists Georgia and Shaun. "Coming to You Live" is the work most expressly for fans of the series, addressing Shaun and Georgia's medical and emotional survival needs during their self-inflicted isolation in Canada. This collection is best for established readers, as it contains numerous spoilers for the novels, but any reader can appreciate Grant's skillful writing.