Apocalyptic Fiction Poll #4: Who is your favorite character from The Walking Dead Season 2 ? If you don’t see your favorite character listed below please write it in as a comment. Thanks for voting!
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Over the years, Stephen King has created a number of fascinating apocalyptic tales. Indeed, most of his stories lead to the end of the world for somebody. It is as though he has some unworldly insight into the apocalyptic realm. Though the specific circumstances may change, his novels frequently share in his apocalyptic vision. For example, Randall Flagg, a character that appears in many of Stephen King’s stories, has a mysterious involvement in the apocalypse. While Randall Flagg is not a specific character in Cell, Stephen King once again shares his unique vision of the end of modern civilization through one of mankind’s most prized possessions, the cell phone. An event that comes to be known as “the pulse” somehow wipes clean the minds of those using a cell phone and transforms them into a type of telepathic zombie that is intent on eliminating those that have been left unchanged. The zombies in Cell share the viciousness of your typical zombie but are able to communicate telepathically and seem to be developing a common agenda. Cell is certainly an enjoyable read and will be quite satisfying for those of you that share in this strange apocalyptic preoccupation.
Also available in audio on Audible through the link below:
Welcome to the zombie apocalypse. World War Z shows the progression of a zombie apocalypse through a series of interviews that explore the experiences of survivors from around the world. Each interview or chapter further develops the story to paint the larger picture of a worldwide catastrophic event. Zombie fans and those that like post apocalyptic fiction in general will enjoy this book. You could substitute “zombies” for any number of apocalyptic events. It just so happens that zombies are the perfect enemy. A zombie acts on instinct alone, has no fear or conscience and will never stop until their brain is destroyed. World War Z (WWZ) is unique in a number of ways. First of all, the story is conveyed through a series of interviews and shows a wide variety of perspectives from people with different cultures and geographic locations. Unlike most stories in the genre, World War Z is not confined to one geographic location. Max Brooks takes us all over the world from China, Russia, Britain, Siberia, US and even to the ocean’s floor. Another unique feature of WWZ is that it covers the entire war, from the early stages of the outbreak right up until the end where humans develop efficient ways to destroy the zombie hordes and take back much of the planet. WWZ also proposes some interesting ideas. For example, government authorities conclude that they cannot save everyone and that in order to save some people, others must be sacrificed. Although one could criticize the way in which the author proposes that “government authorities” would find and implement a solution for the vast majority, the harsh, pragmatic decision is logical in the context of this post apocalyptic scenario. WWZ is a unique, well written and exciting tale that I highly recommend you add to your list of “must read” post apocalyptic fiction.
World War Z is also available as an audiobook through the link below:
The greatest post-apocalyptic tv show ever made, AKA, The Walking Dead ends Season 2 with the farm being overtaken by a massive herd of zombies. Along with the farm, our weary group of survivors must abandon any hope that they had for a semi-normal life. While I hate to see the end of Season 2, (it is basically the only show I watch on tv and it gives me something to look forward to on a weekly basis) the season finale does give us a glimpse of what season 3 has in store and it looks excellent! Among other things, we are introduced to a new “kick ass” character and get to see a sneak preview of the group’s new post-apocalyptic safe haven. As with any good show, we are given just enough information in The Walking Dead Season 2 Beside the Dying Fire to keep us coming back for more. It’s a good thing I’m reading World War Z now or I might be going through some type of zombie fighting withdrawal! 😉 Watch the Season 2 Finale of The Walking Dead Beside the Dying Fire through the link below.
Wishing for the good old days turns deadly for one of the main characters in this episode. Some people are unable to accept the new reality of the zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately, when life and death decisions need to be made on a daily basis, there is little time for deliberation. As the title of this episode implies, in the absence of a justice system, people are forced to act quickly, often without the opportunity to share their decisions with others. How do you do suggest that we deal with those that are deemed dangerous criminals that pose a threat to your family in the post-apocalyptic world? Keeping them as prisoners really isn’t a very good option when food supplies and resources are limited. It certainly is food for thought…if you have any ideas please post a comment. Watch the episode through the link below:
Their fight to the death is interrupted when Rick and Shane unwittingly unleash a horde of starving zombies. Episode 10: 18 Miles Out has plenty of zombie fighting action and gives us a few hints about the nature of the infection. If you missed this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, you can watch it on Amazon through the link below!
The post-apocalyptic mayhem continues in AMC’s second season of The Walking Dead with Episode 9, Triggerfinger. An encounter at the “town tavern” with another group of survivors turns ugly and Rick finds that he has another war on his hands, as if a world full of flesh eating zombies and dealing with Shane’s obsession with his pregnant wife weren’t enough trouble. While it’s difficult to side with Shane due to his morally questionable actions, his keen sense for reality can’t be denied. As is often the case in post-apocalyptic scenarios, ethical matters that were once black and white often take on a certain shade of grey, especially when it comes to protecting those that you love. Great episode! Watch it through the link below:
The best show on TV is back and you can watch it for free through the AMC website until February 28th! The walkers are out of the barn and the raw, violent, post-apocalyptic fury returns to The Walking Dead! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I won’t spoil it for you, watch it through the link below:
The Walking Dead Season 2, Midseason Premiere: Nebraska. ***no longer available for free through AMC.
update 3/7/12 This episode is no longer available for free but you can get it through Amazon at the link below. Also, for those of you wondering what the song is at the end of this episode it is The Regulator by Clutch. Rock on!
The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 7, Pretty Much Dead Already. “The Barn is full of walkers”. Now that everyone knows that the barn is full of walkers, a choice must be made: Do the survivors live in denial and pretend that they are safe within the confines of the farm and ignore the fact that there is a barn full of bloodthirsty zombies living in their midst? Or do they blow open the barn doors and accept the ugly reality of their situation? An interesting choice, perhaps reminiscent of the choice we all are facing with the world as it is today. By the end of this episode, the choice is clear, although it is far from a unanimous decision.
The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 6, Secrets explores the dynamics between a number of characters in this group of survivors in the post-apocalyptic, zombie infested world. Human relationships sure do get complicated, especially when secrets are kept and this show holds nothing back. Shane sets the tone for this show when he reminds Dale that the world is no longer a place to make casual threats when he says “…if I would shoot my best friend, imagine what I would do to someone that I don’t even like…” Tailgaters beware: if civilization ever deteriorates to this point, we all better be careful with our words and actions.
Season Two of The Walking Dead forges ahead with the post-apocalyptic tale of survivors in a zombie infested world in the fifth episode, Chupacabra. This episode starts out in a flashback where they show a few of the main characters looking over the Atlanta skyline as bombs explode and gunfire is everywhere. It is clear at this point that the world has drastically changed forever. If you missed this episode follow the link below to watch it now.
In this episode, Daryl offers a Cherokee Rose to Carol as a symbol of hope and geeks of the world celebrate as Glen hooks up with the nice looking country girl Maggie after an especially awkwardly, funny scene in a small town pharmacy. The Walking Dead “walks” a fine line in balancing out the drama with some humor and action. As I am sure most zombie fans will agree, a zombie apocalypse is served best with a good amount of humor. Thank you AMC for another fun episode!
The Walking Dead: Season 2, Save the Last One gets at the heart of the matter: is it better to be dead in the post apocalyptic world? While Carl struggles for his life, Rick and Lori contemplate whether he might be better off dead. In their own way each of the characters, at least temporarily, decides that it is better to be alive than dead. This episode has some good old zombie killing action but it did seem a little dark – I mean I sometimes had difficulty seeing what was happening…maybe it was just my TV, or my eyes, or maybe it was a bad recording. Anyway, as always, it was a great show.
This sure is a great show! I really enjoyed the first episode of season 2 of The Walking Dead having just watched it on the DVR. I won’t give out any spoilers for those of you that haven’t seen it yet but suffice to say it is well worth watching! This episode shows the group of survivors and especially Rick Grimes struggling to find some reason to have hope for the future. Actually, there really is no hope for them in their post apocalyptic world but there is something within the human spirit that keeps us going. Maybe that is the part of apocalyptic fiction that I enjoy so much? You can watch the full episode in HD through the amazon link below.