World War Z Historical Context
Setting the scene for World War Z: Understand the time and place that inspired its creation and relevance.
Article written by Michael Chude
B.Sc. degree in parasitology and entomology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
‘World War Z’ follows a collection of eyewitness accounts narrated by an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission after a worldwide armed conflict against a plague of zombies. The accounts provide insight into the experiences of those who survived the social, political, economic, and environmental changes that happened following the crisis.
Key Facts about ‘World War Z’
- Title: World War Z
- When/where written: United States
- Published: 2006
- Literary Period: Contemporary American Literature
- Genre: Horror, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
- Point-of-View: Third-person limited, sometimes first person
- Setting: Post-apocalyptic Earth
- Climax: When the zombie attacks began
- Antagonist: Zombies
Max Brooks and ‘World War Z’
Max Brooks was born on May 22, 1972, to the actor and actress Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft in Manhattan, New York. He attended Pitzer College and American University, where he studied history and film respectively. He wrote his first book ‘The Zombie Survival Guide,’ a satirical how-to manual about surviving a zombie apocalypse, in 2003. Mel Brooks has written 12 novels and comic books, including ‘World War Z,’ ‘The Zombie Survival Guide,’ and ‘Devolution.‘
‘World War Z’ was inspired by Studs Terkel’s 1984 book ‘The Good War,‘ a compilation of eyewitness accounts of people who witnessed the events leading up to the war, the war itself, and the events that followed immediately after.
Books Related to ‘World War Z’
For readers who enjoyed the story of ‘World War Z,’ there are many other novels that depict similar themes and settings. Richard Matheson’s ‘I Am Legend’ and J.L. James’ ‘Day By Day By Armageddon‘ depicts a near future where the human population is overrun by zombies which spread their contagion to their victims, alive or dead.
Stephen King’s ‘Cell‘ and Joe Ledger’s ‘Patient Zero‘ are also examples of dystopian novels that discuss the breakdown of social order when the human population and social systems are overwhelmed by inexplicable contagions that turn everyday humans into unstoppable monsters.
The Lasting Impact of ‘World War Z’
‘World War Z’ is enjoyed by readers millions of readers around the world to this day, selling over one million copies worldwide. The ‘World War Z’ audiobook won the Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance in 2007, and it was nominated for Audiobook of the Year.
‘World War Z’ was adapted into a major film in 2013 starring Brad Pitt with favorable reviews, closing its box office run with a worldwide gross of $540 million.
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World War Z Summary
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World War Z Review
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About Michael Chude
B.Sc. degree in parasitology and entomology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.