A.E. Stueve's latest novel Former finds Billy Dodge living in an undead world.
The biggest bunch of geeks gathered in one 12,000 sqft warehouse in Northern New Jersey...who spend their whole day just being geeks.
Unlike his wife, his family, and his friends,
Billy Dodge is alive. In A.E. Stueve’s
Former, Billy Dodge is cured of his undead infection by a company called Profine, an international pharmaceutical and defense conglomerate. This cure comes after the Earth has been ravaged by an incurable infection for over a decade. Life isn't easy for former infected, however, and despite Profine’s help, Billy is struggling to cope in a less than welcoming world. As he wrestles with his inner demons and the strife around him, society struggles with an important question: are formers human, and should they be allowed to live? Read all about
Former and A.E.Stueve's inspiration in this exclusive GeekRoom interview...
Who are more monstrous, humans or zombies?
As strange as it might sound, I think humans are more monstrous than zombies. I mean, zombies, after all, are mindless. These guys are driven by an uncontrollable desire to eat flesh – or whatever – that they simply can't fight. That's why they kill. Why do we?
What inspired you to write your novel, Former?
I've always been afraid of zombies, right? I thought this might be a therapeutic way to deal with what is, basically, a baseless fear to most people. I was wrong. In fact, I think I might be more afraid of them now than before....
What is it like for your main character Billy Dodge to be alive in a world filled with death?
For Billy, who is keenly aware of how messed up the world is, it's pretty bad. He drinks too much, puts up a mental/emotional wall, and is prone to suicidal thoughts and bursts of anger. He's not a happy man, but deep down he's a good one. This, I think, is why he is so angry and somewhat disturbed as the
Book begins.
What does it mean to be human in the Former universe?
In this universe it means that you survived the war. On the outside you may seem tough. But inside you are desperate and scared and you know that really the war never ended.
Could you describe the culture that the undead have created in Former?
It's a culture of fear. In this world everyone is scared of everyone else. No one knows who to trust and everyone is jumpy. Ultimately anyone who survived is afraid of another infection outbreak.
They are – in that way that we can all be mindless sometimes. They're so much that is ugly about us. We can have a weird sort of unthinking hive mind at times. We can be vicious. We can be stupid. We can also be very dangerous and scary. All of us. Thank God, unlike zombies, we can also be all the good things too.
Are there any writers that have influenced your craft?
This is a long list. To name just a handful though, Mark Haskell Smith, Karen Gettert Shoemaker, Stan Lee, Amy Hassinger, Trish Lear, Robert Kirkman, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Max Brooks, Sherman Alexi... I read a lot....
What modern day public figures seem to be zombie-like?
I can't think of any I'd consider zombie-like. I have a specific vision in my mind for zombies though. Now, do I think there are public figures who have zombie-like followers? Yes.
Describe your plan of action today if a zombie infection hit the planet.
My plan of action for a zombie infection outbreak is a secret I hope to take to my grave. Though I will probably leave it in a safe deposit box for my children and wife if I go before them.
If you could live in the Former world, would you relate more to the infected or to the cured?
That's easy – I'd relate far more to the cured. After all, in this world, the infected aren't very relatable.
Who would you choose to be on your zombie hunting team: Ash from The Evil Dead, Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead, or Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead?
Why can't I have all three?
How is Former a commentary on our own society today?
There are themes of racism throughout and a running analogy to the fact that there are far too many people who don't see racism as a problem in the modern world. So there is that. But also this fear of the “other” that I think has been engendered into our society for some time – whether it's a different race, different religion, or different nationality – that's in this book a lot. If zombies are a distorted mirror of us, my book is a distorted mirror of our society.
And, we have to ask, what is your favorite zombie movie?
The post Interview With Zombie Author A. E. Stueve appeared first on GEEKROOM.
