An undead tale of manners. Zombies included.

The literary highlight this week is not a book signing or a comic book. It’s a book that, if it lives up to its awesome title, may be the coolest of the year. And this masterpiece is “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” It’s a wonder Jane Austen isn’t turning in her grave and then rising up out of it. This tongue-in-rotted-out-cheek tome is part horror, part homage to the classic “Pride and Prejudice,” starring the fiery Elizabeth Bennet. She meets the hoity-toity Mr. Darcy in this tale, too, but author Seth Grahame-Smith takes it much farther than Austen ever did. The plague is ripping through town, the dead start rising and they’ve got a craving for ye olde flesh, and Bennet becomes a one-woman zombie-killing machine. Boo yah! It’s seriously been a while since I’ve wanted to read anything this bad.

Politics and Prose downtown has two cool events later in the week. For the youngsters interested in mythology, Katherine Marsh will be stopping to chat about “The Twilight Prisoner,” sequel to “The Night Tourist,” at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. And NPR contributor Jonathan Goldstein is there at 7 p.m. Friday to promote his collection of witty reimaginings of ancient stories, “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible!”

Marvel Comics is offering up a slew of new goodness on Wednesday, starting with the debut of “All-New Savage She-Hulk.” This definitely looks like a change of pace from the Shulkie we’re used to — could this new She-Hulk be jonesing for a throwdown with the old one? Set in Prohibition-era Hell’s Kitchen, “Daredevil Noir” also premieres, and one can only hope it’s as well-done as “Spider-Man Noir” and “X-Men Noir.” “Dark Reign: Hawkeye” puts the focal point on Bullseye for a miniseries, as he tries to play good guy (it’s hard out there for a psychopath!). “Marvel Zombies 4″ continues the popular zombie version of the Marvel Universe, and because Wolverine has to be in EVERY comic, he’s getting yet another miniseries: “Wolverine: Weapon X.” (The good news: It’s penned by Jason Aaron!)

Favorite horror book — got one? Drop me some knowledge in the comments.

Tags: book signing, books, comics