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The Living Dead 2.
by John Joseph Adams.
Introduction.
By John Joseph Adams
Turns out, zombies really really don't want to die. don't want to die.
When Night Shade Books and I put the first The Living Dead The Living Dead anthology together a couple years ago (which I will refer to hereafter as anthology together a couple years ago (which I will refer to hereafter as Volume One Volume One), we had the sense that zombies would be big, but I don't think any of us realized just how big how big they would become. they would become.
When the book actually came out in September of 2008, it seemed like the timing was perfect, that we would be hitting right at the crest of the zombie's popularity. But now it looks like they've only become more more popular in the intervening period, spreading throughout an unsuspecting population like zombiism itself. popular in the intervening period, spreading throughout an unsuspecting population like zombiism itself.
In the last couple years there have been a slew of new zombie entertainments released, across all media. There have been new movies (Quarantine, REC REC2, Deadgirl Deadgirl, Diary of the Dead Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead Survival of the Dead, Dead Snow Dead Snow, Zombie Strippers Zombie Strippers, Zombieland Zombieland); video games (Plants vs. Zombies, Dead Rising 2 Dead Rising 2, Dead s.p.a.ce Dead s.p.a.ce, Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2); and a veritable horde horde of books ( of books (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its sequel, books from several of the contributors to this anthology, and even a and its sequel, books from several of the contributors to this anthology, and even a Star Wars Star Wars zombie novel called zombie novel called Death Troopers Death Troopers). Plus Plus, a film adaptation is in the works for Max Brooks's World War Z, World War Z, and Robert Kirkman's and Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead The Walking Dead is being made into a television series. is being made into a television series.
And all of that's just off the top of my head-if I wanted to make an extensive list, I'm sure it could be ten times longer. If you were inclined to have zombies in all of your entertainment, I expect you'd have very little trouble finding things to watch, play, or read, all of them chock-full of zombie mayhem.
But since zombies have continued to dominate the popular consciousness-and Volume One Volume One was so popular with readers and critics-it was an easy decision to do a second volume of zombie stories; after all, even at 230,000 words, I couldn't fit everything I wanted to into the first book! was so popular with readers and critics-it was an easy decision to do a second volume of zombie stories; after all, even at 230,000 words, I couldn't fit everything I wanted to into the first book!
And while it's obvious that the public can't get enough of zombies, well, I guess it's just as obvious neither can I.
Let's talk a bit about this anthology in particular, and how it is similar to and different from Volume One Volume One.
Volume One was comprised entirely of reprints (except for one original story, by John Langan), but this volume is mostly original with a mix of selected reprints. Twenty-five of the forty-four stories appear for the first time in this anthology. was comprised entirely of reprints (except for one original story, by John Langan), but this volume is mostly original with a mix of selected reprints. Twenty-five of the forty-four stories appear for the first time in this anthology.
With the popularity of zombies infecting the pop culture like it has, more writers than ever have been itching to try their hand at a zombie story, so it was not difficult to find writers eager to partic.i.p.ate in the book. I asked some of the top names in zombie fiction-Max Brooks (World War Z), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), David Wellington (Monster Island), Brian Keene (The Rising), and others-along with some bestsellers and rising stars of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror fields-to write me original stories. And boy did they deliver.
For Volume One Volume One, I chose stories that I felt represented the best of the best and together showcased the range of what zombie fiction was capable of. This time around, because my intent was to include the best new new stories, I focused on finding the best material that had never previously appeared in a zombie anthology before. So while nineteen of the stories are reprints, there's a good chance that-even if you're a hardcore zombie fan-they'll be entirely new to you. stories, I focused on finding the best material that had never previously appeared in a zombie anthology before. So while nineteen of the stories are reprints, there's a good chance that-even if you're a hardcore zombie fan-they'll be entirely new to you.
To bring this introduction to a close, let's bring it back to where it started: Why are are zombies so appealing? zombies so appealing?
Since Volume One Volume One came out, that's one of my most frequently asked questions. (It's kind of a curious question, as if there's some reason zombies came out, that's one of my most frequently asked questions. (It's kind of a curious question, as if there's some reason zombies shouldn't shouldn't be popular. Do people ask NFL football players why football is so popular?) be popular. Do people ask NFL football players why football is so popular?) I can't claim to know exactly why it is that people love zombies so much, but there are a number of common theories about their popularity.
Zombies are: * an enemy that used to be us, that we can become at any time; * a canvas writers can use to comment on almost anything; * a morality-free way to fulfill a world-destruction fantasy; * a monster that remains scary and cannot be easily romanticized.
I'm sure that's all part of it, and we could continue to speculate ad nauseam ad nauseam-I'm sure there are dissertations being written on the subject as we speak. But one thing is clear: Zombies aren't going to be dying off any time soon, and we'd better learn how to live with them.
Alone, Together By Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is best-known for his work in the comics field as the writer and creator of the critically acclaimed, bestselling zombie comic The Walking Dead The Walking Dead-which is considered by many (myself included) to be one of the greatest comics series of all-time. Other comics he's written for include Invincible Invincible, Haunt Haunt, and The Astounding Wolf-Man The Astounding Wolf-Man. He has also worked on many Marvel t.i.tles, such as Marvel Zombies Marvel Zombies, Captain America Captain America, Ultimate X-Men Ultimate X-Men, The Irredeemable Ant-Man The Irredeemable Ant-Man, and Fantastic Four Fantastic Four. Despite all of these writing credentials, this is his first piece of published prose fiction.
In The Walking Dead The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman set out to tell a different sort of zombie tale. Most such stories focus on a brief period of intense danger-a single night, as in the original Night of the Living Dead Night of the Living Dead-or perhaps a few days or weeks, and concern the characters eluding predators and obtaining the immediate exigencies of survival-food, shelter, weapons.
The Walking Dead follows the characters for month after month after month in their grueling quest to stay alive and, more importantly, to stay sane. The stories present searing portraits of disaster psychology-survivor's guilt, depression, and hopelessness, as well as the grim humor and small acts of kindness that allow people to carry on. The zombies in this world are an ever-present threat, but for long stretches of the story they fade into the background and the emotional landscapes of the characters take center stage as they feud, break down, fall in love, lose heart, and ultimately endure...or not-for this a gritty, realistic world where no one is safe. The characters learn the hard way that other survivors can be more dangerous than zombies, and that the most dangerous foe of all is your own heart. follows the characters for month after month after month in their grueling quest to stay alive and, more importantly, to stay sane. The stories present searing portraits of disaster psychology-survivor's guilt, depression, and hopelessness, as well as the grim humor and small acts of kindness that allow people to carry on. The zombies in this world are an ever-present threat, but for long stretches of the story they fade into the background and the emotional landscapes of the characters take center stage as they feud, break down, fall in love, lose heart, and ultimately endure...or not-for this a gritty, realistic world where no one is safe. The characters learn the hard way that other survivors can be more dangerous than zombies, and that the most dangerous foe of all is your own heart.
Our first story shares this focus on human psychology. This is a zombie story and a love story, the story of an ordinary man in a terrible situation, and of the woman who just might be his only hope to make it out alive.
She was dressed like a private detective from a low-budget TV show-a pair of slacks, modest high heels, and the most ridiculous trench coat I'd ever seen, one of the shorter ones, that hung just above the knees. I couldn't help but laugh, and it was obvious my reaction annoyed her, but she did her best to hide her feelings as she pressed a finger to my lips, quieting me, and gently nudged me back inside my apartment.
We'd been dating for nearly three months. The next day was our anniversary, and we were supposed to do something together. I can't remember what now, but she had some sort of last minute work obligation crop up. She called to tell me she wanted to see me that night. I had hung up the phone maybe five minutes before she arrived. She must have called me on the way. She had nothing in her hands. No present. I was suspicious.
As she closed the door she flashed a naughty grin and opened the trench coat. It's not an overstatement to say that that moment changed my life. Her slacks stopped shortly above where the coat ended. She'd cut the legs off of a pair of her pants and attached them to a garter belt.
She wore nothing else under the coat.
To say this looked slightly ridiculous wouldn't be a lie but in that moment I couldn't care less about how silly she looked. She was gorgeous, full-figured in all the right ways, dark hair, bright eyes. I instantly fell in love with her, head over heels, hopelessly smitten, and all that. I already knew she was smart, funny, kind, and all that other good stuff, but to see this work of genius- these pant legs, concocted to better sell the old naked-under-the-trench-coat gag, knowing how much thought and preparation went into something so completely and utterly silly-I instantly knew that this was the woman for me.
I proposed to her in that very moment. She thought I was joking, of course, but when I did it again two weeks later, properly and with a ring, she accepted. We were married six months later.
We were married four wonderful years before the world around us fell apart. The world as we knew it quickly disappeared, leaving us and everyone else lost without any hope of regaining the lives we'd grown accustomed to. Diane died two weeks after we abandoned our home.
My name is Timothy Stinnot, and if it's Christmas I'm twenty-eight. Yes, it's as horrible as you would imagine, growing up with a birthday on Christmas. An entire childhood of receiving exactly one more present on Christmas day than my little brother, only to watch him celebrate essentially a second Christmas a few months later. It's not easy for a kid to overcome that kind of jealousy. Justin is probably dead by now; I have no way of knowing for sure. Some days, I'm jealous of him for that, too.
My father-who I must also a.s.sume is now dead-had this saying when we were growing up: ”If not today, when?” It was usually just to get me to clean my room or some other ch.o.r.e I'd been avoiding. He didn't really give me much advice that didn't have a direct correlation to something he wanted me to do at the time. It's really just another way to say: ”Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” But his way was a little catchier. Of course, these days I've altered the saying to better reflect the times. Now it's, ”If not right now, when?”
These days, tomorrow is much less of a guarantee.
I should be sleeping. Instead, I'm sitting next to the window looking down at the grocery store across the street, listening to Alicia breathe as she sleeps on the floor next to me. I saw the store on our way in earlier tonight. Dad's motto be d.a.m.ned, it was much too dark to try anything then so I didn't even mention it to Alicia. Maybe I wanted to surprise her; maybe I just didn't want to let her down. But I can't stop fantasizing about what we might find in that worn-down, abandoned building.
Tomorrow.
So, I should be sleeping, but instead I sit here, in this empty apartment, surrounded by trash and belongings that weren't quite worth taking when the owners left. I alternate between staring at the store, and watching the quiet rise and fall of Alicia's chest as she sleeps.
She's not the most beautiful woman in the world, or at least she wouldn't have been-before. Now she very well might be. Blonde and bone-skinny with a boyish figure, she's pretty much the exact opposite of Diane and not at all the type of girl I would have dated in my previous life.
Have you ever heard of Smurfette Syndrome? Smurfette was the lone female Smurf on the children's cartoon of the same name. The syndrome dictates that when a group of men have only one female, the men in that group will grow to find her attractive, no matter how much they may otherwise not be attracted to her if there where other females present. The male desire to procreate takes over your brain and forces you to suddenly consider the only female available to be extremely desirable.
I desire Alicia extremely.
When Diane was still alive I used to think that I could never be with someone else if something ever happened to her. I know it's something people do all the time but I just couldn't imagine doing it myself. It seemed like such a betrayal. That was, of course, before Diane died. I never considered what complete and utter loneliness felt like-how tormenting it was, and just how much that torment could make you desire to connect with someone.
We started out as a group of six-five guys plus Alicia. I met up with them about six months ago, almost a month after I'd lost Diane. Alicia and I have been alone for two. Guess what happened to everyone else.
There was David Never-Got-His-Last-Name. He lasted all of ten days: rounded a corner as we were leaving town when the walkers got him. He distracted them long enough for the rest of us to get away.