Zombies! discussion

I just posted a roundtable discussion on zombies with some of the top authors in the field:Joe Hill, Max Brooks, Kelley Armstrong, David Wellington, John Connolly, David Liss, Derek Nikitas, James Moore, Seth Lindberg, Mike Carey, Aimee Bender, Holly Newstein and Tim Lebbon http://jonathanmaberry.com/the-new-de...

I saw your new book at WalMart next to all the teen vampire porn! Yea!

It's a crazy old world.

That's a good thing. Thanks you for posting this link...I look forward to reading it!

Really interesting answers to your questions. I have another one for you: My friends and I were talking during The Walking Dead premiere and we were wondering why, in almost all zombie movies and books, it takes so long for the main characters to recognize what they're dealing with? I think if zombies started roaming the earth and one shambled across my path, I'd at least be able to not confuse it for an accident victim and run away. Just a thought we were pondering. It's not true through out the zombie genre but we could only come up with satirical examples where people knew right away that they were dealing with zombies and knew how to dispatch them (ex. Sean of The Dead: Didn't know people were turning into zombies right away but once they caught on, they knew what to do right away).

Rachel wrote: "Really interesting answers to your questions. I have another one for you: My friends and I were talking during The Walking Dead premiere and we were wondering why, in almost all zombie movies and ..."

I would say that it has much to do with disbelief as anything.

I am a huge zombie fan, have been for years. If I were to be walking down the street tomorrow and see a zombie shambling towards me, my initial response would most likely be, "No f'ing way!"

I would say that most authors, myself included, prefer to leave that period of disbelief intact.

With that being said, my first book involved a group of people who were prepared for zombies and knew exactly what to do about it. =)

Loved the interview - thanks for sharing! Patient Zero was a personal favourite of mine!

My favourite response had to be:
QUESTION 3: Zombie stories lend themselves to metaphor and subtext. Why is that?

JOE HILL: Do they lend themselves to metaphor and subtext? I thought people liked movies and books about zombies because everyone digs the idea of fighting their way through hoards of the undead with a fuckin’ chainsaw.

Makes me laugh everytime I read it.

Thanks again for sharing!

IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival

I would also go see a movie called Zombie vs. Shark.

Rachel wrote: "I would also go see a movie called Zombie vs. Shark."

The good ol' Lucio Fulci ZOMBI 2, eh?

Still, I wonder who ever won that fight...

Rachel wrote: "in almost all zombie movies and books, it takes so long for the main characters to recognize what they're dealing with..."

We had this exact same discussion at work - I also felt that the author is essentially asking you to assume that the setting is in a world where the concept of zombies or undead has never been imagined, and that the living population is learning "the rules" for the first time. That also helps explain how so many people fell victim to the initial outbreak, including armed citizens and the military; it's a huge step to make the decision to gun down "infected civilians," and then they still have to learn the shoot-in-the-head rule after that decision is made. The time it takes to conquer disbelief gives the zombies a heck of a head start. :-)

Cameron wrote: "Rachel wrote: "in almost all zombie movies and books, it takes so long for the main characters to recognize what they're dealing with..."

We had this exact same discussion at work - I also felt th..."

Very true. As a horror writer, I've found it very difficult to tackle this issue as well, so I went for the 'ignorance is bliss' route.

The mainstream may be more versed in zombie literature than it ever has been, but I'm not sure my father would recognize a zombie when he saw one - so I suppose it's not completely far-fetched. As well, I think the government would really hesitate to call the infected 'zombies' in order to keep some sense of social order.

IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival

I agree with on both those points, Ian. I was more referring to characters that are adults in their late 20's to early 30's. Not EVERYONE reads zombie books or watches zombie movies.

Very true. Ma' and Pa' Yeehaw are likely going to be in for a shock when their daughter comes shambling up the driveway looking for blood!


IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival

why, in almost all zombie movies and books, it takes so long for the main characters to recognize what they're dealing with?

This is another reason why I loved the film Zombie Strippers so much. The elite Army clean-up crew sent in to mop up at the beginning of the film knew right away what they were dealing with. "Zombies. Shit."

Natalie wrote: "why, in almost all zombie movies and books, it takes so long for the main characters to recognize what they're dealing with?

This is another reason why I loved the film Zombie Strippers so much. T..."

Zombie Strippers was actually good, eh? I'll have to check it out - I've seen it at BlockBuster but I kinda pushed it into my "See if nothing else is out" pile. Thanks for the heads up!

IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival

Oh yeah, don't deprive yourself of a great film based on the cheesy-sounding title. It's very smart, feminist, philosophically-based, and funny.

I bought my sister that for Christmas, I still have not seen it!

Hi there! New to the group and also a new zombie author (author of zombie book as opposed to a rotting writer).
Have you seen Zombies, ZOmbies, Zombies, which is similar to Zombie STrippers, but (I thought) more fun? It has zombie strippers versus zombie hookers and the tongue was more firmly in cheek... That being said, I enjoyed Zombie STrippers too.

hmmm I need to see this movie.

Just checked Netflix... oh man, the cover for it is awful, but it has some decent reviews from people stating that it's bad, but fun bad. I'll check it out.

I just added it to my Netflix queue...yeah the cover is bad, but so is the one for Zombie Strippers. My friend was telling me about two zombie movies called Dorm of the Dead (which he said resembled a grad school film but was funny) and Porn of the Dead (which is, I guess, your basic porn movie with the "actors" painted grey and moaning NOT people having sex with dead people which is sort of what I feared).

Porn of the Dead?

*facepalm*

Yeah, apparently if it kinda rhymes with Dawn and ends with "of the Dead" it can be a zombie parody. This was a male friend of mine by the way...

Rachel wrote: "hmmm I need to see this movie."

Zombies of Mass Destruction is funny as hell and also very gory...

Here's a review I wrote of Zombies of Mass Destruction for Elevate Difference.

Natalie wrote: "Here's a review I wrote of Zombies of Mass Destruction for Elevate Difference."

Thanks, Natalie! Off to read it!

Excellent review and I totally agree with you!

*blush* Thanks very much!

Natalie wrote: "*blush* Thanks very much!"

Do you like FIDO too?

Oh yeah, Fido was great.

Excellent. I'm obviously amongst mah peeples here... :)

Natalie wrote: "Here's a review I wrote of Zombies of Mass Destruction for Elevate Difference."

Well written review Natalie, and I completely agree, it's a great zombie flick.

Thanks, Tony. :) Has anyone seen Pontypool, speaking of which? My parents, of all people, recommended it to me last night.

Okay, raise your hand if you have seen Dance of the Dead ..... *me!*

Seriously, a very entertaining zombie prom romp.

*me*

"Where are you going?"
"To the prom, to kick some zombie ass."

It was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be.

Natalie wrote:

It was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be."

Absolutely, even if I identify more with the crazy gym teacher than anyone else in the movie. =)

Haven't seen Pontypool yet, but want to! Have seen Dance of the Dead several times and enjoyed it quite a bit!

look at my writting, "Suiviving in a Zombie Filled World" on goodreads writting

Maxine wrote: "look at my writting, "Suiviving in a Zombie Filled World" on goodreads writting"

Can't find it, please provide link. Thanks.