Max Brooks’ epic tome of a fictional time of global war against the undead is brought to life in this Paramount Pictures/Plan B production. Quantum of Solace’s Marc Forster directs from a script by Changeling scribe J. Michael Straczynski. Brad Pitt stars as a journalist covering the disaster, with Mireille Enos, Anthony Mackie, and Bryan Cranston heading up the rest of the cast.

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Blunt weapons should be one of your first considerations when choosing a trusty companion during an apocalyptic scenario. While they don’t have quite the flare a chainsaw or even a firearm might, they’ll last longer and be more reliable than almost any other weapon type. Though they’ll be more durable than most weapons you’ll find, nothing is indestructible. Your weapon will eventually wear out or even break, regardless of what it’s made of. That said, a trusty and durable blunt weapon will definitely serve you well.

Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are the most practical category of weapon to choose from. They are the most durable, reliable, wieldy, and certainly the most abundant weapon type. They’re the perfect choice for your zombie slaughtering needs.

There are many external factors to keep in mind when choosing a melee weapon. While some factors might seem irrelevant, you’ll find that the little things you don’t pay attention to could cost you dearly, maybe even with your life. Here are a couple things you should consider before choosing the proper melee weapon:

Location: Your geographical location is something you should think about for survival in general, but it also can greatly affect the effectiveness of the weapon you’re wielding. For example, if you find yourself stuck in the middle of a city or any other highly populated area with small rooms and tight corridors, you’ll want a shorter, more wieldy weapon so you don’t get caught up in small spaces. Alternatively, if you live in a farm town, the open spaces will allow you to satisfy your affinity for using a scythe or a baseball bat.

What you have available to you: Availability of certain materials could mean the difference between chopping down hundreds of zed with a reliable sidearm and being thwarted by your own weapon failing you on your first few kills. Materials that could repair, maintain, or even modify your weapon of choice could determine the weapons lifespan, and most likely your own.

Something that’s just as important to consider as external factors is what fits you best. Your size and stature will play tremendous roles in the effectiveness of any weapon. For example, if you aren’t quite the athletic type and prefer to stay low profile, something small like a knife or crowbar will fit you best. On the flipside, if you were one of the greatest hitters in your high school baseball team’s history, something heavier like a baseball bat or even an axe will suit you perfectly. Picking a weapon to bash a zombie’s brains out with isn’t about using the biggest, baddest weapon you can find; using a weapon you’re effective with will increase your chance of survival when encountering the undead.

Here are some general examples that you may want to consider:

Tools
Many tools have that weapon like, swing-happy feel to them. Luckily, many tools can double as weapons against the undead, in addition to assisting you in your everyday apocalyptic life. Should Zed try to rise and tear down our houses, be on the lookout for tools such as crowbars or axes, or machetes.

Blades
A classic choice for bloodthirsty warriors and zombie kill squads alike. Blades have proven to be effective since the beginning of our history, and have only improved over the past few thousand years. Be careful, only certain blades will produce the desired result. While you may think you have an edge with a steak knife in hand, a zombie won’t react much to a knife in his liver. The best blades for the job are ones designed for piercing and stabbing, and less so for slashing and cutting. Also, make sure your blade has weight to it, if it doesn’t have enough momentum behind it then it likely won’t penetrate the skull, and your sorry ass is zombie chow.

Blunt Weapons

A favorite among zombie enthusiasts, you can’t go wrong with a blunt weapon. Brute force is a dependable ally when clashing with hoards of the living dead, and just as dependable is a blunt weapon. Simple, straight to the point skull-bashery will serve your needs well. A heavy, reliable blunt weapon will never let you down when you’re aching to crack some heads together.

While there are almost infinitely many choices of melee weapons to choose from, there  are weapons that seem like a good idea at first, and when you learn to regret your decision it’s already too late. Regardless of what you have seen in the movies, chainsaws and flamethrowers are more likely to get you killed than save you. They’re flashiness and the sense of security they give you will be short lived when you realize that you have attracted every zombie within a four block radius. Looking cool while killing zombies is important, but hopefully you value your life more than your appearance. Weapons that attract a lot of unwanted attention will get you killed, and as such, should be considered a no-no.

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An oral history of the zombie war

Max Brooks

Max Brooks’ book World War Z is a must read for any zombie fan. This book has become a worldwide sensation with zombie fanatics and “normal” people alike. The story of a worldwide zombie infestation is told through a series of interviews done by one interviewer who follows the spread of the plague through eyes all over the world. Though some do not enjoy the writing style that is used, this is still a book that should not be passed up by any zombie fan. It is definitely worth the money.

The Zombie Survival Guide

Max Brooks

This book is a nice addition to any zombie enthusiast’s library. The Zombie Survival Guide is full of practical advice to stay alive and happy when the zombie hordes really do come. This really is a guide, not a joke book. It covers everything to recognizing an outbreak, choosing your weapons, where to hole up when the shit hits the fan, and even what to do after you have made it through the initial outbreak. If you are someone who wants to improve their chances of surviving the undead hordes, this book will definitely help.

Feed

Mira Grant

Book one of the Newsflesh series is a great read. Mira Grant manages to create a compelling story in a post-zombie world that will keep you guessing till the very end. Following this team of bloggers through the fear-ruled society will take you on a wild ride that spans 3 books. I highly recommend this book for all zombie fans.

Deadline

Mira Grant

The second book of the newsflesh series definitely fulfills all expectations. Picking up where Feed left off, Deadline follows the remaining bloggers through the danger and excitement that comes with covering the news in a post-zombie world. This book raises the bar for zombie books everywhere.

Blackout

Mira Grant

The final chapter to the Newsflesh series is definitely worth reading. While I personally did find some small parts of the book a bit odd, I still enjoyed the story and felt it did a great job closing out this entertaining tale. I definitely believe that this is a great addition to the collection of zombie books and found this adventure to be a wild ride.

Day by Day Armageddon

J. L. Bourne

This wonderful addition to the zombie genre is a chilling account of a man who goes through the collapse of civilization. As one of my all time favorites, I will be the first to tell you how great this book is. The book is written in a style that makes it seem as though you are reading a journal. Some do not like this style of writing, but I could not put the damn book down. This gripping account of the zombie apocalypse should definitely be on your list if you are looking for a good book.

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile

J. L. Bourne

This extremely detailed account of the zombie apocalypse continues with this worthy second installment to the series. J. L. Bourne does an amazing job in continuing the series with Beyond Exile. This book, like its predecessor, captivates the reader in a stunningly realistic story of challenges and obstacles one faces when living in a post apocalyptic world inhabited by the living dead. This sequel is a great addition to the always growing list of zombie literature and I encourage you to pick this book up. You won’t be able to put it down.

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Apparently having achieved great praise from the French Press

die2nite is a game whose in game time is related to the real world time.

essentially the objective of the game is to survive.  The way that this happens is that players on a server leave the town.  The town is the main place where players go to survive through the night.  There is a main gate that can only be opened or closed from the inside.  This means that players who stay out too late and do not come back early enough can be left out in the desert.  The desert is the place where players go during the day to scavenge parts to place in the defense of the town at night.  At midnight there is always a massive zombie attack that destroys most of the defenses.  If all the defenses are destroyed or the doors are left open then the zombies enter the town and eat most of the people.  The only way to survive this is to be in your hut/house that has its own defense systems.  These defense systems at your house are actually very weak only able to fend off a few zombies.

Another interesting feature that is part of the game is the ability to become addicted to certain substances. Alcohol, drugs, steroids, and a variety of other things that have been updated as the game has progressed. This game really brings out both the best and worst in people. You can either doom your town to the hordes or band together and stick it out as long as you possibly can. I recommend this game highly and I really enjoyed the game and what it has to offer.

DayZ

Day Z is a realistic survival game that takes place in an enormous 225 square kilometer map.  This is just one of the multiple maps.  This specific map is called Chernous.

There are a few ways to survive in the perilous world of zombie in DayZ.  The most effective way is to scavenge and kill other players.  This practically shooting everything that moves in the head.  This will kill almost every zombie except a bloodsucker.  Bloodsuckers are only in the map namalsk.  Essentially what this is is an invisible zombie that looks like cthulhu.  

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