Book of the Dead (anthology)


Book of the Dead is an anthology of horror stories first published in 1989, edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector and featuring a foreword written by George A. Romero. All the stories in the anthology are united by the same premise seen in Romero's apocalyptic films, depicting a worldwide outbreak of zombies and various reactions to it. The first book was followed three years later by a follow-up, Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2, with a new group of writers tackling the same premise, though the second book put the stories in order according to their imagined chronology of the zombie takeover.
The Book of the Dead compilations are regarded as classic anthologies in the horror and splatterpunk genres, featuring a great number of famous names including Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Robert R. McCammon and foreworded by George A. Romero and Tom Savini. They are likely the first anthologies of zombie-themed tales ever printed, and have been cited as perhaps the first true "zombie literature" as such.
According to author Ian McDowell, a third anthology was planned back in 1991. However, bad luck led to it going "through many permutations and publishers over the years. I've been paid for my story by two different publishers and I've proofed two different sets of galleys." Cemetery Dance finally released it under the title Mondo Zombie in 2006.

Anthology contents

Book of the Dead

  1. Foreword by George A. Romero
  2. "Introduction: On Going Too Far, or Flesh Eating Zombies: New Hope for the Future" by Skipp and Spector
  3. "Blossom" by Chan McConnell
  4. "Mess Hall" by Richard Laymon
  5. "It Helps If You Sing" by Ramsey Campbell
  6. "Home Delivery" by Stephen King
  7. "Wet Work" by Phillip Nutman
  8. "A Sad Last Love at the Diner of the Damned" by Edward Bryant
  9. "Bodies and Heads" by Steve Rasnic Tem
  10. "Choices" by Glen Vasey
  11. "The Good Parts" by Les Daniels
  12. "Less Than Zombie" by Douglas E. Winter
  13. "Like Pavlov's Dogs" by Steven R. Boyett
  14. "Saxophone" by Nicholas Royle
  15. "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks" by Joe R. Lansdale
  16. "Dead Giveaway" by Brian Hodge
  17. "Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy" by David J. Schow
  18. "Eat Me" by Robert R. McCammon

    Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2

  19. Foreword by Tom Savini
  20. "Introduction: Nineteen New Ways to Kick Ass" by Skipp and Spector
  21. "The Old Man and the Dead" by Mort Castle
  22. "DONt/Walk" by Chan McConnell
  23. "Necrophile" by Nancy A. Collins
  24. "Rise Up and Walk" by K. W. Jeter
  25. "One Step at a Time" by Glen Vasey
  26. "The Ones You Love" by Skipp and Spector
  27. "This Year's Class Picture" by Dan Simmons
  28. "Night of the Living Dead Bingo Women" by Simon McCaffery
  29. "Abed" by Elizabeth Massie
  30. "Come One, Come All" by Gahan Wilson
  31. "The Prince of Nox" by Kathe Koja
  32. "Beer Run" by Gregory Nicoll
  33. "Prayer" by Douglas Morningstar and Maxwell Hart
  34. "Calcutta, Lord of Nerves" by Poppy Z. Brite
  35. "I Walk Alone" by Roberta Lannes
  36. "Undiscovered Countries" by J. S. Russell
  37. "Moon Towers" by Brooks Caruthers
  38. "Passion Play" by Nancy Holder
  39. "Bright Lights, Big Zombie" by Douglas E. Winter

    Mondo Zombie

  40. Anne Abrams - "Next To Godliness"
  41. Jay Alamares - "Rise"
  42. Richard Laymon - "The Living Dead"
  43. Caitlin R. Kiernan - "Two Worlds. And In Between"
  44. Lucy Taylor - "Fuck The Dead"
  45. Jack Ketchum - "The Visitor"
  46. Marc Levinthal - "Kids"
  47. Adam-Troy Castro - "From Hell It Came"
  48. Yvonne Navarro - "Feeding The Dead Inside"
  49. Robert Bloch - "Maternal Instinct"
  50. Dana Fredsti - "You'll Never Be Lunch In This Town Again"
  51. Ian McDowell - "Dead Loves"
  52. John Skipp & Marc Levinthal - "God Save The Queen"
  53. Simon McCaffery - "Connections"
  54. Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem - "Pit's Edge"
  55. Jack Ketchum - "Twins"
  56. Robert Devereaux - "Holy Fast, Holy Feast"
  57. Lisa Morton - "Sparks Fly Upward"
  58. Del James - "Eye Gouge"
  59. Nancy Kilpatrick - "Going Down"
  60. Stephen L. Antczak & Gregory Nicoll - "Levanta Muertos"
  61. Brian Hodge - "Naked Lunchmeat"
  62. Buddy Martinez - "Anonymous"
  63. Terry Morgan & Christopher Morgan - "Zaambi"
  64. M. Christian - "The Buried And The Dead"
  65. Douglas E. Winter - "The Zombies Of Madison County"
  66. Adam-Troy Castro - "Dead Like M