New Book

I now have a new book that I just got. To follow my current streak of Max Brooks books I checked out the book, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. This book looks amazing. It has an interesting cover to say the least. The back of the book reads as follows,"Man has battled the undead for millenia. In The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks bestselling author and "Studs Terkel of zombie journalism," Max Brooks provides the lessons that history has taught us about zombie outbreaks. This is not a list of all zombie attacks throughout history, but a chronicling of the most famous outbreaks, gruesomely illustrated in graphic novel form. From our descendants on the African savannahs to the legions of ancient Rome to the voyages of Francis Drake to the ill-advised experiments of the Soviet army, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, takes the reader on a journey across many anni horribilis and hauntingly reminds us how close the living dead have come to destroying humanity." 

When I first read that I determined I had to read this book. I really hope this book will be everything that it looks like it will be, and possibly even more than I could have hoped it to be.

Max Brooks

As I was watching TV last night I noticed there was a special on the History Channel on zombies. I thought that would be really interesting. So I started to watch it and it was the best thing I have ever seen! And to make things even better Max Brooks was on the show, along with many other authors and people that are a part of the "zombie movement". The show was very informative and covered every part of a zombie invasion. The program was two hours long and worth watching every moment of it. I am now going to read every book that Max Brooks has written. I am very excited for this because he is a very talented author and zombies are very topical in todays society.

http://deathelectro.com/wp-content/audio/Cinema%20(Skrillex%20Remix).mp3

Diction Observation Guide

In this excerpt from Nicholson Baker's The Mezzanine, his language is both precise and dignified with a refined suggestiveness. Baker's use of decorative language exemplifies a business-like writing style.

In this excerpt from Catcher in the Rye; J.D. Salinger, uses vivid language to convey a sense of a "journal-like" writing style. His language is to-the-point and very formal, yet conveys a suggestive zealousness.

Style Mapping

Blood Meridian                           Star Dust                           Crescendo

Connotative                              Low                                     Elevated

Figurative                                  Common                            Elegance

Poetic                                         Boring                                Figurative            

Bright word usage                   familiar                               Metaphoric 

"Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy is a very connotative and figurative piece. The piece is calm and almost poetic. "...and dark falls here like a thunderclap and a cold wind sets the weeds to gnashing." "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman is a low and common piece. Talking solely about a small town called Wall. "The town of Wall stands today as it has stood for six hundred years..." And Crescendo has very high language. Becca Fitzpatrick uses elegant and elevated words and grammar. "We waited until Scott had angled himself behind the steering wheel and backed out of the parking space before we exited the building."

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld uses lower language that is harsh and connotative. The word choice is more familiar and blunt, grating and clattering, and also suggestive and imagistic. Words like "cat vomit," "scudding," "bottomless," "cold," and "sucks" suggest familiar, imagtistic, and grating language. On the nearly-opposite pole is Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian, with the use of high, musical, and connotative language. O'Brain's words for scholarly, fancy, and archaic as he describes the buildings, people, and music. His words are sweet, harmonious, lyrical and imagistic when he describes the violin player and other musicians. Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian is similar with its scholarly words that flow together with a more poetic, suggestive nature.

Currently

Pages this Week: 171
Books this Week: World War Z

World War Z

I have just started the book World War Z. This book; by Max Brooks, follows the zombie war. 


Here is a little background: Through a series of oral interviews, Brooks, as an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission, describes the history of 'World War Z'. Although the origin of the zombie pandemic is unknown, the story begins in China after a zombie bites a young boy. The Chinese government attempts to contain the infection and concocts a crisis involving Taiwan to mask their activities. The infection is spread to other countries by the black market organ trade and by refugees; an outbreak in South Africa finally brings the plague to public attention.


Brooks breaks down the zombie war into a series of distinct chronological periods according to the changing state of events and attitudes towards the situation. Those sections are called: Warning, Blame, The Great Panic, Turning The Tide, Home Front U.S.A, Around The World, and Above, Total War, and Good-Byes.


Russia was the country that was affected the worst. This was due to Russia's size. 


This book; which is one of my favorites, is being made into a movie and is due for release sometime in 2012.