Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Title: Breathers- A Zombie’s Lament
Author(s): S.G. Browne
Genre: Horror – Black Comedy
Rating: 3 Stars

Just because you die doesn’t mean life is over. Imagine an alternate universe where zombie’s are a part of every day life, and find themselves outsiders in a world that loathes them more than fears them. These misunderstoods rise from the grave and must learn to exist alongside the living. These are not the fearsome flesh eating zombies that stalk the living, but rather they are the stalked. Forget the taste of human flesh.

Main character Andy is in just that predicament. He finds a group of kindred spirits at an Undead Anonymous meeting. It is within this group that he learns to come to terms with his new unlife, and he learns to embrace what he is rather than skulk through dark streets aware of his rotting form. Humor takes a dark turn when Andy and his friend discover the joys of human flesh, and the regenerative power that comes from eating real human flesh. Those who were once the scared, the rotting, the “other,” now discover the source of their power. There is some gruesome but amusing scenes, my favorite being the invasion of a frat house that doesn’t end well for either human or zombie.

Now I am sure there are people out there who would try to liken this struggle to others, who will make some sort of in depth social commentary on the concept, but not me. I choose instead to appreciate this for what it is: a story that takes the terrifying, mindless monster that is a zombie, and gives it a mind. A more human zombie is still not human, but yet we are faced with the perplexing paradox of living, breathing, very real feelings within. On one hand, this makes the story sweeter. On the other hand, it makes the situations that much more bizarre.

This is a must read for those who are into the zombie genre. The list of zombie books is becoming an endless repeat of the same formula, over and over again. It is hard to say that there is anything truly fresh and new, but this is not the genre’s fault. A sweet, human look at zombies may not be what fans want, at least those fans who love the mindless, drooling horror of running or, to Romero’s credit and opinion, shuffling zombies. And the “human side” of zombies is being explored through other media like movies. But this book was years ahead of all that.

It’s not a complex story, it’s not a revolutionary genre story, it’s not a serious read that inspires deeper thought on the meanings of equality. It’s just a light, fun, sometimes sweet, sometimes disturbing read.

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Conspirata (A Novel of Ancient Rome #2) by Robert Harris
Beginning in 63 B.C.E. and told by Cicero’s slave secretary, Tiro, this complex tale continues to chronicle Cicero’s political career as he charms, co-opts, and bribes his way into the exalted position of consul, ruler of Rome. Although Cicero is known as a brilliant politician and philosopher, he was also a slick manipulator and shameless schemer, competing with equally sneaky rivals Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Cicero realizes that as the empire expands, the greatest threat to Rome comes from within, plotted by well-financed conspirators bent on turning the republic into a dictatorship. With fabulous oratory and trickery, Cicero uncovers and crushes an insurrection, exposing himself to great danger and possible assassination. Riots, murder, civil unrest, corruption, treachery, and betrayal mark Cicero’s political legacy, resulting in a battle between him and Julius Caesar. Throughout, however, Tiro remains loyal and remarkably astute, recognizing that it is an act of madness for a man to pursue power when he could be sitting in the sunshine reading a book.

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