Interview with Brian Kaufman

Brain Kaufman is the author of many novels including Dead Beyond the Fence. He's a nice man that writes some of the most horrifying scenes i have ever read. Enjoy.

 
Lyle
Why zombies?

Brian
When I was sixteen, I took a girl to the drive-in. She was cute. I figured a horror movie might get her a little closer to my lap. The movie playing was Night of the Living Dead. It was summer – plenty hot outside – but she was in a sweater five minutes into the film. When it was over, we drove home in silence. I don’t know about her, but I’ve had zombie nightmares ever since.

Lyle
What possessed you to write such a twisted story that is Dead Beyond the Fence?

Brian
My father worked for NASA. He described how funding worked for that particular government agency. There were three distinct approaches to one particular problem. Funded equally, one of the three approaches seemed to be yielding results. When it came time to reconsider funding, they bumped funding up for the other two approaches “to make it fair.” That sort of thinking informs modern discourse.

And there’s the issue of what causes a zombie plague. I started cataloguing possible sources, and really, they’re all fun to think about. Which to choose? Then I remembered my father’s funding tale, and a kernel of plot popped for me.

Lyle
How long have you been writing and how did you get started?

Brian
My parents tell me that I was making comic books for the neighbors at the age of five. After my first go-around with college (back in the sixties), I talked about writing a lot, but didn’t do much of it. When I turned 40, I had to declare bankruptcy, and out of that wreckage, I decided to get serious about writing. I’ve published three novels so far, but Dead Beyond the Fence is my first horror novel.

Lyle
What are some of your favorite zombie books?

Brian
The Walking Dead is a comic book series, but the characterizations are as good as any novel. I loved Brooks’ World War Z. I also enjoyed J. L. Bourne’s Day By Day Armageddon.

Lyle
Now what about some of your favorite zombie movies?

Brian
Night of the Living Dead, of course. Both versions of Dawn of the Dead are good, but I suppose I prefer the original. I also like some of the comedies, particularly Planet Terror.

Lyle
Who did the cover for your book?

Brian
Jack Larson is an artist in New Mexico. I found him on the Internet. He did “body detail” while with the army. He did similar work for the police after his army career. He explained once that he’d handled bodies in every stage of decomposition. He’s retired now, and he only paints zombies. His work absolutely creeped me out. He’s incredible.

Lyle
To you, what characteristics need to be present in order to be a zombie?

Brian
I’m probably a zombie purest, preferring Romero’s shambling zombies, though George himself stepped away from the original slow-moving, no conscious thought, dead-not-infected sort of zombie. But I do enjoy stories with “zombosity.” Infected people that act like zombies scare me for the same reason Romero’s films do. The apocalyptic notion of mindless decaying things that want to eat you just does it for me.

Lyle
Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Brian
Join a writer’s group. If there aren’t any around, form one. You can’t write in a vacuum. The legend of Emily Dickinson (stuffing unshared poetry into a dresser for posthumous publication) is romantic, but it may be responsible for the stillbirth of some promising writing careers.

Lyle
Where can people pick up a copy of your book?

Brian
Bookstores will order it, but the easiest place to get it is Amazon.

Lyle
Have you prepared yourself for the zombie apocalypse?

Brian
I built my home in the mountains. The only way into the house is through heavy ground-level garage doors. No windows on the ground floor. The stated reason for this was bears – we have a bear cave on the land. But that’s really just a cover story. Zombies. Come the apocalypse, I’ll be on the porch looking down, eating food and drinking beer from the pantry; lamenting the loss of postal service and all that swell correspondence from my creditors.

Dead Beyond the Fence by Brian Kaufman

Now that I’m catching up on some reviews, I’ve realized that I was missing out on some really good books. Dead Beyond the Fence is one of them. Brian emailed me a very long time ago asking if I would review his book. I agreed, but at the time I didn’t know how many projects were going to fall on my lap. Now, a few months later, I’m getting to its review.

The dead are walking and seeking out the living. Two survivors, Kevin and Angel, have taken refuge in an apartment complex. That’s where they have been for the first month of the outbreak. After the little sanctuary they had begins to crumble, Kevin and Angel escape and venture into a town that is completely dead. They are on a quest for answers, but what they find adds more horror to their story.

There’s so much I want to say about this story. I’ll start by say that this is a very straight forward and demented tale. The protagonist, Kevin, seemed to be the most rational person in the story. If I was in his shoes, I would have killed everyone before they got me killed. Dead Beyond the Fence is one of those stories that pays more attention to the survivors than the zombies or ‘shamblers’ as they are referenced in the book. They weren’t the real threat in the story and that kind of gets to me as a zombie fan. I want to see more interaction with the zombies and less on the people in hiding. It is about zombies, right?

Nonetheless, I did enjoy this story. I just wished there was more zombie action and less of the people acting like idiots. To me, the ending was a bit predictable. After I got to know the main characters a bit more things started to unfold in my head. I’m not sure if this was intentional by the author. If it was, he did an awesome job setting events up for the ending. Another thing I really liked about Kaufman’s writing is that the dialogue is brilliant. Even with characters that seemed dry and two dimensional, while they were talking it was easily understandable and realistic. I will have to give Dead Beyond the Fence, 4 Undead Heads out of 5.

Please support your local bookstore by going in there and asking for this book. If you’re the type of person that would rather shop online, please use the link below to buy a copy.

Dead Beyond the Fence: A Novel of the Zombie Apocalypse

Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht

When I first started reviewing zombie books, Permuted Press was the publisher that had the biggest selection at bookstores. In my opinion they are the biggest independent publisher of zombie literature out there. I’m not saying they are the only ones, but the biggest. I stumbled onto Plague of the Dead online months ago, maybe even a year. It took me a while to read and shortly after I started, I heard about Mr. Recht’s passing. Now that I’m writing this review, I really wished I could have had some contact with him to let him know how much I enjoyed his book.

A virus known as Morningstar has found its way out of the remote African jungles. Before anyone could contain the disease, it spread across the continent, and then across the globe. The carriers would suffer from a high fever and suddenly go insane, killing anyone in their path, until someone kills them. But that’s only the beginning. Soon after a Morningstar carrier is slain, their eyes reopen and seek the flesh of the living. Not for nourishment, but as a way to spread the disease.

Lt. Colonel Dr. Anna Demilio of the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (acronym USAMRIID) is the leading expert on the Morningstar Strain. She tried desperately to inform the leaders of many African countries about the severity of Morningstar, but her claims were dismissed. She warns her friend and colleague, General Francis Sherman, who then must fight his way out of Africa along with his men and refugees to the United States where they think its safe… But little do they know that the dead are stalking around every corner.

Plague of the Dead is the kind of book that I didn’t expect much from until I started reading it. Once I got passed the email exchange in the beginning and the meat of the story was revealed, it turned out to be one heck of a zombie novel. It’s probably one of my favorites. I loved the characters; each one of them had some uniqueness to their personality that made them stand out. General Sherman was an excellent character; I honestly felt that if he was a real person I would follow him into battle.

The zombies in the book were something that I’ve never seen before. I loved the idea that first, the infected are somewhat like the rage infected in the films 28 Days/Weeks Later, and once they’re killed, they come back to life as the shambling slow zombies we all love. There were a lot of fun plot twists and surprises that kept the book interesting until the last page was turned.

Some of the writing was a bit hard to get passed. I hate it when writers have very noticeable “shock” moments. For instance, there’s a scene where a coroner is reviewing some autopsy reports. A corpse stands up behind him and approaches. All while the coroner has his back to him. When he finally realizes that the infected man is behind him, the line, “And his mouth dropped open in awe!” or something to that effect, is there. It reminds me of old time radio when a shock moment happens the listener hears, “dun dun DUN!” to give it more effect. There were a ton of “dun dun dun” moments. There’s nothing really bad about it, it just made me laugh.

But all kidding aside, I really enjoyed Plague of the Dead. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t come around very often. It had me hooked and wouldn’t let me go. It still hasn’t let me go. I want to start reading the sequel, Thunder and Ashes, but I’m waiting on it. Mr. Recht passed away while writing the third installment and I heard that a ghostwriter is going over his notes and putting together the final book. When that one is close to being released, I’m reading Thunder and Ashes and then diving into the third book. But for now I will give Plague of the Dead, 5 Undead Heads out of 5. It’s an excellent story that was well written by an author who will be missed.

If you’d like to support my site, I ask that you please do so by also supporting my local bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy. Please buy a copy of Plague of the Dead using the link below.

Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Saga

Zombie Outlaw Issue #1 by Brain J. Apodaca and B. Paul Jordan

I was contacted by Brian Apodaca asking if I would review his comic book. He must have seen my zombie comic book week and wanted to get his into the mix. I agreed and a few days later there was a copy of Zombie Outlaw with a few stickers and promotional items waiting for me at the post office. When I first opened the package I didn’t know what to expect.

Irvine State University has its secrets, but Matt Naismith doesn’t care. All he cares about is impressing K.T. Delaney, the school’s hottie. Matt seeks the wisdom of Will Simers, the resident adviser. Matt wants to make K.T. notice him and he believes Will can help. But in return for his help, Matt must first help him venture into the crypts of the school’s library to uncover the remains of the Zombie Outlaw.

When I first looked at the comic book’s cover it was not what I expected. With a name like Zombie Outlaw I was expecting a serious comic book about the old west with zombies. But what I got was a goofy modern day story about a kid in love. Honestly, this book was a fun read. It might not have been what I was expecting, but it did the trick. Within the first few pages, it had my laughing. On page two there is a picture of Matt on the computer, above him on the wall is a poster that reads, “Read, or be terminated,” with a picture of the terminator. That hit my funny bone so hard that my side hurt.

Yes this comic book is not to be taken as a serious story. It was a bit strange because the illustrations, done by B. Paul Jordan, looked to be out of a kid’s book, but the dialogue and situations are for adults. But like I said before, it works for this story.

Since I only have one issue to go by, I can’t give it the proper rating it deserves. There wasn’t much zombie action in this issue. The first image was about zombies and somewhere in the middle there was a brief explanation about the Zombie Outlaw. But I’m sure as the comic continues the reader will get more interaction with zombies. So, because there wasn’t much zombie play in the first issue I will have to give Zombie Outlaw, 3 Undead Heads out of 5.

Zombie Outlaw is available through the ComiXpress website. You can follow the link below to purchase your own copy of this fun book.

http://www.comixpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=1750

Faith & the Undead by Benjamin Rogers

I’ve been meaning to get to this book for a very long time. Every time I jump in to write its review something comes up and the book is pushed back a bit.

The world is slowly crumbling. Life as we know it is being attacked by ravenous creatures from hell. No one knows exactly what’s going on, but there are small pockets of civilization trying to figure that out. But what happens to these people when the dead start knocking at their door and are forced out into a deceased world?

Frank Payens Is an American veteran with nowhere to go. He hears about a place called “The Home” where people in the same situation as him go to find peace. Many people call this place a retirement home for veterans while others see it as a monastery. But slowly, as the world continues to be eaten away by zombies, Frank realizes that there’s more to “The Home” and its residents that meets the eye.

I remember I started reading this book while I was doing laundry at the Laundromat. I read most of it while I was there and finished the rest when I got home. This book felt very short because I was able to read it within a few hours. Like most books I read, I enjoy something’s and dislike others. I really did enjoy how every chapter was met by a paragraph giving some detail on what’s happening outside the walls of “The Home.” I also enjoyed how fast paced Faith & the Undead was.

Not everything about this book is appealing. There were many dry spots that I felt could have been taken out to move the main part of the story along. Also, there wasn’t much interaction with the undead as I would have liked. But there were some good action scenes. I was kind of put off with the involvement of Satan and God, Good vs. Evil. It made the story more about them then the zombies.

I did like most of the book. It was a fun and quick read.  I will have to give Faith & The Undead, 4 Undead Heads out of 5.

I haven’t seen Faith & the Undead in any bookstore, but then again, I haven’t seen any Library of the Living Dead books in bookstores. So, if you’d like to support the site and pick up a copy of this cool book, please use the link below to Amazon.

Interview with Deanna Knippling

DeAnna Knippling is a freelance writer living in Colorado. She is the author of the fun book, Choose Your Own Doom! Zombie Apocalypse!  Her website is www.deannaknippling.com.

Lyle

Why Zombies?

Deanna

If you're going to write a series of books about people who are doomed, it's only logical to start with zombies. Everyone says, "I love zombies," but faced with a real zombie, they're just going to shoot it in the head with a shotgun. It's kind of sad, really. There's never been a zombie that hasn't been doomed.

Lyle

Where did the idea for Choose Your Own Doom come from?

Deanna

This is a book that I was asked to write by the publishers, at Doom Press. They're crazy. They're so crazy that it just might work.

Lyle

To you, what characteristics need to be present in order to be considered a zombie?

Deanna

I consider anything a zombie that 1) is balanced on the threshold between life and death and 2) lacks full intelligence. Ghosts are across the threshold; vampires are on the threshold, but have full intelligence. I can barely imagine zombies that don't attack humankind or eat their brains, but only barely. I definitely prefer zombies that fancy a bit of cerebellum now and then.

Lyle

How long did it take you to write Zombie Apocalypse!?

Deanna

Not very long. It took me twice as long to deal with the flowchart I used to check all the pathways. Once I had that figured out, it was just a matter of making enough smartass comments to fill the page. I wept when I wrote the flowchart...and I cackled the whole time when I finally got to write the text.

Lyle

Do you have another other published zombie literature?

Deanna

Not yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed; I have a YA book called Death Watch about a Japanese girl who has to bring her terrorist father back from the dead so he can get rid of the magical zombie infection he's using to kill millions. I'm still editing it.

Lyle

What other zombie fiction have you read and loved?

Deanna

What got me interested in zombies (I've never been big on movies) was the Max Brooks books. I know I just said I'm not big on movies, but I watched Shawn of the Dead shortly after that and loved it: give me black comedy every time.

Most recently I read Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote Let the Right One In. It wasn't the book I was expecting, and I loved it, even though the beginning was slow.  I also just finished The New Dead anthology edited by Christopher Golden. There was a LOT of good stuff in that.

Lyle

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Deanna

Read. If you're not reading two books a week, rethink your priorities.

Write. Write a short story a week for a year; it's better than a college degree when it comes to writing. You'll learn. You can't help but learn.

Submit, following the guidelines of that market exactly. It doesn't matter how bad you think your story is--get it as good as you can get it in that week and send it out before you write your next one. When it gets rejected, submit it again until it sells. (Use the Ralan's or Duotrope websites to find markets and keep track.)

You'll fail. A lot. Most people give up before they finish anything; of the people who finish what they write, most people don't send it out; of the people who submit, most people give up before their stories get rejected by all possible markets. You succeed by not being most people.

Finally, learn your business. Read the contracts. Format correctly. Be prepared to edit, edit, edit. Answer your emails. Be a pro.

Lyle

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?

Deanna

I'm not self-published--yet--so take that into account.

I think there are a lot of issues with print self-publishing that most beginning writers should avoid. Through my publisher, a small press, I'm getting an education on how the distribution system works. It's a potential minefield for self-publishers, where you can lose more than you thought you had on the table very quickly.

Electronic self-publishing looks to be an entirely different game, though. My attitude right now is to submit what I feel are publishable stories to all sensible markets until I get thoroughly rejected, then set them up as an ebook and see what happens. I have a few things that are starting to reach the ends of their submission lists. We'll see what happens.

Lyle

Have you prepared yourself for the zombie apocalypse?

Deanna

Hell, no. I'm not that organized. I do, however, know whose house to go to first. My husband ran a RPG in which our group of friends attempted to survive a zombie apocalypse with what we, in real life, had on hand. I found out in a hurry who had all the survival gear. "Really? You've got HOW many gallons of water in your basement?" It was like realizing you're friends with that guy from Tremors. I think they came out of it convinced they needed more guns.

Choose Your Doom! Zombie Apocalypse! By Deanna Knippling and Dante Savelli

I was contacted by Doom Press a few months back asking about reviewing a new type of Choose Your Own Adventure book. When they told me that it was titled, Choose Your Own Doom! Zombie Apocalypse! I was interested. A Choose Your Own Adventure book where no matter what you do, you die. It’s a fun concept.

Your mom is the owner of a restaurant. While she stepped out, the town is completely overrun by fast moving zombies. You do what you can to survive, but there are too many of them. You get a phone call from your girlfriend to meet at the bank. Now it’s entirely up to you on how you want to die!

Zombie Apocalypse! had me a bit confused at the beginning. I have a hard time reading books where I’m the main character. I pushed through and died very quickly. That was fun. I started reading again and this time I made it a bit further before I was infected and died. I read through it a few more times until I finally got the story where I was a zombie throughout most of it. I figured out how the infection started and how it ended. Well, for me that is.

If you’re into the type of books where you get to control the story, then this is the book for you. Just keep in mind, each time I read through the book I died. The writing and storyline was pretty good, some of the ideas were a bit of a stretch, but somewhat believable. I will have to give Zombie Apocalypse!, 4 Undead Heads out of 5.

I haven’t seen Choose Your Own Doom! Zombie Apocalypse! in bookstores anywhere. I found out about this book from the publisher. It is available through Amazon. If you’d like to support the site please use the link below and buy a copy. Just remember, you will die!