The Changed

Burrow’s debut is a swift-moving, pathos-free, creatively amusing riff on zombies from the zombie perspective. On a day like any other, the newly dead just stop dying, and the world learns that zombie movies have gotten everything wrong. Christian Scott and his fiancée, Erin, have uncomfortable run-ins with the zombies, who call themselves “changed”; then Christian joins their ranks, as does Erin’s favorite shock jock, Nicholas Buckman. Disturbed that the living can call the military in to flambé any of the changed for any reason, Christian and Nicholas decide to start their own political party. While running for senator, Christian must constantly duck his gun-toting father’s attempts to put him down. In hilarious interludes, Paula Dean cooks a zombie fish and Elmo reconciles with a zombie Zoë on Sesame Street . The prose styling is nonexistent, but there’s plenty of charm. (Dec.)