Undead of Winter

by Sarah E. Glenn (Editor), Lance Zarimba, Tom Wescott

Sixteen tales of the undead, all set in the colder months. Learn the definition of chilling in Tom Wescott's "Coffin Dirt" and James Simpson's "Mit Den Augen Der Toten". Meet dead family members in Neil Davies' "Abandoned" and Sylvia McIver's "Candles Against the Dark" - but be careful - not all reunions are loving. Read tales of ancient undead from D.J. Tyrer and Carl Thomas Fox - and a modern variant from Jason Purdy. Find out what Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Future does once her job is over in “Fear of the Future” by Gareth Barsby.
What are zombies like in the winter? Jay Wilburn and Spencer Carvalho will be happy to show you. Interested in adventure? Alex Azar takes you “Under the Hood of Winter”. Take a lonely road into fear with Guy Burtenshaw, find unusual allies in the forest with Ryan Tandy, and learn about true survival in Stephanie Stamm’s “Phantom Pains”. Prefer to stick close to home, where it’s safe? Shenoa Carrol-Bradd and Lance Zarimba will make you feel a lot less secure.
So, grab a blanket before settling down to read this book… but you might want to keep a firearm handy, just in case.

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2013

About the author

Sarah E. Glenn has a B.S. in Journalism, which is a great degree for the dilettante she is. Later on, she did a stint as a graduate student in classical languages. She didn’t get the degree, but she’s great with crosswords. Her most interesting job was working the reports desk for the police department in Lexington, Kentucky, where she learned that criminals really are dumb.

Her great-great aunt served as a nurse in WWI, and was injured by poison gas during the fighting. A hundred years later, this would inspire Sarah to write stories Aunt Dess would probably not approve of. She is co-author of the Three Snowbirds mysteries with Gwen Mayo.

Sarah belongs to Sisters in Crime, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Safety Harbor, Florida.

Reviews

[David Rainey · Rating 3 out of 5]

16 short stories about death in the winter. The book is sprinkled with the customary zombie apocalypse type tales. They were fun to read, although somewhat predictable. There were a few gems also, it wasn't all zombies. A couple of stories were touching. The Woodshed by Lance Zarimba was particularly good. Coffin Dirt by Tom Wescott was an amazing story about a father's love for his son. The book is worth reading just for this particular story.

[Matthew Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think we can all agree that zombies are horrific regardless of the circumstances. But what if we throw in a seasonal element that could kill all by itself? Such is the case with UNDEAD OF WINTER, a zombie anthology published last year by Mystery & Horror LLC. This collection of frightening and frigid tales uses winter as a focal point, and the results are very entertaining.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll reiterate it now: I love zombie fiction, and if an author or authors can put them in unique settings and/or circumstances, then so much the better. UNDEAD OF WINTER does this perfectly. Winter is commonly looked at as a desolate and lonely season, therefore it makes the perfect backdrop upon which to put zombies.

The stories in this collection are written well, and many of the authors appear to have unique writing voices. The tales are original in concept, and I found several that would be perfect for episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. This is a testament to the talent of the authors. I hope to read more of their work in the future.

My favorite story in this anthology is “The Lean Season” by Shenoa Carroll-Bradd. In this story, two young girls and their father have to fend for themselves during a harsh winter when zombies arrive with the snow. But sometimes, survival means doing atrocious things…things you never dreamt possible. I love the voice of this story, not to mention the difficult subject matter it deals with.

UNDEAD OF WINTER is a big win for me, and I recommend it to fans of zombies or just plain horror fiction in general. Give this book a look for sure, but remember to wear a heavy coat and layers of clothing…and pack a pistol to be on the safe side. This book is available now in physical and electronic formats.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does the ghost of Xmas past do after the miser woke up?

What happens when you come home from college, and there are terrible new secrets at home?

What happens when the zombie smashed your winter stores, and there's nothing to eat but zombie meat?

What happens when your teacher says to bring a holiday heirloom, but it's haunted?

Read on to find out...