Zombie Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story

by Ian McClellan

Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is a zombie tale with a political background story -- not from a left- or right-minded perspective, but from that of an average American who feels left behind by the system. It is the tale of a regular guy -- an unemployed factory worker -- in the first days of the end of the world, a time in which the ways of doing things have become muddled between pre- and post-apocalypse. It may not be too late to save humanity, but any progress that is made gets sidetracked by the failings of the media and politicians, religious fanatics, left-wing zealots, right-wing zealots, political correctness, and bureaucracy. Will divisiveness and the failed policies of our past doom us in the future? Yes, but at least there will be some laughs along the way.

I've always been a huge fan of the horror genre and the zombie sub-genre in particular. However, one thing always bothered me about zombie films. I believed that if such events were to take place, government agencies would step in and contain the situation before it reached apocalyptic proportions. After paying a little closer attention to politics in recent years, I now wonder how my garbage gets collected every week. The idea for this story occured to me as I watched a congressman argue that cuts needed to be made in some program (Social Security or N.P.R. or something along those lines) in order to fund aid to a community that had been devastated by a natural disaster. I wondered what he would do if the dead began to rise. I set out to write a short story with this idea in my head (I've written quite a few, and may publish a collection of them next) but just couldn't ever seem to stop writing.

Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is 280 pages long. It contains a decent amount of carnage, a few curse words, and some innuendo, but no sex.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Satire, Fiction

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2012

About the author

I was born in a small harbor town in southwest Ireland. In an effort to be cliche my parents moved the family to New York when I was thirteen. Once a promising up-and-comer in the world of competitive eating, my career was cut short by an ACL injury. I now reside in Florida with my dogs and drive a truck for a living, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping my writing career will earn me enough money that I can tell my boss where to stick it.
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/politicalhorr...
Writer for Zombie Guide Magazine- https://www.facebook.com/online.zombi...

Reviews

[Cedric Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, full review, no spoilers. "Zombie Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story"(ZA 2012), by Ian McClellan.

The moment I started reading ZA 2012, I was struck by the author's "voice". McClellan is unique in his gnarly prose, but also bears similarities to Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey in his ability to intermingle political satire and twisted humor in the skein of his story.

The protagonist, (whose name does not really matter, according to the protagonist)is thrust into the Zombie Apocalypse with a visit from a neighbor. It is not a friendly visit! The Zombies are not slow, shambling creatures. Nor are they as weak as water. NOPE!

These Zombies are fast and strong, and HUNGRY for long-pork!

There is one line in his book that will NOT leave my brain alone. There is an ambush, and one character makes an observation which I found so funny that I nearly swallowed my own tongue laughing when I read it.

The character says, "In America, even our Zombie Epidemic has an obesity epidemic!" In context it will crack your ass!

All I can say about this book, without giving anything away, is that it is a one of a kind thrill ride through most of the possibilities of what a Zombie Apocalypse would really bring to us. Political corruption and inaction, individual heroism, cowardice, violence, madness, predation, and alcohol abuse! This is not just for Zombie enthusiasts. This book has action, satire, and wit! Excellent read, Mr. McClellan, and a wicked-assed ending!

I gave this book 5 Stars because McClellan wrote a 5 Star book! Plus, he managed to surprise me a couple of times! I look forward to reading any book this author throws down!

[Shellody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was fantastic. Incredibly funny and smart. Here's the thing, I'm not into the zombie craze--at all. I picked it up on a friend's suggestion. I loved it, however, and read it in an afternoon.

How is this possible? First of all, I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. Second, the zombies are hardly the primary focus of the story. Imagine a zombie episode of The Simpsons (ok, there might be one, but I haven't watched TV in forever--don't judge me). But, what I mean is, it's really about the ridiculous society we're currently living in. The sarcasm is hilarious, and nothing is spared.

Political, social, and marital issues are all fair game in this story. And it's done with humor and grace. Give this book a try, you won't regret it. Besides, at this price, what have you got to lose?

[J. Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ian McClellan has such a witty writing style, and the main character, Lance, is hilarious. He’s an unemployed factory worker who struggles to survive the wrath of the zombies. Unfortunately for Lance, the people who live in his town aren’t terribly intelligent. The first day of the zombie apocalypse is a rough one for Lance. His wife leaves him, the boy next door attacks him, his truck is stolen, and he becomes deathly ill. Not a great day for Lance! On the bright side, he gets to team up with his friend Larry to take a trip to the CDC. They want to help find a cure for the zombie virus, but they’re not afraid to enjoy a few beers along the way.

The best part of Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story isn’t the plot, although the story is wonderfully original. The best part of McClellan’s book is the pithy dialogue. The author pulls the reader right into the story with his humor, and it had me turning pages like a bat out of hell, just to find out what Lance was going to say next. You rarely find a book that you wish would never end, but this is one of those extraordinary novels that’s so enjoyable that you’re sad when it’s over.

Zombie Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is one of the few books that I’ve read twice. I only reread books when they’re very special. If you haven’t read this book yet, do yourself a favor and download it now. It’s only 99 cents on Kindle (a bargain for such a fantastic book).

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I purchased this book you heard the word 'sequester' no less than 10,000 times on all the networks, so I figured hey this would be a good weekend read. And I was right, this was a great read. This book made me laugh out loud several times. Although, the humour didn't make this book any less serious as to what would happen if the dead started to rise and we had a budget crises (that simply didn't matter anymore).
What I appreciated the most in the story is that the narrator is a regular guy with same issues, emotions, and nutters (those crazy people on Facebook who you want to unfriend/block but it's to much of a train wreck to look away) in his life that we all have.

[Netanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

First paragraph:
It didn't happen overnight like it did in The Dawn of the Dead. Nobody got off work, went home, fell asleep, and woke up to a neighborhood full of zombies, but we were all caught off guard just the same. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, the week or so that it took for the world as we all knew it to end wasn't a lot of time. Still, no one really saw it happening as it did, but we might have if we'd been paying attention.

An average American, Lance the exterminator, tries to get to the CDC during the ZA. Along the way, he encounters all of the craziness that makes our political and social landscape so uniquely insane - left wing politicians, right wingers, survivalists, bureaucrats, religious nuts, mildly retarded citizens, extremely retarded citizens. Packs of zombie monkeys - no wait, the correct phrase is packs of zombie chimpanzees. A master of sarcastic wit, Lance's dealings with the living and the undead had me smiling, smirking, chortling, and at one point, choking on my drink in mid-laughter.

A must read for any fan of political humor or zombie good times.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I'm all zombied out. I wasn't looking for yet another zombie book but this one caught my eye and I'm glad it did. It was engaging from the first page and held my interest all the way through. It's a quick read and quite funny along the way. I'll give it 4 stars although if I were a liberal, I'd probably give it 5 stars...read it to see what I mean lol.

[Ian McClellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now available for all e-readers through Smashwords and in print through Amazon.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun read about a guy named Lance trying to make it to the CDC while making hilarious social and political commentary.

[kylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love an interesting take on the usual zombie fare and I’ll be the first to read or watch anything in hopes of finding those little differences that make me sit back and go, “Oh… that’s new.” Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is a mouthful of a title, but a surprisingly quick read. It delivers some interesting zombies, but ultimately falls short of being considered “a political horror story” in my mind.

We’re introduced to a narrator named Lance, who rightfully asserts that his name is not really all that important in the grand scheme of things. Lance was a blue collar worker who’d recently been handed a pink slip, allowing him to be at home to witness the media blitz that kicked off the start of the apocalypse. He’s married to that one Facebook friend you have who is always posting things like, “9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB!!!” and, “OBAMA’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS A FAKE!!!” To the author’s credit, her mentions of death panels and insinuating Obama is a foreigner are downplayed by the narrator as “conspiracy crap.”

His brother, a police officer in their small Americana town, is the one who ultimately tips him off to ready like a prepper and soon after he has to kill his first zombie, one of his neighbors, Mrs. Jensen. His wife – the good God-fearing woman that she is – goes off to church and her obvious demise. Lance kills a few more of his neighbors and friends, teams up with Larry, a man his wife never let him be friends with, and tries to make it to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta with a few bumps along the way. There, bureaucracy and favoritism plague Lance, ending the book somewhat ambiguously.

I appreciated the recognition of his neighbors, his friends, and the internal struggle he had with killing a few, as well as his pessimistic attitudes – God rest their idiot souls. This would probably be the reaction I would have to zombies I recognized (right before being eaten alive I’m sure). Nestled in the “fast zombie” category, they also came with an increased physical strength and maintained a surprisingly amount of mental facilities. One zombie even managed to retch up its spoils after being kicked in the stomach. They cowered at guns, attempted to hide and set traps, and seemed to recognize a larger threat when crazed zombie monkeys made an appearance. The interactions with the zombies were hands down the most interesting part of the book.

What was less interesting was the shtick that the book was sold under – the politics. Both sides get a little bit of ribbing with the aforementioned conspiracy theorists. There’s some mention of Nancy Pelosi blaming the Republicans and an Obama press conference that reads exactly like a Saturday Night Live skit. Couple that with the fact that the reader never really gets to see how this treading water and finger pointing directly affects Lance and you can see how the politics fall a little bit flat here. It’s true that, in dealing with the CDC, Lance runs into the bureaucratic red tape that almost gets him killed, but that’s more a one-person-rules-all scenario and less of a result of Washington legislating him to death.

While reading through Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story, I couldn’t help but pull comparisons from other zombie works. The fast zombies of 28 Days Later, the political machinations explored in World War Z (the book), and the camouflaging found in World War Z (the movie) – though, technically, I think the author beat out the movie. It’s also heavily reliant on the times. I can’t say that I’d find the same tongue-in-cheek humor about death panels and Obama the socialist to be funny – or even relevant – once Obama is out of office.

If there ever came a time for a sequel, I’d be happy to see more exploration of the “rules” of this zombie world – how the sentient zombies have adapted to this new world – but I’d also like to see either less politics or a more direct correlation between Washington piddling around and the common man. To sell the book under politics was a mistake, perhaps selling it as “a blue collar horror story” would have been a more apt title.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

Zombie Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story by Ian McClellan is a very clever adult fiction novel that satirizes the current issues found in the U.S. government. Witty, intelligent, and all around entertaining, this zombie read is a great commentary on today’s society, plus, it has zombies—which is awesome.

Lance, the protagonist, isn’t your typical hero. He’s imperfect, has an annoying wife, and unwillingly becomes this stories potential saviour. What I found interesting about Lance was how detached he was from his world and how his wife was the complete opposite. She has radical ideas of the government that aren’t exactly pleasant—which reminded me of the super anti-government citizens that are often mentioned in the news, while Lance is indifferent. I found that Lance grew in his political views as the story progressed because when the world is threatened, does it really matter who is in charge or not? McClellan shows the absurdity of the government by placing it in the most extreme situation, so that their usual ideas, responses, and actions look completely ludicrous.

The satire was so blatantly obvious that it was hilarious. It also made the story flow well and since it was entertaining, the pages flew by. I’ve never read a zombie novel like this one, where the result of the zombie plague is explored from both a political and survival point of view. The humour comes from the ridiculous comments made by characters who focus more on the government’s potential involvement with the end of the world, than the fact that their world is ending.

McClellan creates a post-apocalyptic world that is more accurate than other zombie worlds I’ve read about. For example, the fact that there should be a lot of flies to swarm over the dead and the overpowering stench of decay are often ignored in horror novels. The effect is both realistic and traumatizing because it takes away the romantic notion of what the end of the world could represent for us.

I recommend this one to readers who like witty novels set in a less than desirable environment. If you like satirical horror stories full of social commentary and a less than typical protagonist, then you’ll like this one!

[Antony Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

From AntonySimpson.com:

McClellan shows great promise with his first book: Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story. It’s a story about a zombie apocalypse in the USA, told through the perspective of an ordinary guy. The guy in question is Lance, an unemployed factory worker who feels the media and politicians are all failing to take control of the situation and work together to resolve it.

McClellan says about his book:
“My book is a funny and entertaining look at the politics of the zombie apocalypse. Hopefully, it can get people asking why politicians keep fighting each other instead of doing something for the American people, and why the media keep asking all the wrong questions…”

Lance lives with his wife whose obsessed with conspiracy theories. Needless to say, she doesn’t survive for long. Afterwards Lance gets scratched by a zombie, takes a load of antibiotics and locks himself in his basement.

After sometime Lance feels better and decides to journey to C.D.C to share his experience with them. He thinks that he maybe the key to a cure for the zombie plague. Lance and Larry (his neighbour & new best friend) set out on their journey.

The plot is well thought out and captivating but left one major plot hole: why do the zombies sniff the main character and then turn away? What’s different about him now? This is a source of frustration for the reader on finishing the book.

There were good peaks and troughs of action interlaced with the political aspect of the book. The politics didn’t appeal to me. The politicians were American and I’d never heard of most of them. Luckily, the politics was sparse and mainly focused on the frustration with bureaucracy and political correctness.

Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is a throughly entertaining read. McClellan writing style is wonderful; the words seemed to flow off the pages making it was a joy to read.

The title of the book is too long to stand out to the average reader and will ultimately date the story. The cover design is completely unappealing and off-putting. However put the title and cover design aside, overall Zombie/Apocalypse 2012: A Political Horror Story is a great zombie story. One that is an easy read, at times very funny and is well worth reading.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book presents a unique perspective on the zombie genre, blending it seamlessly with political and societal commentary. At its core, this book is the tale of an ordinary American, an unemployed factory worker, thrust into the tumultuous early days of an impending apocalypse. What sets this story apart is its exploration of the evolving social and political landscape as the world teeters on the brink of chaos.

Rather than taking a partisan stance, the narrative unfolds from the viewpoint of an average citizen who feels disillusioned by a system that seems to have left him behind. It navigates the complexities of a world caught between the familiar pre-apocalyptic ways and the new, uncertain post-apocalyptic reality. The story delves into the challenges of this transition, addressing issues such as the failures of the media, political maneuvering, religious extremism, ideological zealotry, political correctness, and bureaucratic entanglements.

While the future appears bleak, the narrative manages to infuse humor into its exploration of divisiveness and the shortcomings of past policies. In doing so, it provides readers with a thought-provoking and entertaining journey through a world that is both horrifying and satirical. "Zombie/Apocalypse 2012" offers a unique lens through which to examine societal issues and human nature, making it a compelling and intellectually stimulating addition to the zombie genre.

Overall, the story was really great. I liked the real type life of aspects concerning the rich people and misinformed media. The one thing I really had a problem with was the ending, it was kind of just there and over, I think I was looking for more of a build up to it rather than just a stop.

[Sunshine Somerville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 stars.
"The South will rise again," indeed. There's really nothing new here as far as the zombie genre goes, but that's also what's likable about it. In many zombie stories that are supposedly based on present-day reality, I always find it a little hard to believe that if the undead started rising we would call them anything but zombies. The believability of everything that happens in this story is what I like about it. The writing is pretty simple but with a good voice as we follow along the main character, Lance, who is just an average guy. Not a hero, not a jerk, but just some guy who sees the world falling apart and tries his best, with a sarcastic coping mechanism. The satirical commentary is pretty great too - the title suggests a bit more of a political angle than what I think the book really gives, but the extreme political views of most of these characters is clever and pointed. I'm from the country, and people really do talk and think like this. In fact, the most terrifying thing about this story, for me, is that these are EXACTLY the kind of people who would survive a zombie apocalypse.

[H.E. Goodhue · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the aspects of the horror genre that I enjoy the most is its ability to question social constructs and norms. Zombies provide for this perhaps better than any other monster and that is where we find McClellan's Zombie Apocalypse 2012. It is not overly political or preachy, rather simply explores the idea of how politics might effect the average person during an undead apocalypse. It was a well written, fast read, that regardless of your political leanings, I would recommend to anyone looking for a solid zombie read.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great but not bad. There were a couple of things that would probably happen in real life, like the media and politicians playing the blame game or the misinformation being spread or the rich getting preferential treatment. The ending could have been better, I didn't really get a sense of him getting to that point yet, it just sort of happened, could have been built up to better. Also seemed like everyone was a redneck/hillbilly.

[Chelseyam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story in itself was pretty good. Although, I think the book could have spent a bit more time with an editor (if you're interested we could make a blue collar to blue collar deal here). I had a hard time with the dialogue at times, it seemed a bit cliche and then I read you were from Ireland, so that might be why it didn't flow as naturally (I was raised in Texas), but I dont mean this offensively. Anyway, look forward to the next one, keep it up man.

[S.L. Figuhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to this book through a zombie related site, and I'm glad I picked it up. I laughed from start to finish. There's not a lot of gore like with most of the popular zombie books out today. This is more of a political statement on the way the U.S. is today and the people who run it. A spot on commentary of the state of our nation.

Please note: if you are easily offended, do not read. If you don't understand satire, don't read.

[Drew Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure whether this book read longer, or I assumed it to be shorter. Either way, it took me longer to read than I anticipated. While the book was funny, I wanted more sociopolitical commentary than typical zombie narrative. It was a pretty standard zombie tale, better than some, worse than others. (Probably more a rounded up 2.5 than a 3.) And why no love for Jordan Hare?

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of zombie books, or zombies in general, but I did enjoy this book to some extent. I probably won't read it again. Once was enough.

FTC - I received this book for free through Goodreads giveaway.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some more editing would have been a good idea but overall the book was fun and kept my interest from start to finish. The ending felt a bit rushed and unfinished but I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to other zombie/apocalyptic book lovers.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not amazing writing but a good story.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining! Ending surprised me!

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

annoying mispellings aside, it was a fun read!

[Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review here.

[Andretta Schellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually really enjoyed it, probably the political nature and all of the quipes.