RebeccasReads.com - Not All Of Them About Zombies by Matthew Rowe

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Not All Of Them About Zombies

Matthew Rowe
Lulu.com (2008)
ISBN 9781847997074
Reviewed by LuAnn Morgan for RebeccasReads (8/08)

Can an unrelated mélange of characters exist within the pages of the same book?  Matthew Rowe proves it can be done with his collection of short stories titled “Not All of Them About Zombies.”  The title, however, is deceiving. Indeed, only eight lines are devoted to the walking dead – a short poem that was actually the inspiration for this book.  Rowe had the idea for the title long before he compiled the stories. He liked the concept, but what he really wanted to do was demonstrate the diversity of the short story line.
The result is this collection; all written by Rowe, yet each story addresses a different genre or theme. What Rowe ended up with is a book that demonstrates the diversity of his literary prowess.

In the introduction, Rowe explains the thoughts he had behind the stories themselves. He takes the time to tell the reader what each story means and how he came about the concept.  He then dives right into the book with a story about making snap judgments when we encounter someone who may look or act a tad bit different than the norm. It’s the tale of why we should avoid stereotyping those we meet as we go about our daily lives.

The second story tells the reader what happened to Little Red Riding Hood when she became an adult. How did her life turn out after the traumatic experience of meeting the wolf in grandma’s clothing?

Subsequent stories deal with such topics as what men look for in the perfect woman, what it would be like to wake up in another person’s body, how fear can play a negative role in our lives, immortality, werewolves as a form of escape from reality, a paid pyromaniac and a prequel to a friend’s book that describes how her characters meet.

Included is also his award-winning story “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” the tale of a man who envisions himself as the angel of death. His goal in life is to eliminate a certain sector of society that preys on others just for kicks … the bad guys, if you will.

This book was so much fun and I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories. In fact, there isn’t anything I didn’t like about the book – other than I’d like to read more about some of the stories. It was such a hoot to read!

Rowe does have quite an imagination and he is destined to become a first-rate author. He has a way of introducing a moral to his stories that make the reader pause and think. It’s a unique ability that few possess.  It will be interesting to see where this book takes him next in his career.

  

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