In this 'Zombified' classic, Tom Sawyer still cons his pals
into helping him work on Aunt Polly's fence, but this time
he wants to sharpen the tops of the planks into stakes
rather than put a coat of whitewash on them. I'm of the
opinion that no one can be another Mark Twain, but Borchert
manages to maintain Twain's Missouri flavor while adding the
undead "Zum" into his take on this boyhood
classic.
The author has done a nice job of weaving in the Zum without
altering the storyline until it's unrecognizable. Unlike
some of the other ultra-contrived 'Zombified' and 'Vampired'
classics available, this one reads well. The undead join
Twain's established characters without obscuring the core
story. In fact, the two worlds fit like a hand in glove.
Tom Sawyer's highjinks make for a good read any time, and
adding the undead 'Zum' into the mix added a macabre twist
or three heightening the adventure; making it a book I
couldn't put down until I finished the final page. THE
ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER AND THE UNDEAD is a pleasant
surprise, and among the best of the new sub-genre of
classics-melded-with-horror humor. Unlike some of the other
authors, Don Borchert didn't attempt to hit us over the head
with "isn't this hilarious" and "aren't I clever" writing.
He respected the bones Mark Twain laid out when he wrote the
original, and simply added to them. A great weekend read.
Taking Twain's original coming-of-age classic, Borchert
has infused it with a taste of the macabre, as the world
has been overrun by a Zombie epidemic, and the South has
been dubbed Zum. Illustrations.
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