Title: Dead New World Author: Ryan Hill
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication Date: Available now!
Synopsis:
Zombies aren’t mindless anymore.Before the world fell into chaos, the undead existed only in the imagination. Now, more of them walk the earth than living. Zombies move about freely, while humans entomb themselves inside concrete barricades to stay alive.
All that, while the leader of a powerful cult - known only as Reverend - becomes the next threat to the rebuilding United States. Believing zombies to be God’s latest creation, making humanity obsolete, he wants to give every man, woman, and child the chance to become one. With his combined army of humans and zombies, he may well get his wish.
Best friends Holt and Ambrose went up against the Reverend once. Holt lost a foot and a zombie bit Ambrose…though he survived the virus, only to become a human-zombie hybrid, reviled by the living and unwelcome among the dead. When the Reverend kidnaps the woman Holt loves, the race is on to save her from a fate worse than death.
Interview with Ryan Hill: Zombies fascinate me. It's not so much the creatures themselves, it's the world that they create. How did you get started on writing horror?
DEAD NEW WORLD is actually one of the first horror stories I've ever written. I normally write sillier stuff with an edge, like my debut novel, THE BOOK OF BART. For me, though, horror is just another side of the coin to comedy. Sure, there are some things that are truly terrifying, but a lot of horror, like, say, the SAW films, are hilarious to me. I just envision the director sitting there like a practical joker, watching with glee as the audience screams at some trick he's pulled. In that regard, I've always been fascinated by horror. I also very much wanted to write my very own zombie story. There were so many things I wanted to see in a zombie story and never saw, so I decided to write my own, throwing all of these great ideas into the pot.
What's your favorite thing about Dead New World?
That's a tough question. I'm proud of all of it, but I'd have to say the idea of humans surviving the zombie infection and becoming a human-zombie hybrid, capable of communicating with both humans and zombies. I love a lot of the action, especially one scene where the main character is forced to fight a zombie in hand-to-hand combat. There's also a sequence where the main character has to clear a hospital of zombies, floor-by-floor. It very much has a house of horrors feel to it.
How did you go about creating your main character?
I wanted a main character readers could identify with in this world I'd created. The plan is to write a trilogy of DEAD NEW WORLD novels, and I wanted someone who could serve as the eyes and ears for the reader, especially in the first, where I'm trying to establish this world. Holt has his own set of problems and goals, but I really want him to be sort of an every man, especially in DNW. He's an average kid who's had the misfortune to grow up in this horrible world, and I wanted a character who could kind of evolve along with the story. He's going to very dark places in the upcoming books. I considered writing some of the book from the point-of-view of Ambrose, his friend who survives infection, but it felt like establishing this world, the characters, AND delving into the psychology of a human-zombie hybrid was too much for the first book.
In your opinion, what's the most important element of a good zombie story?
Besides zombies? Haha. Everyone needs to add their own wrinkle to the zombie genre. Those are the stories that stand out, especially these days. Bring something new to the table, otherwise what's the point?
What's your advice for aspiring zombie-writers (or horror authors in general)?
Find something new to write about. Something people haven't encountered before. If you're writing something with established monsters, like zombies, make sure you can add some kind of twist to the genre. Like everything else, you have to find your niche. Do that and you'll be fine.
About the Author
Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.Connect with Ryan:
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