It seems that the publishers are jumping on the band wagon of a new genre trend. Zombies. My response is "Ewwww" I just really don't get it. Now while I wouldn't mind reading a story about a couple fighting Zombies ala Resident Evil I'm pretty sure I don't want to know anything about loving a Zombie, even if they originally were the love of my life. Yet some publishers are asking for stories involving humans and zombies. The following is an editor request that's been going around the writer loops
"is looking for "love amongst the undead, between zombies
and the living, and (we hope) many stories about the hot, alpha male and
female zombie killers." She's interested in short stories from 1500 to 5000
words and novellas, 20,000 to 30,000 words."
Meanwhile Zombies are now the subject of research. Scientists say "If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively." Even researchers are jumping on the trend. Publishers Weekly also mentioned a book deal featuring a Zombie professor who is now trying to find the meaning of life while fighting off humans that are trying to kill him. Well yeah, I'm pretty sure I would want to kill something that wants to eat my brains.
So what do you think? Is there a future with Zombies? Do you find them sexy? Would you lay down your money for a Zombie love story? Do you think Zombies will take over the shelves in the same way vampires have? I'd love to know what you think of this new trend in publishing. And no, I am not even considering writing a Zombie love story. As I said early, ewwww.
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I cannot begin to imagine a love scene with a hot (???) alpha male Zombie.
ReplyDeleteFor a start, what on earth would his breath be like? How can I gloss over that?
And, the lower I go, the worse it gets. Those rope-like veins in important places might very well be worms.
It's all too close to necrophilia for me.... undead boring.
I don't get it either.
ReplyDeleteBut, I don't get what's so hot about an ice-cold Blood Sucking Dead Guy either. Obviously, millions of other people do though.
And werewolves? All I can think about is all that fur which would have to be vacummed up.
Ghosts? Um, no, although Patrick Swayze was totally hot.
Well, at first nobody in their right mind could IMAGINE a Romance where the lead guy was a VAMPIRE!!!
ReplyDeleteSo what did we do? We redesigned mythology to fit our story-telling needs!
Today a Fantasy worldbuilder has to decide if there are Vampires in their world, and then invent (practically from scratch) an entire set of rules by which Vampires exist.
So the Zombie question becomes very interesting. "What's a Zombie? By what quirk or change in the rules of reality as we know them do they come into being? What would YOU feel and do if you woke up and found yourself to be a Zombie? Can Zombies procreate? If so, how? And do they want to?"
Oh, I could go on and on, but please see my post for Aug 25, 2009 on this blog.
When presented with a mind-stopper of a shocking idea like "Zombie Lover" -- do what Theodore Sturgeon would do. ASK THE NEXT QUESTION.
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
http://www.simegen.com/jl/
Um no. I have to say, I write the fighting zombie thing.
ReplyDeleteBut then, I'm not into Vampires either.