Published in 2006, Max Brooks's World War Z took the world of zombie fiction by storm. Presented as a series of interviews with survivors of the "zombie war," the novel depicts a world much like our own--except that the human population has been devastated by a zombie virus, by starvation and by nuclear attack. Brooks's story brings up issues like the military strategy required to fight an enemy whose ranks grow as yours shrink; the power of fear of the unknown to turn neighbors against one another; and the role of patriotism when fighting a global enemy. His interviews span the world, from those who witnessed the first outbreaks in China to Americans fleeing north to Canada--as well as a group of Australian astronauts who watched the mounting horrors from orbit.
This second edition of the audio of World War Z offers a full-cast recording of the interviews. Though slightly abridged from the original text, it includes five hours of content that weren't in the original audiobook. Max Brooks reprises his role as the Interviewer, while an all-star cast of more than 40 actors join him--including Martin Scorsese, Alan Alda, Jeri Ryan, Common and Nathan Fillion. The diversity of voices and talents ensures a captivating retelling of a story that couldn't be boring if it tried. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm