To those of you preparing for the impending zombocalypse

Hahaha, that's amazing.

Yay Zombies

LOL - found these gems based on the article -

Zombie Beatles Video Game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i55xoTcoKYQ

Taylor Swift parody You belong with me (Just a Zombie):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5bL5mZk8hk

and my fave ZombieBeatles - all you need is Brains: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kztlLaGRf1o&feature=related

Looks like it's going to be a bloody November.

-Mel

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

You all should also add the Jonathan Coulton song "Re: Your Brains" to your NaNo playlists. (Here it is on YouTube, set to a World of Warcraft video for extra nerd power: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjMiDZIY1bM)

~Erin
New York City Municipal Liaison
blog | twitter

You should also feel free to get a little inspired by zombifying yourself:

http://zombify-yourself.net/

Mascot, NaNoWriMoNYC
-I bring the serious badlyness-

I just want to say to my fellow zombie-writing people... I've figured out a name for fast zombies (you know, that whole argument over whether zombies should stay slow-moving like inexorable death ala Romero or if being super fast ala 28 Days Later is acceptable)... Fast zombies = Zoombies!

- Clarice

http://embereye.tumblr.com
http://twitter.com/embereye

Zoombies!!! I love it!! Genius.

If you'll pardon the self-promotion, here's a blog entry that I wrote about Darwinian models of zombie behavior, in response to a colleague's questions about why zombies act the way they do:

http://blog.raingod.com/post/201085991/zombie-natural-selection

There are actually further interesting possibilities to be explored. For example, I suggest that the reason that zombies move so slowly is because slow movement is an energy conservation strategy. Given that they eat only brains (in short supply at the best of times) and are not the most efficient predators, they need to dial their metabolism way back to avoid burning through their food reserves too quickly. But this raises the possibility that you could have zombies that were even more sluggish, but capable of astonishing bursts of acceleration over brief periods. In this, they'd resemble other ambush predators, such as crocodiles.

And that train of thought leads inevitably to the concept of the zombodile, which really needs to feature in someone's novel this November.

Remember, natural selection doesn't need to stop just because you're undead. Extrapolations based on Darwinian models could be the basis for some fairly novel zombie behaviors (for a Darwinian account of vampires, see Blindsight by Peter Watts).

Oh, incidentally, Time had something to say about zombies too: Zombies are the new vampires.

And - if you'll excuse still more self-promotion, here's my take on that (which some of you have seen already).

Finally, here's more analysis to explain why the time is right for zombies as never before: War and Social Upheaval Causes Spikes in Zombie Movie Production.

Remember, 'zeitgeist' starts with a 'Z': there has never been a better time to write your zombie novel.

I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at my internship when I read that.

Also, Zombodile = fantastic.

I can't wait to start writing my novel.
Although I have no plot, no characters, no sense of direction, and no science and/or reasoning behind the Zombocalypse (i.e. anything that could even remotely make it a novel, short story, poem, or any possible form of writing) I feel like I'm going to enjoy myself immensely just making shit up on the way.

No plan? No problem!

Obviously I say this now...

Clarice,

Brilliant. I suggest you obtain the copyright because it's going to catch on quickly.

Letting you know now i will definitely be using it in my Nano novel this year - i now have a title :)

Keep the research coming.

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

I think I've been inspired by you zombocalypses: in the middle of one of my character profiles, one of my characters apparently likes reading on zombocalypses. I thought that gave much more pizzazz to the character and I might keep it. Doubt that zombies or apocalypses will be in my Nano, but there might be mobsters, and I'm thinking on keeping ninjas on the side. And this is supposed to be a so-called legal thriller.

2007: "Bread and Circuses"
2008: "The Mystery of the Venerable Chalice"
Blogging at www.triscribe.com

If you need to do any more last-minute research, the Doomsday Film Fest (starting soon) contains a bunch of zombie movies. A short movie on the last day, "Rising Up: The Story of the Zombie Rights Movement", sounds particularly promising.

And there's a panel chaired by John Joseph Adams, who edited an anthology of zombie short stories called The Living Dead.

Everything's coming up zombies!

Thanks for the post - definitely worth a look see. Perfect timing too - right before the kickoff; *dancing at keyboard*; Will definitely going to check out at least one of the program dates.

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies.

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

Thanks for the post - definitely worth a look see. Perfect timing too - right before the kickoff; *dancing at keyboard*; Will definitely going to check out at least one of the program dates.

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies.

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

Thanks for the post - definitely worth a look see. Perfect timing too - right before the kickoff; *dancing at keyboard*; Will definitely going to check out at least one of the program dates.

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies.

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

Mmm, zombies... sounds like fun. I have a thing for vampires myself, but I might just stick a zombie in my novel somewhere, just for kicks (even though my work this year is about neither). If not, then I'll just write a short story about zombies if I run into a writer's brick wall and end up procrastinating. ^_^

I swear most people don't even think before they speak. At all. Their mouths just go on auto-pilot and the most useless noise comes out.

Ken Dee (thanks for letting me quote this! ^_^

I can't stop laughing. That is so awesome. Zoombies. Wow. Just... Wow. I wish I had something useful to say, but I'm laughing too hard to think of anything.

~*Twilicat*~

Zombocalypse has popped up on the Brooklyn thread - http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3281516?page=1 - upon my theorizing that zombies might want to live in the imaginary borough of StaBronxLand. They might do so for cost of living reasons, for love of ferries, and the idea of living near Fresh Kills (but it's not like zombies don't know that "Fresh Kills" is derived from a Dutch word having to do with river). This really is the year of the zombie, isn't it?

2007: "Bread and Circuses"
2008: "The Mystery of the Venerable Chalice"
Blogging at www.triscribe.com

Dudes, zombies are so hot right now. I ran into a thread about writing romantic zombedies in the Romance genre forum.

~Erin
New York City Municipal Liaison
blog | twitter

i say that basically every day from october 1st through december 5th. it works for me. it works well for me. (for some definition of "works" that basically means i have 50,000 words of crap written by the end of november, some of which even made me laugh out loud while it was being written.

i will probably never publish a nanonovel, but i will probably also never have as much fun writing anything else.

----------
"drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest is still unwritten"
-"unwritten" by natasha bedingfield

write hard!

"drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest is still unwritten"
-"unwritten" by natasha bedingfield

write hard!

And it begins:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/25/us/AP-US-ODD-Zombie-Assault.h...

Man Ordering Food Called a Zombie, Punched Twice

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 25, 2009
Filed at 10:31 a.m. ET

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa City police are investigating an early morning assault in which a man accused another of being a zombie, then punched him twice. Police said the assault occurred at 1:17 a.m. Sunday at an Iowa City restaurant south of the University of Iowa campus.

A man was ordering food when he was approached by another man who called him a zombie, then hit him in the eye. When the victim tried to call police on his cell phone, the man punched him again, breaking his nose.

The man then ran out a back door.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

wow. i wonder what that dude was going through that he looked at someone, screamed "zombie" and attacked. of course, it would be really funny if he were *right*...

"drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest is still unwritten"
-"unwritten" by natasha bedingfield

write hard!

Two thoughts came to my mind: (1) what are these people in Iowa doing or thinking (or not thinking), accusing others (likely living people) of being zombies and then thinking that mere assault would stop such alleged zombies; and (2) why am I not surprised that this occurred near the college campus? College kids these days!

2007: "Bread and Circuses"
2008: "The Mystery of the Venerable Chalice"
Blogging at www.triscribe.com

Romantic zombedies? :-) The genre name alone sounds funny.

2007: "Bread and Circuses"
2008: "The Mystery of the Venerable Chalice"
Blogging at www.triscribe.com

I've seen enough called attention to the issue of zombies, see the angle of the term spiritual zombies on the link below. For your consideration.

Daylight come
http://shamah-elim.info/p_bananatree.htm

According to an AFP report posted on Yahoo! News on Friday, January 19, 2007, a Trojan virus tried to take advantage of the storms sweeping across Europe to infect computers. The virus came in an email with the subject line "230 dead as storm batters Europe". The virus spread rapidly across Europe, but it was quickly contained. By January 19 at 14:00 UK time, the epidemic had been neutralised. According to Mikko Hyppoenen, a Finnish researcher at F-Secure (a European anti-virus company), the virus was targeted mostly at European users and didn't seem to be "too interested in American audiences". According to F-Secure, "the likely intention [was] to create a new raft of zombie computers to steal information and to further propagate large-scale spam". Therefore, the appearance of this Trojan horse is no spiritual coincidence. This virus was a physical manifestation of the spiritual battle that is being waged in the spirit realm, a battle which Europe is winning and America lost since 2005. Through their strategy with a hidden "Trojan" agenda, the pastoral matriarchy in the American Church was able to convince believers in America to follow them, turning them into "zombies following zombies". In exchange for some spiritual sweets, the American Church was willing to follow Cain in his "western escapade", and most of the believers who did abandon Cain were unwilling to put on the "robes of vengeance" in order to fully obliterate the pastoral matriarchy and all manifestations of unrighteousness. Just like the Israelites, they were willing to dominate the Canaanites but not to exterminate them (Judges 1:28-33). They had a threshold below which unrighteousness turned "tolerable". This is what ultimately led to them betraying the remnant and allowing satan to delay God's revival in the "land of Thomas". By contrast, the battle in Europe is faring better, as shown by the fact that the Trojan virus was quickly contained. This Trojan threat came as God sifted Europe with winds, meaning that the winds helped to expose a "Trojan agenda". Once that agenda was revealed, Europe dealt with it quickly. The virus was not "interested in American audiences" because the Trojan horse already won in America. There was no need to conquer territory that was already conquered.

Coming to America (Part 2)
http://shamah-elim.info/p_comeamr2.htm

According to Jeremiah 8:2, the remnants of the "grace that once was" in these Balaams is but "dung" upon the face of the earth. Even though that "dung" may entertain Balaam's followers, it is an abomination to God, and those who follow after that "dung" instead of following the true, righteousness-based grace that God offers are choosing "death" over "life" (Jeremiah 8:3). They are choosing to follow dead, fallen men rather than the God of righteousness and life. They are following zombies, men who refuse to die but who have already been decreed "dead" by God Himself. God then leaves these men physically "alive" in order to ensnare those who choose grace and power over truth and judgments (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Reporters who covered Katrina's aftermath in New Orleans said that the people who were wandering around New Orleans, without knowing where to go or what to do, looked like "zombies". Through Katrina, God revealed the spiritual condition of Balaam and those who follow him.

Hurried exit
http://shamah-elim.info/p_hurriedexit.htm

Interestingly enough, I just learnt (at answers.com) that "shibboleth" is a term used in computer security, which correlates with the use of the word "biscuit" as a security name in sister Paula's dream. In that sense, the word "biscuit" refers to the "spiritual firewall" established by God in order to distinguish between those who are of the remnant and those who are not. Remnant believers are uncompromising; non-remnant believers are more "pliable" and less concerned about a "total transformation" of the Church and the world. Thus, non-remnant believers are more susceptible to sudden attacks on their public "IPs" (Impartation Points) that turn them into "zombie" computers that are unwittingly used by the enemy to send unnecessary burdens and "spam" (stifling problems and melees) to God's legitimate "sites" in the spirit realm.

Olive ridleys
http://shamah-elim.info/s/s_oliveridleys.htm

Just like the Monmouth whale, God's Bangladesh-poor "olive ridleys" reached America's shores as cadavers --- spiritually speaking --- for the revival had been postponed months before they were sent on their "failed expedition" towards America's shores. They were sent as "dead men (and women) walking" to expose the zombie Balaam leaders America was bent on following. Now that America's Balaam has been exposed as a self-deceived Korah in the spirit realm, the stage has been set for the unleashing of "cranberry troubles" over America.

I envision two zombies sharing a brain and a kiss à la the spaghetti sequence from Lady and the Tramp. You're right, that is hot.

NPR radio on the zombies trend - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113862140 - including how zombies in literature have found it great to find more time playing video games (a YA thing, evidently; but an interesting perspective, I thought), but not so good to be a persecuted minority.

2007: "Bread and Circuses"
2008: "The Mystery of the Venerable Chalice"
Blogging at www.triscribe.com

Hey guys,

Went to the Doomsday Film Fest on Saturday - took in the documentary Zombie Girl as well as the Zombie panel discussion (fast zombies vs. slow zombies, do zombies have heart beats, etc.) Met several Zombie authors and took a picture with a zombie (he behaved - no biting).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41912415@N00/4045458366/?eOrig=4044697161

Zombies are coming - less than a week a way.

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

Zombie update.

They have now made an apperance in your daily comic.

Zombies in Zits comic today:

http://www.arcamax.com/zits/s-633189-374870

Zombies are coming - have you built your Zombie contingency plan yet?

2005 - Broken Smile
2006 - Riverdale
2007 - Riverdale: The Return
2008 - In a Lonely Place
2009 - Zombiepocalypse at Riverside

I would prepare but NYC has fail gun laws.