The past few years have seen quite a rise in the popularity of the zombie. We’ve had numerous films, both major features and direct to video releases, and many new novels and comic books. It seems that everyone wants to take a stab at creating the next great chapter in the evolvement of the undead. Scott A. Johnson’s ‘Deadlands” moves outside of the traditional zombie milieu and sets itself in a post-apocalyptic earth, almost totally destroyed by nuclear war. Humans survive, but only by a thread. They live almost tribal-fashion in underground complexes, only venturing out at night because the daytime heat and poisonous air would kill them without their protective suits. But the environment isn’t the worst thing facing these hardy survivors; the nuclear war has spawned and even more dangerous threat as experiments gone awry give rise to the undead.
These zombies were created to become mindless soldiers but soon kill their creators and now hunt the remaining human survivors who provide their only sustenance. Brother and sister Christian and Cadence are both Guardsmen for Down-Town, one of several complexes that dot the land. They are charged with protecting the other members of their small group and go on nightly missions to hunt down and kill the “rotters” by any means.
When word reaches Down-Town that New Phoenix has been overrun by zombies and a small group of Guardsmen, including Christian, leave to scout the remains of new Phoenix and to see just what they are up against. Christian is distressed to learn that his sister has also joined the scouting party against his wishes and leaves to escort her back to Down-Town. Yet when they arrive they find the same devastation as in new Phoenix…the complex is completely intact yet the zombies have killed all of the townspeople. They leave to rejoin the scout party to head towards the last known stronghold known as new Tucsco, a legendary mountain fortress surrounded and protected by a lake of molten lava.
It is there that they make a startling discovery. The Rotter’s movements and attacks have been carefully planned by a new race of zombie known as necrosapiens who are intelligent, can speak, and worst of all, can control the mindless zombies. It is here where humans will make their last stand against the zombie hordes!
Deadlands seems to have two primary influences, George Romero’s “Day of the Dead” where a small band of survivors lived in an underground medical complex under military control (there’s even a nutty doctor who is studying one of these capture Necrosapiens) and the “Deadworld” comic book series which may have been the first to introduce the idea of intelligent, talking zombies.
There are perhaps a few problems with Johnson’s science. It may be a bit too convenient that humans cannot venture outside during the day without protective suits while the zombies can…after all they are humans as well and one would think that the extreme heat of the day time would only speed up the rotting process. Scientific inaccuracies aside, “Deadlands” is an enjoyable ride. It jumpstarts the story from page one and doesn’t stop until the final battle. Johnson eschews character development and concentrates on action, making this 190 page book breeze by very quickly.
The real horror in Johnson’s book lies not with the zombies themselves but more in the devastated landscape that the pitiful survivors have to contend with. Even without the threat of the undead, one wonders how they will survive the harsh landscape and it conveys it’s ultimate, anti-war message quite skillfully.
– Tim Janson
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
