World War Z
 |
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Max Brooks |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror novel |
| Publisher | Crown |
Publication date | September 12, 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0307346609 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
World War Z is a novel by Max Brooks which chronicles the so-called "World War Z" or "Zombie World War". It is a follow-up to his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide. The book was released on September 12, 2006.
Plot Summary
The book consists of a series of personal accounts of those who survived the zombie war. Each chapter details a major period during the war, and contains five or six personal accounts that give insight into events from that time.
The Outbreak
In an interview with one Chinese doctor, patient zero was believed to be a young boy in a remote village. It is uncertain how the virus was contracted by the zombie who bit patient zero, although an old woman sees the outbreak as a curse triggered by the destruction and flooding of Fengdu. Later in the interview, it is discovered that elements of the Chinese government are familiar with Solanum infection when the doctor contacts a fellow doctor who is higher up in the government who informs him that the boy and patients bitten by the boy needed to be isolated and locked up and that those near them should be armed. Chinese intelligence agents arrive and isolate the village immediately afterward, but several villagers, presumably including infected bite victims, have already left the area. It is unknown if this is related to one of the outbreaks described by Brooks in The Zombie Survival Guide. This would be plausible due to Chinese capture of information about Solanum experiments performed by the Japanese in Manchuria during World War II, documented in that work.
Major Characters and Their Stories
More than forty characters give personal accounts, some of which are listed below.
Kwang Jingshu, an elderly Chinese physician and former army medic, discovers the reanimated boy who is later deemed Patient Zero of the epidemic.
Fernando Oliveira, a Brazilian doctor, tells how organ transplants spread the virus by recounting his experience with a patient infected via a donated heart.
Bob Archer, director of the CIA, discusses the reasons why his agency failed to detect the threat. For example, China's methods of deception were so effective that the plague was thought to be a type of African rabies.
Breckinridge Scott, an executive in a pharmaceutical firm, exploited the appearance of Solanum by marketing Phalanx. With the help of people in the biomedical industry, the Capitol and the FDA, Scott secured government approval for Phalanx in two months and had it released to consumers, who were demanding the protection that Phalanx promised. He used his wealth to lease the Russian station at Vostok, and fled there after Phalanx was shown to be ineffective against the zombie virus.
Mary Jo Miller, mayor of a zombie-proof community in Montana, describes how the war began for her family when she was a housewife in San Diego.
Maria Zhuganova, a Russian soldier, witnesses harsh reforms (and participates in some of them) as the plague spreads.
Ahmed Farahnakian, a former Major in the Iranian Air Force, describes events which led to nuclear war between his nation and Pakistan.
Todd Wainio, a U.S. Army infantryman, describes early defeats, later victories, and psychological aspects of the war, including the disastrous defeat at Yonkers.
Xolelwa Azania describes South Africa's heartless but effective strategy which allows the world to triumph over the undead masses.
Christina Eliopolis, a U.S. Air Force officer, relates her adventure in a zombie-infested Louisiana swamp after her C-130 is downed by an accident.
Sensei Tomonaga Ijiro, a martial artist who, despite being blinded by the 1945 attacks on Hiroshima, survives in the abandoned home islands of Japan.
Xu Zhicai, a Chinese admiral, witnesses the plague's effects at sea and on the Pacific Continent while commanding a rogue Type 94 ballistic missile submarine.
The Whacko, Vice President of the United States during the Zombie war, and later the President. He is an outspoken politician from Vermont, married to a doctor. He is believed to be modeled on Howard Dean. He was VP to a former Joint Chiefs of Staff of the opposite party, believed to be modeled after Colin Powell.
Several other real world personalities are referred to by these main characters, although exact names are never given, and the reader is left to come to their own conclusions by the few clues that are given.
Major epochs of World War Z
Brooks breaks down the zombie war into a series of distinct chronological periods according to the changing state of events and attitudes towards the situation:
Pre-War
Brooks uses the term "pre-war" to refer to the time before the first infection of the Class Four outbreak, which is the main focus of the novel. The pre-war world largely reflects the modern real world. Some events that Brooks refers to in the pre-war take place in the near future. While there is no mention in World War Z of any encounters with zombies before the initial outbreak, in The Zombie Survival Guide the author does include a number of references to minor and moderate-sized outbreaks that occurred during this time period. Brooks has not stated if these two timelines are identical, but The Zombie Survival Guide is a real book in the World War Z timeline, as it is referred to indirectly.
The Beginning
The beginning of the war was characterized by isolated outbreaks originating in China (and evidence of their existence suppressed by the Chinese government), then moving further west. As the outbreak grew through Africa, Solanum, the virus which causes humans to become zombies, was first referred to as "African Rabies" or "Jungle Rabies." This time period was characterized by a combination of denial and profiteering. (The Zombie Survival Guide states categorically that there is no known vaccine or treatment for Solanum infection because the virus can only be partially inactivated, and therefore all attempts to make a vaccine either produce no effect or end in infection for the patient.)
Many government military and intelligence organizations were beginning to identify the threat, but world leaders largely dismissed the possibility of a large scale outbreak or indeed, even the possibility of a virus that would reanimate the dead. The only nation to effectively take measures against the spread of Solanum was Israel, who enacted a voluntary quarantine. This quarantine also contributed to the next major event in World War Z.
The Great Panic
The Great Panic is the name given by Brooks to the time of mass hysteria surrounding humanity's realization of the reality facing them. The Panic largely began when the infection started to overrun the population in mainland China. Refugees escaping from the blight in China helped to speed up the rate of infection in other nations. At the same time, the undead were beginning to outnumber the living in Africa and India. Many in North America attempted to migrate to northern Canada, and North American and European cities also began to be overrun. The peak of the Great Panic was the Battle of Yonkers, where the U.S. military suffered a tremendous defeat in a highly televised battle against some 100,000 zombies in Yonkers, New York, where traditional battle implements like the Land Warrior system and Comanche helicopter are rendered near useless against the teeming hordes.
The Redeker Plan
Eventually, a horrific plan originating in South Africa is developed that allows a large amount of humanity to survive the outbreak. The plan was developed by an ex-Apartheid government official, then copied by other nations. The fact was that the human governments could not save all of their population; the military forces were stretched too thin and losing ground daily. The best action they could take was to concentrate their remaining forces in "Safe Zones". The military would focus their remnants on clearing the Safe Zone of zombies, and then consolidate, preparing for the eventual push to reclaim territory lost to the zombies. The horrific part was the civilian evacuation plan: not all civilians could be saved, some were evacuated and others not. However, the many civilians who could not be evacuated were herded into local defensive sanctuaries and makeshift fortresses, for the express purpose of using them as live zombie bait. The plan was that local zombie hordes would focus on the pockets of survivors in these sanctuaries, thus never leaving to link up with other groups of zombies and attack the Safe Zones.
Homefront USA
During this time immediately following the Great Panic, the focus is on the restructuring of the United States government, military, and civilian population. Many of the changing tactics of the military and new tools of war and industry are discovered and implemented by the US government The seat of the government is moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. A Neighborhood Security Team program is headed up by Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., as alluded to by his Gulf War nickname 'The Bear'.
Above and Around the World
This portion of the book deals with the after effects of the Great Panic and how people and nations around the world are now dealing with the undead menace. Important points in this part of the book include the role of Cuba in helping to stabilize and eventually serve as a base for countries of North and South America as well as Europe to begin to plan to retake their overrun homelands. Another important point is the development of an Oceanic society made up of refugees from around the world who have banded together to survive. During this section of the book the destruction of the Three Gorges Dam and a second Chinese Civil War is referenced. Finally, a plan is put into action by the UN to begin to retake lost territory from the undead for the purpose of restoring humanity's confidence and spirit that was lost during the Great Panic.
Total War
Total War is the name for the phase of the war when humanity began to actively fight back against the undead, both to reclaim territory and to rekindle morale. This period is named after the military concept of Total War. The term is not used to refer to humanity's strategy against the undead, but rather the situation that humanity was up against. It is impossible for any human nation to engage in a "total war" in which 100% of the population is devoted to the war effort, 24 hours a day. However, zombies devote every second of every day to hunting down and consuming humans. They never sleep and require no logistical support. Each one is a self-contained fighting unit that can function for years without resupply, relief, or reinforcement.
The use of pre-modern warfare infantry squares becomes a predominant tactic against the living dead. Battles consist of the unit forming lines of fire and luring the zombies with noise (in America's case, music by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden). They are fired on as they cross a series of range markers, eventually forming a wall of dead zombies that the others have to climb over. Eventually the United States manages to recapture its entire territory. After this is done, the US military helps the Canadian and Mexican forces retake their countries. Europeans manage to retake their countries. Russia reconquers its territory, but suffers a vastly higher casualty rate than the US and Europe due to woefully inadequate supplies and equipment. When China is cleared of zombies, VC Day is declared: the official end of the Zombie War.
It is implied that tribal groups such as South American Indians, Zulu of Southern Africa and Māori of New Zealand fared surprisingly well. One character relates an acedote about the Māori taking on half of Auckland horde, using traditional tribal weapons, did much better than the worlds various militaries or western civilians.
Post-War
Post-War is the time used to describe the age after the end of Total War. All major cities have been retaken, and the vast majority of areas have been cleared of the infestation. Most of the areas still infected are in the north, or in the mountains, where the undead are frozen solid during the winter months, and cleanup must be done during the brief thaw each year. Another major area of infestation is in bodies of water, where millions of undead still exist and occasionally make it to land. These heavily infested areas are known as "White Zones". The most heavily infected area other than the ocean floor is Iceland, due to a pre-war lack of military resources and an abundance of refugees, infected among them.
Weapons
Brooks introduces a number of weapons which were developed by both the military and civilians to combat the undead threat. Many were modified versions of existing weapons and/or other objects. For example, a civillian has short-lived success by roller skating at high speed while weilding a cleaver bolted to a hockey stick. Other weapons were created specifically to combat zombies.
Lobotomizer
Officially designated as the Standard Infantry Entrenchment Tool, the Lobotomizer (or "Lobo," Spanish for "wolf,") is a steel melee weapon similar to a Shaolin spade. It is described as "a fusion between a shovel and a double-bladed battle axe", with a wide blade on one end and a point on the other. The spade could be used to decapitate the undead, or to cause severe brain trauma directly. Originally designed for use by the U.S. Marines, they were later mass-produced for military forces around the world with the advent of the Total War phase. A total of 23 million were manufactured. They were mostly made from material that had been recycled from wrecked vehicles, especially civillian cars.
SIR
The Standard Infantry Rifle, affectionately known as "Sir" by its users, was the firearm that was designed specifically for combat against the undead by the US Army. It featured a wooden stock (composite materials were difficult to manufacture during the war) and could operate only in semi-automatic mode. Although heavy, the weapon was favored for its extreme reliability. The weapon also was fitted with a flip-out spike bayonet, enabling it to be used in CQB.
The SIR also came with a conversion kit with spare parts and with several different length barrels. It fired a special incendiary round known as the "Cherry PIE" which would both fragment and burn following penetration of the skull, destroying the brain and giving a red glow to the zombie's eyes as it died if the chemical mixture was wrong.
Post-War Situation
World War Z significantly altered the geopolitical and economic landscape. In particular, many national governments collapsed, and the political ties between certain nations grew stronger. The environmental effects of the war also held great portent for the countries emerging from the depths of total war.
Environment
Earth's ecosystem had been badly damaged. The atmosphere was contaminated from the pollutants and ash released by fires during the war, and as hinted to in the original zombie survival guide, from the negligence to nuclear and chemical factories and warehouses, and from burning cities to the refugee camps. It was estimated that the amount of particulates in the atmosphere would be comparable to the aftermath of a nuclear exchange by the United States and Russia, this without the exchange between Iran and Pakistan factored in. Parts of Earth were drastically cooled over the war, with the most likely cause being the ash in the air and other pollutants.
Many water sources are polluted and the ocean is still a haven for zombies, with an estimated 25 million zombies walking the ocean floor.
Because of the large number of refugees who fled to islands, boats, etc., marine wildlife was exploited to such an extent that several species went extinct, including many species of whales.
The Canadian Subarctic, a refuge for many people fleeing the violence in the U.S. and southern Canada, also suffered from deforestation. As well, many items that people brought with them were later abandoned and now litter the landscape.
During the war, a government organization (the National Reeducation Act) was established to help the American economy become more independent. White collar workers were recruited and re-trained as farmers, maintenance workers, etc.
Geopolitics
North America
Mexico was apparently so weakened by the war that its own army was incapable of liberating the country without assistance from the United States. At some point either late in the war or afterwards, the country was renamed "Aztlan."
Canada suffered much environmental damage during the Great Panic and the early years of the war as waves of refugees fled to the country's northern provinces in order to escape the zombies. These refugees, by and large unprepared for winter conditions, or with many, even basic outdoors survival, let alone for any long duration, established shantytowns and campsites, and their use of trees for firewood resulted in massive deforestation. It has been rumored that these refugees engaged in cannibalism to survive; bones cracked for marrow were found. Like Mexico, Canada required military assistance from the United States.
Except for a few isolated safe zones, almost all of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains was overwhelmed by zombies during the war. The United States government fled to Hawaii. The West Coast, situated behind the Rocky Mountain "defensive line," became home to the nation's remaining human population and the launching pad for the national reclamation effort.
In the book's present, the current President of the United States is female, although no additional hints are given.
South America
In Argentina, zombies apparently overran the capital of Buenos Aires. Numerous references are made throughout the book to the "last broadcast" from Buenos Aires, which, according to one source, consists of a Latin singer singing a Spanish lullaby.
French Guiana also appears to have been completely overrun, as evidenced by the Chinese submariner's account that the entire Guianese littoral teemed with zombies and the comment, made in passing, by the captain of the International Space Station that the Centre Spatial Guyanais (Guiana Space Centre) based in Kourou had been overrun.
The Middle East
Both Iran and Pakistan were severely damaged in a nuclear exchange that was a corollary of a border skirmish involving the flow of refugees. It is implied that Iran is irrevocably damaged and no longer fit for habitation, with multiple cities, including both nations' capitals, hit by nuclear weapons.
Recognizing the true implications of the zombie threat early on, Israel sealed itself off from the world with a massive wall. They announced their plan at the United Nations, and allowed in all children of Israeli-born parents, non-Israeli Jews, and most surprisingly, all Palestinians and descendants of pre-1948 Palestinians who live abroad, to seek shelter within Israel (after careful screening to weed out the infected). Originally, most of the world openly condemned them for these actions. But this self-imposed quarantine is, the book implies, a life-saving step for the country, and a precursor to the Great Panic in other countries.
Like the United States, Israel established a coalition government during the zombie epidemic. In building the protective wall at its borders, the government decided not to include Jerusalem or the Nablus-Hebron corridor, since they were considered highly vulnerable and would have stretched the defensive line too far. Thus, the country's borders shrink nearly to their pre-1967 size, and it is mentioned that celebrations are held by the remaining inhabitants of the West Bank cities, which become (briefly) a de facto Palestinian state.
The loss of Jerusalem, coupled with the invitation of shelter to all Palestinians, causes a civil war within Israel. The Orthodox Jewish population rises up against Israel's coalition government, but are defeated by the Israel Defense Force. Despite these internal problems, the country survives the war in decent shape.
In Saudi Arabia, the royal family set fire to their oil fields during the war for unknown reasons.
Russia
The Russian government was so badly affected by the zombie outbreak that it was toppled and replaced by an Eastern Orthodox Christian theocracy. Many of Russia's troubles stemmed from its size, far-flung borders and central position on the Eurasian continent. Thus, in addition to the undead of their own country, the Russians were forced to contend with roaming zombie hordes from Eastern Europe, China, and the countries of Central Asia.
The underfunded Russian military could do little to cope with the zombie threat, and was forced to use antiquated weapons, some dating from World War I. Eventually the military erupted into rebellion. In response, the Ministry of Defense instituted a policy of decimation.
After the zombie menace was eliminated, the country became known as The Holy Russian Empire. The new government set about restoring the devastated population by forcing fertile women to have up to eight children in special birthing clinics. It is also mentioned they have regained several ex-Soviet states through conquest, including Belarus, and that they are on the verge of taking Ukraine.
Europe
In France, an interview in the book talks about clearing the catacombs that have existed below Paris since the Roman empire. During reclamation of Paris they are cleared, in one of the worst battles of the entire war. The French Army suffers heavy casualties.
Great Britain and its government appear to have survived relatively intact. British "supreme command" relocated to Scotland after establishing a massive defensive line along the Antonine Wall. The royal family dispersed to Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Queen remained upon her own insistence at Windsor Castle, along with a sizeable community of survivors, to serve as an example and for morale purposes.
South of Scotland, many castles were used by survivors as safe zones. Most notable among these were Conwy and Beaumaris Castle in North Wales, Caerphilly Castle in South Wales and Windsor Castle in Berkshire County, England. Conwy, a coastal medieval walled town served as a base from which British forces latterly launched the reclamation of Britain.
Both the Pope, and various members of the royal family sheltered in Ireland throughout the war, which suggests that the island was considered relatively safe and defensible.
Iceland is mentioned several times as being completely conquered and was one of the highest concentrations of the undead in the entire war; at the time of the book's writing, plans are underway to retake the country.
Finland was another country that was dominated by zombies, although, at the time the book takes place, there is an operation going on to take back the country, which is running smoothly.
It is unclear what happened to other parts of Europe during World War Z.
The Caribbean
Cuba began a policy of quarantine early on. Combined with the fact that it was an island, and had been well supplied with arms from the former Soviet Union, Cuba found itself as an attractive location from refugees from North and South America. With its new labor pool (refugees were given jobs as manual laborers) and proximity to the Americas, Cuba found itself in a position to act as a safe harbor and supply stock for ships from every major Western country, while absorbing the culture of the "nortecubanos" (naturalized North Americans) into their own.
With these waves of immigrants, support for capitalism and a rising middle class mounted, resulting in Fidel Castro voting himself out of power and turning control over to democratically elected government. These changes left Cuba one of the most intact countries (if not elevated) on the globe by the end of the war, and it remains prosperous to this day. The Cuban Peso is mentioned as having ursurped the U.S. dollar as the dominant monetary unit in the world.
Asia
China was one of the hardest hit nations in the world. During the Great Panic, the authorities tried to deny the infection. Knowing they would be unable to hide their sweeps from foreign intelligence agencies, they pretended that they were exterminating political opponents so as to keep knowledge of the living dead a secret. The turning point for the Politburo of the Communist Party of China was when they tried to cover up their inability to prevent the destruction of the Three Gorges Dam. Its destruction eventually sparked a civil war, the final blow being a nuclear missile launched by a patriotic AWOL submarine captain, targeted at the bunker of the current "old" leadership. This lead to the abolishment of the previous government, and the establishment of a capitalist democracy as the United Federation of China.
Japan was significantly affected by the zombie outbreak. The country was incapable of defending itself due to its limited military capabilities and natural resources. The Japanese Self-Defense Force ordered an evacuation of the Home Islands, with most of the population fleeing to Kamchatka and other locations across South Korea.
India enacted its own version of the Redeker plan and retreated to the Himalayas, and was prepared to deploy nuclear weapons to achieve this.
During the Great Panic, government officials of South Korea noticed that the population of North Korea was gradually disappearing. This culminated in every last person in North Korea vanishing from the face of the Earth. Many believe that they all went underground, into the labyrinth of tunnels under the country. Whether or not they remained safe from infection is unknown. Expeditionary forces sent into North Korea were fired upon by automated weapon systems making further searches unlikely. Also, the possibility of releasing a sizable (23 million) potential zombie population from their underground dwellings further discourage searches.
With the fall of the People's Republic of China, Tibet gained independence. It is the most populous nation in the post-war world, and its capital city of Lhasa is the most populous city in the post-war world.
The Pacific Continent
The so-called "Pacific Continent" consists of a large number of refugee communities which occupy various islands in the Pacific Ocean. During the war the Pacific Continent also had survivors who lived on boats, rafts and in rag tag "fleets." Many ships were infested by zombies during their escape, however, and were probably the source of many of the zombies who ended up at the bottom of the ocean.
Among ships known to be part of the Pacific Continent were the USS Saratoga, which later became headquarters of the new United Nations; the Russian Battleship Aurora; the SSBN submarine Admiral Zheng He, a type 094 or Jin-class sub; and the HMS Victory.
Space Activity
Over the war, the ISS was manned by a small crew who kept vital parts of the world's satellite fleet operational. They also cannabilized the Chinese Space Station to do it. The crew was eventually rescued by the privately owned SpaceShipThree, an improved version of SpaceShipOne.
Eventually, all three crew members died, and the last survivor, the Australian mission commander, was interviewed by author three days before his death. No mention is made of postwar space flight.
Death Toll
The book does not appear to give a final count for those killed during the war. However in an interview on the World War Z official website, written as if by two real World War Z survivors, the interviewer says the number lost was "600 million people worldwide, although that number is specifically stated to be "too low" and just taking into consideration those who were directly killed by the living dead, it says that those that died from starvation, disease, and inter-human violence to be far higher, suggesting over a billion deaths.".[1]
Film adaptation
The book is set to be adapted for the screen sometime in 2008. There was a bidding war between Brad Pitt's company, Plan B, and Leonardo DiCaprio's company, Appian Way. Pitt's company eventually won the rights to produce the movie.
Trivia
- While the zombies in World War Z possess traits common with the viral zombies from The Zombie Survival Guide, the actual name of the virus used in the previous book, Solanum, is never seen.
- Max Brooks was offered a chance to write the script for the movie, but he refused it because of his inexperience in Hollywood. It is unclear so far if he will portray himself or be included as a cameo.
- "Zack" and "G" (Zombie and Ghoul, respectively) were United States Army slang terms for the undead. British soldiers used similar slang, such as "Zeds". (Which is, in fact, a reference to Urban Dead, which is based in a fictional English city.)
- Numerous references to a "civilian survival guide" are used within the book. This guide is likely the The Zombie Survival Guide, Brooks' first publication on the living dead. Specifically, one interviewee from India criticizes the guide as having been too tailored towards Western society.