Dying to Live

Kim Paffenroth
Permuted Press (2007)
ISBN 9780978970734
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (7/07)


In "Dying to Live," zombies have overtaken the cities and are infecting and killing much of the population.  Jonah Caine has been on his own for months trying to avoid becoming their victim and therefore adopts a "kill or be killed" attitude.  While he struggles with the situations of killing a child or elderly person who has done nothing to deserve the fate of having been infected, he realizes he must literally fight for his own survival.  Eventually, Jonah is rescued from the streets by a group of uninfected humans and tries to integrate himself into their society.  As he listens to their stories of survival, he learns that he truly is not alone in the world.

Science fiction enthusiasts will enjoy this book, as will readers who like action and gore.  (I found the descriptions a little too graphic at times.)  Author Kim Paffenroth utilizes an odd mix of characters to address several social and ethical issues.  He explores how long-term isolation from other humans mentally affects people and the difficulties they encounter upon being reintegrated into society.  He also questions whether the zombies should be considered bad because they have no conscious control over their actions.  Indeed, there are worse-behaved humans in this book who can control their actions but choose to do evil.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book.  I really liked how it ended because it shows that peaceful coexistence is possible if people are willing to put in the effort to find a solution instead of just wanting to harm others.  The one part that did not make much sense to me was having the people undergo the initiation rite of entering the city to obtain luxury items for their fellow residents.  The danger was too great and the risk was unnecessary.

"Dying to Live" emphasizes the importance of rising up and working together to overcome a problem.  People from different backgrounds (an English professor, a street kid, and a dance instructor among others) can find common ground to achieve short-term survival and long-term prosperity as long as everyone participates and accepts his role in the new society.  Necessity inspires creativity which leads to growth and change.

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