An anthology of 14 stories featuring zombies, punks, and zombie punks!
First off, I love anthologies so much, and I really love a themed anthology, so it's not too much of a surprise that I loved Zombie Punks Fuck Off. Yet I still wasn't expecting a collection of zombie stories quite this unique and varying. I never knew which direction or tone the next story would take and it made for an incredibly fun reading experience!
Of the fourteen stories here there was one I had read previously (Earworm by Brendan Vidito, his collection Nightmares in Ecstasy is a must read!) but I didn't mind reading it again one bit, and of the other thirteen there wasn't a story I didn't enjoy. There were a few stories that particularly stood out to me personally though.
While My Guitar Gently Eats by Danger Slater is the first story, and sets the tone for the bizarro horror ride to come. Human zombies are played out, but a zombie virus that infects musical instruments? Now we're getting somewhere!
The Ballad of Hank XXX by David W. Barbee is the story of the descendants of Hank Williams creating a punk utopia of sorts, until we get to Hank XXX, who saves, or dooms, the human race. No lie, a big part of my love for this one comes from me being a redneck, but it's ridiculously fun and unique.
Rolled Up by Emma Alice Johnson is about a guy that....likes being rolled up in a rug and placed at punks shows and stepped on. The concept is so different, and what a perspective to read the zombie apocalypse from! It's definitely a one of a kind story.
Then there's the Introduction and final story, Nature Unveiled, by editor Sam Richard. Oh boy, my heart guys, I got hit hard in the feels. Going through that, then being able to put out this collection AND write that story? I fought back tears, but it was a close one.
I could honestly keep on going, but then we would be here all day when you should really be hunting down a copy of this to start reading. Whether you love zombies or are burnt out on zombies, whether you're a die hard punk or just vaguely familiar with punk rock, this collection is full of the absurd and the unsettling. 10/10 recommend!
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