need recommendations: graphic novels and/or zombies

[ElinIsabel]

No, not for me LOL.

So, I'm laying here in bed with Mr. ElinIsabel, watching Walking Dead (well, he's watching, I've got my nose stuck in my netbook alternating between SFFWorld and YouTube videos of kittens) and he mentioned that he might like a) gory, horror or action filled graphic novels b) fiction about zombies c) graphic novels with zombies

This is totally not my area of expertise but I would love to get some books for him for Christmas. Any suggestions would be great.

 

[Bastard]

I'm only familiar with manga, but here are some of those:

Shin Angyo Onshi
High-School of the Dead
Black Lagoon
Vinland Saga
Berserk
Hellsing
Priest
Wolf Guy
Guyver
Trigun
Manhole
Eden: It's an Endless World!
Shigurui
Gantz
Blood+
Basilisk
Gamaran
Project ARMS
Battle Royale

For info on any of these, you can check manganews.net or animenewsnetwork.com

Not everything up there is licensed, so if the interest is buying them, then not many would be available. But, for if there's interest, unlicensed works are translated by fans and should be able to find online if he doesn't mind reading them off a computer screen.

I can suggest anime that skews for adults if interested also. Licensed availability should be easier than manga.

Feel free to pm me for more info.

 

[mjolnir]

As for fiction ... hmm. If you're looking for pulse-pounding action kinda things there's a guy named Jonathan Maberry who has a series about bioterrorism. First book's called Patient Zero and I think it's about zombies or things that are basically zombies. I haven't read it -- not quite my bag -- but apparently it's fun and action-packed and suitably hardass.

There's Cherie Priest's Boneshaker if he'd be open to 19th century alternate history, though the zombies are kind of a side dish and only show up occasionally.

My new instinctual recommendation here in terms of prose fiction is Feed by Mira Grant [Seanan McGuire by another name, if you read urban fantasy.] It's set in a post-zombie rising America where life goes on and people have adapted to the constant looming threat of the infected. The story follows a group of young bloggers who've been selected to cover a candidate's run for president and become targets in a conspiracy against that candidate that involves doing evil things with the zzombie virus. Not a guns-and-zombies-everywhere! book, but very pacey and tense -- I read it in two days -- with an ending that sticks the knife in and twists hard.

Good luck. There's plenty to choose from.

 

[Aktunka]

Why not tell him to read The Walking Dead graphic novels? I have read all of them so far and they are very good.

 

[Loerwyn]

Pride and Predjudice and Zombies, perhaps? It comes in novel form, both traditional and graphic. Also on the comedy front is Night of the Living Trekkies. Personally, I've not read it, but it looks brilliant.

Another piece of literature is The Living Dead, an anthology containing King, Barker, Gaiman and other authors. There's a second book with lesser known authors, so that might also be worth checking out. Even if you just go on Amazon, you'll find a lot of zombie anthologies.

And whilst they're not that gory, he might want to try the Hellboy graphic novels. They're more supernatural than zombie-related media, but they'll fit in the horror genre quite nicely (In my opinion, that is).

 

[Randy M.]

Besides The Living Dead, there's an anthology titled, Zombie edited by John Skipp.

I'm not big on zombies, but Amelia Beamer's The Loving Dead looks like fun, and has gotten some good reviews. It's not a completely serious novel, from all reports, though, but funny in spots.


Randy M.

 

[Seegee]

It's not a graphic novel, it's a novel, but you could try Feed by Mira Grant. I'm not a fan of the whole zombie apocalypse thing, but I loved Feed. It's the first book in a trilogy, but it can be read as a standalone. The sequel is due out in May next year. I posted a review in the November reading thread. Not sure what page, but it's towards the end of the month. I'll try and find the specific page if you really want.

 

[ccutler69]

I have read The Living Dead 2 anthology and would recommend it. As with any anthology there are stories that are stronger than other, but as a whole it was enjoyable

 

[ElinIsabel]

Thanks alot for the recs!

 

[PeteMC]

It's not zombies, but for gory, horrible, disturbing action violence you can't beat Battle Royale in my opinion (think "Lord of the Flies" written by a Japanese sadist on a bad acid trip).

 

[Bastard]

It's not zombies, but for gory, horrible, disturbing action violence you can't beat Battle Royale in my opinion (think "Lord of the Flies" written by a Japanese sadist on a bad acid trip).

Yep, quite a disturbing manga... made mention of it in my post above, I had forgotten it initially.

There's also a movie (2?), but I haven't seen it.

 

[Loerwyn]

There's also a movie (2?)

Two. I preferred the movies to the manga, though.

 

[PeteMC]

Two. I preferred the movies to the manga, though.

I've not seen either, just read the book. I've heard the first film is good though.

 

[Quimby]

Have to agree with the Walking Dead graphic novels suggestion. I read the first 7 or 8 and they aren't bad.

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell is pretty good as well. It's pretty short though at about 220 pages.

 

[Solaar]

It's not a graphic novel, it's a novel, but you could try Feed by Mira Grant. I'm not a fan of the whole zombie apocalypse thing, but I loved Feed. It's the first book in a trilogy, but it can be read as a standalone. The sequel is due out in May next year. I posted a review in the November reading thread. Not sure what page, but it's towards the end of the month. I'll try and find the specific page if you really want.

I'm reading this at the moment and regretting it with ever page. It feels like it's written by someone who needs to fill the void left by the Buffy tv series ;-)

It's entertaining enough but if you're after a good solid, zombie book then avoid this like the... er... plague?

WWZ gets my vote for it's wide-spec appeal at how things might turn out if the apocalypse does happen.

Autumn by David Moody is ok, and the author is on facebook and very open to discussing his work.

Solaar
and his two cents

 

[kater]

No, not for me LOL.

So, I'm laying here in bed with Mr. ElinIsabel, watching Walking Dead (well, he's watching, I've got my nose stuck in my netbook alternating between SFFWorld and YouTube videos of kittens) and he mentioned that he might like a) gory, horror or action filled graphic novels b) fiction about zombies c) graphic novels with zombies

This is totally not my area of expertise but I would love to get some books for him for Christmas. Any suggestions would be great.

a.) Black Gas by Warren Ellis, The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Crossed by Garth Ennis (caution though this is sick in the extreme and horrifically graphic), 28 Days Later (part of the film world but suprisingly good), Chronicles of Wormwood by Garth Ennis and Marvel Zombies (there are five volumes, the first three are very good if you like watching Spiderman, Iron Man and others eat fellow heroes and ... pretty much everyone on Earth )

 

[PeteMC]

a.) Crossed by Garth Ennis (caution though this is sick in the extreme and horrifically graphic)

Ooooh, haven't seen that one - I love Garth Ennis's stuff (and "sick in the extreme" kind of sums him up in general!).

 

[kater]

Ooooh, haven't seen that one - I love Garth Ennis's stuff (and "sick in the extreme" kind of sums him up in general!).

Yeah and then Avatar let David Lapham write a spin-off from the series called Crossed: Family Values and it's even more messed up, topped only by Alan Moore's last issue of Neonomicon which was so far beyond uncomfortable it's not funny.