Giving World War Z (the book) a Second Chance

Years ago, I attempted to read the book World War Z.

I had previously read The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks and loved it. I assumed I would also love his other book.  (** Read Chris' interview with Max Brooks HERE.)

I didn’t hate it, exactly, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the other.

I loved the movie. But as you can imagine, the book and the movie are two very different things.

One day at work, I got into a discussion about zombies with a coworker and commented about how I didn’t really enjoy the book World War Z. I read about half to three-fourths of the book before putting it down. He recommended I check out the audiobook. He told me there is a whole cast of characters that really bring the story to life.

I was slightly skeptical, but I was going to be driving for a ridiculous amount of time, so I decided to check it out.

I have no regrets about my decision. I didn’t finish the entire book while in the car, but I’m still engaged and still listening. It’s my unwind before I go to bed story at the moment. The different character voices really add to the story, and I think the audio version was the way the story was intended to be told.

Max Brooks does an amazing job of showing the human side of the zombie outbreak. Most films touch on this in their narrative and try to show how humans fight to survive the undead and how there is a thin line between us and them, but Brooks takes it to a degree of realism. He shows us how policies, laws, and a new way of life can be created with the rising of the dead. He does this through personal stories that range from politicians to soldiers to random survivors and shows us how they’ve changed and how the world has changed.

I feel like when I first read the story, I wasn’t aware of what Brooks was attempting to do. I get it now, and it’s brilliant. The book still has its fair share of zombie carnage and gore, but the realism of surviving is just amazing. He constructed his story well.

If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend listening to the World War Z audiobook.

Has anyone else read or listened to the book? What are you thoughts?

Before I go, because it’s still May, I’m giving away another zombie book. This one is my nonfiction book, Undead Obsessed. Enter now for your chance to win!

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#AtoZ - Z is for Zombies -- Of Course!

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

Today is the letter Z for Zombies – of course!

If you read this blog, you know that I am obsessed with zombies. And what’s not to love? The best part about the undead creatures is that they help us understand what it means to be human. We see all of our horrible, awful, primal traits reflected in their rotting forms. When humans are thrown into a survival situation, they often do terrible, evil things to each other to ensure they come out alive.

I’ve written several books about zombie, including fiction (Life After the Undead, Death to the Undead, and Finding Eden) and nonfiction (Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies).

Currently, I’m working on another young adult zombie series, and I’m almost done editing the first book.  

I’m not exactly sure when it will be coming out, but I’m hoping next year. I have a couple other releases that are coming out this year (not zombie books), so I want to give them a chance before releasing another into the world. I will let you know when it’s close!

What’s your favorite zombie book or movie?

#AtoZ - T is for Trust No One #zombies

Welcome to the 7th annual A to Z Blog Challenge in April!  

Come back daily for more exciting posts and even some giveaways!

Check out the 1000+ blogs on the list! 

Today is the letter T for Trust No One

From Chapter 14 of my book Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies:

IF ZOMBIE FILMS HAVE SHOWN US ANYTHING, it’s that a zombie uprising would be swift and devastating. We would be caught unprepared, and most of us would either die or become the living dead. Civilization and life as we know it would come to a crashing halt, and those of us that are left would be standing there with our mouths open trying to figure out what happened. Survival is all that matters, and we would have to do whatever it took to make sure humans don’t become extinct.

Scientists are often to blame for the dead rising to consume the living, whether they are created by something from space or pathogens or an experimental serum. Scientists may be the cause, but they are definitely not the cure. Scientists can’t figure out how to rid the world of zombies, so they become useless. If they can’t help in the zombie apocalypse, then the next logical place to turn to is the military. After all, they are trained for situations like this—maybe not for zombies exactly, but other high-stress destructive situations—and they have weapons. But as many films show, the military is just as ineffective as science against the undead horde. They often become power hungry and corrupt. As Chapter 7 points out, the military has also had a part in the rise of zombies through the creation of biological weapons.

What zombie films do is take our trust in authority figures—science, the military, and the government—and twists it to show how degenerate these entities can be. They remind us that these factions are created and run by humans, so they are fallible and open to corruption. But the other thing zombie films point out is the determination and survivability of common folk. They show that formal training isn’t necessary when it comes to defeating the undead, but a little common sense and the ability to work with others goes a long way in ensuring the human race doesn’t go extinct.

It is abundantly clear in zombie films that the authority figures can’t be trusted. They are either the cause of or are completely ineffective at ridding the world of the undead threat. They are often power hungry and willing to do whatever it takes to be in control of everything. What this all boils down to is that humans are their own worst enemies. The system breaks down once zombies have risen. There is no more government or military, so why are we still fighting with each other like there is? Surviving should be the only thing that matters, but we can’t let go of our petty issues with other humans. We see an opening to “make things better for ourselves” and we jump to take it, not caring if we step on others in the process to achieve that goal.

This notion is apparent in every zombie film, including those where the zombies are created by magic. In White Zombie, Legendre turns his enemies into zombies so he can control them. In I Walked with a Zombie, Jessica is turned into a zombie because she was threatening to tear the family apart and needed to be controlled. In The Serpent and the Rainbow, people who oppose the leadership are turned into zombies so they can be controlled. Those with power do what is necessary to stay in control. Just because a zombie is created by other means doesn’t mean the goal of the survivors is different—they still want to be in control.

This notion becomes even more important when the world spins into chaos. Having control of your environment is important to give you a sense of purpose and meaning. If that is gone, how do you make sense of the world? How do you know where you fit in the scheme of things? The survivors in zombie films are attempting to make sense of what is happening and are trying to figure out what their role is in the new world. The problem is that they are using outdated ways of thinking. They are trying to cling to notions that existed in the world before zombies destroyed it, which could mean vying for a position they weren’t allowed to have before, and that generally involves needing to obtain power.

A to Z Blog Challenge - O is for Options

*A to Z Blog Challenge  - O for Options*

In zombie films and books, there aren't a lot of options that ensure survival.  The zombies are out to kill you, but so are other survivors.  What are you supposed to do?

This is another notion I explore in my book Undead Obsessed, and I'll give you a little example of what it takes to survive.

From Chapter 15:

THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL humans have in zombie films happens when they learn to work together. Even the zombies have figured out how to do it—whether they realize it or not—and their ability to gather in mass numbers to surround and take down their prey works to their benefit. When the humans in the film figure out how to do this, they are also successful.

Zombies are us. They are the embodiment of what we fear the most, of becoming mindless corpses hell-bent on destroying humanity. And the most frightening part of this is that we could turn into a zombie without realizing it’s happening. We may claim we want to do the best for the world and our fellow humans, but we all have prejudices, we all have hate. We may not act on those feelings for fear of getting in trouble, but if there weren’t consequences, if we could shut our fears off, what would we be capable of? Society and its rules keep a lot of people in check. It keeps us from reverting to our primal stages, from spiraling into chaos. But what zombie films show is the collapse of rules and civilization, what happens when we are no longer afraid. And it’s not pretty. It’s destructive and gory—and not only from the perspective of the zombies. The survivors don’t act any better, often being just as destructive and gory as the undead they are trying so hard to kill.

Zombies force us to look at ourselves, each other, and at society and ask the question: what does it mean to be human? The answer that zombie films give is not exactly uplifting and full of promise. They basically tell us that to be able to fix the problems we created, we have to come to the brink of extinction. We have to lose everything and rebuild from scratch. But even then there is no guarantee things will change. The zombie apocalyptic world is still full of those hungry for power, corruption, and greed. Until those are taken care of, the world will continue to spiral into chaos and regress into primitivity.

Thankfully, in the real world, even though we have our problems and issues and seem intent on destroying each other, we have the capacity to pull together under crisis. The multitude of natural disasters—tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.—that have left people homeless and hungry has brought together others that are willing to help and support. Bombings and mass killings tragically impact communities and societies, but they also bring people together in a show of emotional support.

A to Z Blog Challenge - C is for Corpse

**  Today is Day  3 - Letter C - of the 2015  A to Z  Blogging Challenge  **

Because without a walking corpse, you can't have a zombie.  Here's an excerpt from my book, Undead Obsessed, on the subject.

From Chapter 2:

WHAT IS A ZOMBIE? The simplest answer to that question is that a zombie is a corpse that has been reanimated. It isn’t completely alive, and yet it’s not dead. It is categorized as undead. For zombie purists, a zombie has to be slow-moving and incapable of thought. It moves and hunts, but it has no purpose, no cognition. It eats human flesh, but for unknown reasons. After all, a zombie’s digestive system no longer functions, so it doesn’t need the meat for fuel or survival. The zombies created by George Romero in the film Night of the Living Dead are, for those zombie purists, the epitome of what a zombie should be. But if you look at the simple definition—a corpse that has been reanimated—zombies can encompass more than the iconic figures from Romero’s films.

Zombies have existed in society for a long time. Throughout history and within different cultures, zombies have taken various forms, all with one thing in common: they are the living dead. Europe had the revenant, nachzehrer, and the draugr. Asia had the vetala, jiangshi, gashadokuro, and ro-langs. Each of these versions of zombies struck fear into society. But they aren’t necessarily recognizable as the zombies we know today.

As modern zombies have lost their ability to reason and recall memories, a stereotype exists that they don’t recognize what is going on in the world around them—that they mindlessly wander around moaning “Braaaaaaaains”—but it may not exactly be true. They recognize enough to know when prey is near and that they need to hunt. They are also aware enough of their surroundings to navigate barriers—breaking through windows or climbing stairs—to get to their victims. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead (1978) created the stereotype that zombies are mindless corpses driven by the hunger for flesh. In Night of the Living Dead, a young girl attacks and consumes her parents because she has no recognition of who they are. A brother goes after his sister since he has no memory of her. In Dawn of the Dead, the zombies mill around absently until prey is near, then they attack in droves. That notion has stuck in audiences’ minds as the typical and expected way for the undead to act. However, even Romero’s zombies eventually break out of the stereotype and evolve from simple creatures into beings with memories and thoughts.

Zombies are not simple creatures. For rotting corpses, there are many layers that define them. These layers contribute to the theme throughout history and from different cultures that zombies serve as a metaphor for the fears we as humans have. One of the most obvious of those fears is the fear of death. Every human knows that they will eventually die; it’s a part of life. What we don’t know is what happens after we die. Is there a heaven? Are we reincarnated into another living creature? Do we just cease to exist? These can be frightening things to think about. Most of us want to believe that there is something after death, something wonderful and awe inspiring. We don’t want to think that we turn into nothingness or horrific creatures.

2015 Has Been Good So Far

Can you believe it's already March?  Man, time flies--even when you're not having fun. :)

So far, this year has been really good to me.  In January, Dealing with Devils, the second book in my Road to Salvation series came out, and the third, Good Intentions, will be out later in the year.  In May, my middle grade book, The Ifs Return, will come out.  Isn't that exciting?  I'm thrilled!

I've also started a new project, although it isn't zombie related.  I'm writing my grandfather-in-law's biography.  He's a WWII vet and a Wyoming rancher.  I've learned so much so far, and I have a feeling that by the time the project is finished, I'm going to know a lot about WWII and ranching.  It's all very exciting!

On top of that, I've been scheduling Surviving Zombies and Undead Obsessed workshops around the state--at libraries and high schools.  I'm really looking forward to those.  They are going to be so much fun!

I'm can't wait to see what the rest of the year has to bring.  I'm sure it's going to be fantastic!

What Will Science Do Next?

Last week, my mom sent me a link to an interesting article. It’s called Is it OK to make babies from 3 parents' DNA?  In a nutshell, it talks about how the UK is debating on whether or not to approve cytoplasmic transfer. Explaining this briefly, cytoplasmic transfer is the method of transferring mitochondria from a donor egg into the egg of a woman who is unable to conceive.

I talk about this topic in my book, Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies. It is a controversial topic because no one knows exactly what kind of effect it will have on the offspring. Female children born from this method have three different sets of DNA: one from the mother, one from the father, and one from the donor. And there’s questions on whether or not it will be passed down to the next generation and beyond and what types of effects it will have.

What I find interesting about this debate is the fact that the UK has some of the strictest regulations on GMOs (foods that have been genetically modified). It boggles my mind to think that they would allow humans to be modified.  What kinds of labels will they require for them?  I’m interested to see how this turns out.

What this debate does is raises a lot of questions about ethics and science. Just because science is capable of doing something, does that really mean it should. And that is exactly the question horror films try to tackle.

Science is often portrayed poorly in horror films. Scientists are often portrayed as mad, obsessed with fame and fortune, and uncaring about the well-being of others. More often than not, something going wrong in science leads to the creation of monsters. In the case of Undead Obsessed, I look at how it leads to the creation of zombies.

I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about this process. There will be people on both sides of the fence. There will be those who oppose it, and those who will be for it. In reality, only time will tell what kind of consequences it will have for humanity. We can only hope it won’t lead to our downfall or the dead rising from the grave.

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

Earlier this week, I did a guest post about how I would survive the zombie apocalypse.  In a nutshell, I said I would do the exact opposite of what happens in the movies.  To read the whole response, go here.  

But it made me curious:  How would YOU survive the apocalypse?  Let me know in the comments!

Undead Obsessed - Zombie book news!

  Zombie Book News!

Undead Obsessed is now on iTunes as well!

In Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies, Jessica Robinson (Pembroke Sinclair)  uses film, literature and interviews with experts to examine how zombies portray real-world fears such as epidemics, mind control, what may or may not exist in space, the repercussions of playing God, and the science behind the fears. Robinson's goal is to explore how zombies become a metaphor for our fears of science and what could happen if science gets out of hand.

* Don't forget the Goodreads giveaway! Ends Nov. 30 

And stay tuned for the Blog Tour Details! 

Zombies on the Radio

A couple of years ago, when Life Lessons from Slasher Films came out, I had the opportunity to do several radio interviews. One of those happened to be with Max at Max on Movies, and it was an awesome experience. I thoroughly enjoy talking about horror films with others.  Or, really, anyone who will listen.

When Undead Obsessed was being finalized, I knew that I had to try to get on Max’s show again. It was the perfect excuse to talk horror movies. So, I sent him an email, and Max was gracious enough to host me again.

Yet again, the experience was awesome and enjoyable. Max said he didn’t normally have repeat guests on his show, but since we had so much fun last time, he said, “What the hell?” I can’t thank him enough for that. I am truly honored and humbled to be allowed back onto such an awesome show with an amazing host to talk about my latest work.

If you’re interested in hearing both interviews, you can access them here. They are the shows dated 11-1-14.  I hope you enjoy!

Coffin Hop Giveaway and Zombie News

First, the important information.  The winners of the zombie reading kits are:

Julianne Snow
Julia Floyd

If you would be kind enough to email your addresses to me at pembrokesinclair[@]hotmail[.]com, I would greatly appreciate it and happily get the packages in the mail.  Thanks to everyone for playing!

** Other COFFIN HOP winners:
Ash Krafton - Christian Larsen ebook
JKP - Joanna - Jean Rabe book
Jeanettte Andriulli - Linda Godfrey book
Lori Hopkins - GIRL Z book
Anita Stewart - GIRL Z ebook
 DarcNina - WD Gagliani book 

Thanks to all for visiting us during Coffin Hop!

---------------------------------

In other news, Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies is finally available for consumption (yes, the pun was intended).  You can find it on Amazon.  (Get it now on Kindle and paperback!) Go check it out!

Jessica Robinson's obsession with zombie films started when she was in junior high. Horror films are a great lens to examine concerns society has about modern science. Let’s face it, when it comes to horror movies, science has a bad reputation. Blind ambition, experimental serums, and genetic experiments are often blamed for the giant monster terrorizing the city or the reason aliens are taking human prisoners or the cause of the dead rising from the grave to consume living flesh. 

Using film, literature, and interviews with experts, Robinson examines how zombies portray real-world fears such as epidemics, mind control, what may or may not exist in space, the repercussions of playing God, and the science behind the fears. Robinson's goal is to explore how zombies become a metaphor for our fears of science and what could happen if science gets out of hand.

Why Are Zombies Cannibals?

Have you ever thought about this question?  Did you ever wonder why a creature that is dead with a digestive system that no longer works would need to eat?  Or did you just take it on faith that that was how the creatures acted?

Cannibalism is incredibly taboo within our society. We view it as the most abhorrent act one human can do to another. It is primal and barbaric. Only in extreme cases of survival is it viewed as tolerable. By making zombies cannibals, it shows us how monstrous they have really become.

Zombies represent the worst-case scenario of what humans can devolve into. They are driven by pure instinct and the most base of human needs. By making zombies cannibals, it makes them the most reprehensible and vile creatures to ever exist.

But there is an incredibly thin line between zombies and humans. After all, they used to be us. Perhaps another reason to make zombies cannibals is to make us look at ourselves as a society and question all that we consume.

Feeling Like a Zombie

I apologize for the short posts.  This last month has been ridiculously crazy, and it's not going to slow down any time soon.  We are getting ready to move into a new house, so that has taken up a lot of my time.  Not to mention being busy at work.

On the news front, Undead Obsessed is still scheduled for a Halloween release, so keep your eyes and ears open for that.  I have been informed by my wonderful and fabulous book manager that she's got some really cool people to agree to review it.  I will share those details when I have more.

I hope you all have a great one!

Zombies on the Radio

First of all, I just want to say that time is flying by waaaay too quickly.  But what can you do?

Secondly,  I wanted to share my radio spot with you.  You can find it here.  If you get the chance, I would love to know what you think!

Don't forget, Undead Obsessed will be coming out at the end of the month.  I can't wait!

Talking About Zombies

Last Wednesday, I did an Ignite presentation in my home town.  It was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done.  Even though it was only five minutes long, it seemed like the longest five minutes of my life.  It was such a relief to be done.

I'm not normally shy when it comes to speaking in public.  I love doing library visits and talking to people about my work, but this was totally different.  It was so nerve wracking.  However, it did get me some further contacts after it was done.  Earlier this week, I received an email from Wyoming Public Radio saying that the Arts and Culture producer had seen my performance and they wanted me to read my essay on air.  It was awesome!

Since I only had five minutes to talk, I really had to distill my work down to the main essence.  That was hard to do.  I mean, the reason I write books is because I have a lot to say.  But at the same time, I really enjoyed the challenge.

So, I focused my talk on the stereotypes we apply to scientists and how they are portrayed in media, especially zombie books and films.  I used Frankenstein (the book), Day of the Dead, and 28 Days Later as examples, along with some fun pictures of scientist stereotypes.

Then, I took those ideas and applied them to the Ebola victims that were brought into the U.S.

This helped emphasize my point that most of us are afraid of science and scientists.  We know that science does some amazing things for us, but we are afraid it will be our downfall.  I mean, people freaked out when they were told these poor infected people were being brought into the U.S.  Some even became downright angry.  They were convinced Ebola was going to get into the population and kill everyone.  And that's because what we don't understand about science becomes evil and scary.

And this is what I focus on in Undead Obsessed.  How zombies are a metaphor for our fears of science.

I'm still waiting for the Ignite video and the radio broadcast to go up, but I will share them when they do.  Well, maybe I'll share the video.  You know how it is watching yourself on the screen.  *Shudder*

Zombie Reviewers

If anyone is interested, we're looking for reviewers to read the ARC of Undead Obsessed.  We have a secret group on Facebook where the pdf is located, so if you're interested, let me know.  My email is pembrokesinclair[@]hotmail[dot]com.

I had a lot of fun writing this book, and I got to talk to various experts in the field.  I'm lucky to live in a town with a university, so I had access to several different professors.  I also got to talk to experts at the water treatment and waste water treatment plants.  I even talked with people at the CDC.  The research  for this book alone was exciting.

I can't wait to share this book with the world.  I'm pretty proud of it, and I hope readers will enjoy it.  Again, if you're interested in checking it out before anyone else, let me know!

Good News for Undead Obsessed

The plan right now is for Undead Obsessed to be available on Halloween.  I'll be looking for readers/reviewers, so if you're interested in reading, let me know.  If you need a reminder, here's what the book is about:

My obsession with zombie films started when I was in junior high. They are a great lens to examine concerns society has about modern science. Let’s face it, when it comes to horror movies, science has a bad reputation. Blind ambition, experimental serums, and genetic experiments are often blamed for the giant monster terrorizing the city or the reason aliens are taking human prisoners or the cause of the dead rising from the grave to consume living flesh. 

Using film, literature, and interviews with experts, my nonfiction book, Undead Obsessed: Finding Meaning in Zombies (approximately 65,000 words), examines how zombies portray real-world fears such as epidemics, mind control, what may or may not exist in space, the repercussions of playing God, and the science behind the fears.

Science has made it possible for us to live the way we do; it has given us numerous advances in all fields of life from medicine to agriculture to entertainment. Yet, with all of these advantages, there are a multitude of disadvantages that could prove to be detrimental to humans and society. Weapon technology used in wars is one of these major disadvantages, but anything that is beneficial to humanity, including medicine, has the potential to harm us. My goal is to explore how zombies become a metaphor for our fears of science and what could happen if science gets out of hand. 

More Zombie Presentations

On Tuesday, it became official that I will continue to be a presenter for the Wyoming Humanities Council.  In addition to my Women and Horror presentation, I will always be presenting Undead Obsessed:  My Journey to Find Meaning in Zombies.  I'm so excited and so thankful for the opportunity.  I've had a lot of fun doing these presentations.

The presentation focuses on what I learned while researching my nonfiction zombie book and explains how zombies are a metaphor for our fears of science.  It's going to be awesome!  It goes on the schedule November 1, 2014.

Exciting News Up Ahead

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting news about my nonfiction zombie book Undead Obsessed, the wait may be almost over.  There's still a few details to work out, but it looks positive.  I will let you know more as soon as I know.

I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally be at this point.  I can move on.

Speaking of moving on, the other day I was thinking about zombie books and developed an idea for a new zombie novel.  Well, it's not exactly new.  It's a revision of a book I started writing a couple of years ago and then put to the side.  Still, the revised idea got me jazzed and excited to write it.  I will also keep you informed of the progress on that project.

Exciting things loom on the horizon!