Black Tide Rising

An anthology in Ringo’s zombie apocalypse series, Black Tide Rising, this contains no “filler” stories. The included authors have all manner of takes on their contagious milieu. But all have done professional justice to a potentially moribund subject.

Judy Lynn Nye examines motivation by vengeance. Sarah Hoyt takes us into the sensory and psychological immediacy of a medical center being virally overcome. Striking. And stabbing..Mike Maska shows economic devolution during a love-exacerbated apocalypse. Gaah! There are too many fine writers herein to list all, but I found not a single instance that made me sorry to have spent reading time. In each effort, reader identification with the actors and the establishment of intense conflict made impact. So much so that this book cost me a night’s sleep!

Finally, John Ringo himself explores the ramifications of a potential brain-damaged sub-population ripe for exploitation and the ethical choices their existence thrust on society. In his afterword, he touches on the reasons apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction will hopefully persist in popularity.

A bonus!! Another, wholly sufficient reason to buy this collection: “About the Authors” lists not only personal but literary details, a source that will lead us to more fine writing.