There are certain movies in which I don’t need an excuse to pop on, but it’s always good when I do have a reason. Prior to diving into Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World by Daniel Kraus, I wanted to get a slight refresher on the George A. Romero film Night of the Living Dead, and again, it was a joy. What was even more of a joy was reading the breakdown of the film, interspersed with tidbits about Kraus’s life as well as learning more about Romero along the way.
Daniel Kraus first saw George A. Romero‘s Night of the Living Dead when he was five years old. Through watching it approximately three hundred times since, Kraus discovered the many ways the film is tied to his childhood trauma and how its influence has carried into his adulthood. He couldn’t help but wonder: Are there other admirers of the film out there who feel the same?
Partially Devoured uses a frame-by-frame deep dive into Night of the Living Dead to produce a kaleidoscopic cultural investigation of the film’s importance and to examine the author’s early life of rural isolation and local violence.
Careening from film analysis to rabbit-hole tangents, Partially Devoured will take readers from screaming laughter to the depths of grief, all while illustrating how a beloved genre film has woven itself into so many facets of our lives.
Now, Night of the Living Dead is a classic horror film, the birthplace of the modern zombie, and one of my favorite films. There is so much to love about the movie, even if there are small things to pick apart. The decisions and direction Romero takes when making the film is what makes the story so special and set us up for many of the zombie tales we have today. Not to mention, the impact it has made on many creators lives including the author of Partially Devoured, Daniel Kraus.
I have been lucky enough to have a relationship with Kraus for a couple years now, after discussing books and comics on our podcast we worked together on a beer collaboration with my brewery (Orono Brewing) and his release of Whalefall in 2023. This allowed me to bring Daniel to Bangor, Maine and get to know the author a bit. However, it was reading Partially Devoured where I learned so much more.
I knew Kraus had an affinity for Romero, having collaborated and completed two of his unfinished novels (The Living Dead and Pay the Piper), as well as knowing his favorite film was Night of the Living Dead. What I didn’t know was how much the classic film had impacted his upbringing and the path he took in life to now writing bestselling novels and comics.
Getting the chance to learn more about a film you love and the creator who made it is something that I will always enjoy. Knowing more behind the scenes mysteries as well as how the movie got made is a true joy. But learning said things while also getting to know one of your favorite authors at the same time was even more joyous.
Kraus breaks down Night of the Living Dead like I have never seen someone breakdown a film. Getting to know more about the scenes, how they were setup, equipment used, and music attached in such a deep dive. Not to mention the rough path the film has had to take over the years with copyright issues and more. However, it’s the connection to Kraus’s life as well as Romero’s life that truly made me want to continue turning the page.
Kraus crafts this book in a way that is captivating pushing the nerdy deep dive into the filmmaking just to the point where it might overwhelm to then switch to a personal reflection or connection to later years in the Night universe. It’s amazing storytelling.
Partially Devoured is Daniel Kraus’s love letter to Night of the Living Dead and its creator, but it’s also a memoir of sorts on the life of the New York Times bestselling author himself. You can feel the joy Kraus had in creating this book and sharing both is knowledge gained from researching the movie, but also the connection to his personal life all the way to working on projects that include George A. Romero’s name. While yes, this book is for those fans of Night of the Living Dead, but it’s just as much for those who enjoy Kraus’s stories and the man who has written them.
Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World hits bookstores everywhere on March 10, 2026 from Counterpoint Press.
