Let's get this out of the way first: Yes, it's a book about zombies. So, technically, it's science fiction. (Pause to recompose. Continue.) But, it's really smart science fiction. And, David Sedaris told me to read it. So, there.
The world Max Brooks - the curious progeny of Mel Brooks and Ann Bancroft - has created is eerily plausible. Well...except for the zombie bits. I mean this with all seriousness, however: if you remove the zombie parts, it reads like the oral history of the avian flu, or the Spanish flu, or some heretofore undiscovered supervirus. There are no superpowers (unless you count China); there are no superweapons. It takes the U.S. Army a few years to realize that their fancy guns and body armor really aren't any match for something that can only be killed by a direct hit to the brain.
What I appreciated the most about the book, however, wasn't the military strategery, but rather the sensitivity to international relations. Brooks portrays a reasonable description of what the world would look like if in 10 or 15 years in the event of a catastrophic virus, like avian flu. Israel fares particularly well, due to what Brooks describes as a Jewish paranoia of mass extinction. Cuba also turns out well. Iceland? Not so well.
And who leads the U.S through all of this? No names are mentioned, but it's clear that Brooks has tapped Colin Powell and Howard Dean as Prez and Veep, respectively. Curious...
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