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The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home
Okie's fifteen. She lives in New York. She's got a few problems: she's failing geography, her dad's a wimp, and her mother, Sumatra, is a stone cold bitch. But things get a lot worse when Sumatra turns into a zombie and eats Okie's dad.
Clio, Okie's grandmother, lives in Toronto; but since the zombie apocalypse, Toronto's a lot further away than it used to be. Clio suggests that Okie transport Sumatra across the border, because family is family. But coaching Okie by cellphone isn't easy, and Clio has some zombies of her own to contend with. Luckily she has some garden tools.
Naomi Alderman and Margaret Atwood team up for this unusual two-hander. Encompassing love, death, sex, and the meaning of family, The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home will surprise, delight, and convince you of the vital importance of keeping ready supplies of rhubarb and mini-wieners in your freezer at all times.
(Description from Wattpad)
Clio, Okie's grandmother, lives in Toronto; but since the zombie apocalypse, Toronto's a lot further away than it used to be. Clio suggests that Okie transport Sumatra across the border, because family is family. But coaching Okie by cellphone isn't easy, and Clio has some zombies of her own to contend with. Luckily she has some garden tools.
Naomi Alderman and Margaret Atwood team up for this unusual two-hander. Encompassing love, death, sex, and the meaning of family, The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home will surprise, delight, and convince you of the vital importance of keeping ready supplies of rhubarb and mini-wieners in your freezer at all times.
(Description from Wattpad)
ebook
First published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
992 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Atwood
670 books90.2k followersMargaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 29, 2014
[3.5] Margaret Atwood & Naomi Alderman write alternating chapters of an online novella as a grandmother and granddaughter during a zombie apocalypse. Available to read here.
The granddaughter Okie isn't quite so well developed a character and could have done with a few more mannerisms than saying "like" lots and lots. She is generally quite likeable, a teenage mixture of confidence and optimistic naivety. It's easy to conclude that Atwood's character Clio is based on the author herself, feisty, opinionated, socially liberal but with a radical feminist conservatism about sexuality.
I've never finished any Atwood work since The Handmaid's Tale which was a school A-Level text I didn't like much. Presumably not all of her fiction features characters fleeing a stricter USA for refuge in Canada and hope of somewhere permanent and better in the UK ... but that's what this has in common with Offred's story, as Okie's newly zombie'd ma is smuggled to Toronto by an underground taxi service.
(The UK as a refuge from religious conservatism makes sense, but I can't see the Brits setting up friendly residential homes for the undead. "Tough on zombies, tough on the causes of zombies", more like. Norway seems a more likely place of safety given the way they run their prison system.)
I've been sick of the whole zombie "thing" for years - books, films, urban roleplay etc etc - but that was just seeing posts and ads. I hadn't actually ... consumed... anything of it since Shaun of the Dead so reading this was quite fun - a light post apocalyptic tale. Might have expected a slightly stronger storyline from these writers but it's good to see a more domestic side to life in a post-disaster world where fighting critters, whilst you have to do it sometimes, isn't a dawn till dusk task.
The granddaughter Okie isn't quite so well developed a character and could have done with a few more mannerisms than saying "like" lots and lots. She is generally quite likeable, a teenage mixture of confidence and optimistic naivety. It's easy to conclude that Atwood's character Clio is based on the author herself, feisty, opinionated, socially liberal but with a radical feminist conservatism about sexuality.
I've never finished any Atwood work since The Handmaid's Tale which was a school A-Level text I didn't like much. Presumably not all of her fiction features characters fleeing a stricter USA for refuge in Canada and hope of somewhere permanent and better in the UK ... but that's what this has in common with Offred's story, as Okie's newly zombie'd ma is smuggled to Toronto by an underground taxi service.
(The UK as a refuge from religious conservatism makes sense, but I can't see the Brits setting up friendly residential homes for the undead. "Tough on zombies, tough on the causes of zombies", more like. Norway seems a more likely place of safety given the way they run their prison system.)
I've been sick of the whole zombie "thing" for years - books, films, urban roleplay etc etc - but that was just seeing posts and ads. I hadn't actually ... consumed... anything of it since Shaun of the Dead so reading this was quite fun - a light post apocalyptic tale. Might have expected a slightly stronger storyline from these writers but it's good to see a more domestic side to life in a post-disaster world where fighting critters, whilst you have to do it sometimes, isn't a dawn till dusk task.
January 18, 2013
Finally finished. It's not very long - some 40 short pages - but when you can only read it in your browser (or at least, when I can...) it's too easy to ignore it. I've managed to keep a tab open in my browser for a whole month.
What can I say: not Atwood's best work. Funny (how on earth Wattpad managed to class this as "horror" is completely beyond me), and occasionally poignant, but on the whole, boring and pointless.
What can I say: not Atwood's best work. Funny (how on earth Wattpad managed to class this as "horror" is completely beyond me), and occasionally poignant, but on the whole, boring and pointless.
January 28, 2013
I kept waiting for more pieces of the story to arrive, but it really is just this short. I enjoyed the story but I do wish it had been longer. Also, I will be planting plenty of rhubarb this spring. As a precautionary measure.
January 4, 2013
Wow...WEAK ending...The story actually had no climax...I'm really disappointed.
Everything about this was fantastic. The serial aspect, the writing, the story...but that ending is terrible.
Everything about this was fantastic. The serial aspect, the writing, the story...but that ending is terrible.
July 4, 2013
I enjoyed the fast-paced pacing of this story and the narration, which alternated between Okie and her grandmother. I always like a story that can be told from more than one perspective and Alderman & Atwood do an excellent job of this. My only disappointment came at the end of the book, when I wished that there was more to read.
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October 24, 2012Cool! Read this serial online for free beginning today: http://www.wattpad.com/8164541-the-ha...
PW story here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
PW story here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
July 4, 2015
3.5 stars btw... *sigh* goodreads... please...
I absolutely loved everything about this book... except the ending. That ending was very... I don't know... not... good?
But amazing characters and plot but just the ending was terrible.
I absolutely loved everything about this book... except the ending. That ending was very... I don't know... not... good?
But amazing characters and plot but just the ending was terrible.
February 6, 2013
I really loved this in the beginning, but found myself getting a little bored by the end.
January 15, 2016
We loved this book! It was short and sweet with just the right amount of zombie in it
February 25, 2019
It appears to be by Naomi Alderman, dedicated to Margaret Atwood. I gave up half way through as it’s a bit simplistic.
September 30, 2019
Serialised zombie post-Apocalyptic fiction as a critical epistemological work that assesses mainstream postmodern (2013-era) feminism.
I was expecting great things, ever since I heard that Naomi Alderman was teaming up to write a zombie novel with Margaret Atwood.
It does not disappoint.
Guaranteed fun for the whole family: a thoroughly enjoyable read!
I was expecting great things, ever since I heard that Naomi Alderman was teaming up to write a zombie novel with Margaret Atwood.
It does not disappoint.
Guaranteed fun for the whole family: a thoroughly enjoyable read!
March 25, 2019
A great short story by two exceptional authors.
The only thing that knocked a star off this was the fact it ended very quickly. I would love to see this world being expanded upon more but I realise in the constraints that this format has, it does its job very well.
The only thing that knocked a star off this was the fact it ended very quickly. I would love to see this world being expanded upon more but I realise in the constraints that this format has, it does its job very well.
July 14, 2021
A great funny zombie romp! Seamlessly written- you won’t be able to tell where one writer finishes and the other starts. The zombies are upon us, the border closes but are they really a threat or just misunderstood pets in need of safe surrounds and a good hotdog.
July 4, 2018
Should I plant some rhubarb? I’m planting some rhubarb.
Would recommend. Free on Wattpad!!
Would recommend. Free on Wattpad!!
April 10, 2022
fun story for a zombie apocalypse narrative. Short read.
June 12, 2014
When Okie comes home to find her mother covered in blood and eating her father's intestines in the kitchen, she quickly calls her grandmother, Clio in Canada for help. Since Okie can't bring herself to kill her mother, Clio arranges for a transportation service to safely bring her granddaughter and zombie daughter-in-law to her home in Canada. With some rhubarb pipe, link sausages, and a little luck, they both might just survive.
The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home doesn't redefine the genre in anyway, but it's darkly humorous and rather fun. The story unfolds from both Okie's and Clio's point of view, and I really liked them both. They both have a wry sense of humor, especially Clio, who's a no-nonsense, I-can-kick-your-ass-using-just-my-purse kind of old woman. She's not nice or soft or comforting kind of grandmother most people would expect — in fact, she's somewhat mean and not someone who you want to get on the bad side of — but she gets shit done and knows how to survive and I love her.
The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home is a short novel distributed exclusively on Wattpad, and is available free for anyone to read. Both Atwood and Alderman endorse Wattpad as a site for writers to share their work and gain a following, and the site works like an e-publisher with its own app. There are a few well known authors sharing snippets on there, as well as some great newbies, along with a lot of mediocre work. You kind of have to slog through to find the good stuff, but Wattpad is worth taking a look at for anyone hoping for some free reads.
The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home doesn't redefine the genre in anyway, but it's darkly humorous and rather fun. The story unfolds from both Okie's and Clio's point of view, and I really liked them both. They both have a wry sense of humor, especially Clio, who's a no-nonsense, I-can-kick-your-ass-using-just-my-purse kind of old woman. She's not nice or soft or comforting kind of grandmother most people would expect — in fact, she's somewhat mean and not someone who you want to get on the bad side of — but she gets shit done and knows how to survive and I love her.
The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home is a short novel distributed exclusively on Wattpad, and is available free for anyone to read. Both Atwood and Alderman endorse Wattpad as a site for writers to share their work and gain a following, and the site works like an e-publisher with its own app. There are a few well known authors sharing snippets on there, as well as some great newbies, along with a lot of mediocre work. You kind of have to slog through to find the good stuff, but Wattpad is worth taking a look at for anyone hoping for some free reads.
August 29, 2013
I love how Atwood continually finds ways to explore the ever-changing way we write, thanks to technology. This confab with Alderman, creator of the "Zombies, Run!" app, is interesting and funny, with distinct voices for each character. However, I'm totally over the crabby goth-emo teen bs, and maybe that is (universally) true of teens somewhere out there, but I also know a lot of happy teens who still have problems and interesting lives. Having likable characters is essential for reader involvement, so note to authors: your job includes creating root-for-them characters. Since Okie is in the non-Atwood sections, that criticism lands firmly at Alderman's feet.
Where Atwood's sections differ is in the delcious the denial that her character, Clio, generates: everything is fine as long as the garden can be maintained for normalcy's sake. Atwood's recent tropes of genetically modified foods and the public's trusting consumption of them come into play, and I can't help but think it makes her section more interesting, since it gives more of the actual insight into what has happened and why the family dynamic is strained.
Overall, a light romp that shows off more of Atwood's light, comedic stylings.
Where Atwood's sections differ is in the delcious the denial that her character, Clio, generates: everything is fine as long as the garden can be maintained for normalcy's sake. Atwood's recent tropes of genetically modified foods and the public's trusting consumption of them come into play, and I can't help but think it makes her section more interesting, since it gives more of the actual insight into what has happened and why the family dynamic is strained.
Overall, a light romp that shows off more of Atwood's light, comedic stylings.
August 9, 2013
What attracted me to this story in the first place was the title, I just love how it sounds. And the fact that it was a short and FREE story, and of course the zombies. I just really like survival stories, especially zombie apocalypse ones.
I liked the writing, how different it was depending on the narrator, but straightforward. I loved that despite the nature of the story it didn't lose it's humor nor irony.
It's easy to lose the structure or the set of the universe when you are telling a short story, but I liked that everything (or at least mostly everything) was explained in "Happy Zombie Sunrise Home".
I understand why some people didn't like the ending.
I'd like to read other stories set in the same universe, it was interesting to read how the zombies came to be.
Overall, very good/charming/interesting story.
I liked the writing, how different it was depending on the narrator, but straightforward. I loved that despite the nature of the story it didn't lose it's humor nor irony.
It's easy to lose the structure or the set of the universe when you are telling a short story, but I liked that everything (or at least mostly everything) was explained in "Happy Zombie Sunrise Home".
I understand why some people didn't like the ending.
I'd like to read other stories set in the same universe, it was interesting to read how the zombies came to be.
Overall, very good/charming/interesting story.
December 25, 2013
дуже приємна книжка про зомбі-апокаліпсис.
гарно вдалося написати її двома голосами. етвуд розповідає за бабусю кліо - вона живе в канадському маєтку і пече пироги з румбамбару (кльове слово, і в дитинстві я його дуже любила, хочу пирогів з румбамбару), запах якого відлякує зомбі, як виявляється. така спокійна, доросла, споглядальна проза z przymrużeniem oka. і навіть зомбі вона убіяє чинно й витончено, мабуть, так вбивала б зомбі мері поппінс – до речі, а такого меш-апу ще не було? я би прочитала. олдермен пише від п'ятнадцятирічної внучки окі - і в цій частині є повний спектр підліткових пристрастей, зворушлива любовна лінія й екшн. усе разом воно дуже миле й гармонійне.
гарно вдалося написати її двома голосами. етвуд розповідає за бабусю кліо - вона живе в канадському маєтку і пече пироги з румбамбару (кльове слово, і в дитинстві я його дуже любила, хочу пирогів з румбамбару), запах якого відлякує зомбі, як виявляється. така спокійна, доросла, споглядальна проза z przymrużeniem oka. і навіть зомбі вона убіяє чинно й витончено, мабуть, так вбивала б зомбі мері поппінс – до речі, а такого меш-апу ще не було? я би прочитала. олдермен пише від п'ятнадцятирічної внучки окі - і в цій частині є повний спектр підліткових пристрастей, зворушлива любовна лінія й екшн. усе разом воно дуже миле й гармонійне.
August 24, 2013
Begin the story here: http://bit.ly/happyzombie
Learn more about the project here: http://bit.ly/PQE2O5
Even MORE new Margaret Atwood this year?! I've gotta tell ya...I'm a fan of this online, serial publishing trend.
•••••
I read the first couple of chapters in October 2012 when this project started, but then it sat on my currently reading shelf on GR for the next several months. Finally at the beginning of this month, I decided to make some progress.
This is a good story, but I felt like it was missing a lot. I hope it have Wattpad the exposed it needed.
Learn more about the project here: http://bit.ly/PQE2O5
Even MORE new Margaret Atwood this year?! I've gotta tell ya...I'm a fan of this online, serial publishing trend.
•••••
I read the first couple of chapters in October 2012 when this project started, but then it sat on my currently reading shelf on GR for the next several months. Finally at the beginning of this month, I decided to make some progress.
This is a good story, but I felt like it was missing a lot. I hope it have Wattpad the exposed it needed.
January 19, 2015
Not Atwood's best although her chapters definitely stood out compared to Alderman's, which mainly makes for the three star rating. Story is fun but nothing exciting but I guess there's only so much you can do with such a short story. Absolutely love that Atwood is game for anyting though and even ventured into Wattpad to do some collaborative writing.
June 19, 2015
A lovely read for those boring moments while waiting for a bus, on a queue or for your boyfriend, since I read it on my phone via Wattpad app. But a lovely read indeed. I'm not giving it full 5* just because the ending came a little too soon for me.
January 11, 2013
Thought this was a great zombie story. Just wished it was longer.
February 4, 2013
I read this on WattPad - a fun app for your phone or laptop. Serial format.
August 11, 2013
Surprisingly fun and light as well as an interesting project, but reading on the website was hardly comfortable. I wish it was available for download as .mobi or even a .pdf.
June 14, 2013
I enjoyed this short, quirky story of a self sufficient old woman, her grandaughter, the girl's zombified mother and a grumpy-but-lovable zombie smuggler. Would definitely recommend for a quick read!
February 17, 2014
Read sometime in 2012
March 14, 2017
Zombie apocalypse and Margaret Atwood! Best combination ever. Brilliant. Enough said.
September 4, 2015
A fun read - I bet Margaret Atwood would write a brilliant full length zombie novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews