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NPR Zombie Spoof: 'Wait Wait Don't Eat Me!'

2010-03-08T21:25:00.001-06:00

If, or when, the zombie apocalypse happens, there will be a lot of changes from trying to survive in "The New World". There will be a lot of adjustments such as finding food, stocking up on running shoes, and things like, I don't know, what to listen to on the radio.

NPR has always been a great source of news, but every week people look forward to "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". Have you ever wondered what their episodes might sound like? Now you don't have to wonder any longer.

Check out this script here and you will not have to wait any longer.

(Thanks to The Huffington Post)

A Clip from Spaced...

2010-03-02T09:18:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the brief posts. Joey is working on a zombie version of our program guide for Core Con, and, well, I actually caught a virus. I am not kidding, but I shouldn't be turning into a zombie any time soon.
We will get back to you very, very soon. Again, I am not kidding.

Love Shaun of the Dead? And Simon Pegg? Seriously, get your hands on the sitcom Spaced. This is one of the great many clips that is hard not to share, but really, go get the show. You won't be disappointed. Unless, well, you can't understand British accents. We can't help you with that.

Zombie in Young Adult Lit

2010-03-02T04:50:00.006-06:00

I have been reading a ton of children and young adult literature since I graduated from college five years ago. I have read some of the great classics and went through different phases of angels, vampires, werewolves, unicorns, magic and more magic... mostly mixed with some type of romance, adventure, you know, the usual. The one topic I never thought would rest on my nightstand would be zombie lit. Also, zombies and romance? That is something truly new. Of course, not all romance is with the zombie. (I don't mean to offend such couplings. To each their own, I guess...)

Anyway, I thought I would post book trailers for two zombies books written by Carrie Ryan. Her newest one comes out next week. I read the first one and I was quite impressed.

Onto the trailers:

Article about the release of The Dead Tossed Waves: A love story, with zombies

Movie Pitch: Zombie Mom

2010-03-01T17:20:00.001-06:00

OK, here's the Trailer:

(Camera pans over ruined cities with swarms of zombies chasing survivors)

In a world, overrun by zombies. Only one woman has the heart to fight her way back to her lost son. One woman has the brains to navigate the ruined wastes. Her only problem? She has no heart, and the brains ain't hers.

(Fade to a female zombie in kick ass gear/outfit)

It's Zombie Mom.

(Flashback to the woman, now human with a child playing and laughing together)

A boy pulled from his life gets a second chance with the mother he tragically lost.

(Boy, now in early twenties, hiding in a closet as the door is broken down by Zombie Mom)

Boy: (in terror) MOMMYYYYY

Zombie Mom: Actually, yes.

(Zombie Mom and Boy kicking ass, body close up/slow mo shots)

Can this unlikely duo survive the intolerable wastes full of monsters that will stop at nothing to destroy you without question...

(Transition to duo running from rednecks in trucks, ducking just out of the way of gunshot, only to discover the alley they found shelter is full of zombies)

...and the zombies outside?

(Boy eating a PB&J in and abandon groceries store)

If they survive long enough, will they be able to have the heart to heart neither of them got?

(Pan to Zombie Mom eating an actual human heart)

(Action scene showing a laboratory full of chemicals)

Boy: Mom, if I activate the cure, everyone will become human again, and you won't be able to survive.

Zombie Mom: Just do what your mom tells you, and don't call me Mom. Call me Mom-bie.

(Flash to Logo)

Coming December 21st, 2012

I'm just sayin'

The Crazies: The 'Z' stands for Zombie

2010-02-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

We went to The Crazies on opening night this Friday. I didn't realize it was even coming out until my wife reminded me. We had originally written it off as an almost zombie movie that was not zombie enough. That was before Natasha discovered it was a re-make of a Romero move by the same name, and Romero seemed to approve of the movie as well.

The Crazies was a good survival horror movie, with plenty of cheap jump out moments. I enjoyed the main characters a lot, but I am left wondering if the characters had some very human flaws, or the writers left out some major plot points. Radha Mitchell plays the lead female, a small town doctor, who is married to Timothy Olyphant, the town sheriff and leading actor. Both characters were very likable and fought for their lives believably through every conceivable hardship the government and zombies could throw at them. The questionable moments involved the spread of the infection, and the fact that Radha played a nurse. I haven't decided whether she was too stressed/exhausted out to properly care for the potential spread of the infection, or if the writers didn't realize that a little peroxide goes a long way.

My favorite theme of this movie was the individuality of the military soldiers. They were portrayed as soulless monsters when in groups wearing masks, but when confronted individually, they were just teenage kids following orders. Kids who don't want to die anymore than they want to kill.

The actual zombies were not your standard Romero zombies. They still fit according the the new rules of zombiehood, though. This is how they acted.

They were infected by an external source, and may or may not have been infectious. They mostly had no rationality, though one pair were out for revenge. It's unclear if they had been fully under the influence of the virus though. The zombies swarmed several times, and had nothing but murder on their minds. They did seem to posses slightly heightened speed and vitality (through lack of caring about pain), and did retain the full ability to use tools and weapons. These zombies are on the very boarder of even the new definition, but I'll allow it.

Redefining Zombie

2010-02-27T13:03:00.005-06:00

The media attention of The Crazies this past week has caused a hoard of articles rising from the unknown to discuss the difference between zombie and non-zombies. Let me begin by debunking all the non-zombie claims at once.

If it is covered in blood, is running at you with a murderous glazed over look, and was created/inspired by George A. Remero, then it's a zombie. No, I don't want to hear your 'justifications' like "but it was an alien parasite" or "he's just a bit ill". They are zombies. Not just the ones from The Crazies, but all of them. Let's look at a few definitions.

Zombi: a dead body that has been brought back to life by a supernatural force

Note the spelling. Zombi without an 'e' at the end is a word that originates from Haitian culture. Brought to America in the 1920's, the term was in referencing a practice from the Voodoo religion. The zombi was thought to be a dead person brought back to life by a 'bokor' (Voodoo Priest), and then under the priests control. Scientists that have studied the religion and have found that it was most likely caused by a combination of drugs that caused a near death state in the victim, followed by a trance that allowed control over their will by voice suggestion. This theory is largely untested, and controversial, but that is where the term comes from. The origin of the very word was used in reference to the dead rising solely by magic, and has ties to still living humans instead of the actual dead.

Ghoul: a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead.

Before the term "Zombie" was popularized, the modern zombie was a nameless creature dating back to the begining of litereature itself. In Gilgamesh, goddess Ishtar threatens the following:

I shall bring up the dead to consume the living,

I shall make the dead outnumber the living

One Thousand and One Nights (Origin of Aladdin) labels a similar creature as a Ghoul. The term Ghoul does indicate a creature that is undead, and it wasn't until the mid 1970s that the word zombie was adopted as a replacement for ghoul. The Italian title for the 1968 Night of the Living dead was dubbed Zombi, and after the unauthorized sequel Zombie 2, the name stuck. This change in definition, from requiring a Voodoo curse to now just being undead has only been around for 40 years, and the definition has been changing the entire time.

Living Dead: a blanket term for various films and series that all originated with the seminal 1968 zombie movie Night of the Living Dead created by George A. Romero and John A. Russo.

George Romero popularized zombies in the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. Much like the 1000 BC reference in Gilgamesh, Romero also did not use the term. The film portrayed zombies as slow and weak reanimated corpses that may have originated from radiation from a space probe. Romero has updated his zombies as he expands on his works to the point that zombies have been show to posses basic levels of speech. Modern audiences have required more thorough explanations for supernatural events, and Romero has evolved his zombies with these expectations.

Movies like 28 Days Later have used viruses as reasons for zombies, and even Zombieland defined its creatures as sufferers of an advanced form of Mad Cow. Slither used aliens to start the apocalypse, and many games like Dead Rising have followed suit with alien brain parasites. None of these specifically have the dead being brought back, but I argue that all contain zombies. The methods of causing the zombie outbreak are often an important role in the stories, but secondary to the the focus of fighting bloodthirsty, crazed killers.

It's important to know why it matters. As a fan of zombies, I argue that we not only need more zombies in our culture, but we also need more fans. Someone may go to The Crazies, and if they enjoyed the elements of the film, such as suspense, apocalyptic setting, and survival horror, they should know that they just named the elements of nearly all zombie movies.

So what really makes a zombie. Let's break down the common elements.

1) Undead

2) Cannibalistic

3) Violent

4) Primal

5) Swarms

6) Enhanced speed

7) Deteriorate speed

8) Enhanced strength

9) Enhanced vitality

10) Infectious

11) Rotting

12) Moaning

13) Screaming

Speed, strength, intelligence, vitality, degree of decomposition, and noises vary greatly in the genre. Staples of early zombies like slow moving, groaning, thoughtless monsters have been replaced in newer iterations with fast, screaming, intelligent creatures, in even Romero's own continuing series.

I think it's time to take a look at the list, and agree that if it's close to a zombie, then we'll call it one. I say we welcome all who wish to join our zombie revolution. I propose a new definition.

Zombie: A human that has lost all rationality, often coupled with physical attribute changes in speed and strength due to adrenaline or deterioration, whose sole purpose is to eat, infect, or kill other humans. Common causes are: Magic, Science, and Alien Parasites. The 'infection' is either easily transmitted by fluid contact, or occurred on a large scale by an external force. Zombies always cause or are part of swarms.

Now all the movies, books, and games that people claim aren't technically zombies, can now claim to be 100% zombie. I welcome all types and forms.

Except for sparkles. Zombies don't sparkle.

Causes for ranting

http://kotaku.com/5481509/where-have-all-the-zombies-gone

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/02/26/the-crazies-is-not-a-zombie-movie-and-neither-are-these-five-thrillers/

sources:

http://jimgetz.org/2009/09/16/ishtar-and-zombies/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Living_Dead

Hell's Ground

2010-02-24T16:42:00.004-06:00

Io9 released compiled a list of best Rotten Tomatoes Zombie movies. The following was #1.

I'm trying to track down a copy of the movie, but it is hard to find since it was a limited release in 2007, and it is not a mainstream Hollywood movie. It is being called "Pakistan's first ever modern horror movie" in its marketing. Rotten Tomato gave it a 100%.

io9's top Sci-Fi movies on Rotten Tomatoes

I shamble, therefore I am

2010-02-23T21:30:00.002-06:00

About a year ago I had a debate on the proper intelligence of zombies. The argument against intelligent zombies was, "How could they have any intelligence, they are undead!". I, of course, quickly rose to the defense of our mortally challenged brethrenand will now explore the topic in detail.

To accurately determine the level of intelligence that a zombie can possess, you must first determine what a zombie is. The core beliefs, or the marrow, if you will.

A zombie, in the old days, was believed to be a recently deceased body that was controlled by a voodoo priestess using magic. We know that this isn't true because magic doesn't exist, and anyone who thinks it does is just plain silly. Modern science has proposed that these were actually drugged people who had no will of their own and were often thought of as the walking dead due to the slow, uncontrolled movements caused by near total loss of motor functions.

Professor G. Romero, the leading expert in Zombology, proved in his 1960's documentary that zombies are actually reanimated corpses. The method of the re-animation process has yet to be pinned down, and is likely caused in a variety of ways. The most popular theory is a virus, yet two camps exist within the virus school of thought: the reanimation of dead cells and behavioral modification of the living. The latter causes the complete loss of civility and self preservation in a still living carrier but are still considered zombies. This is due to the fact that the host has been lost completely and the infected gain symptoms of carnivorous hunger for human flesh and a nearly inexhaustible supply of adrenaline being continuously fed to the body. Those affected with this form of virus have been seen to posses bursts of inhuman strength and speed, but have not shown any extra resilience against attacks.

The more controversial, but more common theory, is the re-animation of formerly deceased cells. These zombies are all but unstoppable due to the inability to feel pain. It has been proven that these zombies require a constant supply of living tissue to be combined with the rotting flesh of the host zombie, often leaving the human donor alive. The starter cells left by a zombie bite can quickly create a new zombie from the human, much in the same way friendship bread is made.

The most common way to stop a zombie of any kind is the removal of the head from the body, or the destruction of the brain. This leads me into my most important point, zombies require a brain to live.

If zombies were controlled by an alien host, or a network of nano robots, the brain would be bypassed, but the fact that the loss of the brain disables zombies proves that some intelligence exists. When the zombie takes control, it is able to move, gains limited control of vocal chords, and has extreme sensitivity to sound and smell. It is possible that the brain is limited to the functions of an animal, but since the virus isn't acting as a controlling parasite imposing these limitations, it is much more likely that the intelligence of zombie is only limited by the original owner of the brain.

I'm not proposing that people are just getting flu like symptoms, and deciding to go on a cannibalistic rampage. What I do think is once a zombie is able to push beyond the feral hunger, it may be possible that higher brain functions would again be accessible. The affliction would probably not allow a zombie to become literary critics or IT professionals, but it would be foolish to argue that a zombie would be unable to open a door, wield a blunt object as a weapon, or even write a best selling teen romance novel about sparkly creatures that live in the woods. None of those tasks require much in terms of intelligence, and should easily be within a zombies grasp.

The fact that this is even debated shows how much farther we have to go in the zombie rights struggle. When the stubborn anti-zombites finally open there eyes, they will see that zombies can be active members of societies. We can help zombies reach there potential by removing the societal limitation we currently impose them with. I am sure that I have seen zombies acting in everyday roles, like telemarketing and certainly upper management in the past. I even know a guy who roomed with a zombie in college. It wasn't always perfect, but when is it?

Why must zombies hide who they are to be treated as equals? It seems to me that we are forgetting that this struggle was fought for a different group only a few years ago. Cavemen were once seen as the simple minded buffoons without feelings that they are, but through a series of strategic PR moves, they now can be seen eating in restaurants or working in accounting with corner offices because 'the company looks better if they diversify'. Bastards.

I don't condone hiring a PR company to change the minds of the public. The public needs to come to this realization on their own terms. Zombies already show tremendous intelligence when combating large enemies. When have you last heard of a government that didn't crumble once the zombies start rallying? The fastest way to prove that zombies are intelligent, is to have them compete in a contest against something perceived as intelligent. Human competitors would not work because of the obvious bias and 'survival instinct', but I see no reason that zombies shouldn't be faced off with the second smartest creature on earth. No, I'm not suggesting zombies compete against dolphins, the ~~Chicken~~ King of the Sea. I mean the new runner up: Cavemen.

It's only fair for cavemen to prove they deserve their new spot in society. We could set up a stage, with an audience, and panel of judges, an make them answer a series of questions. Maybe it should be an array of tests, such as singing, and talent competitions as well. If one of the contestants happens gets eaten, the remaining species would win by default. We'll pick one random representative of each. I'll start. Oh, what a coincidence, I picked Jim 'I have TWO windows at my new desk, and my company car has built in satellite radio' Baker from accounting. I'm sure he'll do just fine.

I hope this has at least made you think the next time you are running for your life from a hoard of brainthirsty zombies, that each one of those zombies has the ability to reason, file your taxes and potentially contains the capacity to love. Stick that in your double barrel and unload it into your brains.

Zombie Glam

2010-02-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

I have been seeing a trend in the media about zombie looks. A popular book series has recently beautified a cousin to the zombie community, vampires, and I'm sure people are looking for the next 'IT' creature.

Just because clean and healthy flesh is on every cover on the magazine racks doesn't make it a standard or average. Australian news provider Leader has hit the nail on the brain: sex. These 'jump on the bandwagon' writers using the popularity of our most forbidden obsession combined with the current popular topic. Mark my words, next you will see sexy animals trying to sell you fruit drinks.

These soul sucking writers are missing the impact they have on zombie youth. Being a zombie is hard enough with all the binge eating and puking, without having to now do so while worrying about weight. We don't want zombies to starting thinking about passing on the easy slower meals and going for a jog to get a low cal veggie meal. I for one, being a vegetarian, object to that, for the zombie self esteem of course.

Zombies of all persuasions can be beautiful (except for smokers, they disgust me). It isn't how exfoliated your wounds are, or the shine of your matted hair that makes a zombie beautiful, it matters what is on the inside. Senators, for example, make a wonderful thing to be on the inside of zombies. Also, CEOs of insurance companies.

These zombies understand that with the right attitude you can still be undead and wed. Being a zombie princess takes guts. Lots of delicious banker and weatherman guts.

Full zombie princess flickr gallery http://www.flickr.com/photos/snarkshot/sets/72157622535925129/

Lego Zombie Preparedness Plan

2010-02-20T17:15:00.000-06:00

I've been telling you from the beginning to have a plan, just in case. Attendees at BrickCon displayed there plan in the form of Legos.

Our competitors over at www.zombiephiles.com seem to think it was just a fan tribute to a genre, but I'm pretty sure they just want to distract you, so they can eat your brains.

A.D. Trailer. Zombie Jesus not present

2010-02-20T14:00:00.000-06:00

Here we have a trailer for A.D. This fully CGI movie will be released later this year

From the looks of things, the focus will be more on stylized zombie attacks and less on story. That judgement is from the trailer alone however, and mainly due to the fact that the survivors are sitting in the middle of an open field and suddenly become surrounded by zombies. Let history show that you don't get yourself surrounded.

I propose that they are waiting for a helicopter.

That, or the zombies are playing with their food.

Zombie sense of humor

2010-02-18T21:58:00.005-06:00

Not all zombies are friendly. This one is a jerk.

Don't have a date? Just bite someone

2010-02-18T08:41:00.000-06:00

Last year, a committee gathered to figure out what to do for Valentine's Day. One of them, a Mrs. J. Potter, suggested that the zombies needed to have something to do. "Zombie culture has spread like, well, gangrene in the last few years," she said. Her idea was for the town to put their own mark on zombie culture by pushing it along. She saw it as an "alternative to the Hallmark invention of a holiday".

The first annual Zombie Prom was born. They gathered the zombies in the local high school gym and put on some music so the zombies could "get down, 'Thriller'-style". The prom was videotaped as to proof of its success, and broadcast on the local channel as entertainment for those who didn't have anything better to do.

This year, the zombies decided to take matters into their own hands. They were so excited for the Valentine's Day prom, but it appeared they weren't satisfied with their selections of dates. Zombies have been seen for the past two weeks chasing the locals down the street, and once catching them, turning them and asking them out as a date. The "Don't Have a Date? Just Bite Someone" campaign has grown over the past few days, causing residents to lock themselves in their homes in fear that they might be nominated as the next Prom Zombie King or Queen. Those in fear of being dateless for Valentine's Day have been seen to step out on their front doorstep and none have been turned away.

The committee has no hand in the dance this year. When asked about the zombie's reaction to Valentine's Day, Mrs. J. Potter told us that it pretty much answered the question "what if zombies have feelings and emotions?" and that the committee deserved recognition in this study of zombie culture as they set out to do.

The rest of the committee left no comments about Zombie Prom.

Link to 2nd Annual Zombie Prom: http://www.thisisbrandx.com/2010/02/its-almost-valentines-day-which-means-the-rise-of-the-zombies.html

Finally, the humans play fair with zombies

2010-02-17T19:27:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I'll admit it. I'm a little biased when it comes to zombie coverage. My mom was a zombie (for real), so I guess that makes me half zombie. I'm pretty sure I would be a kick-ass survivor in those popular movies, but really I have to look out for the disadvantaged as well. For now, I say that the zombies are the disadvantaged minority class.

Now I realize that zombies are "mindless, flesh craving monsters" and don't get me wrong, I'm not about to let myself become food, and if I became infected, I would be Frenching my forty-five, but for now they are just vulnerable creatures who have to scrounge the streets for their next meal.

Having said that, I want to make sure that you know there is a war brewing. The war may be fueled by the 24 hour news cycles and the partisanship of the 'I can try on clothes at the mall without the store making me buy them because of the tiny rotting flesh bits that wouldn't come out' living, but the war is still coming.

For this reason, I recommend preparation. This goes for both sides. Survivors should have a plan of escape, and zombies are going to need to... well shamble. With this in mind, let me recommend to you the Urban Gaming Club Zombies vs Humans face off. The goal appears to be, bring in a bunch of zombies and humans for a rousing game of "Oh god oh god please let me escape"/"Yum, supper".

As the college newspaper Knight News points out, the survivors "will also use foam weaponry to “stun” zombies, and make their escape." I commend the event coordinators for considering the zombies in this matter.

Toyota Schmear Campaign

2010-02-16T21:03:00.005-06:00

They're trying to stop the car from accelerating

Toyota just launched a campaign based on the ignorant assumption that zombies are aggressors. The ad states "Equipped for a zombie attack". I realize that it doesn't state that all zombies encounters end it attack, but they are playing on the public fear of the unknown.

I once saw a zombie pull a bus full of school children... oh wait, I used that one already.

Zombies don't kill people, mad scientists and voodoo ladies kill people. The more you know.

Story Source http://jalopnik.com/5472819/toyotas-awfully+timed-zombie-corolla-ad

'Food for thought', means brains... right?

2010-02-16T08:53:00.006-06:00

They forgot my favorite appetizer.

Buffalo Fingers.

What a nice menu selection for zombies. Zombies deserve respect, and 5 course meal options. I can't tell you how many times I've been to dinner with a zombie, and we are seated by the door or the bathroom.

One time a friend and I actually saw a zombie at another table order food, and the waiter was like "The Caucasian arm burrito comes with a salad, do you want that?" This question is common and excusable, but after the zombie CLEARLY just wanted brains as a side, the waiter brought out a bean burrito. Seriously, how hard is it?

Menu from http://www.patrickmoberg.com/illustration/127/zombie-cuisine

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! THEY'RE AFTER YOUR... gold?

2010-02-15T22:10:00.003-06:00

Zombie Training Regiment

Tuesday evening in Tinley Park Public Library you will find the Zombie Olympics. I fully support this endeavor, and there attempt to give the differently-abled and mortal challenged of us the opportunity to participate in such events.

I do find the advertising a bit worrisome however.

Description:

Are you a fan of zombies? Join us for the first ever Zombie Olympics. Snacks are included!

Presumably the snacks are for the zombies... If you decide to go, bring someone slower than you along.

www.tplibrary.org

Image source

Racist Valentine's Day card

2010-02-14T22:40:00.005-06:00

Today is supposed to be a day about love. Why do these corporate greeting card companies feel the need to take pot shots at the differently-abled? Even more so against zombies. I don't see a card that says:

Good think you aren't allergic to 'shellfish', because if you were,

I would shove crab legs down your throat.

Happy Valentine's Day. From A-Hole

Zombies are people too. They have hearts (usually), brains (in their heads and stomachs), and probably feelings. They just have an allergy to anything not containing the flesh of the living. It's time to start a grassroots movement. We'll call ourselves the "Peoples Equalization of Zombies" or PEZ.

Write your congressperson. Deity knows they aren't doing anything else.

Original card author unknown.

Thank you to the reader who sent it. Send your Zombie news to zombies@shambleupon.com

If you have to be a meat bag, at least get some eye candy

2010-02-14T13:00:00.004-06:00

Pinup for FeBRAINuary

Treat your undead snuggle-bunny with something nice this Valentine's Day. Zombie lingerie is the gift that keeps on giving, in that when you bury it in the underwear drawer, it keeps finding it's way out. The only way to get rid of it is to go for the head.

Hey, let's keep it PG-13 here.

Why do you have to make everything dirty?

You said it, not me.

Just get your mind out of the gutter. Homeless zombies need beds too.

Check out the full calendar if you please.

Love Hurts

2010-02-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Fact: Valentine's Day was originally a ritual to sacrifice children to the god of chocolate.

While that may not be true, all my love belongs to you.

Rhymes make everything better.

Valentine from http://roscoefink.deviantart.com/art/Zombie-Valentine-Card-76539010

The Crazies

2010-02-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Remake of Romero's 1973 movie, "The Crazies" comes out on February 26th, 2010. Joey and I weren't too "crazy" about the title, but when I found out it was originally a Romero movie, all is forgiven. Romero is executive producer of the remake, so that doesn't hurt either.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns

2010-02-13T07:00:00.002-06:00

An anthology that I am really looking forward to is Zombies vs. Unicorns. I read Carrie Ryan's zombie novel The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Diana Peterfreund's killer unicorns novel Rampant this past year and they have me ready for their second novels that come out this year, as well as their featured short stories in this anthology. It is going to be interesting to see what new concepts that the different authors will come up with, but who will come out on top?

Here's the description of the anthology:

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

Links:

Read the original discussions between Holly and Justine

VOTE on Official Website : Are you Team Unicorn or Team Zombie?

i09 article "Zombies and Unicorns Battle for Literary Supremacy"

On sale September 21st, 2010

(Art featured is downloadable on the main website)

The New Dead

2010-02-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

A new anthology edited by author Christopher Golden comes out this Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 called The New Dead. Here's the description (from Macmillan's website):

Resurrection!

The hungry dead have risen. They shamble down the street. They hide in back yards, car lots, shopping malls. They devour neighbors, dogs and police officers. And they are here to stay. The real question is, what are you going to do about it? How will you survive?

How will the world change when the dead begin to rise?

Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has assembled an original anthology of never-before-published zombie stories from an eclectic array of today's hottest writers. Inside there are stories about military might in the wake of an outbreak, survival in a wasted wasteland, the ardor of falling in love with a zombie, and a family outing at the circus. Here is a collection of new views on death and resurrection.

With stories from Joe Hill, John Connolly, Max Brooks, Kelley Armstrong, Tad Williams, David Wellington, David Liss, Aimee Bender, Jonathan Maberry, and many others, this is a wildly diverse and entertaining collection...the Last Word on the New Dead.

Links:

Macmillian's website with sample stories from the anthology

Christopher Golden's website with info and author tour dates

I, Zombie: Still preferable to iPad

2010-02-12T18:44:00.003-06:00

Vertigo is promoting a new comic called I, Zombie. I haven't read a zombie comic book before. I always tell myself I'm going to read Zombie Hunters, but I never do.

Actually I lied. I have read a ton of Marvel Zombies.

http://vertigo.blog.dccomics.com/2010/02/11/first-look-at-the-variant-cover-to-i-zombie-1-by-darwyn-cooke/

More Zombie than Zombie

2010-02-12T18:34:00.004-06:00

According to Valve, the creators of the Left 4 Dead series, survivors of the apocalypse have killed nearly 29 billion zombies. Seriously people, doesn't somebody see a problem with this? When will the bleeding heart (and brain) liberals or the no heart (or brain) conservatives understand that these zombies aren't just some mindless bag of flesh and bones, like cattle or pigs. These zombies are sons, and daughters. I once saw a zombie pull a bus load of children from falling off a cliff. No, wait, that was the Incredible Hulk.

Never mind.

http://www.l4d.com/blog/post.php?id=3441