Autumn
by David Moody

This is the first book in David Moody's Autumn collection of zombie books. This tells of the beginning of the infection as a climatic event wiping out almost the entire population with in a couple of hours. Interestingly and pertinently the story is set in the UK, and has a specifically British feel making it a refreshing change from most zombie tales.

The plot follows three survivors, from where they are when the infection strikes and then follows them while they try and deal with the worlds after it all goes south. The writing shifts from third to first person at certain points to allow us in to the characters which works well and builds on the oppressive and somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere of the entire book. It has a dark and heavy feel, reminiscent of the feeling in Night of the Living Dead, although it lacks the tension necessary to really give it enough threat and almost feels a little safe. This is apparent in the first half of the story where it struggles with pacing and the themes become repetitive.

Overall it is entertaining enough and held my interest to the end. If you want a slightly introspective tale about people dealing with the undead it is really worth a read. With regards to survival there are some sound theories suggested, but the characters never really implement them well enough or with enough conviction. I was a little annoyed by this at times while I read, but it is probably quite close to the fact. Most of us know the best things to do to survive, it is our human nature or our modern conditioning which causes us to hold on to things, items, a style of living whatever they may be even when those things put us in the path of danger or even death.