Stephen King Fans discussion

Every month that we read a non-King book I reach out to the authors of the book to see if they will do a Q&A and Brook's publisher answered me. I would prefer if he would stop by the group but instead they are going to have me email the questions. It is still exciting that they are going to participate! Here is what they said:

By way of email allow me to introduce myself as part of the Crown Publishing Group. Your email regarding Max Brooks was passed along to me. So happy to hear you are reading World War Z this month! I’d be more than happy to pass along some questions for Max to answer. I know timing might not be great with the holidays upon us, but we’d be happy to help in any way that we can. Let me know! - Jessica


Sooo... please post any questions you have for him here. It can be about this book or any of his books. It can be about writing.. or the movie. Whatever! I'll collect all the questions on Dec 14th and send them off.

Cool!

- Are you working on any new books or stories?
- Any plans to write a book outside of the zombie realm?
- What are you reading right now, and what would you recommend to others?
- Are there any characters in your stories that you personally identify with?
- Was it harder to write WWZ because there isn't a central main character, or did you find it easier or liberating?

Question: To me, the most interesting unanswered question of the book is what happened in North Korea? Do you have any plans to explore that in a future work?

I would like to know what you thought of the movie World War Z? Also... will you be on board with any of the script on the sequel?
In today's world... do you think there is a nation that could actually survive a zombie invasion?
The cast for the audio is AMAZING! How did you get everyone to participate?

Also.. thanks for writing a great book!! I love it so much.

Great book !!! But didn't ya just hate the movie ?!?!?

It seems that the topic is getting redundant, but the movie versus the book... Why are the two so far apart from one another?

To cut to the chase, Brad Pitt has just confirmed his proposed sequel to his marginally accurate dramatization of your book. Are you concerned that a) misleading plot tangents or b) negative publicity from either one of these movies will affect your books? Conversely, given the films are so far removed from your material, can they boost your profile at all?

When will the sequel to WWZ be released?
Was Bruce Campbell ever considered for the lead role?
Will there ever be a Romans vs Zombies movie based off of your short story?
Do you prefer the Romero slow zombies vs the new super fast zombies?

With the success of your book, World War Z, do or did you feel pressure when writing the next book? Was there a moment where you thought "I have to make this as good as or better than that", or do you just write and think "if people like it great, if they don't then oh well"?

With your father's contributions to film and pop culture, many people regard him as the best of his craft. Do you hope that World War Z is your crowning achievement or are you of the mindset that your best is still yet to come?

Not much more time everyone... get your questions in and I'll get them sent off tomorrow!

Questions are sent off!! I'll post as soon as I hear back...I did let them know Brooks could just sign into his goodreads account and answer that way so we'll see. Thanks so everyone who participated and to Max Brooks and the publishers at Crown Publishing Group (especially Jessica) for wanting to do this and make our reading experience even better.

Jessica from Crown Publishing has sent me the answers to the questions that Brooks sent in, here is what I received:

• Are you working on any new books or stories?

Right now I’m deep in the middle of a limited comic book series called “The Extinction Parade.” On the surface, it’s the story of a group of vampires caught in a zombie plague. The deeper story, however, deals with the dangers of never having to work for anything, struggle, or fail—like these apex predators who only must confront an existential threat. It’s a story of how an easy existence can leave someone completely unprepared for adversity.

• Any plans to write a book outside of the zombie realm?

I just finished a graphic novel called The Harlem Hellfighters. It’s based on the true story of a group of African American soldiers who went off to fight in World War I, were actively sabotaged by their own government, and still came home as heroes. I’ve been trying to tell that story for 15 years. There are no zombies in it. It will be available April 2014.

• What are you reading right now, and what would you recommend to others?

I’d recommend The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt. It’s nonfiction and pretty dense, but well worth the read. It’s about how Western Civilization clawed its way out of the Dark Ages all because of a long forgotten epic poem of the ancient world. If you want a little more insight into the world we live in (especially because the enemies of reason and knowledge seem to be on the rise these days), I’d check it out.

• Are there any characters in your stories that you personally identify with?

I think there’s a little bit of myself in all of them, even the ones I don’t like. When I wrote each character, I had to put myself into their mind-set. I had to get in their heads and hearts and speak as if I was them.

• Was it harder to write World War Z because there isn’t a central main character, or did you find it easier or liberating?

I don’t think the format made it easier or harder. It’s simply the story I wanted to tell. I thought an oral history was the best way to describe the global scale of a zombie plague and sticking to that format became my compass.

• To me, the most interesting unanswered question of the book is what happened in North Korea? Do you have any plans to explore that in a future work?

You never know. I’ll have to wait for the inspiration, the passion, or else it’d just be “Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.”

• I would like to know what you thought of the movie World War Z? Also . . . will you be on board with any of the script on the sequel?

I’ve heard there is going to be a sequel, but I’m not sure exactly how I can contribute to it. The world they created for the movie was so different from my book, I’m not sure I’d be of any use to them.

• In today’s world . . . do you think there is a nation that could actually survive a zombie invasion?

Definitely. We’re a pretty resilient species, and I think many nations (including ours) would make it through in one form or another.

• The cast for the audio is AMAZING! How did you get everyone to participate?

A LOT of homework. I wrote letters to many of them. I explained why I thought they would be perfect for each specific role, and I was very lucky that so many of them responded.

• Will there ever be a Romans vs. zombies movie based off of your short story?

I hope so! The Romans were a practical, disciplined, highly organized people, and I think they, above all other ancient civilizations, would be perfect for combating a zombie plague.

• Do you prefer the Romero slow zombies vs. the new super-fast zombies?

Slow. Always slow. I understand that fast zombies are more popular, especially in the movies. They are more cinematic. They scare teenagers. But for me, it’s the slow creeping dread (among other reasons) that makes me a slow zombie guy.

• With the success of your book World War Z, do you or did you feel pressure when writing the next book? Was there a moment where you thought, “I have to make this as good as or better than that,” or do you just write and think, “If people like it great, if they don't then oh well”?

I’ve been feeling pressure WAY before I wrote World War Z. When you’re the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, that kind of comes with the territory. That’s why I do my best to ignore external expectations. I write for me and leave the judgments to others.

Thanks so much to Max Brooks for even joining our group chat!! I couldn't believe it when they said yes since most authors just ignore when I ask. Thanks again to Crown Publishing Group and especially Jessica who reached out to me during the busy holiday season. Thanks also to the group members who joined in the Q&A and made it even more fun and came up with some great questions. Hopefully in the future more authors will participate!!

Awesome answers. :D

I read this book few years ago and was awe-stricken by its originality. Reading the responses from the questions was great insight. The movie was decent just wish they used a different title.

Thanks so much Mr. Brooks for the follow up to our questions!! Goodreads always sets up amazing interviews!