The Headhunter: A Zombie Apocalypse Tale

by Saul W. Tanpepper

From the collection Shorting the Undead & Other HorrorsBilly Hawkins is consumed by a single, dark obsession - to find the monster who murdered his wife and take its head. But a year passes since the Zombie Uprising, and the world has become a brutally dangerous place, where the dead outnumber the living, where food is scarce, and where one false step could mean the end of everything.Accompanied by a preacher-turned-headhunter who tries to convince Bill that the Uprising was the Rapture and that their purpose is to now spread the Word, Bill loses his sense of purpose. Is he doing the right thing by seeking vengeance when he should be focusing on basic survival? Taking the head of the monster that killed his wife won't bring his beloved back. But what eats at him even more is not knowing if he has what it'll take when the time comes.Headhunter is a shocking short story with a nasty little twist.Recommended reading 15+Saul Tanpepper is a best-selling writer of short stories and novels of speculative fiction for the undead of all ages, including the collection, Insomnia and the post apocalyptic series, GAMELAND and BUNKER 12, as well as the international medical thriller, THE FLENSE. He lives in Northern California. Please visit him at his home on the tanpepperwrites.com.To receive updates on future releases, special pricing, exclusive giveaways, and more, subscribe to his newsletter tinyletter.com/SWTanpepper

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Zombies

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2011

About the author

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Saul is the specfic pen name of author Ken J. Howe, who writes in a variety of genres. He is a retired biotech entrepreneur with a PhD in molecular genetics and is a former combat medic.

Reviews

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many instances, I can figure out the ending before the story gets there. Here, however, the author surprised me. An unexpected twist at the end that I did not see coming - way to go, Mr. Tanpepper!

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the interests of full disclosure: This book was provided to me free by the author. As the title indicates this is a zombie short, which I enjoyed very much.

The story begins with Bill Hawkins rising as the day ends. It turns out Bill has lost his wife to the Uprising and he is suffering from survivor's guilt. Bill's wife asked him with her dying breath to avenge her death; meaning find and behead the zombie/monster that killed her. Bill wakes up every night and tries to fulfill his vow.
I like the fact that the Uprising is not really explained in full. It is mentioned that it started with zombies coming from the river, but doesn't go into it much further. There are a few other mysteries which I won't get into here in attempt not to spoil anything for future readers.

I began to care for the characters very early on, and that, to me, is always a sign of good writing. There was a particular sentence that summed it up for me:
"In the end, though, they were both guilty of the same things: of trying to justify what they had become, of seeking redemption". It probably is rare to read the words zombie and redemption in the same sentence, but I liked it and I will look forward to

[PJ Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing.

I totally did not see that coming!
An intriguing story told from a very unusual aspect and executed really well. It turns many thoughts upside down.