Comments on: Dead Sea

By: cup beans

cup beans — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:55:42 +0000

Sounds like a great book, I’m going to get it.

By: Ralph Pulner

Ralph Pulner — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 03:48:14 +0000

I’ve yet to a read a better zombie book than World War Z by Max Brooks

By: admin

admin — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:46:07 +0000

The very first page sums up everything I like about Brian Keene (“I didn’t shoot the bitch until she started eating Alan’s face”) and everything that sometimes makes me want to throw his books across the room (“Cue ‘Hey Joe’ by Jimi Hendrix”).

By: Erin

Erin — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:34:57 +0000

I have this one but haven’t read it yet. He’s a great writer.

By: William Smith

William Smith — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:10:30 +0000

Dead Sea was definitely the weakest BK novel I’ve ever read. The Joseph Campbell thing was ridiculous and told the reader considerably less about Campbell than would any half-assed discussion about George Lucas. Plus through the whole novel the characters are discussing their fear that the infection is going to jump species. When it inevitably happens, Keene hits you over the head with screamingly obvious “clues” that the characters don’t get it until they’re being chewed on.

Keene’s never been a real disciplined or careful writer and he always seems to throw in everything AND the kitchen sink but he has a vitality that’s really enjoyable. My favorite of his books is the Conqueror Worm. I love the section set in da rowned Manhatten skyskraper, populated Satanists and surrounded by mermaids/sirens and Cthulhu.

Agreed that Zombies are a hard sell on the printed page. I’ve read short stories that get it right and have some atmosphere (Andy Duncan’s “Zora and the Zombie”; Dale Bailey’s “Death and Suffrage”) but never a novel.

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:24:37 +0000

I liked The Rising and City of the Dead for different reasons – very cinematic in their scope, like movie popcorn. I liked Dead Sea because it was just plain dark, unflinching and more real of a story if zombies did indeed take over the earth, sea and sky; like the popcorn found under the movie theatre seat.

By: Doug Bentin

Doug Bentin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:29:49 +0000

Corey, I think that’s a very good observation. I think a lot of contemporary horror writers are actually writing movies instead of novels. The more literary writers, like Ramsey Campbell, are highly respected but they’re not being read by many of the guts and gore fans.

By: Matt Staggs

Matt Staggs — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:59:33 +0000

I liked DEAD SEA a lot more than RISING – of course I loathed RISING.

By: Corey Redekop

Corey Redekop — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:00:43 +0000

I may be among the minority who was underwhelmed by his zombie debut The Rising. I could see what Keene was trying to do, but I think zombies are a purely visual horror, and don’t translate that well to the page.