ZGG Review: Ora et Labora et Cetera

Another idea for gift giving is something new media-ish. One of the most recent ideas is the revival of a classic idea--the serial drama. But instead of a TV or radio show, this drama is told in letters. Like you get in the mail. Who doesn't love getting mail? Not junk mail of course; this is the sort of mail you can't wait to open and consume. I wire of none other than the fabulous Ora et Labora et Zombies.

Here's an update on the Louisiana survivors of a zombie outbreak. The story is moving quickly along with the same high level of good writing, good storytelling, and good characters. Our hero Tom has followed his emergency plan and taken his young son to a nearby monastery. His wife is out of town on business but he hopes to be reunited. He writes letters about what is happening, which is what readers get in the mail. The monastery has been more or less secured and they've gone on their first rescue mission, which, like all rescue missions, has gone awry with dramatic results. The coolest thing about my latest letters from Ora et Labora is that my sister bought them for my birthday, and the first such letter included this note:

Some of you young readers out there may not recognize what the note is written on. In the past libraries used cards to stamp the due date of a book during check out. These are getting pretty rare with bar codes and on-line library accounts. I think it's really cool.

So another gift idea for Christmas is to buy someone a set of letters! If they haven't started yet, you can buy the first six letters which will come as a set and you will have that person thankful and hooked on the series!

Other new media-type zombie stories to consider for giving:

• We're Alive, a serial audio drama that just finished season 3 and will conclude in season 4. Seasons 1 and 2 are available through iTunes or Amazon as downloads or as CDs, and would make a good gift.
• The Zombie Hunters, an online comic that I've just started and will review sooner or later. Read it online or check their store on how to get physical copies.
• Zombie Ranch, another online comic that I recently found out about and am catching up with. Read it here or check out their store here for physical copies and other swag.