This read like a series of sketches and vignettes. I didn't find it engaging. This book is just not for me. I enjoy flash fiction and short stories, but unfortunately, this little collection felt flat and repetitive. BTW, the first 20% is promotional material.
Probably best for the author's fans.
Thanks for the ARC for consideration.

(Rounded down from 4.5)

Do you want some no frills, no fuss, end of the world zombie action? This is for you! I haven’t read any of the books in The Rising series, and while I am sure that may give some extra bonus fun for those who have, I still had a great time with this short collection.

All you need to know is that whatever dies comer back, not a typical “must eat your brains” kind of zombie but a flesh suit possessed by some sort of demonic force, one that keeps the skills and memories of the host they reanimate, and instead of eating you they just want to kill you, as violently as possible. Other than that normal zombie rules apply, which is to say destroy the brain or these walking corpses will keep coming after you. In this world Keene has set a number of brief vignettes, and he gives us a whole array of characters and situations to spy on. Each story is self-contained (except for two at the end), and they are each a glimpse of how a different person or family might navigate this apocalypse. I don’t think it is much a spoiler to say most don’t navigate it well, but he manages to show different aspects of humanity across these characters. From hope to despair, from rage to love and kindness, our ill-fated characters get a moment to show what their humanity looks like in the face of unsurmountable odds, and it is a bloody delight to see the different places they go.

There is a bit of blood and gore, but nothing like the splatter that Keene seems to be just holding back from. I would have liked maybe a little more carnage, given the context. I also would have liked a little more diversity in characters and scenarios—while he did a good job of showcasing different responses and human impulses, a lot of the characters looked alike. Now, there is a good, self-selecting reason for that… This collection was a fundraiser to raise money for cancer treatments for his friend (and fellow horror author) Kristopher Triana’s dog. Keene auctioned off the chance to have a short story written about you in the world of The Rising, and this is the result. So, the type of people who enjoy Brian Keene’s particular flavor of horror, enough so that they would bid or purchase such an opportunity, and have the disposable income to do so, well that demographic may not be the broadest. But this collection is already really short, and to add in a half dozen other stories that weren’t based on real fans would have given a chance to diversify the cast.

That said, there was a lot of care in these stories. Many of the characters had just strange little random details about them, such as a jersey from a certain sports team, or a particular favorite band, and so on, that feel like they came from real people. It was actually really endearing, and it made every character feel genuine and real, because, well, they were, or at least very close to it. That isn’t to say he is gentle with these characters, he doesn’t provide a lot of space for gentility in this particular zombie apocalypse, but you can feel a fondness toward the characters. There is a level of sentimentality in just the way the characters are described and filled in that really makes these short stories stand out. There is not in the way of plot for most of these, nothing more than “survive another day.” What’s left is making these characters and their environments or situations feel real, enough so that we care about their deaths, and more importantly their lives. He definitely succeeds in doing that, enough so that I am excited to go back twenty (plus) years to when The Rising was published and read through the whole series, now.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Dead Sky Publishing / Death’s Head Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I suppose there's a perverse comfort in returning to Brian Keene's world of The Rising hot on the heels of Donald Trump's successful re-election bid. Like the 72 million American voters who opted to put a racist rapist, a domestic terrorist, a traitor and failed insurrectionist, and 34-time convicted felon back in the White House, The Rising is similarly populated by soulless ghouls driven solely by hate and the desire to destroy the world. Yes, it's a nihilistic escape, but, fuck it, at least it's an escape, and a reminder that no matter how bad the coming years will be -- and mark my words, they will be soul-crushingly bad and no doubt tragic, marred further still by a pervasive existential dread -- it could be even worse still. Even if only slightly... I mean, death by Elilum and the heat-death of the universe brought on by the invasion of Teraphim is actually looking pretty damn good right about now, if I'm being honest.

Yeah, I'm not feeling much in the way of hope in these dreary post-election 2024 days. Thankfully, Keene manages to eke out a few moments of heartfelt and sentimental moments at the end of days across the eleven short stories collected here in The Rising: More Selected Scenes From the End of the World. I have to admit, it's made for an awfully nice balm.

As he did with the previous volume of Selected Scenes, Keene takes a mosaic approach to crafting the stories herein, setting each of them, progressively, against the backdrop of the zombie apocalypse as established in his seminal novel The Rising and it's sequel, City of the Dead, and a smidge beyond. For those that haven't already, it is strongly encouraged you at least check out those two novels before plunging into either of the Selected Scenes books.

And like the previous volume, the stories here were made possible by Keene's biggest fans, who this time around donated money to help support Kristopher Triana's insanely costly vet bills after his dog, Bear, was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. Readers were able to join the fundraiser by donating to a tier to have Keene write a personalized short story in which they were the star, and those funds raised would go directly to paying for Bear's treatment. Keene contacted those individuals to learn a bit more about them and where they lived, as well as their pets in some instances, and crafted each story around them. In one such instance, it is the pet, a Chihuahua named Sophie, who stars as the central protagonist in "Sophie's Final Choice," which revolves around the animal coping with the looming death of her owner on the cusp of starvation.

Fair warning -- there are no happy endings in Keene's nightmarish scenarios. Sure, there are glimpses of happiness, moments of joy, even if short lived, but all in all it's pretty bleak fare. And even those few stories that do have what, for all intents and purposes, constitute a happy ending, well, it's gonna be awfully short-lived in the grand scheme of things. Ain't nobody nowhere safe!

As those familiar with The Rising mythos know, the zombie apocalypse kicks off in Pennsylvania and go global quickly thereafter, with both Scenes books providing a world tour of murder, heartbreak, and hopelessness. Oh yeah, and a bit of good, old fashioned human love and tenderness in those final moments, at least occasionally, and, unfortunately, not always reciprocated, because at the end of the day, love is all we have left, even if our significant other has been turned into a rotting, flesh-eating monstrosity who uses our love for them to cut us like a knife. But hey, that's life... and death. At least in The Rising.

[Blurb goes here]

The Rising: More Selected Scenes From the End of the World is a collection of short stories set in the post-apocalyptic world of the 'The Rising' crafted by author Brian Keene. The original book was credited with 'giving zombies an upgrade,' the upgrade being that the creatures act more like the possesed from 'The Evil Dead' than zombies.

Keene's talent as a writer is unquestionable, but unfortunately, this anthology falls short of expectations. I was hoping for deeply engaging characters with rich development, the kind you truly root for. Instead, the stories offer mainly flat, two-dimensional figures navigating familiar scenarios with predictable outcomes.

One story, for example, echoes Stephen King’s The Mist: a family trapped with a bleak choice, the father hell-bent on the ultimate sacrifice. While there are moments of intrigue, many of the stories feel like echoes of tales we’ve read before.

If you’re a die-hard fan of The Rising, it may still be worth exploring. But for those who seek something fresh and surprising, this one might be a skip.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

This was a pretty amazing book. Althogh a little too short. I love short stories set in an apocalyptic setting. I won't give any spoilers but you see some new zombie things you don't expect. I haven't read his entire series yet, only the first book the Rising. Keene is a super talented author. I will definitely be reading more of his work.

This is horror I love. Creeping into you but still gives you some sweetness and hope. Recommend! I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

I loved revisiting the Rising world. My fav story was about poor little Sadie. I’m always game for Keenes zombie world. And this one did NOT disappoint. It’s like crack; I want more and more and more.

While it was Stephen King books that started my love of horror books as a kid, it was authors like Brian Keene that reignited my love for both reading and horror. A friend in the horror book publishing world gifted me a Keene knowing my inclination toward fast zombies. The world of The Rising (of the Siqqusim) pulled me in and I never looked back. It’s a world filled with that tiny bit of hope in the face of moral corruption and inevitable despair.

“The Rising - More selected scenes from the end of the world” is a collection of short stories set in the world of The Rising. Here is what I didn’t know when I stumbled upon this on NetGalley…

🧟‍♀️ This collection came about in support of another author (Triana) whose dog (Bear) needed medical care. Each story stars the individual who purchased it (sometimes with their own pets) with all the funds going to Bears treatment. Pet love ❤️ x 100. Plus how freakin cool to open up a book by an author you love and see yourself set in the story!

It’s a short read of short stories, but I enjoyed them all. I like this world and I’m here for those little looks back into it. I wouldn’t start with this one, but if you read the others in the series and enjoy it, then add this on.

This was awesome! Short stories all set in the post apocalyptic zombie infested country. Some were hopeful, most were not (and I loved it).

3.5 stars rounded up for Bear.

The Rising: More Selected Scenes From the End of the World by Brian Keene is a collection of short stories set in the same universe as his famous "The Rising" series. Keene wrote these stories to help fund cancer treatment for Bear, a dear friend's dog. Each tale within stars the person who purchased an opportunity to try and survive the apocalypse or be brutally devoured by zombies.

This collection allows you to travel worldwide and witness how this apocalypse affects everyone differently. You witness love, loss, grief, survival, and many zombies.

I'll be honest in saying this is the first thing I've read by Keene, and maybe it wasn't the best choice. While I mostly enjoyed the stories, I couldn't stop thinking that I would appreciate them more if I had a better understanding of the universe. I kept wanting more, and I kept asking WHY. Needless to say, The Rising is now on my TBR list.

***A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book***
The more I read from Brian Keene, the bigger fan of his that I become. His style is extremely approachable, his characters are always interesting and his books are just plain fun to read. As soon as I saw that he had an upcoming release on NetGalley I smashed the request button and was lucky enough to get picked to read this title before the general public.

This is a collection of short stories based in the universe of his zombie series The Rising. I haven’t had a chance to read that specific series just yet, but I have read one of his other zombie novels so I knew what to expect going in. Even if you haven’t read any of The Rising books yourself, the author gives a quick breakdown of the series and its rules at the beginning of the book.

That all being said, this was an OK collection of zombie tales that range from just OK to great. It is a short read that I was able to finish in a little over a day’s worth of sporadic reading. This would be a perfect spooky season title to leave on your night table to finish a story or 2 at the end of the day. It was also written for a great charitable cause and the author inserted fan names into each story. I would recommend this to any horror fans, although I wouldn’t recommend this as a starter book for Brian Keene as he has much better stuff available out there.

It ain’t happy, the end of the world. It’s not fun. Brian Keene knows this, and he shows it to us in The Rising: More Selected Scenes from the End of the World. While it’s not fun, Keene does show us that it can contain some true joy…even if that joy is dark.

In the introduction, Keene tells the reader that these stories are the result of a fundraiser to save a friend’s dog. Readers could pay and have their names placed in tales set in Keene’s world of The Rising, a zombie apocalypse even darker than those of popular settings such as The Walking Dead or The Last of Us. In this world, there is no ultimate survival, just the struggle to hang on as long as possible before giving in to the inevitable. We find out while reading that animals come back as demon-possessed zombies, too. Eventually, even the bugs and trees get in on the action. The reader would be forgiven for thinking that such a group of stories would be entirely too dark to enjoy, but Keene makes it work, up to a point.

Most of these stories end in death, of course. They function mostly as character studies, and good ones at that. Keene has some good insights into what makes people tick, and a decidedly macabre sense of humor that will make you laugh from time to time as you read, even if you kind of hate yourself for doing it. At least one of the stories contained within has a happier ending, with a zombie slayer finding a dog (and a reason to keep living). The occasional flashes of triumph keep the whole thing from being too depressing to look at.

In the end, humanity loses. We overreached in our haste to control the universe and brought on our own doom. It’s the oldest trope in zombie fiction, and it’s a strong one. Keene doesn’t try to do much new in this collection, but that’s mostly because of the fund-raising nature of the work. Probably not for new readers, but if you’ve read previous tales set in this world, it’s worth reading this one, too. Just don’t expect the ending of the book to be as happy as the result of the fundraiser (the friend’s dog LIVES!)

I read Brian Keene’s zombie books when I was a freshman in high school. They changed my life. I became known as “The Zombie Girl” among my classmates. Who, by the way, didn’t get it at all.

Since then I’ve watched a major zombie craze come and go. I remain loyal to the community though. And I reread The Rising and City of the Dead often.

I was tickled pink when I discovered the opportunity to read and review this next chapter early! I loved reading about Bear’s story which pulled at Brian’s heart strings and led to this book. It’s such a cool idea to be able to put yourself into the book. I’m too terrified by these clever corpses though.

Super cool to see more about the next phase in the apocalyptic world. Definitely check out if you loved The Rising books. Thank you to NetGalley, Brian Keene, Charlie Benante, Dead Sky Publishing and Death’s Head Press. I have written this review voluntarily!

Brian Keene is a prominent voice in contemporary horror, celebrated for his elaborate narratives and psychological depth. His novel The Rising revitalized the zombie genre with fresh perspectives and compelling characters.

Keene's writing examines fear through a human lens, praising its honesty and terror. His series, such as "The Last Zombie" and "Clickers," highlight his versatility in blending horror with more profound themes. Critics recognize his transformative impact on the genre, making Keene's works essential reading for horror enthusiasts seeking thrilling and thought-provoking experiences!

Book Review: The Rising: More Selected Scenes From the End of the World
by Brian Keene, illustrations by Charlie Benante

Brian Keene's return to the world of The Rising with More Selected Scenes From the End of the World is a triumph for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series. Twenty years after the original The Rising revitalized the zombie genre, this collection of stories provides a fresh look into the apocalyptic landscape that Keene is known for, while maintaining the edge that made the series so iconic. Paired with striking illustrations by Charlie Benante of Anthrax, the book adds a new layer of visual storytelling that enhances the grim atmosphere.

What sets this collection apart from the typical zombie trope is Keene's unique ability to blend visceral horror with deeply human elements, turning the undead apocalypse into a multi-dimensional narrative. The short stories are not only terrifying, but also explore themes of survival, loss, and moral ambiguity. Whether set before or after the events of previous books in the series, each story adds depth to the overarching universe, giving readers more insight into the chaotic, hellish world Keene has created.

As someone who usually avoids zombie fiction, I found myself thoroughly impressed. The stories drew me in, making me eager to explore more of Keene's work. Unlike many zombie narratives that can feel repetitive, The Rising series, especially this collection, keeps the genre fresh by combining horror with thoughtful character-driven plots.

Keene’s writing feels purposeful and evocative, and Benante’s illustrations complement the stories perfectly, enhancing the gritty, raw tone of the book. For fans of horror who appreciate strong storytelling and fresh takes on familiar themes, The Rising: More Selected Scenes From the End of the World is a must-read. It has earned its place among the best of the genre, and I highly recommend it—whether you’re a diehard fan of the series or new to Keene’s work, there’s something here for everyone.

In short: Zombies just got another upgrade.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of very short stories,each just long enough to care about the characters before they were brutally killed,

Another great read from Brian Keene. These are all short short stories. Each was enjoyable, with great characters and stories. Always enjoy a new release from Brian Keene, #TheRising #NetGalley

This short collection of short stories set in Brian Keene's The Rising universe was an excellent addition to the mythos. Designed as a fundraiser for a fellow author's pooch, it does not disappoint. My favorites of the collection were Waiting For Infinity (the one that got it all started), Body Talk, and the 2 part Curtain Call (spiders and cockroaches, oh my). Highly recommended.

My thanks to Dead Sky Publishing, Brian Keene and Netgalley.
I should probably lie and tell y'all that I read this whole "short" thing.
Truth is that I think I wasted too much time in this crap.
Keene is one major reason why I love zombies. Now? This shit bored me to tears.
I have spent the last 20 to 30 years saving all of Keenes books. Period.
If you want better? Leave thus be. Its toothless.

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley. Keene's books are hit or miss for me. I loved his podcast and think he's a great champion for the horror genre, so I'm interested in reading more of his work. His seminal novel 'The Rising' is one of my least favorite of his novels that I've read so far, so maybe I should have known this collection wouldn't be for me. You'll probably enjoy this collection if you loved "The Rising'. I found most stories to be short and mostly forgettable. Keene is without a doubt a talented author and I will definitely check out more of his books.