Breathers: A Zombie's Lament to Star Scarlett Johansson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament is a zombie love story written by S.G. Browne.  It tells the story of Andy, who tragically dies and is reanimated as a living corpse.  In a world where who will be a zombie and who will not cannot be predicted, zombies have no rights, still have feelings and memories, and must attend Undead Anonymous meetings.  Before the book was even published, Diablo Cody jumped on board to produce the film adaptation.  And this was after the book was turned down by dozens of publishers!

Well, the rumour-mill is buzzing with the latest news that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star as Andy.  After seeing him in Inception, I must admit that I'm excited at this news.  What about Andy's love interest, Rita?  Can anyone other than Scarlett Johansson make a zombie look hot?

Nothing is official and several sources of Hollywood news are simply saying that the two are "loosely" attached to the film.

For anyone not familiar with Breathers or S.G. Browne, check out Zombies & Toys' interview with Browne.  Also, revisit our guest review of the book.  Breathers is unique zombie novel that I originally had no intention of reading.  But am I happy to admit that it was one of the best books I read last year.  It was funny, warm, entertaining, and thought-provoking.  I encourage everyone to pick it up and give it a read.

"Warm Bodies" - Upcoming Zombie Romance Novel/Movie

The rights to a new zombie film based on a book by Isaac Marion have been picked up by Summit Entertainment. The novel, Warm Bodies, is being published this summer by Atria Books. From Variety:

[The] story centers on an existentially tormented zombie who begins an unlikely friendship with the girlfriend of one of his victims and starts a chain reaction that will transform him and his fellow zombies.

Film details thus far in a nutshell:

* Jonathan Levine will write and direct

* Bruna Papandrea will produce through Make Movies

* Laurie Webb and Cori Shepherd Stern

I wasn't overly excited when I first read about this one. Personally, I prefer the traditional "run/shoot it's a friggin' zombie" type of film. Though, I originally was not excited about SG Browne's Breathers but now admit to it being one of the best books I read last year. Reading an excerpt from Warm Bodies quickly sparked some enthusiasm and now I am eager to give it a read. Eventually, I'll learn that different can still be good. To read the excerpt yourself as well as some words from the author, head over to burningbuilding.com.

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament - guest review

I'm excited to announce that Zombies & Toys has its first guest review! Introducing Jason Stein of Jason Takes Portland. Jason was kind enough to offer his time to bring us a review of what I feel is one of the best books I have read this year.

Those who have been around for awhile are familiar with my praise of the book. So now you get to hear it from someone else.

In order to keep established mythologies fresh, story tellers will change around the particulars to give their version of how it "really" is. Author S. G. Brown’s book, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament, creates an entirely new zombie mythology. In Brown's world, zombies are people who randomly reanimate after death and still possess the ability to think and talk (if their death left the required organs intact). Since they are undead, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" does not apply to them. This means that they are not permitted in public without a "breathing" escort, have a job, must abide by curfews, and are frequently ridiculed (or worse) by the public. Fraternity pledges are particularly threatening to a zombie’s well-being. Violating these laws usually results in getting rounded up by animal control. If impounded and not claimed, the captured are sent to a zombie zoo or turned into a crash test dummy.

The focus of Breathers is on Andy, a thirty-something who is re-animated after a car accident that leaves only his young daughter alive. Now Andy lives in his parent's wine cellar, takes Pine Sol baths to mask the odor of decay, writes protest signs, and attends the weekly support group, Zombies Anonymous. Since Andy's vocal cords were damaged in the crash, we follow his internal thoughts and dialogue as he struggles to cope with his new existence and attempts for legitimacy. We also follow his courtship of a fellow zombie in his support group; Ready for some zombie loving? The numerous scenes in the self-help group combined with Brown’s writing style are reminiscent of Chuck Palahniuk’s novels, Fight Club and Choke.

Brown takes the story in some interesting directions that make a lot of sense. These directions and details left me wondering why no one had ever thought of them before. Explaining the various developments would ruin the fun and discovery for the reader so you’ll have to learn about them yourself. Unfortunately, I felt that the story fell apart in the last 30 pages. Brown seemed to be pressed for a conclusion and wrote an end scenario that was rushed and unsatisfying. Regardless, the rest of the book is so good that it is a must read for zombie fans.

S.G. Browne Interview

Just wanted to mention that MercuryNews.com featured some words with S.G. Browne, author of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament. In addition to some words from Browne, the article also tells a bit about Breathers and the upcoming movie by Diablo Cody.

For those that don't remember, Browne was kind enough to answer a few questions here on Zombies & Toys. On a personal note, if you haven't read Breathers yet, shame on you. You're missing out on a great book with a fresh look at our favorite subject.

Horror Realm Report

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to attend Horror Realm this past weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. It was the first horror specific convention I have attended. I know, I know… I hope you don’t think less of me. I do attend regular geek …er, comic and toy conventions on a regular basis.

Overall I had a great time. I was able to put faces to some familiar names, have some conversations with interesting people, and bring back some swag for the fine readers of Zombies & Toys! You can expect a “part 2” to my Horror Realm report as I have more pics, notes, and information to go through yet.

The first person I had the pleasure of meeting was Frank Serrao who is better known as The Gray Suit Zombie from George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Frank was one of the genuinely nicest people I have met. If you ever have the opportunity to meet him, make sure to stop by and say “Hi”. Besides, it’ll give you the opportunity to see first hand the Gray Suit Zombie sculpture that has been featured on Zombies & Toys. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, please check out this month’s feature on Colby Blair.


Frank introduced me to an author I was unfamiliar with and whose books I purchased, Robert Cordray. His books, Memoirs of a Haunted Man: A Zombie Trilogy and Zombies 101: Knowledge Is Survival are in my possession and on my very long list of books to read. Even better is Robert took the time to answer some fun questions I had prepared in addition to donating an autographed copy of one of his books to be given away to one of you! Here’s what Robert had to say and I’ll apologize if my transcribing is not 100% correct; it was extremely noisy at the con:

Okay, Robert, so we’re fighting off some zombies and you’re bitten. Should I shoot you and put you out of your misery or just walk away? No, let me walk around because I’m still valuable for a short while. Anywhere between (pauses) you know 10 and 12 hrs before I start getting really sick. Then it’s seizure, coma, death, and reanimation..

But what about once you reanimate? Put me out of my misery. Three in the head and I’ll stay dead.

Alright. So we’re going to make a toy of you. Would you be a zombie or a hero? Oh, I’d be the hero.

What accessories would you come with? I’d bring 2 pistols. One’s called a ZKA . It’s an 8mm ultra round. About 32 caliber about 1650 ft per second has a 22 round magazine capacity plus one in the pipe. Then I’d bring the Jury. It’s a 12 round magazine plus one in the pipe. That means it’s your judge, your jury, and the person who’s wielding the gun is your executioner.

You know a bit too much about those guns. Actually, that’s the book. Those are the weapons that our hero uses in the book.

Finally, when the apocalypse happens…

The Zombpocalypse, yeah.

When it happens, where do you want to be?

Anywhere. I’m prepared at all times.

Thanks to Robert for taking the time and sponsoring an upcoming contest. A super-friendly guy who takes his zombies seriously, make sure to spend some time with him if you have the opportunity.


I was also able to meet Travis Adkins whose book, Twilight of the Dead, is another one of my favorites. It’s one of those books that I read a while ago and have been meaning to post a review of. I’ll try to get that posted more sooner than later as I obtained his follow-up book, After Twilight: Walking with the Dead and plan on reading that one ASAP.

S.G. Browne was also present at Horror Realm. I didn’t bother him with my questions since he was kind enough to take the time a few months ago. Instead, I learned that the ending we are familiar with in his book, Breathers, is not the original. I also discovered that it took over 80 agents before someone finally decided to move forward with his book. For those who didn’t already know, it was this agent who had ties with Diablo Cody and is the reason we can now look forward to a Breathers movie! Browne was also kind enough to give me some pins and stickers that I will be giving to a few lucky readers.

Across from S.G. Browne was another featured artist this month, Billy Tackett. Again, I didn’t bother Billy with any printable questions since he we already have him featured. Instead, I learned more about some of his upcoming projects. Sorry, folks, top secret stuff but rest assured Zombies & Toys will have more news as I’m able to report it. I also picked up the amazing Zombie Sam print Billy was kind enough to sign and donate for this month’s contest.

Check back later for part two of my report where I’ll share my experience with Kim Paffenroth, Ken Foree, some of the artists and vendors present, as well as report on more goodies guests donated to give to you!

Update on Diablo Cody and Breathers Movie

SciFiWire.com scored some new information from Diablo Cody regarding the movie adaptation of S.G. Browne's book, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament.

According to Cody, the script is finished and in the hands of directors. Cody has read and approves of Geoff LaTulippe's adaptation and says it captures the essence of the novel. "Yeah, we have a script now," said Cody. "Woo-hoo! It's actually an incredibly awesome tight script, so we're going to move forward, attach a director next and the whole lovely development process. ...if you're a fan of the book, I think people are going to be pleased."

I 'gotta tell 'ya, read the book. I was doubtful at first but after reading a great review decided to give it a whirl. It is a wonderfully unique version of a zombie tale. It is unkown why people reanimate and not everyone does. But those that do still retain their memories and personalities only know they have the effects of being dead to contend with. The only reason I can give to not read the book is it will only make the wait until the movie seem longer.

Breathers Contest Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered this month's contest for an autographed copy of SG Brown's Breathers: A Zombie's Lament. An even bigger thanks to Mr. Brown himself for taking the time to answer some questions and for donating said prize. I'll post links in the margin to your right for quick access to the interview and for Breathers purchase info. Seriously, it's a great book; A unique and entertaining view our favorite subject.

Congratulations to Stu Conover from Chicago, IL! Stu should be expecting his prize as well as some sweet, sweet Zombies & Toys SWAG by the end of the week.

The fun is not over, however. July's contest will begin, well, in July. This will coincide with a guest write-up I'll be doing at Zombie Command! There, I'll be naming my top 5 favorite zombie toys. Completely biased? Yes. But I hope you will be entertained regardless. We'll also have more than one prize awarded!

Contest Reminder: Win An Autographed Copy Of Breathers!

Just a reminder that this month's contest ends next Friday. One lucky winner will win a copy of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament autographed by its author, S.G. Browne.

Entering couldn't be easier... email me at zombiesandtoys@gmail.com with "Breathers" as the subject. Don't forget to include your name and address in the subject. Full details can be found here.

Breathers is one of the most unique books I have read and is a fresh take on the zombie genre. For details about the book please head over to Undead Anonymous. Info about S.G. Browne including his previous and upcoming books, signings, and contact info can be found by visisting his website here. Browne was also kind enough to answer a few questions for our readers so don't miss the opportunity to see what he had to say by clicking here.

Every zombie book I have read is pretty much more of the same. That's not to say any of them are bad. I haven't read a bad zombie novel yet. Each has its own unique events and twists but the core to each is similiar. I can honestly say that Breathers breaks that mold and does so quite well. Head over to Undead Anonymous and read the first chapter for free. Trust me...

S.G. Browne, An Interview With The Author Of Breathers

S.G. Browne is the author of several books but is most recognized right now (and especially to Zombies & Toys' readers) for his recent accomplishment, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament. Not only was Mr. Browne kind enough to send us an autographed copy for this month's contest, he also took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us.

Browne started writing screenplays and short stories in the early 1990’s while working in Hollywood doing post-production work for the Disney Studios. After three years in the business, he abandoned Hollywood and fled to Santa Cruz, where he proceeded to write the bulk of his four dozen short stories and first three novels.

After more than 10 years of writing horror, Browne took a break. A little more than a year later, he was inspired to turn his 2000 word short story, “A Zombie’s Lament”, into what would eventually become his fourth novel — an 82,000 word dark comedy titled Breathers.

You can read more about Browne at SGBrowne.com and read about and order Breathers at Undead Anonymous.com.

What was the first zombie movie you saw and what about it still sticks with you?

Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead, which I saw for the first time in 1977. The stark, terrifying reality of it and the death of the hero at the end are what stick with me the most. It’s still the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. And I have the line “They’re coming to get you, Barbara” on my iTunes.

If you had to pick a single, favorite zombie film what would it be and why? I’ll even cheat and allow you to name your other favorites too. So what are they?

Night of the Living Dead, because it’s the benchmark of zombie horror and the archetype for the modern conception of zombies. Other favorites? Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, Dawn of the Dead (the remake by Zack Snyder), and Shaun of the Dead.

What zombie books are you most fond of?

To be honest, I haven’t read a lot of zombie fiction, though I have World War Z by Max Brooks and The Living Dead (a collection edited by John Joseph Adams) on my To Be Read list. Oh, and Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum was a kick in the pants.

Most readers don’t know that Breathers actually began as a short story. How much time lapsed between the completion of the short story and the beginning of Breathers as we know it?

I completed “A Zombie’s Lament” in 2001. I wrote the first scene for Breathers two years later in a hotel room in Ventura, CA, but I didn’t really start writing the novel until early 2004. So three years. Or maybe technically two. Is that a vague enough answer?

What was it about this particular story that brought you back to it?

The dark comedy. I’d written three novels that were straight supernatural horror a la Stephen King, but I’d never attempted a full-length novel in this style. And at the time, I’d never seen or read anything from the zombie’s POV. I thought that would be fun to explore.

How long did it take you to write Breathers?

Two years, though I didn’t work at it every day. I sort of binge wrote it. And I went through a divorce halfway through, which sort of puts the kibosh on having much of a sense of humor.

I have read that over 80 agents actually passed on Breathers before it was finally published. What types of rejections did you get and how did you stay motivated in the face of so much rejection?

Most of the rejections I received were positive. My favorite rejection showed up two months after I’d signed the publishing contract. I framed that one. As for staying motivated, it’s called masochism.

Breathers takes a bold and entertaining stance by giving “life” to zombies. What defining moment is behind this vision of yours to explain their consciousness through their eyes?

I don’t know if I’d call it a vision. Thomas Edison had vision. I just wanted to tell the story of an ordinary zombie and create enough sympathy for him so that when he started eating human flesh, the reader would be right there with him, cheering him on.

Any plans for more zombie novella? If so, do you intend on using the same formula that made Breathers such a success or will you visit a different angle to the zombie persona?

If I can come up with something fresh, then I’d definitely revisit the zombie mythology. But at the moment, I’ve already written my next book (also a dark comedy, this one about fate) and am working on another, as well as a screenplay with a sci-fi edge.

I’m sorry, Scott, you’ve just been bitten by a zombie. As your friend do you ask me to cap you in the brain or leave you to wander with the rest of your ilk?

I never liked the word “ilk.” It feels incomplete. Like it’s missing its soul. Like zombies. Plus I don’t eat a lot of read meat. So cap me in the brain.

You’ve mentioned looking for the humanity in zombies and question their life prior to becoming undead. What zombies in film have you particularly wondered about or drawn to and were any of them the inspiration behind Andy?

While I can’t say I consciously drew on any zombies for inspiration for Andy, the first one who comes to mind is Bub, from Romero’s Day of the Dead. I think he was probably the first heroic or sympathetic zombie.

What information are you able to share about the upcoming Breathers movie (timeline, cast, etc)? Many of us are dying to know more information (pun intended).

Timeline? Sometime between now and the zombie apocalypse. Cast? So long as Christopher Walken and Bruce Campbell want in, I’m happy. I should know more once the script is finished, hopefully sometime this summer.

Did plans for the movie begin prior to the official release of the book? It seems news of the movie hit immediately after the book was released.

Although the deal for the film rights was announced the week before the book release, the wheels had been in motion for nearly a year. I’ve learned to be patient. Sort of.

What’s your plan when the zombie apocalypse inevitably happens?

I plan on screaming a lot. And maybe filling up a bunch of water balloons with guacamole and dropping them on the zombies from the roof of my apartment. I’m not much of a survivalist.

Being a long-time zombie fan yourself, what are your thoughts regarding the increase in popularity of zombies lately?

You could make the argument that zombies are an allegory for the end of the world as we know it. That the popularity of zombies is a direct reflection of global fears regarding the economy and terrorism, much the same way aliens were popular in the 1950s during the Cold War. I don’t know if I believe that, but zombies are a great vehicle for making commentary on society. After all, they used to be us, which is ultimately why I think we find them so compelling.

Do you feel that being saturated with too many new zombie books and movies will reduce the quality or prohibit studios and publishers from moving forward with new projects?

I think as long as zombies remain popular, studios and publishers will pursue any zombie project that has something to offer. But I think eventually it’s going to get harder to sell something that doesn’t offer a fresh or original take on the mythology.

Are there any zombie toys or memorabilia that you collect? Tell us about your inner geek.

I used to have a collection of gargoyles, skulls, monster action figures, and wind up robots. But after I got divorced, I realized having them out on display might have an adverse impact on my ability to date a woman more than once. So I ended up giving most of my collection away to my nephews. But I still have some of my favorite pieces, along with movie posters from the original Frankenstein, The Mummy, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien, and Night of the Living Dead.

Scott, thank you so much for making yourself available. If any readers want to thank you in person, where can you be found over the coming months?

You can find me at a number of events and book signings, which I keep updated on my web site: http://www.undeadanonymous.com/breathers
Just look for the Next Scheduled Resurrection…

New Contest! Win An Autographed Copy Of Breathers!

Here it is, June's contest! The prizes just get better and better. This month's give-away will be for a copy of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament autograhed by its author, S.G. Browne.

Breathers takes place at a time when zombies are, er.... alive ... and are trying to cope with being dead. New medications, support groups, and rules are all a part of a zombie's new routine. An extremely original and enjoyable read. Here's the actual synopsis:

Meet Andy Warner, a recently deceased everyman and newly minted zombie. Resented by his parents, abandoned by his friends, and reviled by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is having a bit of trouble adjusting to his new existence. But all that changes when he goes to an Undead Anonymous meeting and finds kindred souls in Rita, an impossibly sexy recent suicide with a taste for the formaldehyde in cosmetic products, and Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old car-crash victim with an exposed brain and a penchant for Renaissance pornography.

When the group meets a rogue zombie who teaches them the joys of human flesh, things start to get messy, and Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will take him from his casket to the SPCA to a media-driven class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.

Darkly funny, surprisingly touching, and gory enough to satisfy even the most discerning reader, Breathers is a romantic zombie comedy (rom-zom-com, for short) that will leave you laughing, squirming, and clamoring for more.

To enter: Please send an email with your name and address to zombiesandtoys@gmail.com and please put "Breathers" in the subject. One lucky winner will receive a copy of the book that Mr. Browne was kind enough to provide and autograph. He was also kind enough to dedicate some time to answer a few questions for Zombies & Toys. Click here to read the interview. Entries must be received by Friday, June 19th.

A HUGE "Thank You" to Scott Browne for sponsoring this month's contest and for all of his time.

Contest Updates!

The Plants vs Zombies contest concluded on Friday. All winners were emailed on Sunday. I will post the winner's names as well as some of the adopted zombie's names and zombatars that were created this week.

I would like to thank everyone who entered. Your creativity was extremely entertaining and your participation appreciated. I would also like to thank PopCap Games for their time and generosity by sponsoring.

If you did not win, I strongly suggest heading over to PopCap. Download the free trial version of Plants vs Zombies and put some serious thought into purchasing. The game is extremely addicting and fun and my son loves watching me play. Plus, there's a "zombie bowling" mini-game that he has a great time with!

A new contest will launch sometime next week. What zombie goodness is in store for June's winner you ask? How about a signed copy of S.G. Browne's latest novel, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament! I first mentioned Browne's book here in March, along with the information that Diablo Cody is set to produce the upcoming movie adaptation. Since then, Browne has been kind enough to not only sign and donate a copy, but also take the time to answer a few questions for us!

Thanks for reading and look forward for details soon. As a reminder, follow me on Twitter for exclusive updates!

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament - a book review

I must admit, other than the news I posted earlier about Diablo Cody being involved with a movie adaptation I wasn't too excited. The book's premise seemed a little odd (not that that's bad) and not usually what I like to read about when it comes to zombies. I much prefer survival and dark scenarios with my zombie reading. Being a huge fan of Shaun of the Dead and enjoying Fido, I decided to look a bit deeper.

I uncovered a few reviews and decided to post my favorite one for the rest of you to enjoy. I cannot take credit and encourage you to head over to i09.com and browse around since that's where the review came from. After reading this, I think Breathers will be added to my queue of books to read. The review was written by Charlie Jane Andrews.

I wasn't sure if there was room for any more works in the burgeoning "zombie comedy" genre, but S.G. Browne's new "zom-rom-com" Breathers: A Zombie Lament turns out to be a pretty worthy addition. Spoilers!

With Breathers, Browne stakes out his own radically different take on the zombie mythos, which may annoy purists but opens up a whole range of story possibilities. In Browne's world, zombies have been around for at least 100 years, and everybody knows about them. But zombie-ism is not contagious or transmitted via zombie bites, and not everybody who dies becomes a zombie. Only a tiny minority of dead people reanimate, and it appears to be totally random who reanimates and who doesn't. And the undead are able to keep all of the faculties they have when they were alive, even as their bodies tend to decay slowly unless they take in large amounts of formaldehyde.

So if you can accept that drastically different take on zombie lore, you get a wry, self-aware story told from the point of view of Andy, who dies in a car accident and then comes back a few days later after he's already embalmed. (Andy's wife also dies, but doesn't come back.) Andy has all his old memories and attitudes, but his body is horribly damaged and the living treat him like something less than human. He can't go out of the house without having people throw food at him, and his expeditions out of the house tend to wind up with him being carted off to Animal Control. (In one of the book's more random contrivances, stray zombies get locked up at the dog pound.)

The whole thing, in its early passages, reminds me of the short-lived but awesome comic A. Bizarro, told from the point of view of a bizarro duplicate of a random guy. Andy still feels like the same person, but he's been transformed in both his body and somewhat in his faculties, and nobody will accept him. It doesn't help that his vocal cords were crushed in the accident, and so he can't talk except by use of a dry-erase board around his neck. His parents have saved him from being used for medical experiments or being turned into a crash-test dummy, and they let him live in their basement, but Andy's dad refuses to acknowledge him or treat him like a human being.

The first half of the book sort of turns into zany social satire. On the one hand, Andy spends a lot of time at Undead Anonymous, a zombie support group, where the members talk in funny slogans and try to figure out how to become empowered and make the most of their unlives. (And Browne has put up an Undead Anonymous web site, complete with zombie haikus.) And then there's Andy's struggle to regain all the human rights he's lost as a result of his death and reanimation. (He can't vote, hold down a job, take public transportation, or go out after a curfew.)

The whole thing's written in a breezy style, with the decaying tongue firmly in the cheek. Like in this passage:

On rare occasions, someone actually reanimates during their funeral.

Which is what happened with Jerry.

A friend of his videotaped the whole thing and sold it to America's Funniest Zombie Videos. Jerry taped the episode and brought a copy of the video to one of the meetings so everyone could watch.

It was a typical funeral. The father standing up at the podium, speaking with conviction through his choked emotion. The sound of people crying. The casket, surrounded by photographs, closed and draped in flowrs. Then one of the arrangements slides off the casket as the lid slowly opens and you hear people gasping and screaming as chairs are turned over and horrified faces blur past the camera and the father stumbles back from the podium and shouts, "Dear God!" Then Jerry sits up in the coffin, pulls the eyecaps and cotton out from beneath his eyelids, and glances around the room, his eyes blinking.

The camera moves in closer, a full frame shot of Jerry with his cheeks raw and his head wrapped in gauze as his father wails off camera. Jerry blinks and shakes his head, looks once more around the room and down at his casket, then turns and stares straight into the lens and says, "Dude, is that my video camera?"

If you can buy into the idea of an alternate world where America's Funniest Zombie Videos is a popular program, then you end up just running with the zany weirdness.

So Andy, the hapless zombie main character, winds up falling in love with one of the other zombies in his support group, a suicide named Rita, who's sort of gothy and exciting. (Hence the "romantic comedy" part of it.) We get to see a zombie courtship, which involves a lot of grunting and hapless fantasizing, and it's sort of sad and depressing in its caricature of a regular human courtship.

The novel really takes off about halfway through, when a few things change. Without giving too much away, Andy and his friends meet a zombie named Ray, who seems to have a more independent, empowered approach to life. Ray starts feeding Andy and the others his special venison, which he keeps in jars and which tastes way better than any other food to their dulled zombie tastebuds. Andy and the gang start feeling invigorated and full of something approaching life once again, just as they also start to suspect that maybe that venison isn't really venison.

In the second half, it becomes much more of a standard zombie rampage story, and is much better for it. Our characters stop pretending to be human or trying to live according to human double standards, and meanwhile, Browne's off-kilter social satire gets cranked up several levels higher as Andy starts going on Larry King Live to promote zombie rights. The undead's existence turns out to have a whole bunch of possibilities that Andy never knew about, but paradoxically the very thing that makes him acceptable to living humans is also their biggest taboo.

Bottom line: It's a very zany Chris Moore-esque romp, which doesn't try too hard to make sense, or take itself too seriously. It gets more demented and crazy in the second half, when both the characters and the author let go of any last shreds of sensibility. It's at its strongest when it plunges into gruesome farce, with a healthy helping of undead slapstick.

Diablo Cody To Produce Zombie Film

Not only did I think I was going to take a break from posting, but I also thought I was through posting about zombie movies. At least, new ones. But alas, here I am trying to keep you abreast of new information as I encounter it.

Breather: A Zombie's Lament is a new novel that saw its release on March 3rd. Written by S.G. Browne, the story tells the tail of a recently deceased and newly risen young man. Having trouble adjusting to his new ...er ...life, events begin to change for him after attending Undead Anonymous meetings. The book as-well-as reviews can be seen and purchased at Amazon.

What's stranger than the release of a novel following the love tale of a zombie? How about the fact that Oscar winner Diablo Cody (Juno, United States of Tara) is going to be producing the movie. Rumored for release in 2011, we now have our first zombie date movie to look forward to.