20 Questions with Elizabeth Powell

We believe that children are our future and reading with them correctly is one of the most important things we can do to help develop them learn about the world around them.  We also love zombies and see no reason why we shouldn't mix the two.

Thankfully we're not the only ones who feel this way. Elizabeth Powell is a primary school teacher whose first novel, King of the Zombies, is a fast paced adventure for children aged 9 and up, a tale of an ordinary boy and girl who must face unimaginable challenges in a world over-run by flesh-eating undead.

Elizabeth Powell

Why Zombies and why in particular as the subject of a children’s book?
I have always enjoyed writing stories since I was very young and I am always on the lookout for inspiration. One morning my son, who was then 6 years old, told me about a nightmare he had suffered the night before. In this nightmare there were zombies but they were no ordinary zombies – they were pretending to be human. I thought this was a great premise for a story and that is where it all began. I have always been fascinated by horror and I was a prolific author of werewolf fiction as a child! My over active imagination has meant I scare easily and I am always putting myself in nightmare scenarios and thinking about how I would react. Why children’s fictions? Well, as a Primary School teacher children are often my audience.

Do you mostly write in the morning, daytime or the witching hour?
I do most of my writing at night when my two children are in bed and I have more time. I also usually write in the school holidays which is why it has taken me four years to finish it.

Name one writer who has been a major influence on your work and why?
I don’t think there is one writer who has influenced me – well not knowingly anyway.

One book you think everyone should read.
Can I give you two books? ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini. These two books have had a profound and lasting impact on me and they live with me. Some books are forgotten as soon as they are finished but I will never forget these two books.

Do you think genre fiction is finally getting the recognition it deserves?
No – but I hope it might soon.

Zombies – slow or fast and is there room for both?
There are both of these at different times in my book – they are both frightening in different ways. I think there is room for both.

Blunt instrument, firearm or blade?
Blade.

If you could save just one luxury, what would it be?
My children – does that count as a luxury? Certainly I would choose them over anything else.

What do you think is most likely to cause an outbreak of the undead?
Is it too unimaginative to say a virus? In truth I think the cause is less important than the cure!

What is your number one piece of advice for surviving a zombie apocalypse?
Well in light of my book it would have to be disguise, infiltration and then … attack!

If you were a character in one of your books, what would be your opening line?
‘Run!’

How much has music played a part in your work?
Music is important to me and it inspires different moods which can prompt writing at different times but I have never felt it has played a huge part in my work.

If you had to live in a clichéd alternate reality would you choose medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi?
Definitely medieval fantasy!

If you had a super power, what would it be?
Invisibility – hiding is underrated!

Star wars, Star Trek or Sci-Fi curious?
Star Wars every time!

Has Gary Gygax (creator of Dungeons & Dragons), and the phenomenon he spawned, influenced you in any way?
No I am afraid not. I always wanted to be involved in Dungeons and Dragons as a child at school but it was the domain of the geeky boys – girls weren’t allowed. It fascinated me from afar.

Do you see the influx in zombies in entertainment as good thing and do you think we are headed the right way for the genre?
It is definitely a good thing – zombies are the new vampire – I hope!

Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Zombies or ‘They just haven’t made one quite right yet’?
I don’t play video games really. Sorry.

Do you have a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? An interest completely unrelated to the genre?
Phil Collins – my husband would kill me for writing that but I had to say it. There goes any credibility I might have built up!

What’s next for Elizabeth Powell?
The next book – I have an exciting sequel planned. Years into the future after a complete and successful reintegration of the zombie human into normal society things start to go awry!

King of the Zombies is available for download now on Amazon.

zombieshop.co.uk

Zombie Gaming and Entertainment

Zombie Survival Weekender III

We've all wondered how we might survive a zombie apocalypse: gather weapons and supplies, batten down the hatches for a while and then head out to the country, away from the meta-hordes.

You might know how to face off against the undead, but it you've ever been out in a spot of unseasonable weather it might have dawned on you that, chances are, you're more likely to die of hunger, dehydration or hypothermia than a zombie bite - It's a thought that 'Major' Dom Spens, head of contingency planning and organiser of the Zombie Survival Weekender, has often pondered.

Ground control to Major Dom
“ZSW III is going to be a little different from past events. We will still have the aspects people have come to know and love, the beautiful location, the survival skills share, the zombie game… but there will be some differences…

We’re not on the island this time, the new location is just as good. in some ways its better! The event is set in 2016 and there will be a stronger roleplaying element, so you’ll want to read the back-story and prepare your own character background.” - Major Dom Spens.

What is the Zombie Survival Weekender?
The Zombie Survival Weekender is a mix of survival training, horror live action Roleplay (LARP) and a party in a variety of exciting and beautiful places in South Wales.

Zombie Survival Weekender is held in a variety if beautiful and inspiring locations including: isolated islands, creepy woodland, sand dunes, castles and mountains.

Stage 1 – Getting to Know You
The first section is the boring administrative bit, which covers important safety aspects of the weekend, and making sure everyone has settled, gets to know everyone else and has all the equipment they need for the weekend – Yes, there’s a minimum equipment list to get you through and it is probably a good idea to prepare a more comprehensive survival kit. 

Stage 2 - Share the Zombie Love
Like everything else in life, the more you put in, the more you get out. The second stage of the weekend is a training exercise, a useful skill share session where you can learn and teach your personal experience in useful survival subjects such as: Fire craft, First aid, Distilling water, Knives, Map Reading, Camp-craft, Foraging, Shelter, Knots and much more.

Stage 3 – Brains!!!
And most people's favourite part of the weekend is the zombie-themed-live-action-non-combat-horror-roleplaying game. After the skills share and everyone’s settled, the party begins and everyone enjoys a BBQ and a drink, or four.

Achievement Unlocked - Hall of Brains
At every Zombie Survival Weekender there are of course prizes.
The standard prize is free entry to the next event they attend, and a certificate. There may also be prizes for: Sole Survivor, Best Survival Kit, Skills Expert, Chief Infector, Zombie Commander and Riddle Master.

The most valuable thing you can take away from Zombie Survival Weekender is knowledge, and new-found friends.

Testimonials
“Epic weekend and utterly genius concept! Can't wait for the next one.”

“I must say it was a pretty awesome night, it's pretty tense getting cornered by slow moving brain hungry zombie dudes in the dark! It was a good laugh and a good night, thanks for setting this up Dom, looking forward to the next one.”

“My 'passing out in the bushes' tactic seemed to work quite well for me.”

“Tell them I died doing something awesome.”

Zombie Survival Weekender III Aftermath: The Beginning of the End takes place in a secret location in South Wales on Saturday 28th to Sunday 29th July 2012.

Secure your spot at Zombie Shop or find out more at Zombie Survival Weekender.

zombieshop.co.uk

Zombie Gaming and Entertainment

20 Questions with August V. Fahren

August V. Fahren is an experienced martial artist, tabletop role-player, video game aficionado, collectible card game super-hero and horror movie buff.

August V. Fahren - The Chuck Norris of Bizarro?

In 2008, bored with the hum-drum of the corporate world, he discovered solace and direction in the form of Carlton Mellick III's 'Satan Burger' and found his calling in the Bizarro-new-weird-slipstream world with his first book 'Vegan Zombie and the Storks'.

1. Fairies, Mannequins, Zombies. Why and how did the weird and wonderful come to be the cornerstone of your work? Well to put it bluntly I became bored with fiction. I always wanted to write, but I just never knew what to put down on the page. When I was younger I enjoyed reading. I remember the first time I cracked open a King book, or a Choose Your Own Adventure book, or even Interstellar Pig. It was joy, pure joy, and I set out to recapture that experience. The weird didn't come until later. It was a happy accident when I discovered that there was a whole genre out dealing with the weird and I decided then and there I was going to be a part of it. I read everything I could get my hands on and got busy writing.

2. Do you mostly write in the morning, daytime or the witching hour? Since I work the graveyard shift I tend to write in the evening and from sun up to sun down on my days off.

3. Name one writer who has been a major influence on your work and why? It’s difficult to narrow it down to just one, but if I had to go with the most recent it is Carlton Mellick III. If it weren't for discovering his book Satan Burger I’d probably still be sitting around my old apartment in Pittsburgh. It showed me that there was a market out there for weird fiction.

4. One book you think everyone should read. I think everyone should read. The Grapes of Wrath. For years I had put off reading it since it was a required reading selection in high school, but it really gives you an idea of what can be done with characters.

5. Do you think genre fiction has finally got the recognition it deserves? Genre fiction will be okay as long as it doesn't take itself too seriously and tells a great story.

6. Zombies – slow or fast and are there room for both? Zombie purists usually don’t consider fast zombies as zombies at all. Of course I’m referencing the 28 Days Later zombies. Personally I think it is a moot point. They can both work. It just depends on what you’re looking for as the horror element in your story. Whether you’re looking for the fear of being overwhelmed with the quick or the impending doom of the shambling horde it makes no difference. What I do think is important is the cannibalistic element of zombies. Cannibalism touches on a very primal fear. My favorite version of the zombie is the I Am Legend zombie-vampire hybrids. Giving them a weakness to sunlight was an excellent twist.

7. Blunt instrument, firearm or blade? Ideally you would want to have a shotgun and a machete for the zombie apocalypse. They are both easy to come by and require the least amount of skill to use.

8. If you could save just one luxury, what would it be? I’d probably save the ability to watch movies.

Mad Mannequins from Hell - Killer Clowns from Outer Space Meets Evil Dead II

9. What do you think is most likely to cause an outbreak of evil automatons? You asked that like it isn't already well on its way. Every year we have outbreaks around Christmas when people cause harm to each other in a mad rush for deeply discounted items at a number of chain stores. Whenever people put things above the welfare of others the evil automatons get a little bit more of our soul. Generally speaking unchecked capitalism is the antithesis to the soul. If you can tell people what they want and get them to believe they must all be the same capitalism thrives. Probably the best example I can think of off the top of my head is when you turn on the radio and hear the same top forty songs across the dial. It creates the illusion of freedom and individuality, but in reality you are only allowed to have one of the identities they have carefully fabricated for you.


So, to answer the question I think the most likely cause is our continued acceptance of other people to telling us what to think, feel, and buy.

10. What is your number one piece of advice for surviving a zombie (or mannequin) apocalypse? One thing almost all of the stories have in common is zombies, or mannequins for that matter, cannot swim. So, I’d suggest stocking up on canned goods and finding a large boat.

11. If you were a character in one of your books, what would be your opening line? I suppose that all depends if I’m in a book I’ve already written. Otherwise I’d say it was just another Saturday. The strange thing is I’ll put a conversation I’ve had with someone, that’s basically verbatim, into one of my books and I’ll get back criticisms of unrealistic prose.

I suppose if we are talking slow zombies here I’d probably say something along the lines of: “Hey, let’s see if we can get him to do the Thriller dance.”

12. How much has music played a part in your work? Music played a huge role in Thursday Thistle as it was integrated into the text. Some people really enjoyed that aspect of the story. Most didn’t. With Mad Mannequins from Hell music played a smaller role. I listened to several horror soundtracks while working on the book. For me music is useful when I’m writing, but is more of a distraction when editing.

Thursday Thistle - Dark, twisted fairy tale steam-punk with zombie bears and robot laser shooting mermaids.

13. If you had to live in a clichéd alternate reality would you choose medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi? I could never go without indoor plumbing so I’m going to have to go with the futuristic sci-fi setting.

14. If you had a super power, what would it be? I already have a few lame superpowers…I’m immune to poison ivy. I can stop myself from hiccupping whenever I get them, and I have some sort of barometer sensitivity (whenever I get a craving for pudding it’s going to storm). As far as true superpowers go I’d have to pick one of the ones found in a Thomas Ligotti story. I forget the name of the tale, but it had to do with a chemist that injected a woman with a serum, which changed her into his waking dream. As such he had the ability change things around the way you would be able to change things in a dream.

15. Star wars, Star Trek or Sci-Fi curious? Star Wars. Although I prefer Blade Runner or The Matrix as far as sci-fi settings go.

16. Has Gary Gygax (creator of Dungeons & Dragons), and the phenomenon he spawned, influenced you in any way? Gary Gygax is a huge influence. I was a Dungeons & Dragons nerd for a few years running games as the dungeon master. Later I tried Vampire: The Masquerade for a short time. I retired from D&D gaming with as a player campaign that recreated The Dark Tower series. I played a duel classed Thrower-Soulknife to get as close to a gunslinger as I could manage for that one.

Anyway, I feel the game did wonders in allowing my imagination to open up and teaching me to tell a compelling story. You knew in real time if your story was flat or too detailed. The players would not shy away from telling you that something sucked to your face. Usually when something wasn't working you had to act on it in real time and even rewrite large sections of the adventure in your head. In a way it prepared me for the editing process. Sometimes your players never went for a plot hook and made an entire section of your world go unused. Maybe you spent three hours working out that section, but you dealt with it and the game continued. Same thing when large chunks get edited out of your book for whatever reason. You just deal with it and move on.

17. Do you see the influx in zombies in entertainment as good thing and do you think we are headed the right way for the genre? I lived in Pittsburgh for a long time so I’ve got zombies in the blood. I think regular zombies have about three more years left in the mainstream. However, that’s not to say they will go away or even become less popular. That core diehard fans will always be there. What it is going to come down to if zombies are going to keep going is competent writing, strong characters, and a fresh twist on the zombies that keep popping up.

18. Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Zombies or ‘They just haven’t made one quite right yet’? When it comes to videogame zombies I think it is more of an issue of keeping things from becoming redundant than it is coming up with the perfect zombie. However, I do like the idea of the bile/acid spewing zombies. Exploding zombies are cool as are the zombies that give off some sort of attractant.

I still remember playing the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil II. Great games. The survival aspect and the atmosphere are what I really enjoyed about those games. At the moment I think there are too many run and gun games and as such the industry has limited itself.

19. Do you have a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? An interest completely unrelated to the genre? This past year I’ve found myself watching the complete collection of the cartoon Daria and old episodes of Adult Swim. I know I’m a guy so I’m not supposed to dig a show like Daria, but I love it more than I can even understand.

20. What’s next for August V. Fahren? For my next project I’ve narrowed it down to either a dark carnival book or a Tesla inspired romantic-horror story. It’ll be interesting.

August's latest book Mad Mannequins from Hell is available for download now.

Find out more and follow August at Want Weird Books.

zombieshop.co.uk

Zombie Gaming and Entertainment

Win a free signed copy of Dead West by Adam Millard

COMPETITION TIME:

We're giving away a signed copy of Adam Millard's DEAD WEST via the Zombie Shop facebook page.

"As the stranger rides into Jonestown, hoping to forget his past and forge a future worth living, he discovers that not all things are that simple.

A terrible virus has taken over the town, turning most of the residents into the undead.

Blaine, the mysterious drifter, has nothing more to loose.

The West is about to get bloodier..."

All you gotta do to win is answer one question on the Zombie Shop facebook page.

Competition ends Friday 16th March 2012 at 18:00. The winner's name will be plucked out of a Stetson and announced on the following Monday. Y'all be carefull out there.

Zombie Gaming and Entertainment

zombieshop.co.uk

Zombie LARP: White Noise

"THE END OF THE WORLD – scheduled for this year, right? It’s in the Bioflex company marketing plan – we know ‘cos we heard their omega signals. So what’s Doctor Baxter up to? Strange place for a laboratory, the heart of a Leech zone. Why hollow out a zombie’s ribcage and stuff it with radio transmitters? That’s CRAZY, it's a NIGHTMARE. So, time for a bit of interference. TIME TO MAKE THE NOISES STOP!"


Zombie LARP: White Noise - March 24th 2012


ZOMBIE LARP: WHITE NOISE

MARCH 24th 2012 - 10.30am - 9.00pm - Friar's Walk Mall, Reading

At Zombie LARP: White Noise, take part in four massive, strange and scary games of Zombie LARP. It’s an all-action game of survival in a shopping mall filled with zombies. You'll be armed with the very best in NERF firepower and foam-rubber bashing-weapons to smite the undead. You start out as a tasty, tasty human in three of the games, and as a hungry, hungry zombie in the other. Think fast and shoot straight and you might turn out to be the hero. Slow down or slip up and you’ll join the shambling wall of corpses.

The venue – Friar’s Walk Mall – is a four-storey labyrinth of twisting corridors, pitch-black tunnels, vast storerooms, derelict shops and eerie arcades echoing with the moans of the damned! And it’s right next to Reading train station and has a big carpark. So it's ideal for a zombie outbreak.


"Bioflex betrays!" PAWN Propaganda

If you can think of a better way to spend your Saturday - well - you can't! It's impossible! We don't believe you! Of all possible things, ZombieLARP is best! Fighting running screaming horror action!

White Knight: relentless psychopathic grave horrors!

Secure your place at Zombie LARP: White Noise

Early Bird - Secure your place now with an early bird. A regular Player ticket, only cheaper! Strictly limited so GET IN FAST!

Player - Play three games as a survivor, and one as a devious NPC or part of the slavering zombie horde.

Spec Ops (Crew) - Be part of the team of Ultimate Badasses that makes Zombie LARP happen.

For more information, go to ZombieLARP.co.uk. Or get in touch with the team on Twitter or Facebook!

zombieshop.co.uk

Zombie Gifts and Gaming

20 Questions with Adam Millard

Life for Adam Millard revolves around writing.  If he isn't writing, then he is usually found with a book in his hand.  He is also a true Metal-head who loves to play the guitar and has an overwhelming collection of music that make his wife’s ears bleed. 

Adam Millard - Zombie Horror Author.

He is a self-professed connoisseur of all films but with a disturbing enthusiasm for everything horror under his skin, quite literally, thanks to his other passion of tattoos and tattooing. Adam’s body boasts over 50 tattoos (some of which were inked by himself) with his back being a showcase for all the modern classic horror characters thanks to his brother, Clint’s, tattoo skills.*



In this town, dead ain't dead enough.

We had the chance to catch up with Adam at the 2011 Festival of Zombie Culture and here's what he had to say.

1 Why zombies and how did they come to be the cornerstone of your work? To me, zombies are the only creatures in literature without restrictions. Vampires and werewolves have rules, weaknesses. The only way to kill a zombie is by decapitation or severing the spinal cord. I love that about them, which is why I write so much post-apocalyptic zombie fiction.

2 Do you mostly write in the morning, daytime or the witching hour? I used to write in the morning, but things have changed a lot since my son, Phoenix, came along. Now I write when I can, which might be after everyone else has gone to bed. As long as I hit my word count, though, it doesn't matter at what time of day I write.  I still go to bed happy.

3 Name one writer who has been a major influence on your work and why? I would have to say Stephen King. I grew up reading everything I could by King, and he is still one of the only authors that I pre-order months in advance, regardless of the book. I love the style, the way he can paint a vivid image so successfully.  I think that might be why there are so many poor movie adaptions.  People have their own ideas of what his characters are about, and it's difficult to make that leap from page to screen.  Apart from a few adaptions, of course: Misery, Carrie, The Green Mile.

4 One book you think everyone should read. Going back to King, here, but I would have to say The Stand. It's one of the greatest books ever written, and one that, should I be marooned on a desert-island with nothing but the clothes on my back, I could read over and over, or until I ran out of coconuts.

5 Do you think genre fiction has finally got the recognition it deserves? I think these last two years have been amazing for genre fiction. There are more genre-writers successfully hitting the stores than ever before, and I am glad to be a part of it. The introduction of the Kindle, of course, has made a massive difference to how books are received, and that has a part to play in how well genre-fiction is currently doing.

6 Zombies - slow or fast and is there room for both? There is room for both, but I prefer slow zombies. Romero had the right idea, with his slow, shambling, couldn't catch a cold zombies. What people forget is that the faster creatures, like the ones in 28 Days Later, are not even zombies.  They are infected, but not dead.  I love that movie, but it does piss me off when people refer to them as zombies.

7 Blunt instrument, firearm or blade? I'm a massive fan of the Remington shotgun. It'll do the job every time, provided you're pointing it at the head. Failing that, though (as they are quite difficult to come by in my hometown of Wolverhampton) a machete and any decent .22 pistol.  You have to get up close and personal with a machete, but the kills would be so much sweeter.  Just keep your mouth closed at all times.

8 If you could save just one luxury, what would it be? Well, I've been sober now for almost a year, so missing drink would not be a problem. I smoke, so I would have to say cigarettes, or a few pouches of tobacco. I think, with all of the carnage going on around you, a nice smoke would take the edge off.

9 What do you think is most likely to cause an actual zombie outbreak? The government. Not David Cameron, directly, but certainly some government-funded laboratory taking an experiment a little too far. We saw it this year, when a group of foolish scientists decided to mutate the H1N1 virus so that it would pass more easily from human to human.  How ridiculous is that?  Let's create a more viral strand of Ebola, while we're at it.

10 What is your number one piece of advice for surviving a zombie apocalypse? Stay away from populated areas.  The mall might have looked inviting in Dawn Of The Dead, but it's the last place you should go. Don't wander into the city and expect to make it out uninfected.  What you need to do is get yourself as far out into the countryside as possible, somewhere quiet, secluded.  Find a nice farmhouse, fortify it, and see what happens from there.



Life doesn't always mean life.


11 If you were a character in one of your books, what would be your opening line? “I bet she was as fit as fuck when she was alive!”

12 How much has music played a part in your work? I have a writing soundtrack, which mainly consists of Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bullet For My Valentine. I think it sets the tone for the story. If I had been listening to Avril Lavigne at the time I wrote Dead West it would be a completely different book.

13 If you had to live in a clichéd alternate reality would you choose medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi? Fantasy, without a doubt. I've always seen myself chopping heads off things wearing nothing but a facecloth and tribal paint. I know I could do that in the future, too, but I think it would be more fun in a medieval fantasy.

14 If you had a super power, what would it be? Invisibility. You can keep your flying and controlling fire. I would just love to be able to go anywhere without being seen. I'd probably do it naked, too, just for shits and giggles.

15 Star wars, Star Trek or Sci-Fi curious? I was never really into Star Wars as a kid, so I would have to say Star Trek. I loved the original series, and then Next Generations, but after that I lost track.  DS9 never really did it for me. I recently re-watched the original Star Wars trilogy and loved it.  Just wish the second trilogy could be wiped from existence, somehow.

16 Has Gary Gygax (creator of Dungeons & Dragons), and the phenomenon he spawned, influenced you in any way? I think he's influence almost everybody in the genre in some way. I used to watch the D&D cartoon series as a kid; it was great, though probably not so thrilling if I were to watch it again now. He was the King of Role-Playing games, and that is still a title that he holds to this day.

17 Do you see the influx in zombies in entertainment as good thing and do you think we are headed the right way for the genre? It's about time, too.  AMCs The Walking Dead has introduced a whole generation to zombies, which is good for authors like myself.  There's a lot of terrible stuff out there too, though, and you have to sift through all of that to find a decent novel or movie.  Personally, I think it's a great time to be in the genre.  As long as people find new ways to approach the undead, it will remain fresh.

18 Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Zombies or 'They just haven't made one quite right yet'? Dead Rising. It was like being in Dawn Of The Dead, and the fact that you could pick up any object and use it as a weapon was amazing. I had hours of fun, and many sleepless nights, with that game.

19 Do you have a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? An interest completely unrelated to the genre? I bake cakes. My wife runs a small bakery, and when I'm not writing about post-apocalyptic hordes of flesh-eating undead, I'm knocking up batches of vanilla sponge.

20 What's next for Adam Millard? Dead Frost is launching at the Cardiff Comic and Animation Expo on the 25th February, which I am very excited about. I am already working on the fourth book in the series, but in the meantime I have a bunch of short stories that I need to write for various anthologies.  It's going to be a great year.



Dead Frost. Due for release on 25th February 2012



Find out more about his other work and latest news at Adam Millard's website.

*Opening paragraph text taken from adammillard.co.uk

ZOMBIESHOP.CO.UK

Zombie Gaming and Entertainment

20 Questions with Iain McKinnon

"See that guy over there. That's Iain McKinnon."

When someone like David Moody points you in the direction of a sci-fi author with two zombie novels to his name, it's a good idea to pay attention.

Mr McKinnon keeps a survival kit and a crowbar close at hand... just in case. And with two terrific books, Domain of the Dead and Remains of The Dead, under his belt (and a possible third on the way) we couldn't miss the opportunity to pick Iain's Braaaaaiiiin! Here's what he had to say about writing, zombies, gaming and other such geekery.

"We're all fucked now."

Why zombies and how did they come to be the cornerstone of your work? Zombies are the only thing that scared me. Vampires, werewolf, witches, hobgoblins none of them ever frightened me. But Zombies, the breakdown of civilisation, the transmogrification into the every enemy you feared. Becoming one of them and their relentless tenacity. That struck a chord with me.

Do you mostly write in the morning, daytime or the witching hour? Just depends, I used to do most of my work late at night, Remains of the Dead was mainly write at the local leisure centre when my wee boy was in soft play or at swimming lesions. These days being a stay at home dad I write around the school day.

Name one writer who has been a major influence on your work and why? Frank Herbert. I'm dyslexic so I find reading a chore on the whole. As a teenager I discovered Dune and devoured the book. I like that Frank didn't spend time on useless description. He painted a vivid and imaginative world with tons of fine detail but he focused on the important things to progress the story. Many authors you read and you get the feeling they're being paid by the word. Not Frank. Rich and yet frugal. And then there is the level of intelligence with which he treats his reader. He doesn't explain much of what he writes about. He expects the reader to make the connections as the story unfolds, to hold on to unfamiliar concepts until they are revealed by context or plot.

One book you think everyone should read. Have to be Dune.

Do you think genre fiction has finally got the recognition it deserves? I don't think fiction has ever been underrated. I start off both of my Zombie novels with extracts from the Epic of Gilgamesh the oldest recorded story. Humans need fiction, we learn by it. It vales the truth behind entertainment. From fairy tales to films mankind has an unquenchable thirst for fiction.

Zombies - slow or fast and is there room for both? I like my zombies slow mainly as I'd never survive against runners.

Blunt instrument, firearm or blade? Flanged mace would be my weapon of choice. Guns run out of ammo and bladed weapons, unless you have had years or training, are as dangerous to you as they are to the undead (what if you nick yourself then get some infected blood in the wound?).

If you could save just one luxury, what would it be? There are too many, my laptop (with a power supply), moist toilet wipes, Coke. Depends how bad it gets. Being dry and fed and safe may be the ultimate luxury.

What do you think is most likely to cause an actual zombie outbreak? We'll drill through the ice of some frozen Antarctic lake to find an ecosystem that has been evolving in isolation for 4 million years. Among the microbial flora and fauna will be the agent of out demise. Not that I've thought about it you understand.

What is your number one piece of advice for surviving a zombie apocalypse? Stay calm. Don't get panicked and make poor decisions.

If you were a character in one of your books, what would be your opening line? "We're all fucked now."

How much has music played a part in your work? Music is a great catalyst for me. I'll often put on a piece of music that encapsulates an emotion for me when I'm trying to engender that emotion in my writing. I also listen to music when I'm out walking to help me formulate ideas.

If you had to live in a clichéd alternate reality would you choose medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi? Got to be Sci-Fi. I'm a pleasure seeker and I can see technology delivering all manger of comforts and labour saving devices as well as entertainment. I'm basically a very lazy person. Also going into space would be cool.

If you had a super power, what would it be? The ability to see 10 seconds into the future. That window would be enough for you to avoid being hit by a car, or know the right thing to say or to make money in a casino. But not enough to freak you out by letting you see your own death.

Star Wars, Star Trek or Sci-Fi curious? Love them both. I'm a huge Sci-Fi fan, I would say I'm a Sci-Fi writer rather than a horror writer, just I have a very dark streak.

Has Gary Gygax (creator of Dungeons & Dragons), and the phenomenon he spawned, influenced you in any way? Yes he has. I never played Dungeons and Dragons but I did play Warhammer, Shadow Run and a myriad of other role play games in my youth. I loved to GM games and guess much of my writing apprenticeship came from plotting those adventure games.

Do you see the influx in zombies in entertainment as good thing and do you think we are headed the right way for the genre? For me as a fan of zombie entertainment it’s great news. One of the reasons I started writing a zombie novel was to the fill the void in good zombie fiction. As for direction? I doubt it. The big budget stuff tends to favour the running zombies and the low budget stuff is usually very badly written. Granted the Walking Dead TV serious has been phenomenal, let’s hope there are more like it just over the horizon.

Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Zombies or 'They just haven't made one quite right yet'? A friend of mine made a mod for Battlefield 2 that I just love. 200 zombies against a solider with just 100 rounds of ammo, truly terrifying.

Do you have a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? An interest completely unrelated to the genre? Neil Diamond. I do like a bit of Neil Diamond. Even seen him in concert.

What's next for Iain McKinnon? I have a Sci-Fi called From the Torment of Dreams that's almost complete. I'll be looking for a publisher this year for that one. I also have an occult thriller I'm working on too and I've also just finished doing some research for a possible third zombie novel.

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You can keep an eye out for the third book in his 'of the Dead' series and anything else Iain is getting up to by visiting Iain McKinnon's website.

Get Yer Zomb On

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Zombie Boot Camp - After Action Report

These are dark days. Chaos has fallen across the land. The plague has spread and the news reports are true; the dead walk among us. Zombies are real. We drew straws, we're not sure if we're the lucky ones, finally getting to do something positive or just fodder, sent into the jaws of the monster.

"Snack on this dead-head!"

We arrived on site amid a flurry of activity. The whir of the inflatable decontamination chamber as the staccato crackle of emergency instructions blare out over a tannoy - Welcome to Zombie Boot Camp.

Quarantine first, a health check to see if we have any of 'the signs' and then decontamination, thorough and precise. Renowned zombie expert Sean T. Page is among us, he reassures us they are checking for all the right signs.

We kit up: boots, fatigues, body armour, helmet and eye protection and then cold utilitarian burden of an M4 carbine. We exchange nervous looks, crack jokes to break the ice as a thought occurs - This is the real deal; we're being trained to fight the undead, and fast.

Dr Uden explains the magnitude of the threat.

Zombie 101 then weapon familiarisation, training, drill and we hit the range.

Run, kneel, safety off, engage target, stand, safety on. Hand signals, vehicle debussing, patrolling "Target front!", bounding firing line.

Do as he says, it just might save you from the ghouls.

Volunteer needed for squad leader? Someone has to do it. My hand goes up involuntarily. What have I done? A volunteer for someone to go first into the breech? Sean steps forward, a braver man than I.

The pace picks up. We patrol the compound. "Targets front." Drop to one knee, safety off, open fire.

Room clearance. "Standby... Go!" pushing into the dark, clattering bulk of our gear jostles with heavy breathing. We fire, scan the room and give the nod. "Clear!" comes the shout and in the next team comes. Terrifying, and this is just an empty room.

Safety's off, at ease, return to the mess tent. Rest, eat, talk and wait. And then the call comes.

Perimeters have been breached, the infected are everywhere, headed this way. We're needed.

"I say we nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

We reload, weapons check and then go.

The darkness is broken by flaming detritus, smoke fills the air and drifts across the compound, we press forward, move in bounds, shadows dance in the dark beyond. We reach the compound entrance.

Zombies ambush the squad - "Let's Rock!"

This is it, I'm leading the first entry. In goes the flash-bang, seconds pass like an age, dull boom and my boots hit a concrete floor, I head right and the under slung flashlight on my M4 sweeps the dark recesses of the interior. "Clear!"

On we press, a relay of shouted commands, grenades and shots fires, room after room, relentless moans cut short only by the reports of semi-automatic gunfire.

We rotate. I'm stacked up first again. There's something in that room, I can hear it, taste it -smell it.

Things didn't look so good.

No more grenades, we're going in old school, safety's off, ready to go loud.

The signal comes, we enter. Every move punctuated by a heartbeat.

Out of the darkness a shape rears, groaning, moaning and shambling. It happens so fast. Without thinking I'm looking onto the soulless eyes of an inhuman abomination across iron sights. Bang, head-shot and again, blam!... just to be sure. Sweep and scan, another gnashing and growling, inches from tearing me limb from limb. It's too late. The crack of an M4 and the walking corpse jerks and sprawls at my feet.

Page gives me the nod and shouts "Clear!" as he chews on a Cuban cigar... or is it a flash-bang? It'd hard to tell in the half light.

"Don't be a cheap meat snack!"

In this War Against the Walking Dead we're going to need more than guns, ammo and guts to prevail. Without our training we would have been toast.

We need teamwork, co-operation and someone to watch our six.

And most of all we need Zombie Boot Camp.

Zombie Boot Camp is a mix of Paintball, Live Action Role Playing and Scare attraction. If you're looking for an EPIC day out in Worcestershire. Zombie Boot Camp needs you!

Get Yer Zomb On

zombieshop.co.uk