Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your.... Brainsby Ryan Mecum
Avialable Now!
What you are looking at is a document from the early days of the zombie plague. Little is known about the author before his infection--only that he was a poet. This facsimile of his actual journal recounts the events of humanity's darkest hours through the intimate poetry of haiku. Inside you'll find increasingly disjointed and terrifying three-line poems (all in the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure), and follow the undead poet on a journey through deserted streets and barricaded doors. Experience every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating moment of the eventual downfall of the human race from the point of view of a zombie, and gain insight to help you survive--if you can.
Brains are less squishy and a tad bit more squeaky than someone might guess. |
This clever and dark book beautifully horrific and it is the perfect item for your coffee table. With pages in full color and full of gore it's the perfect gift for anyone delighted with ghoulishly fiendish fiction. Check for contest details after the interview.
IB Teen talks to Ryan Mecum:IBT: If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?
RM: Not Freddy Kruger. Maybe Donnie Darko. I'd ask him, "Hey Donnie, WHAT was going down in that movie?! I liked it, but please don't ask me to explain it." Maybe the Kevin Bacon character from Tremors... just in case something like that happens, he'd be able to help us out. Tough question. Piggy from Lord Of The Flies, maybe? He seemed like he would have been a good friend, and he deserved more. Not Superfudge, that kid would screw everything up. I'd take Freddy over Fudge.
IBT: How did you survive being a teen?
RM: I didn't. Does anybody, really?
IBT: Have you ever written (published or unpublished) something that you feel uncomfortable writing, knowing that your family and friends will probably end up reading it?
RM: It's called Zombie Haiku, found on a humor section bookstore book shelf near you. "Hey mom, check out this book I got published! It's about a boy who turns into a zombie and eats his mom! Tell your friends!"
IBT: Do you think teens face the same issues and obstacles they did when you were a teen?
RM: There's nothing new under sun. That being said... no. Want proof? I graduated in 1993. If we wanted to sext a picture, we had to draw it and drive to the post office. Plus, teens are WAY overbooked now. Even in the summer they are overbooked. Other than that, its all the same. Want proof, rent Stand By Me, written in the 80's about the 50's, and it all still rings true today. One might argue that this is not proof, but they are wrong.
IBT: Zombies are a bit like haiku, they are deceptively simple. How did the marriage of the two come together for you?
RM: It was a mixing of two of my loves, poetry and dead people trying to eat people. After writing a few, it really did seem like a natural fit, with haiku being so abrupt and subtle.
IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
RM: I have never had a problem with writer's block. I simply write when I feel like I have something I need to put on a page. If nothing's cooking up in the brain, I don't write. I have found that if I ever open a blank word document with hopes of writing something that has yet to bounce around my my head, what ends up on the document is nothing too interesting.
IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
RM: A friend's blood clot that made a vein in his stomach look like he has a snake living in his ribs brings nothing but inspiration. Look for its cameo appearance in Zombie Haiku!
IBT: Vampire Haiku is coming out in August, can you tell us a little about this book?
RM: Short version - It's about a vampire that writes haiku.
Long version - It's about a guy on the Mayflower who turns into a vampire on the boat, and writes haiku about his life as he survives through all (and causing some) of American history.
IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?
RM: The everyman! Batman beats Superman. Die Hard beats Rambo. Paul Blart beats Dwane Johnson. I fully plan to one day write the best action film ever about a kindergarten teacher dealing with an evil kidnapping ring.
IBT: What is your Zombie invasion escape plan?
RM: It used to be "get to an island" until I saw Zombie II, with that underwater zombie fighting a shark. If they can walk underwater, they could get to my island. Now, despite what Dawn Of The Dead or The Mist might have taught me, I still think the best bet for me and my family would be to get to a Super Wal-Mart. Hammer the doors shut, make cricket bats for the family, and live like blue collar royalty until the food runs out. The Walking Dead "living inside a prison" option also seems like a smart move, which might be the best option if the Super Wal-Mart ever gets compromised. Oddly, this is also my escape plan in case of Cthulhu Invasion or Second Coming Of Christ Invasion.
RM: It's called Zombie Haiku, found on a humor section bookstore book shelf near you. "Hey mom, check out this book I got published! It's about a boy who turns into a zombie and eats his mom! Tell your friends!"
IBT: Do you think teens face the same issues and obstacles they did when you were a teen?
RM: There's nothing new under sun. That being said... no. Want proof? I graduated in 1993. If we wanted to sext a picture, we had to draw it and drive to the post office. Plus, teens are WAY overbooked now. Even in the summer they are overbooked. Other than that, its all the same. Want proof, rent Stand By Me, written in the 80's about the 50's, and it all still rings true today. One might argue that this is not proof, but they are wrong.
IBT: Zombies are a bit like haiku, they are deceptively simple. How did the marriage of the two come together for you?
RM: It was a mixing of two of my loves, poetry and dead people trying to eat people. After writing a few, it really did seem like a natural fit, with haiku being so abrupt and subtle.
IBT: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? What helps you get over it?
RM: I have never had a problem with writer's block. I simply write when I feel like I have something I need to put on a page. If nothing's cooking up in the brain, I don't write. I have found that if I ever open a blank word document with hopes of writing something that has yet to bounce around my my head, what ends up on the document is nothing too interesting.
IBT: What is the strangest thing you have ever gotten inspiration from?
RM: A friend's blood clot that made a vein in his stomach look like he has a snake living in his ribs brings nothing but inspiration. Look for its cameo appearance in Zombie Haiku!
IBT: Vampire Haiku is coming out in August, can you tell us a little about this book?
RM: Short version - It's about a vampire that writes haiku.
Long version - It's about a guy on the Mayflower who turns into a vampire on the boat, and writes haiku about his life as he survives through all (and causing some) of American history.
IBT: What’s your favorite type of hero?
RM: The everyman! Batman beats Superman. Die Hard beats Rambo. Paul Blart beats Dwane Johnson. I fully plan to one day write the best action film ever about a kindergarten teacher dealing with an evil kidnapping ring.
IBT: What is your Zombie invasion escape plan?
RM: It used to be "get to an island" until I saw Zombie II, with that underwater zombie fighting a shark. If they can walk underwater, they could get to my island. Now, despite what Dawn Of The Dead or The Mist might have taught me, I still think the best bet for me and my family would be to get to a Super Wal-Mart. Hammer the doors shut, make cricket bats for the family, and live like blue collar royalty until the food runs out. The Walking Dead "living inside a prison" option also seems like a smart move, which might be the best option if the Super Wal-Mart ever gets compromised. Oddly, this is also my escape plan in case of Cthulhu Invasion or Second Coming Of Christ Invasion.
