Still Dead (Book of the Dead, #2) by John Skipp

Still Dead (Book of the Dead, #2) Reviews

• 
  Craig

  This collection is a little more uneven than the first volume, but I particularly liked the Douglas Winter and Gahan Wilson stories, and thought the Dan Simmons was terrific.
• 
  Tony

  The second and last collection of zombie fiction editted by Skipp and Spector, before their falling out. The book was divided into three sections, essentially before, during, and after the rise. There were some very original stories in here, and a few will be sure to disturb anyone.
• 
  Steven

  A definite must for any fan of the Romero zombie world. Not one story in this thing will slow you down like a zombie though.
• 
  Rosa

  This was a very impressive collection of tales about the usual kind of zombie: you know, gross-looking, not too bright, staggering around L-I-I-I-KE TH-I-I-I-S (picture me with my arms stuck out in front, my hands dangling limply, my eyes wide and blank as I slowly advance), and chomping on the living and making them like themselves.
  I put off reading this book until I'd seen Dawn of the Dead, because I thought maybe there would be references to the Romero movies, but I needn't have bothered. (That movie disappointed me. Some interesting parts, but there were long stretches that just dragged and bored me, unlike Night of the Living Dead. Thankfully the bikers livened it up.) These are entirely self-contained stories; the only thing they have in common with the movies is the same kind of zombie, which is very adaptable to different situations.
  I wanted to read it because of
  Brooks Caruthers's contribution. I've been hunting down everything this Arkansan wrote ever since I read "The Real World" in
  Forbidden Acts, a wonderful novelette that was also about the dead coming back. But not like this.
  On to the stories (not in order).
  “The Old Man and the Dead,” Mort Castle: this was magnificent. You know the only foolproof way to kill a Romero zombie, right? And you know how one of the greatest American writers died in 1961, right? Not a coincidence, as it turns out.
  “Rise Up and Walk,” K.W. Jeter: a moving, tragic story about an inmate left alone in a mental hospital when the dead begin to rise. He believes he’s Jesus Christ, but previous failures to perform miracles have shaken his faith. This is his big moment.
  “This Year’s Class Picture,” Dan Simmons: the great teachers never give up on their students. This was a moving story about the love a teacher has for her class of poor little monsters.
  “Necrophile,” Nancy A. Collins: a gritty story about those edgy, subcultural people who go to midnight movies and are obsessed with death. A good one. Hard to read, but not as hard as some others in this collection. The narrator’s ex got what was coming (and what he wanted), but I'm worried about the narrator. She doesn’t deserve this.
  “DONt/Walk,” David J. Schow (as Chan McConnell): a story about the alienation of a big city. Disturbing, but a little too dark to be believed. I don’t think urban alienation is this bad.
  These stories were meant to go “too far”, and they did push boundaries.
  To be continued.
• 
  Andrew Reeder

  Like many follow up collections. Still Dead fails to meet the high-water mark set by the original. Still, like a collection of mineral specimens there are shiny baubles to be had-- just remember to pick through the recent dead with care.
• 
  DeAnna Knippling

  Fun, if not as much so as its predecessor. The first third of the stories felt very "done," although well written. It's the other 2/3 of the books that picks up and gets interesting again. Recommend for zombie fans.
• 
  Nick Wallace

  Even more zombie stories
• 
  Jesse

  I changed my mind, zombie fiction is boring.
• 
  ~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~

  Abed was creepy. Great rereadable anthologies.
• 
  Chris

  Worth reading. Gruesome in places.
• 
  Fishface

  I didn't out-and-out love this one the way I did the original "Book of the Dead," but it is full of fine moments and there's plenty of zombie gutmunch.
• 
  Ryan Sasek

  Really great collection of stories about the undead 🧟‍♂️
• 
  Chris

  Of the two Book of the Dead anthologies, I think this was the one I liked least back in the 90s, and yet it is my favorite this time around. Less gross-out/go for the shock than Volume One, although there is plenty here, and fewer "name" writers. A lot more thoughtful stories from all the authors, particularly good ones from favorites Poppy Z. Brite, Kathe Koha, and Douglas Winter. Well worth a read and a good picture of horror writing at that time.