Ahimsa’s answer to “The genre has been overdone in a present tense setting. It is refreshing to see a story set in the …” > Likes and Comments

The 1st Century is indeed an interesting period in Roman history. Based on the results of the book I'd say a lower tech culture seems to be better equipped to handle the physical aspects of the problem. I think the slower pace of logistics helped the Romans to formulate a defense. In present tense the zombie problem typically gets out of hand before the military has time to react.

Any chance of a sequel in the future? Based on the ending there are still stories that can be told of your world. Did the Empire recover Italy? Did the problem spread into Hispania and Asia? Could the problem actually be solved later by the migrating barbarians? There is so much material for more stories! (hint hint). ;)

Thanks for your insightful answer.

Haha, there is a sequel outlined that takes place mostly in Britannia. I could totally see the Emperor conscripting a legion of undead and using them in Parthia or Iberia or to resist the incursions of the horse tribes.. But, as you know, writing historical fiction is time-consuming. So I'm not sure when I'll work on it. It would be fun to return to, though.

I also think the Romans would have handled the zombie problem pretty handily. Walled cities, chariots, fire, autocratic rulers, large standing armies...zombies be gone! But that would have made for a much more boring book.