I found this book to be quite amazing. Though a bit short, the collection of short stories set in an apocalyptic world is captivating. Without giving away any spoilers, the author introduces some unexpected twists to the zombie genre that kept me engaged. While I haven't read Brian Keene's entire series yet, only the first book, "The Rising," I can already see his talent shining through. Keene's ability to weave engaging narratives and create memorable characters is commendable. This collection has definitely piqued my interest, and I'll be diving into more of his works soon. I highly recommend it for those in search of creative and entertaining zombie tales. Solid 4 stars

**RELEASE DAY REVIEW**

THE RISING: MORE SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD
By: Brian Keene
Release: 1/28/25
Page count: 118
KU: No Hoopla: Yes

Synopsis: A new collection of short stories from THE RISING universe. Poignant and heartbreaking to gory and familiar.

First line: “Mount Rushmore was speaking in tongues.”

Favorite line: “One of his exes had once described him as ‘not exactly suicidal but wouldn’t rush to get out of the way of an oncoming car.’”

Thoughts: This is my first book of Keene’s short stories or novels. Even without reading THE RISING, the reader can understand and empathize with this new world. And ignore anything bad you have been told about zombies; Keene’s is far scarier.

There wasn’t a story less than five stars for me. But my Top Five were: Waiting for Infinity, Body Talk, Plan D, Watching it Burn, and Wasted Time.

Rating: 6/5

Other recommendations: THE RISING, SIXTY-FIVE STIRRUP IRON ROAD

DEAD SKY Publishing

I'm an avid zombie story reader. If it has zombies, I must read it. I'm also a fan of Bruan Keene.

So, when I saw this collection, I had to read it. I read it all in one day.

An outstanding collection of short stories about the end of the world. From human zombies to mosquito zombies. Each story is a small snippet of a person's struggles during the apocalypse. Highly entertaining and expertly written.

#NetGalley #TheRising

The Rising: More Selected Scenes From The End Of The World
By Brian Keene

“Dead meat was for eating, not walking.”

Ahh!! This is such a fun collection! I’ll start off by saying that I’m not typically a zombie person when it comes to books, but Keene nailed it! I haven’t read the books in The Rising series, and you certainly don’t need to for this collection, but I’ll definitely be going back and reading them now.

There’s 10 short stories and all easy to binge in one sitting. Each one is unique and not your typical zombie story. I did think it would be more splatter-y, but quite frankly, I’m glad it wasn’t. And it didn’t need to be. It’s amazing as is, and I can see why he’s so beloved in the community.

This book releases on the 28th and absolutely gets a huge recommendation from me!

*ARC came from Netgalley

This is Brian Keene's second collection of short stories taking place in the world of his novels "The Rising" and "City of the Dead," an original take on the zombie trope that inspired works such as Kirkman's The Walking Dead and Outcast. The twist lies in the combination of zombies and demon possession: as shown in "The Rising," a high physics experiment breaks down the barriers between Earth (not exactly our Earth) and other dimensions, allowing demon-like entities, the Siqqusim, to enter the human world and possess the dead. The whole series (about five books so far, two novels, two collections, one novella) reads like one of those utterly shocking The Walking Dead episodes, where things keep getting worse and worse with no happy end in view, until something really horrible happens, and you have to rethink your investment in the whole thing lol! The series is, in other words, character-driven and emotionally heavy, building on relationships, friendships, traumatic losses and unpredictable turns of events.

The "Scenes" collections are an entertaining series of shorts and vignettes where characters from both books appear in cameos, the central figures however being people who actually paid to lend their names and personal details to star in the stories. The "More Scenes" collection (the one under review) includes people's pets as well, so it's no wonder that one of the stories ("Sophie's Final Coice") has a doggie starring and is actually told from the dog's point of view. Thankfully, this does not imply that included in the gore and the ugly twists will be animal abuse or anything similar; Keene knows better than going for some such cheap gimmick, preferring to highlight instead the relationship between pets and/or animals and owners. On the other hand, unfortunately according to the broader story, next to dead people the Siqqusim also possess dead animals, and this makes for some harrowing scenes of gore and anxiety. Not to mention that after the Siqqusim, you get the Elilum possessing plants and insects (so expect mosquito attacks, spiders and roaches), and finally the Teraphim burning the Earth to a cinder. So this is literally a collection about the end of the world, period.

It's worth emphasizing that this is not your run-of-the-mill zombie fiction: Keene's stories feel real and all the more terrifying for bringing in elements from a wide variety of themes and settings (e.g., military: "Waiting for Infinity," the opening story, the only one not starring a real person, a story that has in fact already appeared in a similar form in the Author's Preferred Edition of "The Rising"; or urban horror: "Nembrotto"; jungle horror: "Gorehog"; and so on). "More Selected Scenes From the End of the World" also includes Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante's artwork, and the stunning cover is Wes Benscoter’s, famous for his heavy metal albums cover art. And the Edition's proceeds benefitted Kristopher Triana's dog Bear when she got sick.

Highly recommended for people who have at least some familiarity with the Rising world, but also for those who prefer their zombie fiction thoughtful, emotionally heavy, and as realistic as possible.

These 10 short stories were written to help fund cancer treatment for Kristopher Trianas’ dog, Bear. Each story stars a person that bought them and then all the funds went to Bear’s treatment. The stories are light, fun, zombie stories I would read to my teenage kids. The majority of stories involve animals, reptiles, and insects. One story is even narrated by a dog. My favorite story was one with a man with a Corgi named Hannibal, who shared a birthday with Joey Ramone. This was my first book read by Brian Keene, and I know plan on reading The Rising books along with his other work. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for some quick fun zombie stories featuring nonhuman zombies. Book will be published January 28, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the ARC.

I've been a long time fan of Brian Keene's writing. Back in the summer of 2008, I was gifted a box (yes, an entire box) of his works by a dear friend. She told me to trust her, and that I'd want all of these readily available once I finished "The Rising".. and she was right. Keene's writing was my first introduction to books outside of school that I could read for pure enjoyment, and also the only horror book that scared me so badly that I slept with the lights on.

This book is a fantastic companion to the the original books of the series. This is a no frills, no overly flowery, no-nonsense form of storytelling that makes it easy for a reader of any level to jump into. The greatest tragedy for the characters in this book is simply their passing thoughts in this world that has become their new normal, however temporary that is. I thought the addition of Charlie Benante's art was a sick touch.

If you've been a fan of this world for the last two decades, that fact will hold true with this little collection of stories.

Brian Keene never fails to deliver a rad story! I absolutely loved reading this collection of shorts. I haven’t read The Rising since it was published, so this was a great step back into a world I really missed! Not just zombies, but zombie animals and bugs?! It’s the ultimate in nightmare fuel. (I say this as I’m in Mexico getting swarmed by mosquitos). I couldn’t help but think of that every time one of the little bas——s stung me. And as for the art work, so perfect! Sophia is definitely my favorite. I love it when the dog lives, and she’s a rad little pupper! An excellent collection, especially if you’re a fan of this world!

Huge thanks to Dead Sky Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Brian Keene’s The Rising: More Selected Scenes From The End Of The World offers a fresh and original take on the zombie genre, blending horror, science fiction, and existential dread into a series of interconnected short stories. While the creativity and unique approach to the virus progression stand out, the brevity of the stories—many spanning only 5–10 pages—left me wanting more. This format often made it difficult to emotionally invest in the characters or experience meaningful development, as just when a story began to draw me in, it ended.

That said, Keene’s vision of zombies as something more sinister and intelligent than the genre’s traditional shambling corpses is fascinating. The virus and its effects on humanity feel well thought out, and I appreciated the variety of perspectives and settings presented throughout the book. These diverse points of view brought a richness to the world, though I found myself wishing for stronger connections between the narratives to create a more cohesive overall story.

Despite these critiques, The Rising has piqued my interest in the larger series. While I haven’t read any other installments, this collection has intrigued me enough to explore more of Keene’s work and uncover how these stories might fit into the broader universe. Fans of inventive and fast-paced zombie fiction will find much to appreciate here, even if the format might leave some readers, like myself, wishing for deeper immersion.

Rating: 3.5/5

I want to thank NetGalley, Dead Sky Publishing, and Brian Keene for sending me a free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

A collection of short (very short!) stories that continue Keene’s The Rising world.

Although short, they are perfectly formed with care and consideration given. Never one to shy away from the inevitable outcome, this author has the zombie genre sussed!

A classic!

Thank you NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing.

That was AWESOME.

What a great way to return to the world of THE RISING. This felt like classic Keene from start to finish. I really loved most of these stories.
My favorites were:
"What Doesn't Die"
"Wasted Time"
"Body Talk"
"Bunker Hill"
and
"Nembrotto"

I read this short collection in one sitting, so I did get a wee bit of zombie fatigue during the last few stories, but that definitely wouldn't stop me from 5 starring this one.

If you haven't read Keene before, this would be a neat introduction.
I loved every gory second. Keene is a legend.

I give THE RISING: More Selected Scenes from the End of the World 5 stars!

This novel is meant to be a companion piece to its original novel, which I have never read. That being said this book sounded interesting enough, and I figured was a good way to get a glimpse of this zombie universe that the author has created. The novel is set in a world that has been taken over by this virus, that seems to kill individuals who then come back zombies. It's something we've all seen before but the author steps it up a notch by making it so that this virus affects anything, hence the insect swarm scene.

I thought adding that dynamic to the story made it more interesting, if not adding a layer of difficulty to the character's survival. There are many scenes in this book where the zombie people and animals are described in gruesome ways, which adds that body horror aspect I enjoy. Picturing myself in a world like this was genuinely scary, especially with all the undead animals so kudos to the author. Maybe its because these all seem to be short scenes, but none of the characters were really memorable.

Besides enjoying the gruesome bits, none of the characters really stood out to me and I wasn't a fan of the dialogue between them. Besides zombies who are still able to talk and use weapons not sure what the plot was here. 3 stars as it wasn't terrible but I don't see myself going out of my way to dive back into this universe.

A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
The Rising: More Selected Scenes From The End Of The World by Brian Keene
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

- What corrupted flesh is living within the walls of Observation Room Number Six? There lies within, is the darkest of what nightmares are made of.

- Through the eyes of a Chihuahua, who sees its master has become infected. Not only does it sense the oozing smell of death, it also comprehends…meat isn’t suppose to get up and walk around after it was dead.

- A family attempts to flee their home in search for a safer haven. As a new undead threat is newly discovered, the family realizes they have just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The Rising: More Selected Scenes From The End Of The World is the seventh book to take place within the setting of The Rising by Brian Keene. A husband and wife searching for sanctuary from undead insects to a plane crash where survivors possess post traumatic stress minus the post, Keene’s undead franchise continues. However this time, the level of decay comes in the form of short stories that qualify as an instant mind-blowing must read.

Brian Keene’s Introduction on how this collection of reanimated stories came to be is pretty amazing in and of itself. He allows the readers to witness the end of the world not only through the eyes of the uninfected but other life-forms as well. From a pandemic to something more supernatural, Keene keeps it real by providing that good ole gore and disturbing cannibalism. He also brings an unusual look into murderous corpses by way of buzzing flies, undead cockroaches and tens of thousands of centipedes.

I honestly can’t get enough of these “the dead began slaughtering the living” books. Somehow Brian Keene always finds a way to bring new ghoulish blood to his “when the world went to shit” crises. As I give this an enjoyable five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation, I can hear pounding at the door and the smell of decay while I am boarding up my windows and doors.

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and Death's Head Press for an advanced copy of this short story collection, in exchange for an honest review.

I read a couple of Brian Keene's books from The Rising series way back when I was in high school, and it was around the time my love and obsession with zombies started. I was extremely excited to discover that he created this book of short stories from the same world.

What I loved most about this one was that all of these stories, as short and abrupt as some of them were, was that they were all interconnected. They all took place around the same time, with different characters in different locations, so it still felt like it was part of a bigger storyline and not just random zombie stories. I thought it was clever. I also loved how it escalated from the zombies we learned about earlier on in the series, to all of the creepy-crawly bugs being impacted and unable to die. A new fear was unlocked for me! It was disturbing and bleak and left me scratching my body, trying to rid myself of the invisible bugs.

I would also like to note that I thought his dedication of this book to Kristopher Triana and his late dog was incredibly sweet and thoughtful. As a dog lover and owner, I know the devastating pain and loss you feel when these amazing animals pass on. Some of the stories including dogs were some of my favorites in this collection.

I will definitely be recommending this collection to anyone who loves The Rising series and to anyone with a fear of bugs.

"Now, as the stench of the crowd below wafted up to him, he saw just how futile such an attempt would have been. Descending from the balcony would be like dropping into a meat grinder or a swimming pool filled with ravenous piranha." -Body Talk


3.7✨🧟🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️


Author Brian Keene dedicated this short story collection to author Kristopher Triana and his dog named Bear.
"we offer a bunch of brand-new short stories that take place in that setting. Each story would star the person who purchased it, and all of the funds would go to Bear’s treatment."
The purpose or intent of creating this follow up volume for Bear's benefit is really admirable, moving and heart-warming. Sadly, Bear crossed the rainbow bridge year 2023. 🌈😞
Haven't read any of The Rising series/franchise yet but looking forward to starting pretty soon .

Thanks to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily .Expected Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024 🖤

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.