She also tried to get me reading Stephen King but not only did I hate the writing style, the subject matter left me vaguely sick and disturbed. Probably the idea, but it doesn't do it for me. I don't like to be scared. I don't like things that make me jump. I've suffered terrible nightmares all my life and could only sleep with the light on until I met my husband, but even now I can still wake shaking from the odd one. I'm a bit better with it all - I taught myself to wake up when things start getting nightmarish, and my tolerance for horror elements is a little higher. But I still do my best to avoid things that might trigger bad dreams.
So it probably seems hugely ironic that I've written two zombie stories. I can blame them totally on my editor and friend Dani Fine, and fellow author and friend Karen Bynum. I watched them raving over a book called Warm Bodies on Twitter, and later the film. Now, the classic Hollywood zombie films are definitely on my do not watch list. But Dani and Karen were talking so passionately about the book and with such excitement, I had to take a look at the film.
I. LOVED. It! While it's not the full on zombie horror film that would appeal to most, it is typical Hollywood zombies for at least part of the film. It was just on the edge of my tolerance levels. But it was also very different. Told from the point of view of zombie R--who is a bit odd for a zombie--it follows his story as he falls for and saves a human girl--Julie--and begins to find his way back to being human himself. It's a twist on Romeo and Juliet (even including a version of the balcony scene) and one of the sweetest, cutest romances I've ever seen. The book is quite poetic in its writing style as well, which appealed to my own preference for the lyrical. I even have the film poster displayed at the top of my stairs.
Not only that, but it went on to inspire three stories of my own, even if only two feature zombies. The third one--and the first I wrote--features a damaged android rather than an undead (and came 2nd in the RWA LERA Rebecca contest last year. Right now it's in edits with no set release date but hopefully soon!). So I guess I can't say I hate zombie or horror films any more. But I'm still not a fan of things that make me jump. Unless it's R...
Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies and the prequel The New Hunger are available at all good book retailers, with book three set to release in February (psst, if you visit the author's website HERE and pre-order directly there are some special exclusive goodies too).
And if the idea of zombies with a twist intrigues you, some of Sir Terry Pratchett's Nightwatch books feature the zombie Reg Shoe, or Reaperman follows recently deceased and reluctant zombie Windle Poons. Or there's mine:
Restless In Peaceville
Adorable zombies in an alternative Louisiana.
A coma victim wakes to find himself alone in a utopian city he can't remember, with a strangely familiar dead girl knocking at his door.
Want to chat? You can find me at my website or my blog, but my favourite place to hang out and char is as @pippajaygreen on Twitter.
4 comments:
Pippa - I'm with you. I am a big scaredy-cat. And the only Stephen King book I've read is his book on writing. I figured I had to support him only because he was brought up within miles of where I live and now lives 2 hours from me. The first portion of his book (his biography) sort of explains to me where (or why) he gets his imagination :-) The first scary movie I ever watched was The Blob (which ages me :-) ), and I still quiver when I think about how scary that movie was to me. And Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds terrified me and still haunts me when I see a flock of birds. So no, I do not do scary or gory. I'll have to be brave and check out one of your suggestions.
I'm making the 3rd then. My tolerance for horror is non-existent and I don't even do romantic suspense and mysteries very well. My nightmares are relatively controlled now as I can also wake up and change the dream outcome before going back to sleep or just change dreams. Lost a lot of hours of sleep before I learned to do that.
My son loved the Godzilla, etc. movies and he was in primary school. I just stayed in the other room (think kitchen baking). He was able to watch them from an analytical perspective as in wondering how they made the monster to begin with.
I am such a scaredy-cat(not sure of the spelling)that my daughter(at 7 years of age) and many years turned around and told me the following in no uncertain voice:
"For goodness sake, Mum, it's just pretend, don't you understand?"
Great post and very tempting for my tbr list.
I don't read horror either. I don't watch it in film. I don't watch most war movies. I can't handle realistic use of guns, beating people up, rape, etc. If it is off the page or off the screen and I see the results sometimes I can handle it.
For suspense, it depends on how gruesome it is. One of the things I like about British mysteries is that they don't go for all the gore--instead focusing on getting the bad guy.
That said, I do write suspense and I do put my characters in jeopardy sometimes. But I can do that because I know they will not only survive but thrive in the end. And the horrific thing happens off the page. I deal with the psychological aspects after the fact and on the page.
So, do your zombies kill people, eat them, etc.? If so, how do you deal with it on the page?
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