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This is the best book I’ve read recently which tackles the zombie apocalypse and then goes, “Then what?”

In this case, what happened was the utter transformation of society. In Grant’s world, every human being is infected with the virus that causes zombiefication upon death, so the threat of a new outbreak is constant — every time someone has a heart attack or a bad car accident, their bodies have to be dealt with very quickly, or else. Sometimes they spontaneously “amplify” even before death, in response to stress or an injury, just like with any other virus. Grant’s done her science research on this one — epidemiology, sociology — but at its core, this is a story about the news. Yeah, the news. See, in this world, during the zombie apocalypse, the mainstream media proved it couldn’t be trusted. Reports from the major networks downplayed the severity of the problem, ridiculed evidence of flesh-eating monsters, and so forth — so the only safe, accurate information came from bloggers, who risked their lives to help the world survive. Years later, bloggers are the mainstream media, yet they retain their own quirky, quintessentially independent culture. The story follows intrepid newsie Georgia and her brother Shaun as they get the scoop of a lifetime: a chance to follow the presidential campaign of a young up-and-coming senator. The senator’s not that interesting, frankly, but the fact that someone’s trying to assassinate him with zombies is. So Georgia and her team must literally risk life and unlife to uncover the source of the threat.

This is a thriller wearing skiffy clothing. The fact that it takes place during the zombie apocalypse is irrelevant; it could be taking place during an outbreak of weaponized ebola. (Except ebola victims don’t try to eat you.) I count it as science fiction, though, because Grant deals realistically with the evolution of society; the worldbuilding here is fascinating in and of itself. And the characters kept me hooked all the way through, particularly as Grant pulls no punches in showing just how ugly a conspiracy in high places can get. There are some obvious digs at Bush-era politics and the information privacy wars, and some interesting namechecks of current media figures (e.g. Irwins). Bottom line: I can’t wait for the next book.