| Interviews |
Lord of the Dead
An Interview With Author
Eric S. Brown
AL: Please tell our readers a little
about your new book.
ESB: The Season of Rot is a collection of
four zombie novellas. Each novella is kind
of a different take on the genre. You have
intelligent dead, fast virus victims, demon
spawn dead, and in The Season of Rot
itself, the title story, you even have tradi-
tional “slow” zombies.
AL: As the Master of The Dead as you
are do you see the zombie sub-genre
ever slowing down in films and
books?
ESB: Thanks for the kindness but really I
am just another zombie fan. As to the sub-
genre, I think it will come and go as it always has in terms of mainstream popularity.
Thankfully though, right now, zombies are still cool.
AL: What was it about the walking dead that drew you into crafting stories
about them?
ESB: I love the end of the world and the coolest takes on how life will end of this
planet, to me, have always been the zombie ones. Dawn of the Dead and its
remake are my favorite films of all time. More to the point, I guess I just really like
the violence and hopelessness of a good zombie tale.
AL: What zombie movies do you think are the best and why?
ESB: The two Dawn of the Dead films are my overall favorites but I also really
enjoyed 28 Days Later (though it isn’t a true zombie film in terms of the undead)
because it paved the way for the fast moving zombies in the 2004 Dawn. I also have
a spot in my heart for Cemetery Man because it’s just so darkly funny. Zombie 2 is a
classic, I mean zombie vs. shark. That says it all. Dead Meat is great just for the
scene with the zombie cow. Of course, I love the whole original Romero trilogy and
the 1990 remake of Night. Undead was fairly odd and worthy of note as a zombie
movie to watch. Dairy of the Dead wasn’t that bad either. Wow, there’s just so many
decent Zom films out there. Personally, I count Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce as one just
for the wonderful scenes of the streets of London burning and the hordes of
infected looking for victims. I’d better stop or this whole interview will turn into a
zombie film list. (laughs).
AL: What other creatures if any do you like to write about?
ESB: I have written Werewolf, Vampire, Alien, etc. tales but the only thing that comes
close to zombies for me is Bigfoot. Bigfoot scares the crap out of me. Maybe it’s
because I live in a very rural area, don’t know. I don’t write as many Bigfoot
/Wendigo type tales though because they’re a lot harder to do for me. Zombies just
come naturally since I have been a zombie fan for so long.
AL: When did you first discover that you wanted to become a writer?
ESB: Either second grade on career day and they wouldn’t let me be a member of
the Green Lantern Corps as the job I wanted to have when I grew up or when I was
26 and my wife finally convinced me I could do it. Take your pick.
AL: What other scary tales do you have waiting in the wings for your
readers?
ESB: Library of the Living Dead Books is releasing “Unabridged, Unabashed, and
Undead: The Best of Eric S Brown” next year. Needless to say, it’s one I am looking
forward to. It contains 47 of my zombie tales, all in a single book. I will also be
appearing in the anthologies “Where Have All The Good Zombies Gone?” and
“Zombology” next year.
AL: As a writer of horror stories, do you have any time of day in which you
like to write, lets say midnight on a stormy night?
ESB: That would be nice but no. Being the dad of a very active son who turns three
this year, combined with all my columns that I write and other responsibilities, I just
have to take it the time to write where I can get it. Now, it may sounds odd but I have
to be totally alone to write. That’s my requirement for hammering out a decent tale.
AL: Which one of you stories and books would you most like to see turned
into a movie?
ESB: The Queen. I mean it’s The Road Warrior meets Night of the Living Dead set
on the ocean. It’s high concept, different, and full of over the top zombie action.
AL: When, where and how can our readers find your newest novel and will
you be doing book signings for it?
ESB: Both Season of Rot from Permuted Press and “Unabridged, Unabashed, and
Undead: The Best of Eric S Brown” from Library of the Living Dead Books will be out
in 2009. They should be available from Amazon, etc. As to signings, my family and
writing life don’t let me get out much so to speak so I won’t be doing a tour or
anything that’s for sure.
An Interview With Author
Eric S. Brown
AL: Please tell our readers a little
about your new book.
ESB: The Season of Rot is a collection of
four zombie novellas. Each novella is kind
of a different take on the genre. You have
intelligent dead, fast virus victims, demon
spawn dead, and in The Season of Rot
itself, the title story, you even have tradi-
tional “slow” zombies.
AL: As the Master of The Dead as you
are do you see the zombie sub-genre
ever slowing down in films and
books?
ESB: Thanks for the kindness but really I
am just another zombie fan. As to the sub-
genre, I think it will come and go as it always has in terms of mainstream popularity.
Thankfully though, right now, zombies are still cool.
AL: What was it about the walking dead that drew you into crafting stories
about them?
ESB: I love the end of the world and the coolest takes on how life will end of this
planet, to me, have always been the zombie ones. Dawn of the Dead and its
remake are my favorite films of all time. More to the point, I guess I just really like
the violence and hopelessness of a good zombie tale.
AL: What zombie movies do you think are the best and why?
ESB: The two Dawn of the Dead films are my overall favorites but I also really
enjoyed 28 Days Later (though it isn’t a true zombie film in terms of the undead)
because it paved the way for the fast moving zombies in the 2004 Dawn. I also have
a spot in my heart for Cemetery Man because it’s just so darkly funny. Zombie 2 is a
classic, I mean zombie vs. shark. That says it all. Dead Meat is great just for the
scene with the zombie cow. Of course, I love the whole original Romero trilogy and
the 1990 remake of Night. Undead was fairly odd and worthy of note as a zombie
movie to watch. Dairy of the Dead wasn’t that bad either. Wow, there’s just so many
decent Zom films out there. Personally, I count Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce as one just
for the wonderful scenes of the streets of London burning and the hordes of
infected looking for victims. I’d better stop or this whole interview will turn into a
zombie film list. (laughs).
AL: What other creatures if any do you like to write about?
ESB: I have written Werewolf, Vampire, Alien, etc. tales but the only thing that comes
close to zombies for me is Bigfoot. Bigfoot scares the crap out of me. Maybe it’s
because I live in a very rural area, don’t know. I don’t write as many Bigfoot
/Wendigo type tales though because they’re a lot harder to do for me. Zombies just
come naturally since I have been a zombie fan for so long.
AL: When did you first discover that you wanted to become a writer?
ESB: Either second grade on career day and they wouldn’t let me be a member of
the Green Lantern Corps as the job I wanted to have when I grew up or when I was
26 and my wife finally convinced me I could do it. Take your pick.
AL: What other scary tales do you have waiting in the wings for your
readers?
ESB: Library of the Living Dead Books is releasing “Unabridged, Unabashed, and
Undead: The Best of Eric S Brown” next year. Needless to say, it’s one I am looking
forward to. It contains 47 of my zombie tales, all in a single book. I will also be
appearing in the anthologies “Where Have All The Good Zombies Gone?” and
“Zombology” next year.
AL: As a writer of horror stories, do you have any time of day in which you
like to write, lets say midnight on a stormy night?
ESB: That would be nice but no. Being the dad of a very active son who turns three
this year, combined with all my columns that I write and other responsibilities, I just
have to take it the time to write where I can get it. Now, it may sounds odd but I have
to be totally alone to write. That’s my requirement for hammering out a decent tale.
AL: Which one of you stories and books would you most like to see turned
into a movie?
ESB: The Queen. I mean it’s The Road Warrior meets Night of the Living Dead set
on the ocean. It’s high concept, different, and full of over the top zombie action.
AL: When, where and how can our readers find your newest novel and will
you be doing book signings for it?
ESB: Both Season of Rot from Permuted Press and “Unabridged, Unabashed, and
Undead: The Best of Eric S Brown” from Library of the Living Dead Books will be out
in 2009. They should be available from Amazon, etc. As to signings, my family and
writing life don’t let me get out much so to speak so I won’t be doing a tour or
anything that’s for sure.
| Click below for the following interviews Interview with Melita Curphy, She-Wolf |
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