An Opportunity and a Review

I was recently given the opportunity to read and write an inner comment for a short story collection of a writer friend and (hopefully soon to be for me) publisher. Of course one has to seize such opportunities, so I read the collection, liked what I read, and decided to do a full blown review right here!

This is my first attempt at a review, so be gentle with me!

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Review of:

Death's Too Short

A Zombie Short Story Collection by Lyle Perez-Tinics

I was dubious to say the least, starting into this collection. I am a big fan of zombie movies and books, however I've been feeling lately that the market is quite saturated. And there I was, sitting before a PDF of seven zombie stories in one book. 

Right from the outset though, I began to be turned (pardon the pun)... and that only from the table of contents page. In a nice touch, Perez-Tinics provides a short synopsis of each story in the table of contents, and we all know that a well written synopsis is enough to set our fingers itching to get into a book. I was sold.

The predominate theme throughout, besides zombies of course, is genuine, edge-of-your-seat action, with a few surprises thrown in. These really are zombie stories with a difference. Within these covers are some really unique concepts; 'The Gingerbreads' sits at the head of these. A young boy finds himself in a hopeless situation, with a harrowing fallout in, 'A Kid Named Layne.' And then we see a futuristic side to the timeless zombie in, 'The Dead Side of the Moon.'

My favourite stories in this collection were the above-mentioned, 'A Kid Named Layne,' and 'Radio Dead.' Radio Dead is a grim tale that really brings to home the hopelessness of a zombie apocalypse, and deals with the inevitable 'anything goes' mindset that would surely be ripe in some individuals, at such a time.  

Now of course there are your usual hacking-of-heads, tearing-of-flesh scenes, but this is okay, we like this... when there is intelligence behind the gore, and this there is throughout the collection. As well as solid, clean writing, there is an extensive knowledge of weaponry that makes you suck in a breath and say, Feck (if you're Irish) this guy knows his stuff.


Death's Too Short is a worthy addition to any avid zombieist's collection, and well worth a read for the rest of us just looking for some nighttime thrills (nothing dirty intended there, for you out there with the smutty mind.) While all stories may not be to everyones taste, this collection certainly has enough variety to scratch that proverbial itch, and I'm chuffed to have my name inside the cover.

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The End 

(How was my driving?)