Todd Jepperson
Today, we have the privilege of providing you with part one
of our Zombies & Toys roundtable discussion of 21st Century
Dead, featuring a couple of old friends and
a few new ones.
JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and
multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature
writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books
have been sold to more than a dozen countries. Notable contributions to the
zombie genre are his Joe Ledger novels Patient Zero and the forthcoming Code Z,
his Benny Imura series for Young adults, and the gritty thriller Dead of Night.
He can be found at his website
jonathanmaberry.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/jonathanmaberry,
and on twitter at… you guessed it,
www.twitter.com/jonathanmaberry.
S.G. BROWNE is the author of the novels Breathers, Fated,
and Lucky Bastard - dark comedies and social satires with a supernatural edge.
His short story collection, Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel, contains ten twisted
tales and is available as an eBook. He loves dark comedies, Ben & Jerry's
ice cream, and is a sucker for It's a Wonderful Life. Check him out at his
website
sgbrowne.com and on twitter at
www.twitter.com/s_g_browne.
RIO YOUERS has drawn praise from some of the most noteworthy
names in the speculative fiction genre. He is the author of two novellas, Mama
Fish (Shroud Publishing) and Old Man Scratch (PS Publishing)—the latter earning
him a British Fantasy Award nomination in 2010. Rio was born in Amersham,
England, but has been living in Ontario, Canada, since 2001. He can be found at
his website
rioyouers.com and also on twitter at
www.twitter.com/rio_youers.
STEPHANIE CRAWFORD is a monkey riding a bomb into hell. always
the fifth coolest person at the library. also: writer. Find her and links to
all of her future endeavors by crawling over to her twitter page at
https://twitter.com/_mos_stef_
We threw them all the same few questions, and the creature that came to be is the monster that follows. Enjoy!
ZOMBIES&TOYS: To get started, why zombies? What do the
shambling hoards of not-quite-dead stir up within you that gets your motor
running?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I’ve been a fan of the zombie genre since
before the genre had a name. I was there
at the Midway Theater in Philly on the world premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING
DEAD, October 2, 1968. I was ten and I
snuck in with a buddy of mine. The movie
traumatized him, giving him years’ worth of nightmares and turning him into a
neurotic bed-wetter well into his twenties. I stayed the see the movie twice,
and came back every day while it was playing. I love my life-impaired fellow citizens.
As a storyteller, zombies offer a wonderfully blank canvas.Once introduced they represent a massive, shared threat that’s so big it
impacts the lives of every single character in the tale.Once that threat is
established, the zoms often take a back seat to the much more interesting drama
of disparate characters interacting during a time of great stress. That also
allows for the ‘zombie’ to act as a stand-in for anything we’re afraid of, from
political corruption to psychological disintegration to the fear of disease. Everyone I know who writes zombie stories comes at it from a different angle,
proving that the genre is enormously elastic.There are no shortage of original
stories that can be told in a world of zombies.
S.G. BROWNE: Why zombies? Because I saw Night of the Living
Dead on Creature Features when I was eleven years old and I fell in love. The
fact that they used to be us, that we could become a zombie simply by the act
of dying or becoming infected by a virus, is a compelling scenario. What gets
my motor running is exploring what happens to us when we come back from the
dead, how we deal with the fact that we’re reanimated corpses, and playing with
the social dynamic of a scenario in which zombies have been integrated into
society.
RIO YOUERS: For me, zombies symbolize degeneration: of life,
society, health, even the ozone layer. As a writer, there’s so much to work
with … so many fears to amplify. But forget all that interpretive hooey …
sometimes it’s fun just to watch dead people walking around.
STEPHANIE CRAWFORD: Like many, I grew up watching zombies as
a kid - catching the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD late on television was
always a thrill. Once I got old enough to stop having to sneak the stuff from
my parents, the sheer breadth of what creative types could do with the concept
seduced me. From the gory, goofy fun of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS to reading stacks
of serious-minded zombie books reviewed in the Nightmare Library sections of
old issues of Fangoria, there was always something to keep me obsessed. Once I
discovered Lucio Fulci it was all over for me.
I'm also the type that sees a staggering amount of
connections between zombies - their infection, isolation, decay - and how the
chronically ill are treated in modern day society. Being able to delve into
that, then being able to watch cartoons about zombies on Youtube immediately
after... that's pretty great.
ZOMBIES&TOYS: There was a time when there were only two
choices in the world; fast or slow. Today, these monsters can fill any shape
you stuff them into. What is your personal favorite brand of zombie, and why?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I like any kind of zombie that can scare
me. Romero scared me with slow shamblers
in NIGHT and DAWN, and Bob Kirkman made them scary in THE WALKING DEAD. Zack
Snyder scared me with fast zoms in the DAWN remake. And the infected humans
model (THE CRAZIES, 28 DAYS LATER) is even scarier because that’s more
scientifically plausible.
As a pop culture geek, I did whichever kind of zombie works
best in any given book, movie, comic or TV show.
As a writer, I vary on which kind of zom I use based on how
I want to build suspense in my stories. I’ve used all kinds of zoms: slow shamblers (ROT & RUIN), fast zoms
(PATIENT ZERO), both kinds (DEAD OF NIGHT), and even super-powered zoms (MARVEL
ZOMBIES RETURN).
S.G. BROWNE: While I enjoy all types of zombies, I tend to
prefer stories told from the zombies’ POV. Rather than being the villains,
they’re the heroes and I like having things flipped around to provide a
different perspective. Plus most zombie stories aren’t really about
zombies—they’re about the breakdown of society and how people deal with the
problem of zombies. So I write stories about zombies and how they deal with the
problem of people.
RIO YOUERS: I like the slow, shambling zombie. They may not
be as threatening, but they have a kind of helplessness and repetition that
gives me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. They also seem more … well,
dead. And that’s the whole point of a zombie, right?
STEPHANIE CRAWFORD: I'm partial to the charming, (barely)
semi-coherent zombies. I have a not-so-secret crush on Bub from DAY OF THE
DEAD, and the gang of ambulance ordering undead in RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is
something I've always found charming. Then again, maybe I'd just prefer someone
still have to ability to have a sense of humor while they were gnawing through
my skull on the off-chance that it might soften the blow a bit.
ZOMBIES&TOYS: Contrary to recent headlines, the fact
remains that zombies are not real. However, we have been shown many scenarios
that could possibly spawn a true life zombie apocalypse (virus, infection,
etc.) in the future. Is this strictly an imaginary scenario for you or do you
feel the need to make some type of preparations? If so; what are they?
JONATHAN MABERRY: Even though I’ve conjured up some pretty
plausible scientific explanations for my novels (PATIENT ZERO, DEAD OF NIGHT, etc.),
I don’t think we’re in any real danger of a zombie apocalypse. Certainly not
with anything that Mother Nature cooks up, no matter how cranky she gets. Of
course, it’s inside the realm of possibility that a designer pathogen could be
concocted to approximate the symptoms consistent with zombies. However, it isn’t likely. Terrorists are more likely to simply blow
stuff up.
That said, it is very likely that we might face some kind of
global pandemic that is so aggressive and contagious that it has an apocalyptic
quality. A weaponized version of Ebola would do it. It wouldn’t turn people into
flesh-eaters, but everyone could become a carrier, so in a very real sense the
infected would be an ever-growing plague army. Infrastructure would collapse as soon as health care workers, police,
EMTs and the military became infected – and since they’re on the front line,
that is going to happen. So,
apocalypse? Yeah. Possible.
The best preparation we can make is to educate ourselves on
the proper use of antibiotics (so we don’t eradicate our own immune system),
quarantine protocols, hygiene, basic health, and first aid. And we could all
take some workshops on cooperation. That’d keep things from spinning out of
control when the lights go out.
S.G. BROWNE: I tend to believe it’s more imaginary than
realistic, so I don’t really have a zombie apocalypse contingency plan. But if
the walking dead did become a reality, I’d likely grab my Camelback, Louisville
Slugger, a pair of comfortable shoes, my leather backpack, and several pair of
clean underwear. Just in case.
RIO YOUERS: Yeah, my plan is to hide behind Brian Keene and
let him do the fighting. It’s cowardly, yes, but smart; Brian has written so
much about zombies that I figure he knows what to do. He also has guns. Lots of
guns. And heavy metal music. What could possibly go wrong?
STEPHANIE CRAWFORD: Assuming that it IS fact they're not
real (ASSUMING), I think it's entirely possible our frail human bodies could be
manipulated and ravaged very quickly and society could go sideways almost
immediately. Saying that, life is too short even when things go reasonably smoothly for me to get too gung-ho with preparations. I do have some friends
that are well-stocked, however, and I fully intend to always let them know how
delightful they are and how dearly I treasure our friendship.
ZOMBIES&TOYS: If the world finally does fall to pieces
and you find yourself surrounded by masses of the hungry dead, how long do you
think you would survive?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I’ve been a martial artist for nearly
fifty years, and I’ve worked variously as a bodyguard, self-defense instructor
and trainer for all levels of law enforcement including SWAT. I’m damn good
with any weapon, and particularly handy with a katana. I can also get
moderately cranky if my loved ones are in peril. So, if it comes down to any
kind of apocalypse, I’m going to make it to safety with my family. Anyone who
wants to come along is welcome to join us, but I give this warning: if there’s
one of those cranky, loud-mouthed clowns in the party, I’m feeding him to the
zoms so the rest of us can get away.
S.G. BROWNE: I’d like to think I’d be pretty crafty and
would be able to navigate the zombie apocalypse with some common sense,
considering I’ve seen enough movies on the subject. So I give myself a pretty
decent chance of survival. I’d probably be more likely to die at the hands of
some gun-toting douche bag who wants my supplies before I’d get eaten alive by
a hungry zombie.
RIO YOUERS: See question #3. I’ll survive forever, unless I
switch Brian’s Anthrax CD for my Captain and Tennille. Then he’ll shoot me
himself.
STEPHANIE CRAWFORD: Unless zombies are into slapstick and
crave vaudevillian entertainment, I’m pretty sure I’d die within minutes. As
much as I enjoy zombie survival tales, I don't think I'd have much interest
living in a world filled with rotting bodies, chocolate factories shut down and
the only available soda being flat.
ZOMBIES&TOYS: Finally, do you have any other projects on
the horizon we should keep our eyes out for?
JONATHAN MABERRY: The third in my series of post-apocalyptic
zombie novels for teens debuts in September (FLESH & BONE), and I’m
currently writing the last book in that series. I’m also working on MARVEL
UNIVERSE VS THE AVENGERS, a mini-series that will launch around Halloween. And
my first anthology as editor, V-WARS, just debuted, which is a shared-world
vampire story. Also…we’ll be making some
noise soon about a movie deal.
S.G. BROWNE: I’ll be releasing a Christmas themed zombie
novella titled I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus that’s a sequel to my debut
novel Breathers and takes place nearly a year after the first novel left off.
It’s scheduled for release November 13, 2012.
RIO YOUERS: My new novel, WESTLAKE SOUL, hit bookstores
recently, and the reviews so far have been outstanding. I have a bunch of short
stories coming out in various anthologies, and I’m about to start work on a new
story with fellow 21ST CENTURY DEAD contributor Mark Morris. And if all goes
well, there should also be something new from Cemetery Dance in 2013
Check back in tomorrow when we wrap up with Part 2 of this discussion
featuring Simon Green, Daniel H. Wilson, and John M. McIlveen and stop in and make sure your favorite retailer is preparing for the release of 21st Century Dead!
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