Post
by Etaan » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:00 pm
Well, that was intense. I had planned on commenting last night but I still hadn't gotten all my thoughts together.
I think that the thing that really strikes me about this world is the chicken. The chicken cubes play such a central roll, not only in the narrative but also in the greater mindset of the Z society. At the time of the Awakening, the world turning into what every zombie movie tells us it will be. Feral zombies running around like nuts, feasting on the newfound ambrosia of human flesh. The idea that they could then transcend this stage and regain a semblance of control, however, is the stuff of terror that is unique to this very well worn genre. Top marks for that alone. But how do they maintain that clearly tenuous hold on their "humanity"? Chicken.
Out of necessity, the Z's have turned human flesh into something of a delicacy. Raw chicken with human flavoring - the cube form is clearly meant to conjure images of tofu - gets them by and high grade human is limited to preserve supplies and prevent remission. But think about that. There are zombie farmers. Zombie mechanics and trade schools. It would appear that the Church of Lord Zachary - with its inquisition enforcers - has supplanted any sort of organized government now that a standing army is no longer needed, but there used to be zombie soldiers and zombie bureaucrats. The Z's have a fully functioning society held together by a common cause. But unlike human society, the cause isn't an improved quality of life. It is to hold the maddening chaos of feral remission at bay by their collective force of will.
I would love to know how the chicken solution came about. Was it a mandate from the government, handed down from on high by Lord Zachary or some academic and free market breakthrough? I love the "tofu" solution, since it leaves the focus on the Z's obsession with human flesh. They don't bother raising other livestock because they don't care about variety. They simply want an abundant meat source that can be easily flavored.
The one glaring error of the story is her wardrobe. Mr. Taylor has some great imagery of a functioning society still dressed in filthy rags, forced to be unconcerned about their appearance due to the terrible disfigurement that some of them suffered when they were turned. But the idea that Jodi is still wearing the same gore stained clothes that she owned decades earlier borders on the absurd. If they can get Z's to keep cars on the road, keep the power on and run the factories that produce canola oil, why can't they replace a 40-year-old blouse?
There is a lot more swirling around about the captive humans, the cure, the Church, the visceral imagery, but I'm going to take a break. Good chance I won't be able to put many of these thoughts down in a coherent manner anyways. Suffice it to say, I loved this story. I think I like it more now than when I started writing this post.
"Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
"That is an excellent practice. But right now I'd suggest you concentrate on the Jabberwocky."
