In this tale of pain and discomfort, we have a single man battling the odds of bad luck and finding the ability to outsmart and overcome the "Infected" in this new twist on something classic. Nathan spends his nights manning the radios in the local police station and things start to go crazy as the Reaper Virus takes hold on the throat of the world. As it sweeps through the streets it comes banging on the front door to the police station. One thing Nathan knows for sure is that he has to get home to his wife and kids.
This was originally a blog, but was picked up by Knight Watch press and you can still check out the site to get an idea of the story here.
This will be a must have for the Zombie fanatic when it is released early this summer and we'll have an interview with the author and an update to post when it does!
Matt Boiselle Looking for a spine tingling, immersive, edge of your seat thriller through a desperate attempt to stay alive during the zombie apocalypse ? Released on October 18th in both trade paperback and e-book format, The Zombie Feed Press, an imprint of Apex Publications, sends forth Escape From Zombie City ( A One Way Out Novel), written by Ray Wallace. The book drops you smack dab in the middle of a catastrophic outbreak of the undead, and gives you the feel that it is indeed you that has begun the end of days battle to keep yourself alive and safe amongst the recently re-animated. Many obstacles face you now as the city you reside in has been overrun by what the news broadcasts have stated as results of a failed government experiment ( is there any other kind ? ). The mere thought of just trying to move on to safer ground becomes an ever increasing futile attempt that is clouded by psycho survivalists, numerous roadblocks and stonewalled military defenses. This looks like a good read and if you are into the kind of novel that just doesn't paint the picture, but gives you the brush, then grab this book - on sale now at www.apexbookcompany.com/collections/the-zombie-feed
Sometimes, I simply just drop the ball. A few months back, we ran a contest to give away some signed copies of "Memento Mori" signed by author/artist, William Lebeda. I neglected to post a banner for the contest in the margin and it fell off of my radar. Because of this, I am extending the contest until the end of June.
Take advantage of my mistake and email an image of a skull, any skull, to skull@zombiesandtoys.com. Don't forget to include your name and address. For more information about this book that consists of nothing but sketches of skulls, check out our original post.
Set in the fictional English seaside town of Haven, Dead Beat is the debut novel of British author, Remy Porter. The hero of the novel is Police Constable Johnny Silverman, a character whom we learn is not without his flaws. The story opens with Johnny on patrol during a night shift that becomes ever more frantic and chaotic. To have to deal with one murder would be unusual, but multiple murders in such a short span of time is unheard of in this idyllic part of the country. It is not long before he realises that the recently dead are returning to life with just one over-riding goal – to consume the flesh of the living.
From there we enter familiar zombie territory with an ever dwindling group of folk trying to survive the apocalypse. Inevitably, there are differences of opinion as to the best way to go about this task. Local farmer, Jack Nation, clashes with Johnny the instant they meet and you just know he’s going to be trouble. Jack convinces almost all of the townsfolk that their best chance of survival is to stay at his farm. However, in truth, they are swapping one form of hell for another. Johnny, along with a young female police constable and an aged, alcoholic prisoner, spend most of the novel holed up in the town’s police station.
The zombies are a constant threat throughout the novel. Each day, their numbers grow stronger. Johnny and Jack clash repeatedly as the bad blood between them festers out of control. The greatest threat in this novel is not the zombies but other humans, especially Jack and his two psychotic sons, who sink to unspeakable depths of depravity once they realise that law and order no longer exists.
This is an exciting, fast-paced novel. Johnny is a well-rounded character who struggles with his inner demons throughout the story. Jack Nation and his sons are the very personification of evil as they rule their land with a rod of iron. Writer, Iain McKinnon, provides a foreword that whets the appetite for the main course. Despite a few minor quibbles, like poor proofreading, this is a worthy debut novel. I can highly recommend it to all fans of zombie literature.
Imagine that you wake up on the ground to find out that you were flung from your vehicle in an accident. Now factor in some amnesia coupled with a world plagued with walking corpses. Sound like a fun time? Hardly. The cherry on top of this undead sundae is that you are no longer living, but have become a walking, talking, thinking and (non) breathing zombie. This is the current “life” crisis of Peter Mellor when Zombie Ohio begins.
What do you do? Where do you go? How long until the higher functions cease and you fall as far as the rest of your zombie brethren? These are the worries Peter shares with us as he seeks out his loved ones and avoids those who wish to make his dying a little more permanent. Peter’s journey takes a turn for the unexpected when he finds that his car accident wasn’t quite an accident after all. With a new focus, Peter is determined to use his zombie status to his advantage in tracking down his murderer.
Scott Kenemore presents the tale of Peter Mellor in an interesting way. A zombie capable of speech and rational thought? Peter’s ability to function on a higher level opens many doors for his survival in the undead infested lands of Ohio. As he comes to grips with his newfound abilities and desires we get the inside scoop of what it feels like. Remember your first…anything? We get a first hand account of a multitude of zombie firsts by walking along side Peter.
The mixture of zombie horror and murder mystery makes for a compelling read. Humor is in no short supply and offsets the grisly reality that the human race is no match for the zombie armies that walk the earth. Peter’s world view and outlook on humanity make for a very likeable character with whom to take a journey. A zombie that elicits empathy? Largely unheard of, but there will be some that root for Peter as he goes through the motions of trying to remember clues that could lead him to his murder (all while stopping for the occasional brain snack).
Do yourself a favor, pick up the book and take a journey with quite possibly the smartest zombie you will ever meet. The book is a quick read, but there are enough instances of symbolism and little gems throughout that will bring you back for another visit to the zombie infested state of Ohio (is there really any other reason to come to Ohio)? Come for the brains, stay for the fun!
For your chance to win one of several copies of the book, email your name and address to ohio@zombiesandtoys.com. We will select winners at random May 31st.
Before you read any further, my Fanboy Disclaimer: I dig anthologies. The reason I love them is simple; I have a problem. Every book I open, I finish. Most days, I’ve got so much to do I just don’t have time to take a big enough bite to satisfy the hunger. That can get really frustrating; especially if it’s not that great a book. The solution, for me, has been copious amounts of Anthologies. My Scientific Wild-Assed Guess—or SWAG, if you will—is that, in general, most anthology stories are open and shut in an average twenty-five pages. Have an hour? BAM! Two books down. Half that time? Not a problem; you’ll be done and cleaned up way before curfew.
Now, to the books. Each of these books contains twenty (nineteen if you don’t count the author’s introduction) short stories and no two authors hold down the same fort. You have everything here from techno-Zombies to Voodoo body snatchers even to stranger than fiction morphological freaks. Not only that, but even when you do have two similar types of animates, the arc that they follow is absolutely unique. To fully paint the picture of exactly what these books are and are not, I’d need to write forty full-color posts up and down. That’s something I can’t do, and you may not survive.
My review, then, is this: I haven’t come across an anthology I regretted buying, but I’ve never landed one without the here-and-there oddball either. These two stand toward the front of the horde as being definitely worth your time (Vol.One being my favorite of the two). Both contain strong language, graphic content, and sexual themes. These are not for the kids. Keep your eye out for gems, such as: Pegleg and Paddy Save the World, Paradise Denied, and Dredging Up the Dead. If you have a young son, skip past Connections; that’s a tear jerker.
Pick them up on Smashwords, Amazon , or your favorite book store, depending on how you like your meat served; eBook or Paperback.
Many of you who have profiles on Facebook have no doubt come across those quizzes that ask you to answer some questions that will determine how long you would survive during the zombie apocalypse. My biggest problem with many of these quizzes is they tend to have a lot of unimportant questions. For example, how is the color I chose for my shorts going to affect my survival chances when zombies aren’t attracted to one color over another (as far as we know)? Now, along comes the Z-SAT to correct this issue.
Anyone who has or will be taking the SAT for acceptance into college will find this to be a familiar test. Rather than questions about math, reading, and writing we are given questions about the deadliness of different zombie body types, ammo choice, and even travel choices. This is a real test. Most of the staff here at Zombies & Toys took at least three or four hours to complete the test. Do not be fooled by the cover, you will be tested and you will be forced to make some decisions that aren’t easy.
There is a lot of fun to be had in taking this test. You truly have to think about answers to questions that have never been asked before. You feel a sense of accomplishment as you check answers to see if you are, in fact, as smart as you thought. Our biggest complaint about this book is that it seems a few of the questions could be just a matter of the author’s opinions. We all agreed that a few answers didn’t make sense based off of scenarios we had seen before in books, movies, and other media. It could be that there wasn't enough time or manpower available to research and gather facts or statistics which could be cited. While the test was fun, it would have been nice to have answers that were validated.
The Z-SAT may have little flaws, but like any test it should not be taken as an exact measure. This test is a way to measure base preparedness levels in the event that a real zombie apocalypse has begun. As stated earlier, our crew formed many opinions after taking this test. We have posted our scores for you to laugh at but encourage you to take the test yourself. Pick up a copy of the Z-SAT and see how you stack up to the crew of Zobmies & Toys!
Dave - 82.76%
Sara - 59.67%
Todd - 73.98%
Jason - 63.58%
Gnat - 74.63%
Kala - 69.76%
Average - 70.73%
We are eager to hear how you score on the Z-SAT so make sure to let us know. At the very least, look for a comment left here with the scores of our three contest winners!
Ronyo F. from Australia
Kimberly R. from Phoenix, AZ
Billy B. from Lynnwood, WA
It is no mystery that I like zombies. So, when I tell you that I received a zombie item that excited me, it's only natural to take my opinion with a grain of salt. Pat the Zombie, however, is a book I enjoyed that definitely deserves your attention.
Written by Aaron Ximm, the book is an adult spoof of the children's classic, Pat the Bunny. Using "adult" here does not imply anything dirty. It is simply a reminder that you want to keep this one away from the kiddies. Pat the Zombie is the same tiny, cute size as the original and features the same hands-on additions. You have the "peek-a-boo" towel you lift, the furry rabbit to touch, holes, mirrors, rough textures, and so on. All of this with a fun, made for adult fans of zombies vibe.
I chuckled as I viewed every page. The same gimmicks that entertained us as children amused me as an adult. I did touch the bunny. I did look into the mirror. I felt the gritty bones, smelled the scratch-n-sniff rotting flesh, and played peek-a-boo! I had fun.
Often times, I will bring new products to work in order to gauge the interest of my co-workers. I work in an office environment with 30 to 50 year-olds. Yes, I am old. Everyone enjoyed this book. It sparked memories, caused groans of shock and laughter, and demanded attention. At the very least, walk into your local book store and read it; It'll take five minutes. But, I highly doubt you will regret owning this palm-sized gem and I am certain you will entertain entertain enough friends to get your money's worth.
The Zombie Code: Keys to Unlocking Your Undead Destiny is a practical guide for anyone needing a hand with understanding zombies in the human world. Written by Mark Raby and currently available through Marion Street Press, The Zombie Code is a concise yet informative guide that will let the reader in on many well-kept, elusive tricks of the zombie trade. Through his years of extensive and innovative research, and time spent in close proximity to zombies, Raby gained a rare expertise on all things undead, as well as a finesse for making friends with zombies. Willing to share his knowledge for the first time in this book, Raby will let the reader into his world and will provide little known facts as to zombie life, habits and more. Basically, it comes down to this: if you aren’t going to join the undead, it is best to learn about them, help them, and most importantly, make a buck or two in the process.
Raby’s experience with zombies began young, on a family vacation that went awry. The unusual circumstances made it so that seven-year-old Mark was never to see his (human) family again and instead would spend years secretly (then not-so-secretly) observing zombies. One thing led to another, and Raby was eventually doing top secret government work with the zombies all around us. I hear you saying, “Wait! What?” Yes, pick up the book, and you will see how zombies are everywhere. The Zombie Code will teach you the ways in which zombies have successfully managed to blend in all around us, without causing suspicion or alarm. Another well-kept secret that Raby reveals is a zombie’s favorite singer…and I would never spoil that surprise for you!
The Zombie Code will introduce many of Raby’s brilliant ideas for incorporating zombies into human society. This includes many inventions to make zombie life easier, such as brain cola, zombie translators, and zombie wigs. He explains his courses to increase zombies’ abilities to hold down jobs and defend themselves-as well as how to market and teach these classes. There are also a number of pursuits Raby has pioneered to help zombies have more of a culture, if you will, such as a cookbook, zombie magazines, and even zombie poetry (with several lovely examples included for your reading pleasure).
Raby also provides case studies of several zombies he has worked closely with, including Kenni and Marjorie. Kenni is a teenage zombie who, with the aid of Raby, was able to return to a human high school. Marjorie was one of Raby’s more extensive rehabilitation projects, but she now works undetected in a government post in Canada. Along these lines, Raby presents a section on the careers most suited for zombies, and the results may or may surprise you.
You may be wondering how Raby deals with the fact that zombies need to consume human brains, and that is covered in The Zombie Code as well. With vast sums of government funds and some sneaky crafting, Raby is able to help zombies appease these needs. His BLOODS network also plays a major role in this endeavor as well.
As for zombie dating and love? You can read that part on your own. Just one tip I learned: remember to count a female zombie’s fingers before you get too involved.
Also included are a number of tools to assist the reader in making the most of the book. There is a comprehensive dictionary of words zombies commonly use, as well as their correct zombie pronunciations. The Zombie Code of Conduct is included so the human reader can better understand what rules govern zombie behavior. Don’t miss the list of hints for tuning up your zombiedar; it is a skill that may serve you well one day. Lastly, if all of this information has made you curious as to what you would be like as a zomie, Raby has you covered there, too. You can take his Zombie Personality Test to imagine how you would fit in with a crowd of the undead.
If this has you intrigued, and realizing you need to brush up on your zombie knowledge, you are in luck. Marion Street Press has provided several copies of The Zombie Code for a few lucky readers of Zombies and Toys! To enter, send an email to code@zombiesandtoys.com. The winners will be selected at the end of March. If you can’t wait, you can pick up this essential handbook now…and get your brain in shape for a zombie-er, your undead destiny.
Any child of the 1980’s will remember the ominous free-will-challenging Choose Your Own Adventure books. The paperback young adult series would pose readers with daring options and decisions such as “Will you head down the dark stairs?” or “Will you follow the spirit through the woods?” With a selection made, the book would then give direction as to where the decision would take the reader and, on a specified page, they would either continue the story or meet certain doom. In today’s rush of the undead, we are once again faced with choices that may lead to death and even worse.
Author Max Brallier’s Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? is an engaging and enjoyable addition to the literary world’s shambling corpses and starving cadavers. In the storyline’s beginning, you begin as an average twenty-something that discovers that the world he knew is gone and replaced by mass hysteria and the growing awareness that people are not eating each other but zombies are. Within several pages, you must begin making choices as how to best survive the world as it is pulled down around you by rotted hands and snapping jaws. You meet other survivors, some of whom will lead you to one of many pages where your end is quickly spelled out. You can freeze to death. You can be shot. You can fall to your death. You can wait without any hope of survival. You can tragically find yourself one of the undead and, of course, you can be devoured by hordes of zombies. But only if you make the wrong choice and there are 100 paths and 50 endings to choose from.
Brallier does a good job of keeping a pace to a book where the reader truly sets the tempo. You will feel a rush to make a decision and even more urgency to find out where you option has taken you. Readers will doubt new allies and worry about what is behind the door they have selected to open. Some choices lead to obvious consequences while others are fairly surprising. Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse will also make you want to read it repeatedly to see how far your choices can take you. Fans of the zombie genre will feel even more challenged to use their know-how and their “I would never do that” and see how well they would survive. The writing is tight and the descriptions of the undead clawing for your flesh are graphic and well done.
As the book cover states “The Choice is yours…” Getting your hands on a copy of Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse is not only an easy decision but one that should be made quickly.
To win a copy of "Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse" and see if you would, email your name and address to survive@zombiesandtoys.com. Winners will be selected at the end of the month!
Recently, Z&T came into possession of a book. At first glance, it seems to be nothing more than a few random scribbles; but, read on and you’ll see that there’s actually a funny story to how this thing came to be. Hang in long enough, and you may even learn a little something.
I was lucky enough to end up with a physical copy of the 34 page paperback and a short conversation with the artist, William Lebeda. During our brief chat, he told me the story behind the illustrations:
“Years ago, I was working with Marvel on The Punisher remake… The art department hadn't started on the film yet, and they needed a design for a new skull logo for the front of his Kevlar body armor. So, I started drawing Punisher-style skulls on everything. At one point during the project, I started to draw really different skulls... probably as a reaction to drawing dozens of versions of the punisher one. I noticed that I was drawing skulls on everything; scraps of paper, napkins, post-its with phone numbers… all over.”
The scattered sketches were eventually collected and sorted through, which took significantly longer than he had planned. The movie was released in 2004 and the book was released in 2010. I would have to agree, that’s a long time spent organizing, digitizing, and getting ready for print; which makes the title very fitting.
Memento Mori is a Latin phrase for ‘remember to die”; or, be mindful that you will die. Artists have been incorporating the idea of eminent death into their work since the time of ancient Rome. The idea is that life is short. What we do here has got to be enough to make sure that we’re remembered long after we’re gone.
So, who wants to help Mr. Lebeda live forever? New in the Zombie Toy Store, you can pick up your very own copy of Memento Mori: a collection of drawings by William Lebeda for the low, low price of $4.99. Also, when you support Z&T, there’s always a good chance you could land some free “thank you” swag. That’s just how we do things around here. Click the link to shuffle over and snag yourself a copy. You’ll be glad you did.
William has also been kind enough to offer a few copies to our readers! If you would like the chance to win a free copy of Memento Mori, email your name, address, and picture of a skull to skull@zombiesandtoys.com. We are going to make this one easy. To enter, you can submit any picture of a skull that you find interesting. For a better chance of winning, submit your own skull creation. William will hand pick his favorites to win a copy of his book! Winners will be announced at the end of March. If you purchase a book and are later selected as a contest winner, we will refund your purchase price or send you the additional book. For inspiration, here is a skull I drew:
What do you get when you take a literary classic and add a spattering of zombies? What if we add a dash of ninjas and ancient martial arts? You get a re-imagining of the classic, Pride and Prejudice, written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Only now we have zombies, or “unmentionables” as they are very frequently called, take over the quaint countrysides of Regency-era England. For anybody who has read the original, you will find many similarities between this re-imaging and Jane Austin’s original.
This is a novel that essentially follows the four Bennet sisters, now trained in the ancient martial arts, and their trials and tribulations. Essentially the story begins with the sisters’ mother searching for wealthy suitors to marry her daughters. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, spends his days training the girls to be a fearsome zombie-fighting army proficient in martial arts as well as a weapons use.
The girls are by no means tomboys either. They are civilized ladies who maintain their proper social standing who happened to be trained in zombie fighting techniques. In fact, there are even parts where the girls debate carrying a musket for defense because even though it brings safety, it is considered unladylike. This is definitely a novel where civility versus defense is a common debate.
With everything being said thus far, it is important to note that this novel's biggest downfall is that is not lite reading. PPZ still maintains the classic reading of the original and demands a lot of patience to get through. Not that this is a bad thing, but definitely worth mentioning. Grahame-Smith is definitely doing justice to the source material here and there are few disappointments. There are also some wonderfully morbid illustrations scattered throughout this great novel.
If you have the time and an interest in Victorian zombie stories that include ninjas and martial arts, then you are definitely in for a treat. There is enough presented here that truly sets this as a novel of its own and not just a rewrite of the original with the word "zombie" thrown in where necessary. This is a book that begs to be read, especially with the announcements that casting for the movie adaptation has begun. Quirk Books and Grahame-Smith have truly captured lightning in a bottle with a novel that is so well-written that many English teachers are even introducing this story into their materials. Find this book and read it when you get the chance, you will not regret it.
What does it feel like to kill the same guy twice in one week? Joe Ledger knows. His swat team hits a terrorist juncture in a warehouse where all hell breaks loose. He ends up putting four men down in the sting and still manages to drag his shredded buddy, Jerry, back outside after his shield gets torn up by a Chinese QBZ-95. The strange thing about the ordeal isn’t that he had to shoot somebody. He’s Baltimore P.D. He’s used to that. It’s that there were only twelve dudes in the room when they kicked it down; but, there were thirteen when it was all over. That last guy is the only one which caught him off guard; the sicko actually tried to bite him. When thirteen makes a move for one of his partners, Ledger puts two rounds from his .45 into the guys back.
Fast forward a few days and Joe gets nabbed by three goons in suits and shades. They throw him in a car and drive him about 100 miles down the road to a building he’s never seen before. They leave him in a windowless room to wait a couple of hours and then send in the boss. Mr. Church, they call him. He’s hard as a hammer and pulls no punches. After a few minutes of interesting dialogue, and a few cookies, he gives Ledger his “audition”.
In a room similar to his interrogation room, sits a man at a table. Joe simply has to go in, subdue the guy, and walk out. Simple, yeah? Not by a long shot. The moment Ledger gets close, the man springs on him; number thirteen. The guy should be in a box buried under a nice field of fresh cut grass right now; but, he’s snappy as a spring chicken. After one of Maberry’s marque throw downs, Ledger finds out exactly what Mr. Church wants with him. There’s a new face behind global terrorism, and they’re looking to release a Prion disease, which they call Seif al Din; or, Sword of the Faithful, at a conference in D.C. The disease is a combination of fatal familial insomnia and some naturally occurring aggressive parasites which cause the dead to rise… hungry. They plan to set the world on fire and dance in the shadows of its destruction.
This book is what got me into reading Maberry. The reason I picked it up, back in ’09, is because I was in the market for a new zombie book after The Zombie Survival Guide and I’d started to hear buzz about this Jonathan Maberry dude. He’d won multiple awards, including the Bram Stoker award for best first novel, and he was an 8th degree black belt in Jujitsu. I figured I’d give him a try; It was a great decision.
Patient Zero is the first book of real-world fiction novels about Detective Joe Ledger (followed in 2010 by The Dragon Factory and in 2011 by King of Plagues). The things in the book aren’t real; but, the situations are too close to science fact to ignore. There’s even a flyleaf disclaimer at the beginning of the book to which lets readers know no matter how real it sounds, it’s not… yet. Expect violence, picturesque brutality, sexual themes, language, and everything that goes with it. Definitely not for the kids.
Sadly, Zombies are only the theme of the first book; the second dealing with Genetic Splicing and Eugenics and the third to deal with a remix of the Biblical plagues. Still, you’re gonna wanna pick these up. You won’t regret it.
Don't forget to read our review of Rot& Ruin and enter to win a copy!
Author offers zombie fans a chance to determine their chance when hell runs out of room
by Chad Hunter
When we think SAT, we think of long nights of dreaded studying and having our brains threaten to burst. Now, with ZSAT, it’s not our brains exploding that concerns us. It’s our brains being eaten.
Zombies & Toys had the opportunity to talk with author Casey Blair Bassett, the writer behind Z-SAT: Zombie Survival Aptitude Test. With the ongoing craze of the undead, Bassett is helping the masses find out if they really have what it takes to survive the day, the dawn and the night when society crashes and the dead walk. Read what Casey has to say and after, enter for your chance to win a free copy of the Z-SAT! You will soon be able to compare your score against the staff of Zombies & Toys!
Z&T: Hi Casey, welcome to Zombies and Toys. Thank you for your time. Can you tell readers the full title of the book and a description of it?
CBB: Z-SAT:Zombie Survival Aptitude Test. [The] Z-SAT is a book that allows zombie lovers to evaluate themselves and their abilities. The Zombie Survival Aptitude Test is a 1230 point test that consists of multiple choice, true and false, illustrations, and even a personal evaluation. It affords people the opportunity to take a deeper, in-depth look into their zombie survival skills. This test is the SATs of Zombie Survival! The scoring ranges from Expert, Professional, Novice, Amateur, and Minor. Any zombie enthusiast should take the Zombie Survival Aptitude Test... it could save their lives!
Z&T: I guess you don’t have to score as expert as long as you’re smarter than the guy next to you! What was the drive behind the book?
CBB:About 2 years ago I came up with the idea of publishing a zombie survival test book. I talked to my friends about the idea and began writing questions and drawling illustrations for the book. I worked on the book on and off for 2 years, and it sat on the back burner for a while until The Walking Dead TV show came on and it motivated me to want to finish it. Ever since the first episode I have been working nonstop on Z-SAT.
Z&T: It seems like everyone loves zombies today, from movies to games to print. What drew you to them?
CBB:I have loved zombies for such a long time, and love Max Brooks "Zombie Survival Guide" and could only hope that someday my book could be that successful. I loved all zombie movies, comics, books, video games, etc. I think that zombie(s) make everything better!
Z&T: Where can readers find and purchase the Zombie Survival Aptitude Test?
CBB:The book is currently located for purchase though my website (www.z-sat.com), Lulu.com, and Ebay. The book has been submitted for global distribution and will be available for order at any book retailer this March. (Amazon, Books-A-Million , Barnes and Noble, etc)
Z&T: Are there upcoming events (e.g. additional books, appearances, etc) for promoting Z-SAT?
CBB: I don't know what my schedule is going to be like for the next several months but I plan on attending Steel City Con and/or Pittsburgh Comic Con to sell and sign some copies of Z-SAT.
Z&T: Awesome approach. Those are big events! You know zombie-fans are endlessly hungry, where can readers find more information?
CBB:Reader can find more information on my website or Facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/Zombie.Survival.Aptitude.Test) Z-SAT is also has pages on Myspace, Linkedin and Twitter. However, I use Facebook the most.
Z&T: Thank you Casey for your time. For more information on the Zombie Survival Aptitude Test, please check out www.z-sat.com! To enter for your chance to win a signed copy, email your name and address to zsat@zombiesandtoys.com. Winners will be chosen at the end of the month.
In the months ahead, you will begin to see some changes here at Zombies & Toys. Don't worry, we're not trying to re-invent the wheel or anything. In fact, you are about to witness the first of several surprises right now!
Every Wednesday, we will post another portion of a story for you to follow. Does it get any better than free zombie fiction? You will notice a new tab at the top of the page labeled fiction. Here, we will post the most current update as well as previous chapters of the current story. We are launching this new feature with, The Lazarus Effect: The Family That Returns by Chad Hunter.
In the corner, he found the last living technician in the room. Almond-eyed with a round face and disheveled hair in her face, she was using her legs to keep a table between her and the two bodies reaching for her. One dead man was lacking stitches for an incision that had yet been closed. Entrails hung and jiggled. The other was nude and had finished the morgue technician that was now only organs strewn about the room.
In these close quarters, the weapon in the officer's hand would eliminate the dead but also the technician he was trying to save. DuMons holstered the weapon. His Glock was an option but with the metal wall he dared not risk a ricochet. The officer slid a gloved hand to the blade at his side. It pulled from its nylon sheath. The extended Schrade Cutlery SCHF2 blade had a cutting length of a foot and a half. With its smooth retreat, it promised a spray of dead blood cells and the resistance of cutting bone.
Alex sighed. Although he would never admit it to his close friend and team mate, like Marshall, he too hated getting messy.
"RCO, ma’am! Stay where you are," he yelled out. With the noise, sunken, dark and dreary eyes swiveled in their sockets matching their undead heads turning towards him. One cadaver made an approach with its typical attack - arms outstretched; mouth moaning.
Follow this link or the "fiction" tab above to dive into our first zombie tale...
Remember that first summer job? The one that was the greatest job on earth until you showed up and actually had to work? Benny Imura does. In the town of Mountainside, where Benny is growing up, when you turn 15 you get a job; or you try to get by on half of what you need to survive. The community is trying to rebuild after the Zombie Apocalypse, and every able-bodied member of society must contribute.
Benny and his buddy, Chong do what I would’ve done at 15 if I had to find a job; they open the newspaper and cut out want ads. They order them from highest “cool factor” to lowest, and get to work. Along the way, they try their hands at just about everything you can imagine; locksmith, fence tester, fence technician, carpet coat salesman, pit thrower, crank generator repair… the list goes on. In Mountainside, there are a lot of jobs which need doing, and a lot of them could get you killed or infected; so it takes time to find the right one
Benny’s stepbrother Tom is the envy of Mountainside. He’s a bounty hunter. Neighbors pay him to risk his life out in the vast spaces of what used to be the United States to “quiet” their loved ones. Benny doesn’t understand what the big deal is about Tom. He thinks Tom’s a coward. His earliest memory in life is of Tom running away while his parents are chewed on like peppered jerky in the house he used to live in, before everything went to hell. Of course, he wasn’t quite two years old then; but still he remembers. To him, the real heroes are guys like Charlie Matthias and the Motor City hammer. Those dudes are rough and ready with stories to tell about their adventures outside the fences. They’re all about dirt, scars and money. They’re the cool ones; not Tom. When he’s all out of options; though, it’s take over the family business, or starve. He begrudgingly resigns himself do whatever Tom does out in the great Rot and Ruin; he’ll smash a zombie and take home some cash.
Once there, Benny gets a taste of what the world is really like. He finds that there are people who would rather live with the undead than the living; because they feel safer that way. He finds out about a special little piece of hell called Gameland where horrible people take kidnapped children from the scattered remnants of society and make them fight to the death against zombies for fun. He learns about the savage “Lost Girl” who’s lived outside civilization her whole life, and he learns who Tom really is; and why he is the town hero.
Benny Imura is a believable kid who I found myself growing attached to. He just can’t bring himself to admit that since his friend Phoenix, (“Nix”) has grown up a little; He’s really started to like her. He tells himself dating her would be like dating Chong just to keep a cool head. He wants only to collect zombie cards, and daydream with his buddies, Chong and Morgie, about adventuring together outside the city gates. When Nix gets into trouble; however, all of that goes out the window. Benny and Tom set out to fight monsters, real monsters, and do a lot of that coming of age stuff along the way. It’s not about the end of our world, it’s about the beginning of theirs.
Before I tell you what made me like this book, I have to come clean. This is the eighth piece I’ve read by Maberry. If I had a favorite author, it would be this dude. It’s gonna get all fan-girl gushy, and you’re gonna have to read his work on your own to find out if I’m right. That being said, I don’t get paid to make it sound good. It just is.
My favorite thing about his writing is the way Maberry makes you feel what it’s like to get into a struggle for your life. He has black belts and years of martial arts training he can’t help but to put on paper. I’ll try to stop oozing after this; but, Jonathan Maberry’s fight scenes are the best I’ve ever read. You won’t find any flying, sparkling, pretty boys in a dance battle here. There are no fireballs, no smoke and mirrors, and no fluff. You have monsters being shredded, and people being shot, stabbed and sliced into a bloody mess. Main characters can take a hit just like anybody else. If they get cut, they bleed. If they bleed too much, they die.
Another thing that I love is how it feels like Jonathan Maberry is really in the business of telling stories. He doesn’t fill pages and pages with wordy explanations or descriptions of simple things. A blue sky is a blue sky. We’ve all seen it, and we don’t have to be told exactly what each cloud looks like. His stories are direct, fast paced, and plot driven. There is a setting, conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution; and he gets it done in less than 500 pages.
As A zombie nut, I loved the new insight he’s given me on my favorite monster. The reason he can write so clearly is this guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s done his homework and studied this stuff more than I care to imagine. You can tell from his writing that he has considered every possible angle he could come from, and chosen the best one. I like my zombies single-minded. I don’t like zombies that talk, think, or create. Zombies are a base instinct driven natural disaster with no mind for self-preservation or purpose. Maberry’s zombies are exactly what I want to see. They’re a plague. They don’t act; they react. They are the ultimate freakin’ horror machine.
That brings me to my disclaimers: Although this is a YA novel, I happen to know from the author, that this wasn’t written specifically to target the genre. The original story was written in a darker short form and called Family Business. That being said, this book has realistic violence and gore. It also has a little bit of language laced in here and there, and there is the occasional suggestive theme. I’d say this is probably a mid-teen level book. I plan to read it to my son way before then, but I’ll have to do some on the fly editing when I do.
So, who wants a free book? Just as you’ve come to expect, entering the contest is easy. Send an email, with your name and address, to rot@zombiesandtoys.com. We’re gonna leave this contest open through the end of next month. If your number comes up, we’ll let you know via email and glittery contest update here on Z&T.
If you’ve read this far, and can spare three more minutes, check out the Simon & Schuster promo featuring the author himself below, enjoy!
Do you worry about the zombie apocalypse and the fact you don't know enough about zombies? If you have $5.44 and access to Kindle you can own Dr Dale's Zombie Dictionary. It is a book put together by Dr. Dale with the help of numerous films and Wikipedia. According to the author it answers such questions as:
How can sheep help defend me against the undead?
What will the response of the Women's Institute be to an attack?
What's the most useful style of dance to know in the event of the apocalypse?
According to Dr. Dale, this guide will even tell you about the best kind of clothing to wear and the most appropriate soundtrack to have. There is also a full money back guarantee offered by him "should you die in a zombie apocalypse within 30 days of purchase".
Overall, this looks like a great book. If you would like to purchase the kindle e-book or the paperback you can find more information by clicking here.
How many movies have you looked at where you have thought “I don’t think this is realistic” or “I would do things differently if that were me”? Do you look for realism in everything zombie related rather than suspend your belief? Do you wonder how things would really work out during the zombie apocalypse including how it would start and the potential consequences? If you said yes to any of these questions than look no further that Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead written by Jonathan Maberry, author of many horror novels and a winner of the Bram Stoker Award for best nonfiction title with his book The Cryptopedia: A Dictionary of the Weird, Strange & Downright Bizarre.
In Zombie CSU, Maberry sits down with many experts in various fields including priests, religious historians, forensics experts, law enforcement officials, doctors, filmmakers, and members of the media. During this time he crafts a zombie attack scenario in a realistic setting and examines all sides of the case. He starts out with discussions on police investigation techniques and the time-frames for evidence collection, crime scene set-up, and initial search for “patient-zero”. During each chapter Maberry looks first at the facts, recounting the scenario he sets up as well as looking at public domain information on the subject being discussed. He then goes on to a section detailing conversations with expert witnesses, talking with each about the techniques they currently employ in real world scenarios. He finishes up each chapter with a look at how the experts would react in a world where the dead rose.
As stated earlier in our review, this book deals with everything related to a “realistic” zombie attack. Sections covered include (in order): the previously mentioned crime scene unit and evidence collection, medical examinations of the living dead, zombie forensic psychology, police tactics, spiritual and philosophical implications of the walking dead, legal ramifications, armed and unarmed combat, news reports, and zombies in pop culture. Each section is masterfully written, including conversations with many experts from different fields. Maberry does not just sit idly and talk to one expert in each section, he looks at each piece of information from a number of different viewpoints and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions based on what experts in each area have to say.
Maberry may have his name as author but the book in not filled with just his thoughts. Scattered throughout the book are a number of conversations on many topics whether it be legality in dealing with the living dead, sections of zombie trivia questions, or continual conversations on whether experts prefer fast of slow zombies. For a typical author this would be enough, but Mabery goes a step further still by showcasing not only conversations with a number of artists on their reasons for becoming interested in zombies, but their artistic creations such as drawings, paintings, or photographs. Each artists and expert is given the same amount of consideration which truly adds to his credibility as an author.
Through reading the book you come to realize a number of things about yourself. This book makes you play through the scenarios in your head and rethink everything you have thought. It also does a great job of squashing any fears you may have regarding zombies. I don’t want to spoil anything, but just know that this is a must read book if you are a zombie fan. It takes everything you think you know about a zombie apocalypse and puts it into a real world perspective. The superb writing and excellent illustrations do a great job of making this a must own. If you are able to get this do so as soon as possible, you will not regret it.
For our book review today, Deanna Knippling and Dante Savelli bring us the 224 page Choose Your Doom: Zombie Apocalypse. It promises on the front cover that there are “No Happy Endings” and even accompanies this warning with a skull and crossbones. At first glance, this book looks like any other choose-your-own adventure that many of us have grown up on. For those of you that are uninitiated, the choose-your-own adventure books are not meant to be read from cover to cover. You read the book until you come to a page that will offer your choice of actions. The number of choices is not always the same, but you will find that each choice can drastically change the outcome of the story.
In this adventure you play as Tobe, the son of a scientist who works his life away as a wage slave at a restaurant. One day, you look out to see many strange people and realize that you are in the center of a zombie apocalypse. I cannot say anything else about the story as it becomes yours to control at this point. The ending is determined by you as are many of the plot points and characters that show up… or don’t. I can say two things about the story from my time with it: First, there are many different outcomes and it becomes a vastly different story depending on the choices you make. Second, in my count there are nine different conclusions to the story.
If you are not careful, one aspect of the book that can easily be overlooked is the masterfully drawn illustrations. These, at times, range from comedic to outright unnerving. The art here helps bring together many of the things that are read. This leads us to the story itself. Even though there are many possible directions that the characters can take, the story carries you along at a brisk pace. As is the nature of any choose-your-own adventure story, you will be reading many of the pages more than once. Though, you never feel like you are. There is even enough humor thrown in to make even the most jaded of readers crack a smile.
Some may argue that the story is a bit simplistic at times, but this too can be chalked up to the fact that this is a story meant to branch off into many different angles. As a result, the writing must be fairly simplistic in order to help with the vast number of changes that can take place. This is a great story that can maintain your interest many times over; well worth the price when you consider that you are getting several stories for the price of one. This is definitely a good flagship in the choose-your-doom series and leaves me with much anticipation for Doom Press’ next book, Choose Your Doom 2012. The humor and witty storytelling apparent in this book will truly make a zombie fan happy. You will be foaming at the mouth with glee as you read every page and hunger for more as each story unfolds before you.
If you think Choose Your Doom sounds like a ride you want to take, make sure to stop by your favorite bookstore and pick up a copy. Of course if you're lazy like me, you can order it through stores online or direct from Doom Press. Doom Press has also been kind enough to give you a chance to win a copy! For your chance to win, email your name and address to doompress@zombiesandtoys.com. While we do have a few copies to give away, we won't select a winner until after Christmas. So don't hesitate to buy your gift copy!
How would a person get by in a fractured world overrun by monsters? What if that person was a woman, on her own? What if she was 15? The Reapers are the Angels gives us just a glimpse of the life of Temple (a.k.a. Sarah Mary Williams) as she saunters, unassumingly, through the nightmare she was born into. Temple knows a lot more about the world than most, because she’s learned how to get by in it. She knows that the Meatskins and Slugs that have the scant populations of humans shrinking into the small corners of the world are just doing what they’re meant to. The world has order, and the world is right. As frightening and dangerous as it may be, it’s easy enough to get by if you just keep your eyes high, and your heart stuffed way down deep where it can’t tell you to feel. It’s the people that you’ve gotta worry about. The people are the real monsters, the people like her.
I found myself really liking Bell’s characters, Temple and Moses Todd. Their vernacular and the Deep South drawl was really fun to read. Temple came across to me as a teenage girl John Wayne. She was strong, defiant, and reckless, but bit by bit Bell feeds you pieces of who she is inside. He shows you her vulnerabilities and her attachment to a boy, who may or may not have been her brother, named Malcolm. She doesn’t really know who he was, but he was there in her earliest memories. It doesn’t seem to matter much whether he’s true blood related, or not - he’s her brother all the same.
Moses Todd is another sort. He’s resigned to play the hand dealt him regardless of what the house is betting. He sees the same order to life that Temple sees, only through different eyes. He’s older, stronger, and knows what the world was like before. Come hell or high water, Moses Todd will make his way same as always. He and Temple become linked throughout the story, and as much as I didn’t want to, I really grew to like him.
The narrative of the book probably details only a few weeks, but by the end of the book I felt that I knew Temple’s whole life story. The way she deals with the lemons of life is heartening. Not only does she have a “glass half full” kinda way about her, she brings it out in others. She does her very best to be a cold, hard stone, but she’s too innocent and good to really let that happen. When she comes across a poor, handicapped old man named Maury, she can’t help but go out of her way to see him safely to someone who’ll take care of him. She’d never admit it, but she develops a matriarchal type of love for the poor “dummy” and can’t bear to leave him on his own. It’s probably a lot like the way I felt about poor little Temple. The end of the book left me feeling all mushy and benevolent, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little bit leaky-eyed.
Now for the disclaimers: this book is a Young Adult novel – heavy on the ADULT. I don’t know about you, but when I think YA, I think Young (not quite) Adult; where maybe the publisher was thinking over 18, but not grey. This book has Drug use, Alcohol, Smoking, Sex, and Violence. It sounds like the recipe for a great book, and I agree. It was a GREAT book; only, I wouldn’t recommend it to my kids until late in their teens.
An excellent story, outstanding characters, and impressive world building make this a definite good time read for any corpse happy zombie nut. The third person progressive style of writing, disorderly word choice, and minimalist punctuation style was a little bit of a texture I had to get used to, but I got used to it.
