Alan GoldsherCritiques

Taking place in an alternative reality that is very much like our own, with the exception that zombies and vampires are a part of the population, The Beatles are still an iconic band of the 60's and early 70's. The major differences are that though they broke up, they are all still around because they are, with the exception of Ringo, zombies. Ringo is a ninja, and he was chosen to be their drummer because the others felt they needed to have at least one living member to be palatable to the audiences, what with their fingers tending to fall off during guitar solos, and they wanted someone with the skills to fight, because not everyone likes zombies.
This is the story of the rise of a "zombie" band, which angers the band The Zombies so much that their singer stalks The Beatles and regrets it. Mick Jagger also follows The Beatles, but that's because he's a trained zombie killer. And Roy Orbison is some kind of galactic creature whose sunglasses are tempering his mighty power. Yoko is a higher level ninja than Ringo.

The story is wild, and some passages are funny. I found the style, that of events being gone over from multiple angles as an investigative reporter interviews everyone involved in the band's history, to make the story drag quite a bit. It isn't what's being said, it's having to keep who's speaking straight because it jumps from character to character so much. But a pretty outrageous tale.½

Some very interesting interviews with and bios of Blakey sidemen from the 50s through the 90s.

This was a great book to read. It was fun to read about the Beatles as Zombies and a Ninja. The changes that were made to the life of the Beatles was funny and actually made you think about how life really would have been if they had been that way. Great read.

Even though I didn't like Paul is Undead, Alan Goldsher's clumsy first attempt to mash the Beatles' story with a zombie theme, I still thought I should give Give Death a Chance a chance. It seemed appealingly short, and I thought maybe Goldsher might have rectified some of his mistakes from the first book. Unfortunately, this proved not to be the case. All the negatives about Paul is Undead (and there are so, so many) also apply to this sequel and, despite its short length, it dragged interminably, lacking any originality, spark or wit. The story is even less interesting a second time round, here focusing on a modern-day zombified Beatles trying to work their way back to the top. This drags it even further away from the real Beatles story, so you don't even get many of the half-hearted laughs provided by Beatles trivia in-jokes that you did in the first book.

The insipid use of 'fook' continues from the first book, and Goldsher appears to have picked up a new favourite word, 'plonker'. Someone should tell him what it means, as I've never heard it used with the meaning he attaches to it. I'm beginning to doubt the writer has ever even met an Englishman (he even thinks we drive on the right - as in 'not left' - side of the road), and just came across the word randomly, thought it sounded funny and couldn't be bothered to find out what it meant. I only smiled once or twice reading this (and never once laughed): at the 'fook your sheepdog, Macca' bit from Lennon and the bit where the Gallagher brothers from Oasis ape the zombie Beatles by drawing decaying flesh on themselves with marker pens. Goldsher also takes the opportunity to comment on the state of the modern music business, noting how it is all about marketing nowadays rather than talent. He's right, but it's hard to support his argument when his own offering shows a pathetic lack of talent too.

In the end, I'm glad I read Give Death a Chance because people who didn't like Paul is Undead usually wouldn't bother to read this sequel. This would mean reviews for the second book are likely to be unduly positive, coming only from those who (inexplicably) liked the first one. So I hope I've redressed the balance here somewhat. This is terrible. Goldsher even ends it with a half-baked ambiguous ending. As if we actually care. I find it unfathomable that people actually like this, or the first book, and I say that as someone who is willing to give just about anything a fair shake. It reads like the fan fiction of a twelve-year-old boy who likes zombies and ninjas (I was surprised there were no dinosaurs here too), posted into obscurity on some website. Yet Goldsher is a successful writer. It is baffling. This is truly, truly awful.

This was an absolutely fun book. I am a big fan of The Beatles and the entire time that I read the book I could hear the voices of the Beatles actually speaking the parts..LOL. The book is set up where the paragraphs tell who the statements are coming from. This is a great read for a Beatles fan with a warped sense of humor.

As a fan of both zombies and the Beatles, when I became aware of a book which brought the two together, I had to give it a read. Of course, I knew that Paul is Undead wouldn't be shortlisted for any Booker Prizes any time soon, but I hoped it would provide a few laughs. Unfortunately, despite my goodwill, it failed to reach even these modest expectations. The book isn't funny or clever, and it shambles along awkwardly like a... well, like a zombie.

The book does have one or two amusing moments (Mick Jagger's Recite your discography, mortal!" bit was funny), but these raise light smiles betraying mild amusement, rather than genuine laughs. It is obvious that Goldsher is trying too hard to be funny and, as everyone knows, there is nothing quite so painfully unfunny as someone trying to be funny. Most of the text is so bland that at times it's hard to know if what is being said is even meant to be a joke. (Is "all for zombies, and zombies for all" meant to be a recurring joke? I don't even know.) A couple of the jokes are also in bad taste: Goldsher makes light of both the real-life attempt on George Harrison's life in 1999 (on pg. 39) and of John Lennon's murder (pp1-2). Yes, if the real-life John Lennon could have been reanimated "for the 263rd time" after Mark David Chapman's attack, one might be able to make light of it. Using the actual words of the newsflash bulletin announcing Lennon's assassination ("An unspeakable tragedy confirmed to us... the most famous, perhaps, of all the Beatles..." ) was also a classless move. Goldsher's characters also have an annoying tendency to garnish every sentence with the word 'fook' or 'fookin'', which makes the world's most famous Scousers sound like Yorkshiremen down at t' mill. Goldsher clearly has no problem with swearing (he uses the word 'cunt' liberally here, and uses the proper spelling of 'fuck' on occasion), which makes his decision to use 'fook' even stranger.

The Beatles themselves are unlike any other zombies in fiction (not in a unique, genre-busting way, but in a bland, 'I'm-making-this-up-as-I-go-along' way). They talk like normal humans, but can detach and reattach body parts at will. They have psychic powers like hypnosis and telekinesis, and can only be killed by diamond bullets. Most stupidly, the means of becoming a zombie is to have a zombie bite your neck and lick (yes, lick) your brain stem fluid with an unreasonably dexterous tongue. Goldsher's descriptions of this, which he calls the 'Liverpool Process', read like a instruction book for an arts and crafts workshop (make the incision here, remove this here, seal it up here... and here's one I made earlier...). As if that wasn't enough stupidity, Mick Jagger the zombie hunter (yeah, that's right) defeats his prey by kissing them on the chest (it resurrects their heart and makes them mortal again, apparently). All told, the 'zombies' are like a crude, poorly-executed hybrid of zombie, werewolf and vampire.

Even if Goldsher's zombies weren't disappointing, it is still clear that the zombie trope doesn't fit well with the Beatles' story. Zombies are an innumerable, lobotomised mass of shambling corpses; the Beatles were a vibrant, innovative rock band. The two concepts just don't mesh. If, like myself, your first thought upon hearing about Paul is Undead was "What? How can they make a story out of that?", then you will finish the book thinking the same thing. The zombies aren't true zombies and, even more disappointingly, the Beatles aren't the Beatles. The book is told in an interview style but Goldsher fails to convince that any of his characters are anything like their real-life counterparts, beyond the superficial (i.e. John the headstrong leader, Paul the PR-conscious diplomat, George the dark horse and Ringo the scrappy). John's parts don't sound like John, Paul's don't sound like Paul's, etc. And I highly doubt George Harrison would utter the phrase "Looky, looky, Parnesy went wee-wee." (pg. 51). I know he was the youngest of the group, but he wasn't a toddler. For someone who claims to be a Beatles fanatic, it is disappointing that Goldsher fails completely to provide a convincing portrayal of how the Fab Four would actually act. All the characters sound the same; that is, they all sound like Goldsher (even Queen Elizabeth II, who makes a brief appearance, speaks in Americanised English slang, rather than, you know, the Queen's English). With Paul is Undead, Goldsher tries to mix The Beatles Anthology with Max Brooks' World War Z. An interesting concept. Unfortunately, he fails completely."

This book was VERY amusing to me. While some may not appreciate the humor of it, I found it highly entertaining. I will say that having seen the Sound of Music and several of the other musicals and cultural references throughout the book helped to add to the appeal. It's hard to get into a humorous book if you don't "get" the references. This author kept me smiling, giggling, even out right laughing throughout the novel. Good work.

Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher looks at an alternate history of the Beatles, one where John Lennon is a zombie. After reanimating Paul McCartney, the form a band and hatch a plan.

It sounds like a great set-up for a zombie novel. Except — it has to fall into the pseudo documentary trap. Rather than just getting a funny, off the cuff narrative of a pair of zombies trying to conquer the world through their music, we get a series of DRY, BORING, interviews with anyone vaguely associated with the band.

I read (skimmed, really) this one around the same time I was suffering through Abraham Lincoln, Zombie Killer by Seth Grahame-Smith. I didn't like that one either. So now I've sworn off all zombie books that are presented in a pseudo documentary format. If I see another faux interview or memoir, I will scream.

For those, though, that did like the book, it's being turned into a movie and there's a sequel: Give Death a Change. Thanks, I'll pass.

This was a fun edition to my creature readings this year (it seems the year of the vampire/zombie/etc) has hit.

This is a history of the Beatles..and zombies, and the mix of those two. Wet author does a fun job of mixing real people with his alternative take. For example, Mic Jagger, as a zombie hunter. Roy Orbison as an undisclosed deity. Good stuff!

Original post here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/10/something-wicked-comes-blog-hop-book...

My Favorite Fangs is The Sound Of Music with vampires, zombies, John Coltrane's ghost and Nazis. Yup, that should tell you all plenty. This is a crazy and fun read. Given that The Sound of Music is a childhood favorite, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read this.

Maria is a very interesting lead. She is a vampire and she loves that she is a vampire. She wears tight black catsuits and kills anything in sight. But she is quite the bad seed. She lives in the Abbey of the Dead. It is fill of zombies and one zombie in particular Mother Zombie (aka Mother Superior. Love it!). So Mother Superior kicks Maria out and tells Maria to become a governess for the Von Trapps. Maria, of course, is not happy about looking after children that may actually burn her alive, but Maria has other plans up her sleeve for the Von Trapp children.

Maria is a very quirky character as I have mentioned. But she is nothing compared to the Von Trapp children. They are spoiled as hell and quite frankly, homicidal. Maria doesn't take this lying down. So in order to control them, she turns them all into vampires. And surprisingly, things start to look up. We then meet Captain Georg von Trapp and his lover, Lady Baroness. The Captain is either too stupid or drunk (most likely both) to notice that something is off with the Baroness. But Maria knows and they both have a feud. The Baroness and Maria were a lot alike. More than I think they would admit. I loved the rivalry that took place between them. They are both witty characters and are very shameless, especially Maria. She has no filter whatsoever.

Goldsher definitely knows his musicals and he did wonderful job showcasing that. The characters personalities aren't quite like how they are in the movie. Well not at all actually, this is not safe for children or people with a full stomach. It is gross. For example, when we first meet the Captain. Oh boy, I won't be eating oatmeal for a while. Maria is also quite the wild one. Like I said, she has no filter. She has absolutely no respect for life period. She kills at will and is so joyous about it. Definitely not the way I would imagine Julie Andrews, that is for sure.

Now as much fun as I had with this, there were quite a bit of problems. But what is more interesting about that is that Goldsher actually points out the problems in the book. It reads like a story that is actually talking to you. It is very interesting. But some problems I had is that I didn't necessarily connect with the characters. I would never want to know any of them. They are too much. Another problem I had was the actual romance between Maria and Georg. I don't know, it seemed to have come out of nowhere because there was no chemistry between them. Hell, Georg can't even remember her name. I believe he only got it right once. He is drunk 99% of the time we see him in this book, so that could be the reason for his lack of a personality (and memory). Another issue is that the plot can get a bit confusing which Goldsher points out in the book. It seems to bounce to one thing to the other. We have Maria turning the kids, the money-hungry talent agent that wants to get rich off the kids, the rivalry between Maria and the Baroness fighting over the Captain, Nazis wanting the Captain to join their ranks and more. Like I said, this books is crazy.

I love the amount of pop culture Goldsher throws in this book. We have the maid in the house that is “mistakenly” called Alice and the butler “mistakenly” called Albert. I love how Goldsher mixes up the decades in this book. For instance, the book is set during World War II, but John Coltrane's ghost makes an appearance. But Coltrane was still alive at that time. But this was a favorite scene for me. I loved when Maria nicknamed him “Chocolate Thunder”. I couldn't stop laughing. There was also a mention of an iPhone when the Baroness wanted to give the Captain's kids away to a Nazi general. I love where the story goes when it came to that general. Boy, what a bloodbath those kids can make.

Overall, this was a fun parody. It is campy, crazy, shameless, nasty, and gory as hell. A perfect choice for Halloween. Some parts of the book may make you a little uncomfortable, like I said, not for kids although teenage boys would have a blast with this. It is definitely the kind of read you just have to accept it for what it is. This is meant to be a fun and quirky read for us horror fans that love a laugh while still getting blood. I liked this book and I hope you do too.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A quirky twist on The Sound of Music, but wished it was a little more tame.

Opening Sentence: Housed on what the majority of Austrians agreed was the most rancid corner in Salzburg, the nameless Abbey was an eyesore, so painful to look at that nobody looked at it.

The Review:

My Favorite Fangs is a quirky twist of The Sound of Music, by Alan Goldsher. I was really curious about the story behind the cover, only because The Sound of Music is a childhood staple of mine. The concept of vampire Von Trapps? Count me in!

Maria has lived a long life in Austria, living in the Abbey of the Dead, with her fellow sisters. Unfortunately, Mother Zombie (Superior) has had enough of Maria’s crazy quirks and antics and has wanted to banish her from the abbey. Well, I wouldn’t just call them crazy quirks, she is oversexed and clearly does not behave as the other immortals. Mother Zombie has sent out Maria to become a governess. To match Maria’s personality, she will govern the Von Trapp family, who have their own interesting set of personalities.

The Von Trapps are wealthy, spoiled, and unruly, and I think those were their best qualities. Things get out of hand and Maria turns one of the Von Trapp children into a vampire, and the fun begins. Lady Barroness makes an appearance, and has quickly become enemies with Maria. Goldsher added a lot of his own individuality into My Favorite Fangs, and this version is definitely for the more adult crowd.

Maria the vampire version is a little different from the pop culture Maria that I grew up with. Unfortunately, I was constantly comparing the two. This Maria was blunt and without shame, overly sexed and nothing like a saint. She was witty and someone you do not want to get on their bad side. Her arguments, well that’s a tame word for it, with Lady Baroness was hilarious.

I wasn’t connected to a lot of the characters and I felt that I should have been. I didn’t connect to the Baron, first of all. He wasn’t charming or even someone that I would pretend to like. I didn’t understand the attraction that Maria and the Lady Baroness had for him. The children were amusing, but I didn’t care for them as much as I should have. Which is too bad. I felt that they were too spoiled, but I think that was the point.

Goldsher definitely put his own spin into this ever so popular culture story. He creates this world that is so different from its former self, yet he makes sure to include the familiar and important pieces. Unfortunately, while some scenes were amazing and exciting, I felt that others were not and fell short. There were scenes that I found myself skimming through. I wasn’t connected to a lot of the characters and I felt that I should have been.

Goldsher spared no expense when it came to the dialogue. I felt that Maria and the characters had a more adult vocabulary, and while at times I felt that it was a little too much, other times it was perfect and entertaining. There are so many jokes within the story, many referencing its story counterpart.

Notable Scene:

After the Captain was out of earshot, Maria – aware she had to gain control of these brats right away – snarled, “Alright, children, there’s a new sheriff in town, and her name is Maria.”

Louisa asked, “What’s a sheriff, Governess?”

“Crack a dictionary, blondie. Now here is the deal: My word is law. When I saw frog, you jump. If I tell you to eat mud, you’ll ask for seconds. Is that clear?”

The brats belted with a barrage of schiesses and ficks.

FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan provided me with a copy of My Favorite Fangs. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Cautionary Note

If memory serves, it was the night that John Lennon was murdered that I found out that my mother never really cared that much for The Beatles. I have no idea why, but I was disappointed. After reading Paul Is Undead, I am positive that her opinion of this version of The Beatles would be even worse because of:

* An undead amount of cuss words
* An undead amount sexual content
* An undead level of violence, mayhem and gore

If she ever reads this review (Hi, Mom! I love you!), I know she will have a bone or two to pick with me afterward. Why? It's those very same elements that made me love this book (Mom, read no further if this bothers you. I understand. Sometimes you'd just rather not know.).

There were a couple of additional things that I noted throughout that might make readers uncomfortable:

* An undead amount of Zombie gas (this truly was unappetizing)
* Oddly constructed undead instruments (especially while eating a chicken salad - cannot recommend)
* An undead encounter with Jesus (no further explanation required)

Don't say I didn't warn you.

My Review

Paul is Undead is a mashup of Beatles history and zombies told in the format of an oral history. It tells the story of what might have happened if John Lennon were reanimated in the hospital nursery. Alan Goldsher, the narrator, not the author, is a journalist who has spent several years, as well as documented amounts of money and travel time tracking down each of the Beatles and those closest to them in order to compile a comprehensive history of the band. His adventures and the way he pieces together each character's story create one of the wildest literary rides I've ever taken.

What was interesting to me, as someone with only a light pop culture level knowledge of The Beatles and the music scene at that time, was checking Wikipedia to read about the characters who were/are actual historical figures. While I enjoyed learning about new people, I can only imagine how much funnier this book would be if you were already familiar with them in reality. You would then be able to pick up on nuances that must have gone completely over my head (like listening to the Howard Cosell scene if you did not know who he was). There was only one person in this novel that didn't work very well for me. That was Mick Jagger. Keeping in mind that I was born in the early 70s, when I think of him I think of those god awful white sweat pants in the "Start Me Up" video. I cannot help it. The idea of him wagging his hips kind of grosses me out as a result. He just never had sex symbol appeal to me. However, had he not been a zombie killer, the hilarious interview with Keith Richards wouldn't have made the book. Believe me, Keith Richards was worth it.

I'm not sure if I became a fan of Simon Vance or audiobooks first. Chances are it was at the same time. As much as I've enjoyed his other work, in this performance he reached the toppermost of the poppermost. Even though Chemistry for Beginners had some humorous moments, I really didn't know just how well suited he is for comedy. His timing and intonation were spot on. He gave a distinct voice to the characters that even hinted at their deeper personalities (John sounded self-absorbed; Paul sounded like a pretty boy). The way those voices melded together to form the narrative as written by Goldsher was in and of itself hilarious. How he did it all of this is truly beyond me. I can only say that I'm happy to have experienced it.

I made light of it in my Cautionary Note, but there is content in this book that may offend some readers. Of anything that might offend, the language is the most prevalent. There is a great deal of swearing in this book. This is no surprise to my regular readers, but I love some good cussing. I even, I'm pretty sure, got to hear Simon say my most favorite of all curses for the first time during this audiobook, I quickly lost count of the number of times my very least favorite curse was used. This would be the word that starts with a "c." Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. I was pretty much desensitized to it by the end. Whether that is good, bad, or indifferent I cannot say. It just didn't matter after a while. It was used as a generalization, never with malice (outside of undead malice), which makes a difference I suppose. I did find that by adding the word "right" in front of any cuss word makes it less offensive and at least 5 times funnier.*

Paul is Undead pulled me in to its world nearly immediately. That very first night I had to write about it on order to put it aside so I could fall asleep. It just made me so happy. From Howard Cosell to the interview with Allen Klein, I was almost always laughing, continuously entertained, and often disgusted. During the queasier parts, the humor held everything together, making it all palatable. If you have a strong stomach, aren't easily offended, and are looking for a good literary time, I wholeheartedly recommend Paul Is Undead.

*It saddens me to no end that I'll never be able to use the word shite or phrases such as "right bastard." They are hilarious, but completely out of place when said by a Midwesterner like me.

Umm... where to start.
This book did stay true to the Beatle's history, but, well, some parts were... rather... gross.
I would not let a child read this book.

It's easy to shrug off this novel as a funny book about the most famous and influential rock band of all time. Look deeper. You'll see scribe Alan Goldsher veils stunning truth behind humorous fiction in his tome, "Paul Is Undead."

Were three of the Beatles really zombies? Before shaking your head no, examine the connection between the band and author Edgar Allan Poe. In his immortal 1967 song "I Am the Walrus," John Lennon cries out, "Man you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe." Less renowned but no less pertinent is Paul McCartney's shout-out to Poe in his 1968 song unreleased by the Beatles, "Thingumybob." This tune's title is a blatant reference to Poe's "The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq." Combine these unassailable facts with Poe's most famous tale, "The Fall of the House of Usher," noted as "the basis of zombie mythology in modern pop culture" (see [...]), and one conclusion alone raises its rotting head: Goldsher is dancing around shrouded truths, not beguiling lies. In the Beatles-Poe nexus, Poe was the legendary "Fifth Beatle" who ushered the band in all things zombie.

Still unconvinced the Beatles were zombies? Find a vinyl copy of the band's 1966 album "Revolver." Play the song "She Said She Said" forwards on a standard turntable at precisely 33 and 1/3 RPM, and confession emerges clear as day to the astute listener: "I know what it's like to be dead." Kudos to Goldsher for venturing where no Beatleologist before him dared.

That said, no way Ringo's a ninja. That's just silly.

I have yet to find a zombie parody that I can stomach to its fullest potential, and I had hoped that Paul Is Undead would be the one to break the mold. It started off well, but eventually I simply did not care for the interview format. I think that it might have gone a little better if it was a "story" story where we follow John as he goes about and makes zombie Beatles - not interviews from various people who recollect the making of the Beatles. It did not help that I am not a Beatles fanatic, so I could hardly tell if most of the interviewees were actual people. I did get a kick out of Mick Jagger's role in the zombie Beatles story.

One thing I will say is that this has, by far, the grossest description of how the zombie process happens. *shudders* It involves tongue lengthening and brain fluids and spitting and far too much information that I really don't want to re-read again to find out. However, I guess the Liverpool zombies were the cream of the crop somehow. They maintained their human personalities, had no slowing of movements, could heal themselves, and hypnotize their victims. I don't know if I buy much of that, but whatever works to make zombie Beatles rule the world.

Anyhow, another parody bust for me. I would probably recommend Paul Is Undead for those who like the Beatles AND don't mind zombies OR reading interviews to piece together a story.

Paul Is Undead is exactly what a musical biography zombie mashup should be… HILARIOUS! How can you go wrong with a story about three undead zombie rockers and their Seventh Level Ninja Lord bodyguard?

These are not the typical mindless, moaning (“Brains.. brains.. “) zombies that I’ve become accustomed to. The Beatles are the result of the “Liverpool Process” that develops zombies with heightened artistic talents and exaggerated zombie powers. They are also virtually immortal so they have ample time to develop their musical skills.

I had heard good things about Paul Is Undead but I was still pleasantly surprised. I laughed through the entire book. Paul Is Undead is full of dark humor that is sure to disgust and offend everyone. Myself included. After reaching one such section of the book I seriously debated on whether I should just stop listening.. but I couldn’t bring myself to turn it off. After all it wasn’t just the funny story that was holding my interest, it was the incredible narration.

Honestly I don’t see how Simon Vance managed this one. Simply an amazing performance. A must listen for fans of great audio production.

Overall: Good tongue in brain fun. Lots and lots of dark humor. Incredible performance by Simon Vance. Alan Goldsher has created a unique world where zombies are known to walk the earth.. and are seemingly tolerated. Especially if you can play a mean skintar.

I can pretty much guarantee that you will be offended at some point in this book. If you can handle that then jump on the zombie Beatle band wagon and follow them from their “death” all the way to the Toppermost of the Poppermost.

This was hilarious! The Beatles as zombies - I loved, loved, loved it! You have to really know a lot about the Beatles to appreciate this. Yes, the language is off color and somewhat offensive full of four letter words, but you have to take it in stride, this book can't be taken seriously, though it was entirely clever and entertaining. On audio, which is the only way to read this book. A Simon Vance tour de force.

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2010/08/paul-is-undead-by-alan-goldsher.html½

Paul is Undead takes an alternative history retrospective look back at the Beatles from the vantage point on what would the fab four would have been like had they been zombies. Sounds like an interesting premise, and I will admit this is an interesting Beatles book, and I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't about zombies.

The book is done as interviews, not an actual story, looking back at the phenomenon that was the Beatles, with the four boys from Liverpool, Stu Suttcliffe, Brian Epstein, Mick Jagger, Elvis, and other notables from the Beatles era. As such, this book is filled with swear words and references to sex and drugs. On just about every page. As for the flow--well, try reading a retrospective such as "I Love the 80's" in book form instead of watching it, and that's what this book is like.

As for the zombies, Alan Goldsher takes a lot of liberties with his version of zombies, which aren't the slow, mindless creatures that you may be familiar with, although the zombies in his book still do require brains to survive, which make being a Beatles fan a dangerous proposition. His zombies can think and have a conversation consisting of more than just moans, and possess vampire speed. In fact, the whole zombification process that Goldsher has laid out is in fact more vampire-esque than zombie-esque, and in the early going of the book describes this process in a very demented way. His zombies also have the power of hypnosis, can detach and re-attach limbs, and the only way to kill a zombie is with a diamond bullet--otherwise they will live forever. Goldsher's world is also populated with ghosts, vampires, and ninjas. But no werewolves. Everyone knows that werewolves aren't real.

Who would I recommend this book to? Probably not zombie fans. However, if you're a Beatles fan and would like a rather unique way of looking back at the Beatles, then you may enjoy this book. Or you may not. It's tough to say.

I enjoy somewhat off-color humor, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I was prepared to snuggle down with a fun story about zombie Beatles, but was disappointed. This book is done in an interview style, between a writer and each of the Beatles as well as other important people involved in the Beatles lives.

To be honest, I just couldn't "get into" the story. I didn't care for the interview style of writing. Why? I'm one that will skim over interviews as I find most of them boring. That was my downfall as I want to curl up with a flowing story with setting, plot, descriptive scenes and characters. This was more like a magazine type interview including the bold names with their comments after.

The content was humorous and if one loves zombie based stories or the Beatles, you will probably really enjoy "Paul is Undead". There are definite chuckles and the illustrations are gross and giggle worthy. The book has "blood spatters" throughout and even includes some "news clips".

Parental note: Contains offensive language and light sexual content.

Whether or not you love The Beatles and zombies- this brilliant rendition of what music and history would be IF The Beatles were brain junkies will have you rolling.

I don't even have much to say about this book, I simply loved it- don't want to spoil anything for readers. I really went into this book rolling my eyes, but I'm glad I read it anyway! Hilarious. Ninjas! Zombies! Rock 'n Roll! This is the best mockumentary I have experienced since watching "Best in Show" back in 2000. We have all the top dogs dropping cameos: Jesus, Santa Claus, Mick Jagger, Elvis and Roy Orbison. This is Beatlemania in an entirely new light- those of you trivia addicts will be excited that music trivia from the 1960s litters this book.

Dark and humorous- those of you that love The Beatles and don't mind your fabulous four devouring civilians and having an alternate history, will really get into this book. Maybe not for those that aren't into a little bit of gore in their stories... but this is a zombie book, I wouldn't have expected any less. I strongly recommend this book, the wonderful world of humorous horror and zombies collides blissfully with The Beatles to create an enjoyably gruesome fun for all story ;)