Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Open Mouthed and Awe Struck

An apology: Today’s post was not originally going to be about this. I was going toDeath Troopers write more about the reasoning behind my blog, behind my title, behind different themes and elements that appear here. Instead, I get an email that leaves me open mouthed and awe struck. So, if you’re tired of STAR WARS news, I apologize, but I urge you to read on…

Wow. This is something I’ve honestly never expected to see. Before I go into details, just take a close look at the cover of the new STAR WARS: Death Troopers (by Joe Schreiber) novel that was released today. Can you see the blood and chains? Does the decapitated stormtrooper’s head mean anything to you? Nothing? What if I give you a one word prod in the right direction? Zombie.

Yes, friends, you read that correctly. Zombies. Or at least that’s what the blurb reads like to me. You decide.

When the Imperial prison barge Purge–temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy’s most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels, and thieves–breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back–bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine.
And death is only the beginning.
The Purge’s half-dozen survivors–two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board–will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn’t really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakably hungry.

Sure sounds like zombies to me. And in the STAR WARS universe, too. The author, Joe Schreiber, is a known horror author and this is his first installment into the STAR WARS universe. In the timeline of things, it takes place just before A New Hope, and it is canon.

The review I read indicated that the novel is indeed creepy and spooky at times, and that the story is bleak and hopeless. While this is typical with the zombie genre, it’s (potentially) exciting to see how it fits into the STAR WARS universe. And, since it’s close to Halloween, I could easily fit it into some holiday-themed reading.

I’ll definitely be adding this to my reading pile.

An after-thought: It’s coincidental that two days ago I posted a review for Zombieland and yesterday I posted a review for the last STAR WARS novel I read, and then today I have a post that combines both zombies and STAR WARS. It’s odd that I’ve never heard of this novel until today, too. Tomorrow will continue along with Writing Wednesdays and the story of Hank Tasla.

6 comments:

Krista said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Krista said...

How weird??? Crazy! Zombies and Star Wars seems a little bit of a stretch to me personally. I do look forward to seeing what you have to say about it when/if you get it. I wonder if you'll love, like, or hate it. Hummm, I just don't know anymore... We have Pride Prejudice and Zombies, Sense Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Mr. Darcy Vampyre, and now Star Wars Death Troopers...

What is the world of books coming too? LOL! :)

You know you planned your Violence question dead on too. Lol, because now it makes you wonder as to how many people must be buying these gory books to have so many coming out, and why we enjoy them…?


P.S. I don't no if you seen my reply to your comment on my blog. Anyway, I seem to remember hearing Molaks before but I have no idea what it is? Is it a fish? LOL :) Sorry, it's been bugging me because I think I've heard it before...

logankstewart said...

Krista: I saw the comment, but I forgot to respond. I think my comment was something like "wv: molaks. When things go amiss, look to the molaks first." or something like that. There is a chance you've heard it before, but it means nothing to me. A few eBuds and I occasionally use the Word Verification code as a word to add a definition/sentence to a comment, especially when the word is fun. In your case, my Word Verification was "molaks."

As for STAR WARS and zombies, I'm looking forward to it, I think. I'll be sure to review it when I read it.

Krista said...

Ha, ha, too funny! I may have got that same Word Verification before or heard some say "Ah, molaks!" Who knows? Thanks. :)

David Wagner said...

Dang... zombies in Star Wars? That sounds almost too good to pass up...

I am looking forward to reading more about the thought you put into your blog, but I suppose I can wait for that... zombie stormtroopers.... how awesome is that?

Never trust the Kindu...

logankstewart said...

@Krista: Quite possible, which could definitely make it frustrating to try and remember where you've seen the word before.

@David: "Almost too good to pass up" implies that you will pass it up, but just barely. That's okay, I'll give it a thorough read-through for the both of us. And stay tuned for more of the history of Rememorandom.