The (undead) rise in the Zombie genre

I think the zombie genre is popular mainly due to the fact that it's a type of monster genre where the humans feel as if they have some sort of chance of pulling through. The whole idea of a monster that is obviously vulnerable yet can still be deadly (in numbers) provides for an interesting experience. Because of this, the story can be told through the perspective of a soldier, businessman, photographer, and just about anyone else while still seeming somewhat believable. Survival skills play a huge roll in survival compared to most other horror stories. Also, the idea of a mass pandemic causing the global zombie outbreak is not too farfetched in our world where every new disease causes hysteria within the general public.

Monster Island

The zombie genre has been on the rise for the past few years in pretty much every form of modern media. From video games like Left 4 Dead and the Resident Evil series, to movies such as Zombieland and 28 Days Later, the living dead has been on an upward surge in popularity. In traditional literature however, finding stories about it is slightly more difficult, which is understandable since the zombie genre itself is relatively new. Besides World War Z and The Walking Dead, one can barely even think of a good zombie related book/graphic novel. Monster Island takes a different approach when it comes to literature and what we think of the typical conventions of the zombie.

I have to admit, the beginning of the story started off slow and a bit confusing. The switches from flashbacks to the present and the focus on two different characters didn't really seem all too compelling. However after reading a few chapters I realized how unique the overall premise really is. Delkalb, our first protagonist, has no real way to retaliate and is completely unfit for this apocalypse. The United States and every other “civilized and developed” country are the first to get wiped out due to the average citizen's lack of survival skills.

On the flip side, the corrupt and lesser developed countries have more resistance due to them being desensitized to bloodshed. What results is Delkalb being forced to be protected by child soldiers in order to survive. In fact, the only driving force that even keeps him alive is knowing that his daughter is safe. Then we have Gary, who in my opinion is one of the most unique interpretations of a zombie in recent memory. As he slowly starts to become one of the undead, he figures out a way to retain his intelligence.

Unlike the other zombies, he is fully aware of his current situation. He would try to rationalize all of his actions and eat the flesh of humans with little hesitation. I felt that the first person perspective really added to this story and helped to question our views on Gary. It really makes you think whether he is truly “evil” or if he just does this for survival. Either way, it makes for a very unique character.

Though I haven't read much zombie literature, I know my zombie lore, and Monster Island is a breath of fresh air for the genre. What's even more surprising to me is how the author would post the chapters as blog post and make changes in the plot based on fan comments. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in zombie related media.