Ep. #524: Mayor Eric Garcetti, Max Brooks

World War Z is an apocalyptic horror novel that presents a series of interviews conducted by a fictionalized version of the author, Max Brooks, a decade after the end of the Zombie War. The book chronicles the outbreak of the zombie pandemic, which begins in China and quickly spreads globally, causing widespread chaos and the collapse of global order. The narrative includes accounts from various individuals around the world, highlighting the desperate struggle for survival, the failures and successes of different countries' responses, and the eventual reclaiming of the planet through a combination of military strategies and societal changes. The novel comments on themes such as government ineptitude, survivalism, and the human condition in the face of catastrophic events.

Devolution is a blend of horror and survival narrative, set in the aftermath of a Mount Rainier eruption. The story follows Kate Holland's account of the Greenloop massacre, where residents face a terrifying predator. The novel explores themes of resilience and the boundaries between truth and fiction.