World War Z by Max Brooks is by far the best book I have read this year, and is one of the best horror/fiction books I have EVER read.
Now, I admit, upon finding out this book was written by Mel Brooks' son, I was hesitant to pick it up. It only took a few minutes to have me hooked though. This book is GREAT. It is a collection of different stories that revolve around a fictional 10 year war between humans, and zombies. It kinda continues where George A. Romero's movies left off. The thing I like about it is the depth of characters, and the actual stories themselves. The human element is very evident throughout the book. The stories involve every kind of race and occupation of people. Everything from Doctors in the early days of the "war", to people smugglers trying to get the infected out of quartine zones, to military soldiers fighting on the ground. The book is written as a collection of interviews, so each chapter is generally a different story. At points, the book is quite graphic, and gory, but that just makes me enjoy it even more.
This is a must read for anyone that loves the zombie/horror genre as I do.
Max Brooks also has another book out called "The Zombie Survival Guide" I have yet to read it, but he did so well with World War Z, I feel a need to read it as well.
Peace,
d.