Putrefied Preferences: Which Type of Zombie is Your Fave?

by Rusty Fischer, author of The Zombie Vote

You know what I’ve found? People like talking about zombies. This is a fact. Even if they say they don’t like zombies, or have never seen a zombie movie, they like to talk about zombies. I have dozens of books in print; business, diet, vampires, self-help, how-to, werewolves, all anybody wants to talk about is the zombie books. (Not that I’m complaining, mind you!)

So, in honor of my latest installment of Reanimated Readz, my series of 99-cent zombie shorts, I wanted to put it to a “vote” once and for all. I’ve identified five main zombie “types” you’re sure to recognize. So, which type of zombie is your fave?

1.     The Shuffler: This is the “classic” zombie, often referred to as the “Romero zombie” for those made famous in George Romero’s classic, Night of the Living Dead. Slow, pondering, not so smart, likes to shuffle, loves to kill.

2.     The Flash: These are the fast, angry, non-traditional zombies made famous in more recent movies like 28 Days and 28 Days Later. Smarter, leaner, more brutal and ruthless, is this “your” type of zombie?

3.     The Class Clown: The Class Clown is the kind of zombie you’ll see yucking it up in flicks like Dylan Dog: Dead of Night or Zombieland. Zombies with an attitude, zombies with a brain, zombies who can talk, think, even communicate, or at least throw off a little irony as they’re shuffling around, looking for brains. (Personally, this is my “vote” for favorite zombie ever.)

4.     The Thriller: The Thriller is the wild card. Something different, unique, maybe even never seen before. I’m thinking of “R,” the main character in Warm Bodies who can think and feel and even feel protective about humans.

5.     The Gimmick: The “gimmick” zombie is for folks who don’t necessarily like zombies but like to watch/read/talk about them. Zombies vs.Unicorns. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Sure, they have zombies but it’s mainly a wink-wink-nudge-nudge, look how cool we are for talking about zombies kind of thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. For lots of people looking to inch their way into the zombie genre, this will be their “vote” for best zombie ever.

I know, I know, it’s a hard choice; and a personal one! But I’d love to hear your “votes” in the comment section below…

Yours in YA,

Rusty 

Available at BONO Books!

by Rusty Fischer

Losing a school election is bad enough. But losing it to a zombie? Who can’t even read? That’s not only a political failure but, for one (formerly) popular (and very human) student, it’s social suicide as well!

I frown and turn back to the microphone.

By the time I do, I see a string of zombies, maybe a dozen, maybe two, lined up at the microphone at the bottom of the stands. Mrs. Halston stands primly from her seat at the foot of the stage and turns to them.

She takes the microphone off the stand and points it in the face of the first zombie, a junior by the name of Carl Gaff. He used to play for the soccer team before Congress vetoed the Living Dead in Sports Act earlier this year.

He is short and slight and swimming in his green jacket, which only seems to come in one size: XXL. He looks at me calmly and says, slowly, deeply, but quite seriously, “What qualifications do you have that Calvin doesn’t?”

Before I can hear Brody’s voice screaming in my head I snap the first thing that comes to mind: “I can read, for one.”

There is dead silence in the auditorium as Carl Gaff looks at me. I cringe, expecting the place to boo, to erupt, to storm the stage and tear me limb from limb. What I get is even worse: “That’s it?” he asks. I don’t think he really meant it as a joke but the audience laughs, and laughs and laughs and laughs.

All except for the zombies, but that’s only because they’re still busy lining up to ask questions. One by one, they get in line, until the steps leading down from their section are full, and then they line up, side by side, very orderly like, two by two, side by side, a sea of green jackets and yellow teeth patiently waiting their turn.

I look at them, green jackets, yellow stripes down each sleeve, dark hair, dark eyes, gray skin, patient, slow, and eager for a chance at the microphone.

I don’t give it to them. I don’t care if it costs me the election, I don’t care if I look like a clown, I don’t care about anything anymore than getting off that stage.

Immediately.

Scenes from a Zombie Infestation: Or, What Kind of Zombie Reader Are You?

By Rusty Fischer

author of the Reanimated Readz Series

Buy Zombie Interrupted HERE

Last year I was fortunate enough to be on an author’s panel at a local horror convention. The topic was “How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse.”

I say “fortunate” because even though me and my little YA tales of friendly zombies and dating zombies and driving zombies and writing and reading zombies were WAY out of place on this panel of hardcore zombie authors, I got to see all the different kinds of zombie readers there are:

There are the diehard fans, who are purely out for blood. They like their zombie books hard and fast and full -- FULL -- of gore. The gorier, the better.

There are the lookie-loos, who have maybe seen a zombie movie or two and would like to know more about how an author makes zombies, you know, interesting. (I think this is my favorite type of zombie reader because they’re a blank slate and could go either way.)

Buy Project Z HERE

There are the 'fraidy cats, who don’t really like zombies but are curious as to what the fuss is all about and would like to get their feet wet by opening up their first zombie book and getting over that fear.

There are the serious zombie students, who take their zombies very, very seriously. They treat zombie books like nonfiction. Try telling them your YA zombie character became a zombie through lightning -- lightning! -- and they roll their eyes dismissively.

COMING SOON!

And finally there are folks like me, open-minded, curious, who don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like zombies the way we like vampires, werewolves and other paranormal creatures: dark and deadly but also with a few more dimensions than the ones who stumble around in the dark grumbling “Brains” all day long. We’re able to laugh at our zombies, feel for them and even sympathize with them.

Don’t get me wrong; all types are awesome in their own, unique way. I can totally get behind the serious, academic types and why they’re so “into it.” I just can’t really speak to them as well because my books are so non-academic, even non-scientific.

COMING SOON!

I can’t really relate as much to the 'fraidy-cats because my zombies aren’t that scary, but I know many, many books that have scared me and I dig those too.

Buy Private Eyes HERE

I think what was so encouraging about being on this panel was how diverse the (standing room only) audience was! Men, women, young, old, some were dressed up as zombies, some looked like businesspeople, some just wanted to know more and others thought they knew all there was to know.  

So, I have to ask, which type of zombie reader are YOU?

Yours in YA, 

Rusty