21st Century Dead is a perfect follow-up to 2010’s game changing splash The New Dead—which is currently one of the most and highest rated zombie anthologies on Goodreads.com—wherein you will find a nice, tasty assortment of today’s freshest zombie varieties mixed in with a dash of the classic Romero-style Shambler.

Golden’s introduction, “Zombies are Good for You,” is a well-crafted prelude to exactly the kinds of things you’ll find inside the book and why he chose to include them. He then steps More...

As with any and all short story anthologies, there are a few stinkers, but I was very impressed with the entirety of the book and how, after reading several stories consecutively, I didn't feel like I was being beat over the head (pun unintended) with the usual zombie cliche.

It's weird how the second to last story is almost always my favorite, and "The Happy Bird and Other Tales" is no exception. Rio Youers' work is absolutely flawless--and speaks, like all great stories do, to something within More...

What would zombies look like in the 21st century? Instead of hiding them or destroying them, could we normalize them? Teach our children how to live in a zombie-occupied world? Watch for signs of infection the way we watch for sneezes and fever? The stories in this anthology of recent zombie fiction ask these questions and more.

A few highlights:

Biters, by Mark Morris, has young children bringing baby zombies home for a school project. I think I'd prefer the baby wets-a-lot or a sack of flour ov More...

I was really Floored by this anthology. (yeah yeah, we all know I love Zombies, but...) Really, this isn't so much about Zombies, as it is about the human condition, and how we handle the CONCEPT of the living dead.

"The Walking Dead" on AMC became a phenomenon in part, because of the way in which it followed specific people and their varying views on the 'walkers'... the Zombies that have taken over their world.

This book takes that same people-centric viewpoint, and with every story, explores di More...

This is a collection of horror stories staring our favorite horror creature, zombies! The collection runs the gamut of stories. Some quite grotesque, and some with nary a brain in site. However, some will make you think, and even shed a tear. In fact, one had me hugging my puppy after reading it. Oh that one I could shake a fist at... I hate to cry!

In many of the stories, there are much more frightening things than the zombies. Even if the zombies weren't horrifying and quite docile, or even tho More...

REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2012/07/08/y...

Golden uses the stories in this anthology as a lens to process our 21st century fears, the fear of death, the unknown, etc. There are nineteen stories in all, some covering the literal undead while others tackle drug use, loss, media consumption and every zombie metaphor imaginable. Zombies are called the walking dead, Infects, workers, the NODS, survivors, Hamlin’s Revenge, and the Dead Ones. They’re created by the R1 Virus, use the Revena More...

(3 stars) Biters by Mark Morris - This took me a bit to get into and I ended up liking the ending much more than the beginning. It's a short story but the 'why' of what the kids were doing wasn't explained clearly enough. I also thought they talked like elementary school-aged children when in fact I learned they're 13. Seemed off...

(1 star) Why Mothers Let Their Babies Watch Television by Chelsea Cain - This sucked huge donkey d#*\. I don't know what else to say and I'm seriously. That's my comp More...

21st Century Dead, edited by Christopher Golden, is the followup to his 2010 anthology The New Dead, which has garnered generally positive reviews. I can't comment beyond that as I haven't read it. I did read this one, though, and I imagine it'll receive similar reviews. I personally found it fairly middling, but to be fair I don't know if that's truly a reflection on the quality (or lack thereof) of the stories on simply that I'm getting burned out on zombies.

There were a couple of standouts, a More...

Zombies aren't always my first choice when I look for a paranormal critter to read about, but I changed my tune when I saw the list of authors on this anthology. Writers I admire like Jonathan Maberry, Brian Keene, Chelsea Caine, Simon R. Green, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Amber Benson, Caitlin Kittredge...all with a unique way of telling a zombie tale.
I don't typically dig anthologies as there are usually one or two really strong stories sandwiching a passle of weak ones. Not a weak tale in the bunch More...

I won this book as a early reviewer through Goodreads, and I am so glad! What a great anthology. Often times I am disappointed in anthologies as I enjoy only half of the stories, but with this one there were no weaknesses. "Biters" was a excellent choice to begin the journey! "Down and Out in Dead Town" was a masterful short piece that touched your sentiments and reminded me of the homeless in our urban city. I did not want "Ghost Dog and Pup " to end. "Tender as Teeth" was delicious, and "Paras More...

None of the stories make much of a lasting impression because the anthology is disappointingly careless in its construction. Stories that plumb the depths of human emotion and work hard to create a powerful effect on the reader are followed up by stories where one note jokes about zombie reality shows get dragged out forever or the Robopocalypse guy gets to tell another crappy story about how the robots in his fictional world were real bastards. This would have been a hell of a lot more powerful More...

I won an Advanced Reading Copy of this anthology through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. I have to be honest and admit that I'm not a big zombie fan. I was mostly interested in this anthology because I had just read Robopocalypse, and I wanted to read more by Daniel H. Wilson (his story closes the anthology). While I wasn't too excited by the zombie concept, I was intrigued by the various authors takes on the monster. There are traditional depictions, but there are also many new take More...

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Christopher Golden’s vision of the zombie apocalypse is a rich, dark, tapestry of humanity’s worst fears, our world and loved ones gone, violent and strange. Each story has its own spin on the source of the affliction, but the common thread that stole the show was how the zombie plague impacted the pain and loss already in the characters’ lives.

Mark Morris’s BITERS is the perfect opening for this anthology, at once more horrific and hopeful than any zom More...

If you are into Zombies and short stories then 21st Century Dead is a great book for you. Short stories are not what I normally read so I was pleasantly suprised that I did enjoy certain parts of this anthology. My 2 favorite stories were Biters by Mark Morris and Ghost Dog & Pup:Stay written by Thomas E. Sniegoski. I have never read anthing by either writers and these stories certainly captured my attention. will looking for them in the future. The other stories in the book were just ok for More...

Kurt Sutter, writer/directer/producer extraordinaire of the famed Sons of Anarchy, is one of the featured authors. Enough said. If you haven't watched SOA, I offer my condolences, for you are missing out on one of the most awesome shows to ever grace the airwaves. Putting Buffy the Vampire Slayer aside, natch.

Read all but 4 of the stories. (One I skipped involved zombie animals, eww. This why Pet Sematary disturbed me so.) Some very interesting takes on what zombies are. I especially liked the introduction by Golden and the first story in the anthology.

Fine for the moment, but not much that is memorable. There are better zombie anthologies out there.

This does, however, feature a story by the woman who played Tara on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" -- who knew she wrote? So that was fun to find out.

this was crap for the most part. maybe two or three decent stories in it. jonathan maberrys being by far the best. if you can find jack and jill online somewhere by its self i would recommend doing that.

Another good anthology of Zombie stories. If you love zombie stories I would recommend this one because it has some unusual takes on traditional tales.

The review is closer to 1.5 stars. Very few of these stories are worth reading but the ones that are, they are pretty good. There are better zombie anthologies out there.

Pretty Good anthology of zombie fiction. There isn't one here that I didn't like, and they are all varied, and at time, very strange.

Great introduction on the meaning of the current obssession with zombies, but the stories themselves were disappointing.

Good anthology that has several new (to me) authors.

first let me say the cover was awesome i loved it i wish there was a way to have as my screen saver iloved all the storys in it i have never even heard of these people brfore i read this book now i am trying to find more books by them i will let everyone i know that this is a very awesome book that they need to go out and get it this book is going on my keep shevles at home man i very happy i won this book on good reads if you havent read this please please read if you like this kind of book you More...

I fucking need this book!

Rate: 4.5 stars

Very good entries with a few duds in the last third

Another top-notch horror anthology from Golden, this one somehow improves on The New Dead. The highly talented list of authors probably had something to do with it. Virtually all the stories are excellent, and Dan Chaon's tale ("How We Escaped Our Certain Fate") actually left me with a lump in my throat.

This was a great anthology! As with any collection of stories there are a few lack luster ones, but over all a great read!

Interesting short stories about Zombies, really enjoyable!