S. G. Browne

Breathers is possibly the funniest book I've read to date. The way S. G. Browne times his jokes make the read marvelous. It leaves me wondering why I put it off for so long. It's not difficult to see the comparison to any civil rights movement - the narrator even brings it up himself. What makes this book great is that it's not your typical zombie book. The world isn't at the brink of apocalypse or even the dawn of the post-apocalyptic era. Zombies haven't overpowered humans. In fact, show more they've been around for centuries and kept in the shadows. Not until recent decades has their presence been acknowledged. And they're even treated the way people treated African-Americans and homosexuals - with fear and ignorance.

The whole zombie civil rights idea aside, the book also judges the humanity of, well, humanity. By shining the light on innocence of children - "Is that true? Are zombies really human?" - to the shear hate of adulthood - "Go back to the grave!" - we're given insight on how outside forces mold our views on what is right and wrong, acceptable and what should be abhorred. It stay true with the Romero-philosophy, the sense that zombies should only bring to realization the way we handle social issues - war, racism, materialism, xenophobia, civil rights, etc.

But Breathers also brings another aspect of the zombie evolution. The creatures aren't mindless. They are exact reflections of the people they once were. And the vampiric rejuvenation is a nice edition to the zombie mythos.

It's the zombie book that will become canon, if not already. show less

I'm not generally one for humor in my reading. I tend to like my novels dark and serious. Although sufficiently dark, Breathers is also quite funny, and well written, and compelling and one of the best zombie novels I've ever read. There has been so much written about zombies that it's hard to cover any new ground, but S.G. Browne really has a unique take on the world of zombies. The zombie world set up in Breathers is one that zombies exist in normal society. Virtually everything with show more zombies tends to be post-apocalyptic. I especially enjoyed how Browne incorporated zombie popular culture into his novel. For instance in Breathers the same zombie movies that exist in our world, like Night of the Living Dead also exist in Breathers and the zombies even watch them.

The main character, Andy is a zombie living with his parents after he re-animates. Badly mistreated by his parents, he begins a quest for zombie rights after eating his parents and finding out that eating Breathers (people) helps zombies heal, gain strength and become almost human again. Andy's quest makes him a celebrity and starts a national zombie's rights movement. After eating enough Breathers, his zombie girlfriend Rita, even becomes pregnant. But since this is dark, things don't exactly turn out well for Andy. Breathers is a masterpiece by S.G. Browne, taking zombie fiction to a whole new level.

Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity show less

Though zombies have been roaming the earth for years, they have yet to receive the rights and proper treatment they deserve, at least according to them. Andy Warner is a recent addition to the undead, and is trying to cope with his new 'lifestyle' as a zombie. He is currently living in his parents house, despite their disdain for his zombie status and is a member of Undead Anonymous, where he meets fellow zombies and makes friends. When the group starts eating mysterious meat provided by show more another zombie, drastic changes take hold of them and their destiny is altered.

I can definitely see why I received this book. I love humor books, especially off-beat ones that have elements of satire embedded throughout, such as the work of Christopher Moore and Chuck Palahniuk. Breathers is every bit as funny as I would have expected and had numerous pop culture references, making it current and very witty.

Just a little warning: Breathers is not for everyone. Some parts made me a little queezy, so if let's say the thought of someone chopping up his parents and eating them as a main course makes you feel a little sick then beware! I could have managed fine without certain unneccesary descriptions and I don't think the plot would have suffered either. Having said that though, most of the book is not gory or too graphic. In fact, a lot of it feels more like a romantic comedy then a horror. I read that the book will likely be made into a movie, which I think would ve very interesting to see!

This book does surprisingly go deeper than you would think. Much of the beginning is a satirical account of discrimination that could easily be substituted for the rights that women and other discriminated members of society have had to face throughout history (except that these zombies are undead, reak of formaldehyde and hang out in cemetaries). Another funny part of the book is a parody of the media circus we now know of that creates instant overnight celebrities. There are also issues of morality that come into play and though they're not particularly resolved, I still found them interesting to contemplate within such a hilarious context.

Breathers will make you root for the undead and join in the vilification of all those who are 'alive' , despite being one of them. Though this book will not suit everyone's taste, for those who enjoy off-beat humor and satire, this is an excellent choice! show less

In Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament by S.G. Browne we are introduced to Andy, a recently reanimated corpse. He and his undead friends attend a Zombie Self Help Group as they try to come to terms with their new lifestyle and find a purpose and reason for their existence. Andy died in a horrific car accident that also took his wife. He reanimated but she remained dead. His closest friend now is Rita who committed suicide only to find herself having to live out her life as an “undead". There show more are many rules and regulations to being a zombie, and if they step out of line they are gathered up by the SPCA and held until a guardian pays a fine, upon which they are released into the guardian’s custody. Andy lives in his parents wine cellar in the basement, his mother tries to find common ground with him, but his father is simply disgusted.

Things start to change when Andy accepts the offer of food from a new zombie acquaintance. Supposedly a jar of venison, this meat taste delicious and leaves him craving more. As he and his friends eat more of this marvellous meat, they notice some changes occurring. They are healing, Andy’s speech is rapidly improving and then, one day first Rita and then Andy realize that their hearts have started up. Of course they soon realize that what they are eating is human flesh.

At times both funny and thoughtful, Breathers: a Zombie’s Lament, is an original look at zombies. I admit to feeling a good deal of sympathy for Andy, even as I cringed and snickered at the black humour. A different, unique read that was good enough that I can even forgive the author for putting me off BBQ Ribs. show less