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The Rising #3
The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World
Best-selling author Brian Keene returns with an all-new short story collection set in the world of the award-winning novel The Rising. The Rising and its sequel, City of the Dead, revitalized the horror genre and gave zombie fans a new reason to celebrate. Since publication, many readers have hoped for a wider examination of The Rising universe. Now they have it. The Selected Scenes From The End Of The World contains thirty-two short stories based in the world of The Rising and City of the Dead. Now, fans can witness how the undead epidemic plays out across the globe-Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, the United States-nowhere is safe from the zombie invasion. Meet new characters you'll come to love, re-discover old characters you thought were gone, and find out what happens after the fateful events of City of the Dead. If you're a fan of Keene's zombie mythos, you cannot miss this book!
215 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Brian Keene
215 books2,897 followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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October 26, 2016This book is copy number 167 of 500 hardcover copies printed and is signed by Brian Keene.
January 5, 2018
Having played an important role in the - ahem - resurrection of the zombie genre, Brian Keene followed up his sequel to The Rising with this third book set on the same doomed earth, but this time comprised of a host of 1000 word short stories that flesh out that world and show the events that followed the end of City of the Dead.
The kicker was that he wrote each of the stories about fans who won a contest through his publisher at the time. Keene apparently rang or emailed each winning fan, fleshed out a few details about them, and then created a story that usually detailed the fate that befell each of them as The Rising took place. I can only imagine how cool it must have been for those who were immortalised by one of the most enjoyable horror writers working today.
Fandom aside, this is an enjoyable collection of stories intended for fans of The Rising and City of the Dead. At 1000 words or less, each races by, so even if one or two don't tickle your fancy they're over quickly. The down side is, so are the good ones. THE SUMMONING, WHERE THE DOWN BOYS GO and THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY stood out as my favourites, though there are many others that tie in with events in the previous books, and even with one another. Getting to find out the fate of some of the minor characters who came and went in the main novels was a bonus I wasn't expecting.
The best section of the stories, however, are those detailing what took place beyond the scope of the books - events only talked about but not seen. Keene takes great pleasure in destroying what little remains of humanity when the Elilum and the Teraphim arrive, and it really does round out his series in a much more satisfying way than that observed within City of the Dead.
Obviously then, this is not a collection to read on its own or to try to get a taste of what Keene has to offer. Keene wrote it for fans of the series, and in his Introduction to Selected Scenes he even instructs those who have yet to do so to read the previous books before returning to this one.
Make the effort; it's worth it.
4 Worlds Ending for The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World.
The kicker was that he wrote each of the stories about fans who won a contest through his publisher at the time. Keene apparently rang or emailed each winning fan, fleshed out a few details about them, and then created a story that usually detailed the fate that befell each of them as The Rising took place. I can only imagine how cool it must have been for those who were immortalised by one of the most enjoyable horror writers working today.
Fandom aside, this is an enjoyable collection of stories intended for fans of The Rising and City of the Dead. At 1000 words or less, each races by, so even if one or two don't tickle your fancy they're over quickly. The down side is, so are the good ones. THE SUMMONING, WHERE THE DOWN BOYS GO and THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY stood out as my favourites, though there are many others that tie in with events in the previous books, and even with one another. Getting to find out the fate of some of the minor characters who came and went in the main novels was a bonus I wasn't expecting.
The best section of the stories, however, are those detailing what took place beyond the scope of the books - events only talked about but not seen. Keene takes great pleasure in destroying what little remains of humanity when the Elilum and the Teraphim arrive, and it really does round out his series in a much more satisfying way than that observed within City of the Dead.
Obviously then, this is not a collection to read on its own or to try to get a taste of what Keene has to offer. Keene wrote it for fans of the series, and in his Introduction to Selected Scenes he even instructs those who have yet to do so to read the previous books before returning to this one.
Make the effort; it's worth it.
4 Worlds Ending for The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World.
December 11, 2019
This is an immensely fun companion piece to The Rising and City of the Dead; the short stories in this collection occur simultaneously to these books and some are even set in the aftermath. I had a blast reading this and really enjoyed the many references between stories and also to Brian’s other books.
January 21, 2025
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. It's a collection of vignettes, tying in to The Rising and City of the Dead. All the stories are interesting, suspenseful, and certainly throw some light into the books, though I didn't feel I learnt anything radically new or necessary to enjoy either. The last story relates to The Labyrinth and is intriguing but very confusing. If you loved the books like I did, then you'll enjoy these tiny stories as well.
November 5, 2010
As the author states in the Introduction, this book is better understood if you have read The Rising and perhaps City of the Dead. It helps to understand the world he has created in those tales vs. going in cold. This is because Keene's vision of zombies is different than a lot of authors, with demons possessing your body at your death, not just some robotic imitation of you that craves flesh.
This book adds flavor to the two novels, giving us a more detailed world as it crumbles. The author mentioned another short story compilation called "The Rising: Necrophobia" that he also wrote and recommends that people read as well.
If you are looking for more stories of the same people that were in The Rising you will find a bit of that here but one thing that Keene mentions is that many of these stories are based on people he knows and people who actually paid Delirium Books for the priviledge of being a part of a collector's edition. I am not sure how I feel about that versus stories flowing from the author's own mind exclusively but it is pretty interesting. I never knew there were authors out there that I could pay to become a character in their book. I might actually be interested in doing that...
The book does lend insights into what happens after the events of The Rising and City of the Dead, both to the few remaining survivors and the entire planet. Keene opens the doors to a whole other series of books that he is concocting that have to do with alternate existences and realities, one of which is where The Rising takes place, another is where Dead Sea takes place, and there others still.
In that way it sort of reminded me of the Dark Tower from Stephen King (and the author does acknowledge that he is a fan of this work) in that he apparently is going to write a series of books that tie in all his different works, or at least a lot of them, like the Conquerer Worms (which I have not read) and others.
I will admit that I was never overly thrilled by this variation on the zombie that Brian Keene created. Others say he rejuvinated a tired and worn out genre and for them he probably did but for folks like me that was never the case. Zombies of all types intrigue me, including the old dumb slow moving types that can't speak or drive cars. Giving lots of credit where it is due is only fair though: Brian Keene has created not only a new variation on the zombie but a whole mythology with other demon forms and apparently alternate realities that all tie together. It takes a lot of creativity and a lot of writing style to pull this off.
Keene is a good writer, a guy who knows how to keep you interested in his stories. I guess perhaps my dislike of this zombie type is that there is literally no hope-you know the world is going to end and everything is gone. Except that in the end of this series of short stories we actually can see some infinite possibilites along the streams of time and space, alternate realities and other unique visions that the author has. I will admit it might draw me in further to the over arching story line that the author has created.
This book adds flavor to the two novels, giving us a more detailed world as it crumbles. The author mentioned another short story compilation called "The Rising: Necrophobia" that he also wrote and recommends that people read as well.
If you are looking for more stories of the same people that were in The Rising you will find a bit of that here but one thing that Keene mentions is that many of these stories are based on people he knows and people who actually paid Delirium Books for the priviledge of being a part of a collector's edition. I am not sure how I feel about that versus stories flowing from the author's own mind exclusively but it is pretty interesting. I never knew there were authors out there that I could pay to become a character in their book. I might actually be interested in doing that...
The book does lend insights into what happens after the events of The Rising and City of the Dead, both to the few remaining survivors and the entire planet. Keene opens the doors to a whole other series of books that he is concocting that have to do with alternate existences and realities, one of which is where The Rising takes place, another is where Dead Sea takes place, and there others still.
In that way it sort of reminded me of the Dark Tower from Stephen King (and the author does acknowledge that he is a fan of this work) in that he apparently is going to write a series of books that tie in all his different works, or at least a lot of them, like the Conquerer Worms (which I have not read) and others.
I will admit that I was never overly thrilled by this variation on the zombie that Brian Keene created. Others say he rejuvinated a tired and worn out genre and for them he probably did but for folks like me that was never the case. Zombies of all types intrigue me, including the old dumb slow moving types that can't speak or drive cars. Giving lots of credit where it is due is only fair though: Brian Keene has created not only a new variation on the zombie but a whole mythology with other demon forms and apparently alternate realities that all tie together. It takes a lot of creativity and a lot of writing style to pull this off.
Keene is a good writer, a guy who knows how to keep you interested in his stories. I guess perhaps my dislike of this zombie type is that there is literally no hope-you know the world is going to end and everything is gone. Except that in the end of this series of short stories we actually can see some infinite possibilites along the streams of time and space, alternate realities and other unique visions that the author has. I will admit it might draw me in further to the over arching story line that the author has created.
February 23, 2014
This is a very nice companion piece to Keene's Rising novels, and is even more interesting as a semi-twin of his Selected Scenes: Earthworm Gods books. A lot of the characters and settings served as Easter eggs that drew many of his works into a more cohesive whole for me. The stories themselves are all quite brief and I doubt that anyone unfamiliar with the other works would get much from this book, but I enjoyed it very much.
June 4, 2012
I told ye all that I would be reading this book as soon as it arrived at my house. Well this is a combination of several short stories (thirty-two) that are interlinked and shared the same mythos with the previous Brian Keene's books The Rising and City of the Dead.
I must say I read this book a long time ago (and I also got a comment by the author himself) and so I forgot several things... I remember the plot and the different zombies Keene used but the name of the characters have already flipped from my mind...
Well now the short stories... All of them if I am not incorrect don't exceed the 1000 words. They are almost all of them 5/6 pages. The ones who are more are divided in two short stories (There are two situations but both short stories can stand on their own...
Highlights... (each story is one day so the number that appears before is the day the story happenend)
1. Don's Last Moch - It tells the story of a guy who goes to a metal concert trying to have a moch but instead it's bitten by a girl (he was flirting or trying to) who was killed in the concert. Here Keene's interest in metal bands is evidential... Unfortunally as mostly americans the Metal they hear is not the same as we hear here... Well some are but the metal in that side of the atlantic evolved for one way and ours to another. I think he deslikes Black Metal... Oh well we can't be perfect...
2. Family Reunion - A story about two gay guys who wait for the arrival of the members of the one of them. This story as nothing much to offer but I thought about the location they were was a good one... As before I talked about being in the artic but an island in lake is a good posibility as well... It can be easily defended to human zombies... if the zombie plague pass to the birds and fish then they are doomed.
6. Watching the World End -This story turns out to be as the reaction of the human psyche in terrible conditions.. aka zombies. How crazy people can become and this example is a good one... and I think would happen to alot of people... Most people crack in life and death conditions... I liked the story. I don't know why but like Bentley Little, Brian Keene kills cats too often but dogs no... It's an aversion of horror writers against cats?
7. The Fall of Rome - I liked the story. One man against an horde of zombies. On a bell tower killing zombie after zombie. After killing all he could kill he killed himself. Rather good story... I wish I was that guy...
8. 20 Walkabout - Two part stories - Great story of human love and dedication... but as other stories it doesn't end well...
9. Hellhounds on my Trail - Again another story of sacrifice and what people do for love... Two lovers are trapped over a double decker tour bus.. The zombies try making a deal that they will have a quick death if they come down... Instead of that the boy split the girl's head (so she don't turn into a zombie) and lit a light with a propane gas killing the zombies trapping them... Nice love story...
10. Spoilers - Dark comedy... That's the reason I enjoyed. A man trapped a zombie and instead of killing start talking to it. It asks his opinion on books and on videos but the zombie is limited to the knowledge of what the "owner" of the body knew... In the end the man starts talking of a book but other zombies enter the house and kill the man freeing their brother. As the body is decaying fast the zombies ask the captive if he wants that body destroy so he can go to another... The zombie says that he do but they must wait because he is waiting for another brother revive in that body so he can hear the rest of the story of that book.
13. Pocket Apocalypse - How a person can redeem themselves... I llike this story. Human mind at the work and while some crack others reveal themselves for what they are...
15. If you can see the mountain... It's a story of human surival. First when the leave the wounded... some disaproove but don't do anything to help them... It's the law of survival at it's best... I like this story.
16 You only live twice... At night I imagine what I would do in a apocalypse... And most of them I think I would leave somewhere with my cat and my 1500 books... maybe now I had the time to read them all... This story is about that. I enjoyed it because it's what I think.
25. Zombie Worm - Again another dark comedy story... I laught with this story and felt sorry for the zombie. It was a good story.
26. The Night the Dead Died - Another good story and the first that talked about the end of the first part of the invasion and the coming of the second... Elilum.
28. March of the Elilum -Another good story of survival and bitter end. Again I liked this part of the invasion even if this is too hopeless... If we can run away from zombies how can we run away from insects and plant zombies?
29. Best seat in the house - again another good love story and of Elilum. I enjoyed it even if it was a bid sad...
30. American Pie - Survival insticts at the maxim... This story describes a way to survival I talked before.. Cold!
31. Two suns in the sunset - There is no hope is the only thing I can think of... Good story.
32. Other worlds than these - A good story that connects other books by Keene and leaves hope several doors to more books in the mythos. I enjoyed it.
In the end was great read and I really hope he returns to this mythos. I don't give more than 8.5 because some short stories are not that good... they are not awful but some of them were rushed. I think he had a wordcount limit of 1000 words and I think some stories could have much more. Some of them could be told in a book...
I just want to say that he gave me some ideas and I will try write a short story... or a couple. Thank you Brian Keene. Keep up the excelent work.
I must say I read this book a long time ago (and I also got a comment by the author himself) and so I forgot several things... I remember the plot and the different zombies Keene used but the name of the characters have already flipped from my mind...
Well now the short stories... All of them if I am not incorrect don't exceed the 1000 words. They are almost all of them 5/6 pages. The ones who are more are divided in two short stories (There are two situations but both short stories can stand on their own...
Highlights... (each story is one day so the number that appears before is the day the story happenend)
1. Don's Last Moch - It tells the story of a guy who goes to a metal concert trying to have a moch but instead it's bitten by a girl (he was flirting or trying to) who was killed in the concert. Here Keene's interest in metal bands is evidential... Unfortunally as mostly americans the Metal they hear is not the same as we hear here... Well some are but the metal in that side of the atlantic evolved for one way and ours to another. I think he deslikes Black Metal... Oh well we can't be perfect...
2. Family Reunion - A story about two gay guys who wait for the arrival of the members of the one of them. This story as nothing much to offer but I thought about the location they were was a good one... As before I talked about being in the artic but an island in lake is a good posibility as well... It can be easily defended to human zombies... if the zombie plague pass to the birds and fish then they are doomed.
6. Watching the World End -This story turns out to be as the reaction of the human psyche in terrible conditions.. aka zombies. How crazy people can become and this example is a good one... and I think would happen to alot of people... Most people crack in life and death conditions... I liked the story. I don't know why but like Bentley Little, Brian Keene kills cats too often but dogs no... It's an aversion of horror writers against cats?
7. The Fall of Rome - I liked the story. One man against an horde of zombies. On a bell tower killing zombie after zombie. After killing all he could kill he killed himself. Rather good story... I wish I was that guy...
8. 20 Walkabout - Two part stories - Great story of human love and dedication... but as other stories it doesn't end well...
9. Hellhounds on my Trail - Again another story of sacrifice and what people do for love... Two lovers are trapped over a double decker tour bus.. The zombies try making a deal that they will have a quick death if they come down... Instead of that the boy split the girl's head (so she don't turn into a zombie) and lit a light with a propane gas killing the zombies trapping them... Nice love story...
10. Spoilers - Dark comedy... That's the reason I enjoyed. A man trapped a zombie and instead of killing start talking to it. It asks his opinion on books and on videos but the zombie is limited to the knowledge of what the "owner" of the body knew... In the end the man starts talking of a book but other zombies enter the house and kill the man freeing their brother. As the body is decaying fast the zombies ask the captive if he wants that body destroy so he can go to another... The zombie says that he do but they must wait because he is waiting for another brother revive in that body so he can hear the rest of the story of that book.
13. Pocket Apocalypse - How a person can redeem themselves... I llike this story. Human mind at the work and while some crack others reveal themselves for what they are...
15. If you can see the mountain... It's a story of human surival. First when the leave the wounded... some disaproove but don't do anything to help them... It's the law of survival at it's best... I like this story.
16 You only live twice... At night I imagine what I would do in a apocalypse... And most of them I think I would leave somewhere with my cat and my 1500 books... maybe now I had the time to read them all... This story is about that. I enjoyed it because it's what I think.
25. Zombie Worm - Again another dark comedy story... I laught with this story and felt sorry for the zombie. It was a good story.
26. The Night the Dead Died - Another good story and the first that talked about the end of the first part of the invasion and the coming of the second... Elilum.
28. March of the Elilum -Another good story of survival and bitter end. Again I liked this part of the invasion even if this is too hopeless... If we can run away from zombies how can we run away from insects and plant zombies?
29. Best seat in the house - again another good love story and of Elilum. I enjoyed it even if it was a bid sad...
30. American Pie - Survival insticts at the maxim... This story describes a way to survival I talked before.. Cold!
31. Two suns in the sunset - There is no hope is the only thing I can think of... Good story.
32. Other worlds than these - A good story that connects other books by Keene and leaves hope several doors to more books in the mythos. I enjoyed it.
In the end was great read and I really hope he returns to this mythos. I don't give more than 8.5 because some short stories are not that good... they are not awful but some of them were rushed. I think he had a wordcount limit of 1000 words and I think some stories could have much more. Some of them could be told in a book...
I just want to say that he gave me some ideas and I will try write a short story... or a couple. Thank you Brian Keene. Keep up the excelent work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
The end of the world from multiple perspectives. Full of laughs and heart, and Keene zombies. Bleak af and devoid of all hope. I really enjoyed this. Solid performance by Joe Hempel.
February 6, 2017
When I was a kid in the '90s "Star Wars" was even more of an object of fascination among my circle of friends than it is now. (Today fandom is diluted - there's "Game of Thrones" to worry about, and "Westworld" and and and - back then we pretty much just had "Star Wars" and "Star Trek.") We would obsess about all the things that weren't on the screen. What was Tarkin's first name? (Wilhuff.) Where did Luke get his new lightsaber? (He built it with a Khyber crystal.) What happened after the movies? (Grand Admiral Thrawn rebuilt the Empire - and fuck you if you believe that never happened.)
Seeing a niche to be filled, George Lucas flooded the market with all manner of "expanded universe" books, video games, and comic books to answer all of our insatiable unanswered questions. And then those media left us with new questions, and it was a perpetual cycle until "The Force Awakens" came out and said, "Hey, let's reboot the whole thing."
What was I talking about? Oh, right, THE RISING. THE RISING is not quite as ubiquitous in pop culture as "Star Wars," was (though, God willing, it will be some day) but in crafting the world that he did Keene left a lot of the same niches and crannies of lingering questions as Lucas. What happened in England? What happened to Worm? What was the deal with that general in California? What was it like when the Siqqusim moved on and their brothers arrived?
In SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD Keene creates his own (for lack of a better term) RISING expanded universe. This is a collection of short (most are very short) stories about all the places and people he didn't get to explore in the novels, or expansions of those he did. The book originally started as a charity project to write a story for each donor featuring them as (usually) zombie bait. When I first read that in the introduction I feared what would follow was two hundred pages of pandering, but quite the opposite turned out to be true. Keene was just as brutal, emotionally and physically, with the fans he wrote into their own stories as he was with his own original characters.
There's plenty of zombie action in this book. A few stories feel a bit rote, but most examine the terrifying implications of every dead animal and person on the planet being possessed by the life-hating Siqqusim demons in unique and novel ways. Some of the best stories flip the script and focus on human villains no longer constraining their evil in the wake of society's collapse. ("American Pie" was a particularly gruesome example.)
Particularly intriguing are the handful of tales toward the end focusing on the Siqqusim sister species the Elilum (who possess plants and insects) and the Teraphim (creatures of pure flame.) The existence of both were hinted and teased at the end of CITY OF THE DEAD, and they retain a patina of mystery with just their brief introductions here. It made me wonder if there's a full novel's worth of story to be told about them without ruining the freakiness levels with familiarity. I suppose we'll all find out when THE RISING V comes out. In the meantime, grab a box of eyeballs to snack on and dig into SELECTED SCENES.
Seeing a niche to be filled, George Lucas flooded the market with all manner of "expanded universe" books, video games, and comic books to answer all of our insatiable unanswered questions. And then those media left us with new questions, and it was a perpetual cycle until "The Force Awakens" came out and said, "Hey, let's reboot the whole thing."
What was I talking about? Oh, right, THE RISING. THE RISING is not quite as ubiquitous in pop culture as "Star Wars," was (though, God willing, it will be some day) but in crafting the world that he did Keene left a lot of the same niches and crannies of lingering questions as Lucas. What happened in England? What happened to Worm? What was the deal with that general in California? What was it like when the Siqqusim moved on and their brothers arrived?
In SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD Keene creates his own (for lack of a better term) RISING expanded universe. This is a collection of short (most are very short) stories about all the places and people he didn't get to explore in the novels, or expansions of those he did. The book originally started as a charity project to write a story for each donor featuring them as (usually) zombie bait. When I first read that in the introduction I feared what would follow was two hundred pages of pandering, but quite the opposite turned out to be true. Keene was just as brutal, emotionally and physically, with the fans he wrote into their own stories as he was with his own original characters.
There's plenty of zombie action in this book. A few stories feel a bit rote, but most examine the terrifying implications of every dead animal and person on the planet being possessed by the life-hating Siqqusim demons in unique and novel ways. Some of the best stories flip the script and focus on human villains no longer constraining their evil in the wake of society's collapse. ("American Pie" was a particularly gruesome example.)
Particularly intriguing are the handful of tales toward the end focusing on the Siqqusim sister species the Elilum (who possess plants and insects) and the Teraphim (creatures of pure flame.) The existence of both were hinted and teased at the end of CITY OF THE DEAD, and they retain a patina of mystery with just their brief introductions here. It made me wonder if there's a full novel's worth of story to be told about them without ruining the freakiness levels with familiarity. I suppose we'll all find out when THE RISING V comes out. In the meantime, grab a box of eyeballs to snack on and dig into SELECTED SCENES.
December 11, 2013
In the introduction to "The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World," Brian Keene writes about how he was less than enthusiastic when approached to do this project. Brian had already written two wildly popular zombie novels, ("The Rising," and "City of the Dead"), and I think he was getting a bit sick of being labeled as "The Zombie Guy".
Going into this book, I must admit that there was a part of me that wondered just what else was left to examine in Keene's zombie (read: Siqqusim) mythos. However, after reading and very much enjoying Brian's other works, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
I'm very glad I did.
Keene's own brand of zombies are here in all their glory. An otherworldly "sentience" - for lack of a better word - inhabit the recent dead. They bring with them a need to feed on human flesh, thereby making room for their Siqqusim brethren to inhabit the earth. Essentially, the book is a collection of 32 short stories that are in some cases extremely loosely connected to one another, or to "The Rising" or "City of the Dead." The only thing that they all have in common is that they all take place during - or very shortly after - the Siqqusim invasion.
Still with me?
Yes, as with "Tequila's Sunrise," it helps if you've already read Brian's other books, but it's not absolutely necessary. Within the first few stories you can easily get the gist of what's going on. Through the first four stories, you quickly understand that (A) the world is ending, and (B) Keene's zombies are everywhere.
However, it's in the fifth story, "Watching the World End," where this book starts to kick in to high gear. It's in this story where you realize that the stories aren't just about flesh eating zombies. It's in this story where you realize that Brian's going to take you deep into the minds of the momentary survivors, and really delve into the psychology of mankind when faced with such an epidemic.
There are stories of families, of lovers, of cannibalism, of insanity, of megalomania. There are stories that feature both the best and worst characteristics of human nature, all set to the tune of the end of the world, and they're a ton of fun to read.
The last few chapters take place after the events of "City of the Dead." They speak to what happens after the Siqqusim "stage" of the invasion is completed, and the subsequent invasions begin. For long time Keene readers, as with "Tequila's Sunrise," there's some great new Labyrinth tidbits here that'll have you thirsting for that next new Brian Keene book.
A fabulous collection that's a blast to read, whether you're well versed in the Keene mythos or not, I highly recommend it.
Going into this book, I must admit that there was a part of me that wondered just what else was left to examine in Keene's zombie (read: Siqqusim) mythos. However, after reading and very much enjoying Brian's other works, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
I'm very glad I did.
Keene's own brand of zombies are here in all their glory. An otherworldly "sentience" - for lack of a better word - inhabit the recent dead. They bring with them a need to feed on human flesh, thereby making room for their Siqqusim brethren to inhabit the earth. Essentially, the book is a collection of 32 short stories that are in some cases extremely loosely connected to one another, or to "The Rising" or "City of the Dead." The only thing that they all have in common is that they all take place during - or very shortly after - the Siqqusim invasion.
Still with me?
Yes, as with "Tequila's Sunrise," it helps if you've already read Brian's other books, but it's not absolutely necessary. Within the first few stories you can easily get the gist of what's going on. Through the first four stories, you quickly understand that (A) the world is ending, and (B) Keene's zombies are everywhere.
However, it's in the fifth story, "Watching the World End," where this book starts to kick in to high gear. It's in this story where you realize that the stories aren't just about flesh eating zombies. It's in this story where you realize that Brian's going to take you deep into the minds of the momentary survivors, and really delve into the psychology of mankind when faced with such an epidemic.
There are stories of families, of lovers, of cannibalism, of insanity, of megalomania. There are stories that feature both the best and worst characteristics of human nature, all set to the tune of the end of the world, and they're a ton of fun to read.
The last few chapters take place after the events of "City of the Dead." They speak to what happens after the Siqqusim "stage" of the invasion is completed, and the subsequent invasions begin. For long time Keene readers, as with "Tequila's Sunrise," there's some great new Labyrinth tidbits here that'll have you thirsting for that next new Brian Keene book.
A fabulous collection that's a blast to read, whether you're well versed in the Keene mythos or not, I highly recommend it.
August 18, 2016
This was much better than I had expected. At first I found it a bit difficult to get into. The stories are very short, snippets really, and there isn't any time for character development or to feel much for the people in the stories. Keene does something very clever though. Rather than just a slew of zombie-based stories, the author starts at the beginning of the rising event, and works his way along day-by-day. The stories match up with events happening in 'The Rising' and 'City of the Dead' and make reference to some characters from those books. This helped to create continuity and hold my interest throughout. The zombie genre is pretty tired, yet Keene is able to come up with some new ideas and kept things fresh. Highly recommended, but read 'The Rising' and 'City of the Dead' first.
July 21, 2008
A one-sitting read!
Before you decide to read this, make sure to have read The Rising, City of the Dead, and Dead Sea. To be even more in the loop, add the rest of Keene's catalog to the list, and then you'll find the rest of the "Easter eggs" peppered throughout these connected short stories. Heck, if you miss anything, author's notes for each story are included at the end.
The tales are satisfying, gruesome, fast, and really wrap things up...while hinting at things to come...in the world of Brian Keene's books.
Before you decide to read this, make sure to have read The Rising, City of the Dead, and Dead Sea. To be even more in the loop, add the rest of Keene's catalog to the list, and then you'll find the rest of the "Easter eggs" peppered throughout these connected short stories. Heck, if you miss anything, author's notes for each story are included at the end.
The tales are satisfying, gruesome, fast, and really wrap things up...while hinting at things to come...in the world of Brian Keene's books.
February 9, 2010
This is a great book. I think it's the best of the The Rising series. It's a fantastic idea for a short story book. The world is over run with zombies so each short story is in a different part of the world and how these people deal with the zombie attack. Meanwhile, the stories are in order from the first day a corpse turns to the end of the world. Fantastic book. One of Keene's best.
September 5, 2015
I devoured (pun intended) this book in just two train trips back and forth to work. The short stories are paced between the start of the Rising, City of the Dead and the inedible victory of Ob and the Siqqusim. Each story, I think most were 1000 words or less, progress quickly leaving you little time to catch your breath. Think of it as a trip to Disney Land for Horror lovers, short lines and quick rides that elevate your pulse. Well worth the ride!
January 19, 2013
I'm a big fan of short stories and "fanfics". That's almost was this book felt like and I loved it. It was worth every penny.
January 13, 2024
More like 4 1/2 stars. Great short stories and also helped tie a lot of Brian Keenes' mythos together for me.
August 13, 2019
The Rising: Selected Scenes From the End of the World is an enjoyable, but largely unnecessary, addition to the fictional world established in The Rising. I get why it was written; the author agreed to write an approximately 1000-word story whose protagonist would be anyone willing to pay for the privilege. Cool enough. The Rising has a loyal fanbase, and an opportunity to have a story published where you are the main character in that setting would be exciting.
It seems the ground rules for the stories would be that the person paying to be in the story would not be explicitly undone by the zombies. Rather, much in same vein as the ambiguous ending of The Rising, the character's fate would be alluded to, but not actually carried out. I guess that is my biggest disappointment with these stories.
The Rising is an extremely graphic and creative novel in the way it depicts shuffling off your mortal coil via zombie attack. Personally, I would have liked to see my fictional doppelganger meet a similarly gruesome demise; not just set up the situation and imply that my fate is sealed.
This short story collection does do a very nice job, however, of painting a picture of what is going on in the rest of the world while Jim Thurmond is attempting to reunite with his son in the plot of The Rising. The thirty-plus stories collected here sometimes allude to concurrent events depicted in that novel, and are also often self-referential. That was a nice touch, as was the wide variety of locales, crisscrossing the United States and even venturing into England, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand.
The author also included story notes which gave some insight into the people paying for a story written about them. This added some depth to the stories for the rest of us. All in all, this was a fun endeavor that was essentially a vanity project for the author’s fans.
It seems the ground rules for the stories would be that the person paying to be in the story would not be explicitly undone by the zombies. Rather, much in same vein as the ambiguous ending of The Rising, the character's fate would be alluded to, but not actually carried out. I guess that is my biggest disappointment with these stories.
The Rising is an extremely graphic and creative novel in the way it depicts shuffling off your mortal coil via zombie attack. Personally, I would have liked to see my fictional doppelganger meet a similarly gruesome demise; not just set up the situation and imply that my fate is sealed.
This short story collection does do a very nice job, however, of painting a picture of what is going on in the rest of the world while Jim Thurmond is attempting to reunite with his son in the plot of The Rising. The thirty-plus stories collected here sometimes allude to concurrent events depicted in that novel, and are also often self-referential. That was a nice touch, as was the wide variety of locales, crisscrossing the United States and even venturing into England, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand.
The author also included story notes which gave some insight into the people paying for a story written about them. This added some depth to the stories for the rest of us. All in all, this was a fun endeavor that was essentially a vanity project for the author’s fans.
May 14, 2014
Note: The following is a critical analysis of The Rising Trilogy which is comprised of three books: The Rising, City of the Dead, and The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World. This analysis will appear on the Goodreads page of each book. There may be some minor spoilers.
---------------
I recently attended the 2014 World Horror Convention in Portland, Oregon. That was an vastly enjoyable event that I could write a huge article about and just might at a later time. The Grand Master was Brian Keene and in the introduction at the opening ceremony, the presenter referred to Keene’s book The Rising as, along with Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead franchise, the main catalyst for the modern zombie craze. To which Keene shouted out, “Sorry about that!”
Brian Keene in his wry way has a point. Zombies have been turned in to a bit of a literary plague. You can’t walk through the book store without bumping into a zombie book. Netflix Streaming is inundated with B through Z movies featuring zombies. Yet Keene has nothing to be ashamed of . The Rising breathed new life into old zombies, giving them a wicked little twist. It’s a twist presented at the beginning of the story and pretty much drives and dooms everything to come. But most of all it gives some interesting protagonists a fresh terror to fight their way through, turning this horror novel into a terrifying post-apocalyptic adventure.
The Rising’s slant on the zombie genre is that Keene’s zombies aren’t really true zombies. At least not the “Arrgh Urrgh” type that mindlessly limp and crawl to get to your brain. The monsters of The Rising are actually corpses possessed by an ancient demonic race called the Siqqusim. This race was exiled into The Void millenniums ago and due to a scientific experiment gone wrong (of course) have returned to Earth to possess all dead bodies and to destroy all animal life form. Keene’s zombies are actually repossessed bodies that love to torture, eat and destroy. They are quite agile, hampered only by the damage to the corpse and quite intellenigent. When the zombie body is destroyed, by the traditional means of a head shot, the Siqqusim simply leap into another dead living form. No animal is immune. Some of the more ghoulishly humorist moments involve attacks by zombie rabbits and zombie goldfish. The author’s zombie invasion is not just a zombie apocalypse but the end of the universe as we know it which is hinted at then explained in more detail by the second volume.
Keene’s cast of survivors tend to be fairly stereotypical but likeable and worthy of the reader’s support. Jim is caught up early into the zombie apocal-mess and after his brief period of disbelief and shock, his primary goal is to return to New Jersey to save his son Danny. He is joined by a variety of interesting characters including ex-junkie Frankie and conflicted preacher Martin. There are also a few human villains they need to tackle but the emphasis is on the undead variety. The leader of the Siqqusim is Ob and he is the source of our information of this ancient demonic race. The author has borrowed extensively from ancient myths and legends and have created a mythos that has a similar feeling of dread and hopelessness that Lovecraft created with his Chtulhu Mythos. But I will deal more with this when I discuss the second book.
Overall, Keene has created a realistic horror fantasy world that will entertain the most jaded horror fan. This was his first novel and it shows especially in the characters’ narrow dimensions. Yet there is a strong level of dynamic tension that goes into making a tense edge-of-your-seat horror adventure. Then there is that ending. Without giving it away, it is very open-ended. The author, in his introduction, claims he did not mean for it to be that way but it appears that his interpretation for the ending did not quite translate to the reader in print. As he explains in the introduction, this led his readers to demand a sequel and eventually he wrote City of the Dead.
City of the Dead starts exactly where The Rising ended. Jim have retrieved Danny, who has managed to survive his own nightmare of possessed corpses. Jim, Danny, Martin, and Frankie now have to battle a zombie horde and find shelter in a basically shelterless environment. But in New York City, one tower is well lit and may be the last bastion for humankind. Not only are our heroes headed there but so is Ob and his demon possessed zombie army of which its soldiers are astute enough to have tanks and WDMs galore not to mention an air force of zombie birds. The plot goes full apocalypse leading to a final battle. The author also writes well about the various human factors which is full of well-meaning and not-so-well-meaning humans and at least a couple downright wicked and perverse participants.
This takes us to an important theme not only in this book but in a variety of Keene’s other works. Referred to as the Labyrinth Mythos, Keene incorporates overlapping ideas into what he calls a meta-epic. Through subtle hints in both books we realize this end of the world scenario is taking place on Earth but not our Earth. The author is seeding his books with an idea of parallel Earths, each one of them threatened by some kind of Apocalyptic horror and most, if not all, having to do with ancient horrors of Lovecraftian proportions being unleashed. This pulls his novels together. While this was only hinted to in The Rising, City of the Dead brings out the inevitability of destruction to its awful and logical conclusion. Intentionally or not, it makes one think about the uncertainty of our own existence on our own earth. Maybe not zombies but what about meteors, super volcanoes, and our own man-made contribution, Nuclear Winter? I bet the dinosaurs thought they would be here forever too.
The third and last book is titled The Rising: Selected Scenes From the End of the World and it is basically just that. There are 33 very short tales taking place during the time of the first two books. A few have characters from the previous novels and gives us a little more insight but most are fast terror-takes: action, camera, fade-out. They are quite intriguing to read and Keene has some really memorable bits of writing in some of these stories. Yet they really do not add much to the first two books. “Pocket Apostle” does give us an insightful look at a minor character from The Rising and I really likes the idea of trapping a zombie and reading a book to him as described in “Spoilers“. Yet overall, this is a book is a light dessert. You will want to have the main courses first.
So altogether, The Rising Trilogy makes for a epic battle of man vs. zombie and is an essential read for those who want to prepare themselves for the next zombie holocaust. Let’s face it. The Zombie novel is here to stay and the influence of Brian Keene’s The Rising trilogy will be a formidable one.
---------------
I recently attended the 2014 World Horror Convention in Portland, Oregon. That was an vastly enjoyable event that I could write a huge article about and just might at a later time. The Grand Master was Brian Keene and in the introduction at the opening ceremony, the presenter referred to Keene’s book The Rising as, along with Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead franchise, the main catalyst for the modern zombie craze. To which Keene shouted out, “Sorry about that!”
Brian Keene in his wry way has a point. Zombies have been turned in to a bit of a literary plague. You can’t walk through the book store without bumping into a zombie book. Netflix Streaming is inundated with B through Z movies featuring zombies. Yet Keene has nothing to be ashamed of . The Rising breathed new life into old zombies, giving them a wicked little twist. It’s a twist presented at the beginning of the story and pretty much drives and dooms everything to come. But most of all it gives some interesting protagonists a fresh terror to fight their way through, turning this horror novel into a terrifying post-apocalyptic adventure.
The Rising’s slant on the zombie genre is that Keene’s zombies aren’t really true zombies. At least not the “Arrgh Urrgh” type that mindlessly limp and crawl to get to your brain. The monsters of The Rising are actually corpses possessed by an ancient demonic race called the Siqqusim. This race was exiled into The Void millenniums ago and due to a scientific experiment gone wrong (of course) have returned to Earth to possess all dead bodies and to destroy all animal life form. Keene’s zombies are actually repossessed bodies that love to torture, eat and destroy. They are quite agile, hampered only by the damage to the corpse and quite intellenigent. When the zombie body is destroyed, by the traditional means of a head shot, the Siqqusim simply leap into another dead living form. No animal is immune. Some of the more ghoulishly humorist moments involve attacks by zombie rabbits and zombie goldfish. The author’s zombie invasion is not just a zombie apocalypse but the end of the universe as we know it which is hinted at then explained in more detail by the second volume.
Keene’s cast of survivors tend to be fairly stereotypical but likeable and worthy of the reader’s support. Jim is caught up early into the zombie apocal-mess and after his brief period of disbelief and shock, his primary goal is to return to New Jersey to save his son Danny. He is joined by a variety of interesting characters including ex-junkie Frankie and conflicted preacher Martin. There are also a few human villains they need to tackle but the emphasis is on the undead variety. The leader of the Siqqusim is Ob and he is the source of our information of this ancient demonic race. The author has borrowed extensively from ancient myths and legends and have created a mythos that has a similar feeling of dread and hopelessness that Lovecraft created with his Chtulhu Mythos. But I will deal more with this when I discuss the second book.
Overall, Keene has created a realistic horror fantasy world that will entertain the most jaded horror fan. This was his first novel and it shows especially in the characters’ narrow dimensions. Yet there is a strong level of dynamic tension that goes into making a tense edge-of-your-seat horror adventure. Then there is that ending. Without giving it away, it is very open-ended. The author, in his introduction, claims he did not mean for it to be that way but it appears that his interpretation for the ending did not quite translate to the reader in print. As he explains in the introduction, this led his readers to demand a sequel and eventually he wrote City of the Dead.
City of the Dead starts exactly where The Rising ended. Jim have retrieved Danny, who has managed to survive his own nightmare of possessed corpses. Jim, Danny, Martin, and Frankie now have to battle a zombie horde and find shelter in a basically shelterless environment. But in New York City, one tower is well lit and may be the last bastion for humankind. Not only are our heroes headed there but so is Ob and his demon possessed zombie army of which its soldiers are astute enough to have tanks and WDMs galore not to mention an air force of zombie birds. The plot goes full apocalypse leading to a final battle. The author also writes well about the various human factors which is full of well-meaning and not-so-well-meaning humans and at least a couple downright wicked and perverse participants.
This takes us to an important theme not only in this book but in a variety of Keene’s other works. Referred to as the Labyrinth Mythos, Keene incorporates overlapping ideas into what he calls a meta-epic. Through subtle hints in both books we realize this end of the world scenario is taking place on Earth but not our Earth. The author is seeding his books with an idea of parallel Earths, each one of them threatened by some kind of Apocalyptic horror and most, if not all, having to do with ancient horrors of Lovecraftian proportions being unleashed. This pulls his novels together. While this was only hinted to in The Rising, City of the Dead brings out the inevitability of destruction to its awful and logical conclusion. Intentionally or not, it makes one think about the uncertainty of our own existence on our own earth. Maybe not zombies but what about meteors, super volcanoes, and our own man-made contribution, Nuclear Winter? I bet the dinosaurs thought they would be here forever too.
The third and last book is titled The Rising: Selected Scenes From the End of the World and it is basically just that. There are 33 very short tales taking place during the time of the first two books. A few have characters from the previous novels and gives us a little more insight but most are fast terror-takes: action, camera, fade-out. They are quite intriguing to read and Keene has some really memorable bits of writing in some of these stories. Yet they really do not add much to the first two books. “Pocket Apostle” does give us an insightful look at a minor character from The Rising and I really likes the idea of trapping a zombie and reading a book to him as described in “Spoilers“. Yet overall, this is a book is a light dessert. You will want to have the main courses first.
So altogether, The Rising Trilogy makes for a epic battle of man vs. zombie and is an essential read for those who want to prepare themselves for the next zombie holocaust. Let’s face it. The Zombie novel is here to stay and the influence of Brian Keene’s The Rising trilogy will be a formidable one.
October 16, 2017
Okay, so I'm not normally a fan of short stories or anthropologies. I'm a character reader, I love to follow a character or group of chracters through a series. Maybe I just don't like change. For whatever reason, I've never loved these type books.
However, I also have a strong rooted need to finish everything to its entirety. If there's a collection of shorts about a series I've read, I simply must suffer through it.
I grabbed this off my bookshelf determined to plow through it before it had been too long since I read the rising, while the story was still fresh in my mind.
Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. It ended up being a page turner. I simply couldn't get enough of the glimpses of what took place around the globe during the rising.
I enjoyed the characters, each and every story and the extra tidbits Brian added at the end about each story and its inspiration.
I am especially thrilled to learn that he is working on a series of stories about the 13 that tie in all of his books :)
However, I also have a strong rooted need to finish everything to its entirety. If there's a collection of shorts about a series I've read, I simply must suffer through it.
I grabbed this off my bookshelf determined to plow through it before it had been too long since I read the rising, while the story was still fresh in my mind.
Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. It ended up being a page turner. I simply couldn't get enough of the glimpses of what took place around the globe during the rising.
I enjoyed the characters, each and every story and the extra tidbits Brian added at the end about each story and its inspiration.
I am especially thrilled to learn that he is working on a series of stories about the 13 that tie in all of his books :)
June 29, 2021
Zombie fans rejoice! It is no secret that I love the horror genre, and I find the whole idea of zombies interesting. Keene does an amazing job at writing tales that have zombies in them, and of course some of my favorite books in that genre. I am constantly on the look out to see what other books he is writing, and pre-order when I find ones that have a future release date.
This book is one of his zombie books. It is a shorter book composed of short stories, all revolving around zombies. Some of them connect to each other, but don't have to be read together to get the connections. You can read the short stories all at once (which is what I did), or take your time and read them one at a time over however much time you need and you won't be missing those connections.
Keene has a way with words that just make the pages fly by, and this is no exception. I will warn you, if you don't like gore, swear words and stories with sexual descriptions and encounters then this book would not be a good choice for you.
This book is one of his zombie books. It is a shorter book composed of short stories, all revolving around zombies. Some of them connect to each other, but don't have to be read together to get the connections. You can read the short stories all at once (which is what I did), or take your time and read them one at a time over however much time you need and you won't be missing those connections.
Keene has a way with words that just make the pages fly by, and this is no exception. I will warn you, if you don't like gore, swear words and stories with sexual descriptions and encounters then this book would not be a good choice for you.
November 24, 2021
I'm really torn about this entry into The Rising series. It's essentially a collection of extremely short 'short stories' starting from Day one of The Rising and working it's way to Day 32 where we are told what happened to various people across the world.
Too many of the stories are inconsequential and just too short to be interesting. But then there a few that are excellent and do more to build the Rising Universe than the previous two novels.
It's very hit and miss but yet still an essential read for fans of The Rising Universe, very much a mixed bag.
Too many of the stories are inconsequential and just too short to be interesting. But then there a few that are excellent and do more to build the Rising Universe than the previous two novels.
It's very hit and miss but yet still an essential read for fans of The Rising Universe, very much a mixed bag.
January 9, 2023
A terrific series of short stories from the horrific world of The Rising Keene has crafted. You definitely would benefit from having read The Rising and City of the Dead to appreciate the references and Easter eggs he included in many of the stories. Would recommend to a fan of the series for sure. Keene is excellent because he doesn’t give us neat and tidy endings - “happy” endings for him are dark, heartbreaking, and thought provoking. In horror, especially zombie cantered horror, that makes for a really great read.
March 26, 2022
This one hits about the same zone as Selected Scenes from Earthworm Gods. Fans of Keene's The Rising series will find some fun world-building in these pages that The Rising and City of the Dead couldn't squeeze in. Some of the stories present a small, bloody vignette. Others, such as "The Viking Plays Patty Cake" provide a little more substance and even stand alone as short fiction. If you've consumed the other Rising entries and itch for more, you've got it here.
February 15, 2020
Great collection of short stories within the world of The Rising. From extreme horror to touching quiet moments. Keene based each story on a project backer and gives each tale its own voice. A great read for fans of the series.
July 19, 2017
A decent collection. Too many stories that were too short. I wish the notes had been included at the end of each story. Would have provided better context.
May 8, 2018
An excellent companion to the world of The Rising!!!
February 6, 2021
Contained herein are several zombie short stories. A few were good, one funny, and another not so much.
April 30, 2021
Numerous short stories only few pages each. Each story is unique interesting take on survival in different states or even countries. I loved every one.
March 4, 2023
I enjoyed this collection of short shorts set in the world of The Rising. Read fast with no shortness of entertainment value.
April 25, 2023
More in depth than the rising. A must read for all fans
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