Walking Dead and Eaters

Don't you hate when you plan to do something, then completely 'space it out'? Last night, I was so busy cleaning up after the holiday weekend, I could not--even for one hour--remember to watch The Walking Dead. Apparently, dishes and laundry were so fascinating, I missed both the 8pm and 9pm show. So, in my stubbornness, I decided to stay up for the 11pm show. It was a tear jerker, but it was worth it. This episode ran the entire gamut of difficult human emotions. There was fear (of course), jealousy, anger, sadness, desperation, hoplessness, and resignation--not necessarily in that order. Then, thankfully, it ended on a note of hope. And you thought this show was about zombies! It's really not. The zombies could be a stand in for any sort of apocalyptic threat such as a pandemic or nuclear holocaust. It's not the source of the threat that matters, it's how people react to it. The Walking Dead realistically portrays how the best and worst is brought out in people by the challenge of survival. I've been partially lured along this ride by the promise of a big shiny happy ending. But, I don't think that's going to happen. This is a horror story, and horror doesn't end with 'and they lived happily ever after'. And, I just read that the series has been so successful, it has been picked up for a second season. So...the saga of survival in the world of the 'Walkers' will continue next year.

I have a number of writing projects in limbo, but the one I'm anxious to finish is Eaters. Ironically, I started this short zombie novella a few months ago before I had ever heard of The Walking Dead. Zombies aren't my usual fare, but I've had a fascination with them this year for some reason. I watched Zombieland (fun stuff!) and Dawn of the Dead. I even found myself searching online for the 'perfect zombie t-shirt' (I don't think it exists). With my nose to the grindstone next month, Eaters will be finished and published online before the end of the year.