Published: March 21, 2011
Words: 9,017 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781458083203

Short description

"In the Land of the Blind" won the 10th Annual Chiaroscuro Short Story Contest and was the inspiration for Robert Swartwood's zombie novel THE DISHONORED DEAD.

Extended description

Like everyone else he knew, Steven’s heart did not beat. Instead it lay dead in his chest, as docile as his brain and his lungs and his soul. So when he first heard the faint beating sound coming from outside his bedroom window, he didn’t know what to think.

"In the Land of the Blind" is a 3,000-word nontraditional zombie story. It won the 10th Annual Chiaroscuro Short Story Contest and was the inspiration for Robert Swartwood's zombie novel THE DISHONORED DEAD. The prologue and first three chapters of THE DISHONORED DEAD are included in this e-book.

Advance Praise for THE DISHONORED DEAD:

“THE DISHONORED DEAD is one of the most original and gripping zombie novels I have ever read, offering a glimpse into the life of a zombie in a world turned backwards, where zombies live and humans are feared. Highly recommended!”

— Jeremy Robinson, author of INSTINCT and THRESHOLD

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

zombies, robert swartwood, in the land of the blind, the dishonored dead

Available ebook reading formats

This book is free. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	View
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Download
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Download
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Download
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Download
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Download
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Download
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Download
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	View

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Jonny Berg on July 11, 2011 :
Steven is in the delicate age of ten years. He is dead and that is how it should be. Recently, he has started to hear a beating sound coming from somewhere outside that attracts him. He knows that it is dangerous but cannot resist. His parents doesn't hear the sound and neither do his best friend Jimmy. One evening Steven heads out with a shovel to find the source of the alluring tones. And thus he seals his fate.

This is a beautiful story that caught my interest already in the already in the first words:

” Like everyone else he knew, Steven’s heart did not beat. Instead it lay dead in his chest, as docile as his brain and his lungs and his soul. So when he first heard the faint beating sound coming from outside his bedroom window, he didn’t know what to think.”

To me this is about a boy who not only breaks a taboo, but shows courage. Even if his actions are intuitive and not based on any rational considerations he, literally, follows his heart. The story is not only beautiful, but even a little cute, which is extremely rare and perhaps will never again appear on this blog. The ending is also sad but still beautiful. A little bit like how Astrid Lindgren was sometimes combined the forgiving and beautiful with the unjust and sad. As in her short story Sunnanäng.

Robert Swartwood here sets the gray, sad death in contrast to the colorful, pulsating life. There is no advanced philosophy that the author engages, but the simple message is appealing and gives the story a sense of modern fairy tale. The element in which the effective and steadfast Hunters surround the little boy brings to mind historical events where adults driven by duty fulfill their mission without regard to an innocent child.

Robert Swartwood wrote this short story in 2004. It was printed 2010 in James Roy Daley's anthology Best New Zombie Tales vol. 1. It can be found of course in that anthology, but can also be read online for free and it is also included as bonus in the e-book The Dishonored Dead.

(www.swedishzombie.com)
(reviewed long after purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: