Book review: Bits of the Dead, edited by Keith Gouveia

From the dark minds of 38 horror writers comes a collection of short zombie fiction, appropriately enough titled Bits of the Dead.  The anthology includes a tiny tale from each writer (most are less than two pages) tackling the subject of zombies from every angle.

Many of the writers included in this book are well-known and highly-respected authors.  Some of the numerous recognizable names include (in no particular order) Tim Waggoner, Kurt Newton, Steve Vernon, Piers Anthony, Charles Gramlich, and Marcie Lynn Tentchoff.  All of the stories come illustrated by Sean Simmans.

Most of the stories chosen by editor Keith Gouveia deserve to be included.  There are a few misses (as there will always be), but for the most part, this is an anthology of good, strong zombie stories.

Lee Thomas starts the anthology off with a three-paragraph-long story, "Tuesday."  While besieged by hungry zombies, a small group of survivors discovers that the two species are not quite as different as they thought.

Nate Southard's story, "Another Lonesome Day," brings one man's loneliness to a whole new level.  In "The Courting," Piers Anthony shows that even in a world full of zombies, there's no escaping sexual harassment.

One of the best stories of the lot is Drew Brown's "Run."  A father's love for his family is tested, and Brown paces the story perfectly for maximum effect.

Another stand-out story is Charles Gramlich's "Once Upon a Time with the Dead."  The story is action-packed, and you can almost see it playing out in your head as a movie.

Ed Dempster's "Carson's End" had a lot of potential, and the tone of the story made it interesting, but in the end it just failed to deliver.

Another story that I wouldn't have missed is "It's a Shame It Had to End Like This," by Michael Laimo.  The plot is interesting, and the story is well-written -- especially the action -- but the climax is told to the reader, rather than shown, and it's a bit of a letdown.

Overall, Bits of the Dead is a worthwhile collection of zombie flash fiction.  Horror fans will enjoy this book, especially those that are constantly on the go or prefer very short stories.  If you've read Bits of the Dead and are in search of another dark flash fiction anthology, try Book of Shadows from Brimstone Press.

Bits of the Dead is a 171-page paperback published by Coscom Entertainment and edited by Keith Gouveia.  The book is available online from AbeBooks and Amazon.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, June 2009)

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