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Double Dead (Double Dead #1)

by Chuck Wendig (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 356 ratings · 93 reviews

Coburn’s been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he’s a vampire and all, it doesn’t much bother him. Or at least it didn’t, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead—but not dead like him, oh no. See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He’s smart. Them, not so...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published November 15th 2011 by Abaddon (first published November 10th 2011)

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Community Reviews

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Mar 26, 2013 Georgina Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, zombies

A rip roaring, highly entertaining gore-fest. Not a sparkle in sight. Loved the main character. Loved the foul-mouthed language, and the fact that he is a monster, deeply flawed and driven by blood lust. At times the gory details were nauseating, but the on going humour provided relief at exactly the right moments. Yes, I read it in a day, couldn't put it down, then returned to amazon for the second (novella) in the series: Double Dead: Bad Blood, which I'm devouring now. Pulp fiction? You bet--...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, vampires, urban-fantasy, awesome-author, best-of-2012, favorites, reviewed

This was my favorite book of the year. Starring a deliciously misanthropic vampire, a rat terrier, and a pack of zombie apocalypse survivors packed into a Winnebago, this tale sells itself as full-on pulp. It's replete with zombies, guns, cannibals, Walmart... A real freakshow-cross section of society. It brims with humor, explosions, guns, and a touch of the supernatural that really pulls it together.

However, the tale has a surprising sensitivity, which leaves you wondering about what it means...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Eddie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I give this book a rating between 3 and 4-star but will be generous and just round it up to a 4-star. This book was pretty fun, nothing life changing, but it was mindless fun that worked. I'm not a vampire or zombie junkie but when I came across this title and read the blurb on what it was all about, I asked myself, how can I not give this book a try? A lone vampire in a zombie infested world and a cool looking cover to boot. I know, never judge a book by its cover, but I'll admit, I'm guilty as...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Probably between 3 and 4, but I'm rounding up because why not be generous?

I was taken by the concept here immediately. What does a vampire do in the zombie apocalypse? It's such an easy concept, and a good genre mash-up, but it was fresh enough that I hadn't seen it before and Wendig shows from the outset that he's going to have some fun with it, without making fun of it.

The first half to two-thirds of the book it all seems to be tracking along fairly well, a straight-line narrative but well tol...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Brian Steele rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, horror, humor, post-apocalyptic

A terribly fun book, if you like your fun bloody. With a basic premise that a Vampire wakes up sometime after the Zombie Apocalypse has occurred and realizes that he has to protect his food source from the shambling undead, things go off in a bizarre tangent from there. The hysterical word-play by Wendig is countered perfectly with his scenes of high-level gore.

Our main protagonist, Coburn, is the very definition of "misanthropic," prone to inappropriate comments and bursts of ultra-violence for...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Rattyfleef rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's the writer's first book. The set-up is STELLAR: a vampire wakes up after the zombie apocalypse and lunch is suddenly hard to find. He finds a small group of people and farms 'em.

The writing wavered: Wendig favours punchy prose and his verbs are great, but not all of the similes worked for me and dialogue was similarly hit-or-miss.

[Coburn leapt.
Or, tried to, at least.
His legs were like mushy brownies: they weren't done cooking and the bones were still soft in the middle.]
...yeah, not workin...more

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May 21, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect from Chuck Wendig, but I've been wanting to read this book since I first heard the premise. A vampire wakes from a five year coma underneath New York City to discover the zombie apocalypse happened while he was out. A world full of zombies = no humans. No humans means no food. Not exactly a perfect situation for Coburn, the vampire at the center of this novel.

I'll make a long story short. This is an entertaining read, but not a long one. I started and finished the bo...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I pretty much agree with Chuck. The only way a vampire should glitter is if he eats a stripper. Because – and this may be news to some of you, so if you feel light-headed go ahead and please sit down… Vampires eat people. The idea of a “vegetarian” vampire is ridiculous and should only be used for comedic purposes. (What would be the vampiric equivalent of Crohn’s disease? Now that would have made Twilight much more interesting!)

That established, I will say that Coburn is a bit of an asshole. To...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Trevor Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

First off, I'm gonna tell you all that Double Dead is not for the faint of heart. If you suffer from a severely overactive gag reflex, heart murmurs, are a nun, or you're just straight up noodle-necked (not a real thing), stay well back. If you don't fall into those categories, pick up the dang book. I give Double Dead 5 solid stars, and it deserves it.

I've been a long time follower of everything Chuck Wendig. I guess I may even be considered a Wendigoth (a term for Wendig fans, coined by anothe...more First off, I'm gonna tell you all that Double Dead is not for the faint of heart. If you suffer from a severely overactive gag reflex, heart murmurs, are a nun, or you're just straight up noodle-necked (not a real thing), stay well back. If you don't fall into those categories, pick up the dang book. I give Double Dead 5 solid stars, and it deserves it.

I've been a long time follower of everything Chuck Wendig. I guess I may even be considered a Wendigoth (a term for Wendig fans, coined by another blogger), and frequent Terribleminds.com on a daily basis. A while back I picked up Chuck's self-pubbed book Shotgun Gravy and tore through it in a day. I enjoyed it, is what I mean to say (review on that book sometime in the future). So, a few days ago I thought, what the hey, I'll pick up this vampire book of his too. It was only $5.99 on Apple's Bookstore after all. I believe I purchased it at perhaps 1pm, and finished it at 10pm the same day. Sure, I took breaks to eat, and breathe. It joined me in the john though. So there's that.

Double Dead is a book about a vampire who wakes to find himself a dried out husk in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. As you can imagine, he's suitably confused, and soon finds a host of inconveniences as a result of this new world order. First off, zombie blood does nothing for him, and the lack of living, breathing humans is a serious problem. Many more unfold as the story goes on, but I won't spoil it. The book details his search for a solution to all his problems, ending with pretty great climax, I have to say.

Double Dead is straight up intense in every way. There's hilarious cussing throughout, strange metaphors and similes (as is Chuck's style), and crazy scenes of zombie vs. vampire violence. It's really great. I was actually shocked by some of the things I read (which is hard to do). I found myself grinning at the inventive nature of the various gorefests Chuck came up with. There's something for everyone: cannibals; crazed ICP fans turned dictators; religious fanatics; not to mention lots of blood sucking, heads exploding, and bone-breaking; all that good stuff.

Chuck Wendig has an undeniable voice in everything he writes, and it shows through loud and clear in Double Dead. The main character is the vampire Coburn, a nearly nihilistic jerk who is used to the easy, blood-sucking life New York affords: drunk club girls, drug addled yuppies, and probably the odd homeless dude too. We get to see right inside his mind, which Chuck fills with very firm personality, and never shies from talking about what Coburn would truly be thinking, even if it seems horrible to us. The point of view shifts between characters (even if they are minor and destined to die) as the book goes on, giving us an almost cinematic sense of the events unfolding. The narrative voice is many times completely omniscient, referring to all the characters by their names, even if the current POV character has no way of knowing that information. It's an intriguing way of doing things, and not at all what I was used to.

I've read it described as "pulpy", but I don't really know what that truly means, so I'll sum it up in my own words: It's the book you've been waiting for, even if you didn't know it. Great horror, lots of gore, great characters, a solid plot, and believe it or not, heart. I don't want to spoil anything beyond that, so I won't highlight my favorite parts, or discuss the ending. I will say though, that the book is not all that it seems to be. Pick it up, and enjoy a great read, courtesy Chuck Wendig.
(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Chris Horne rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a nutshell: The apocalypse has taken place and zombies were involved. It's bad news for humans and worse for a vampire. Time for a little mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, eh?

Maybe it's coincidence that I recently started watching "Community" on Hulu just a couple weeks before I picked up a copy of Chuck Wendig's "Double Dead." Maybe I'm just being stupid, but it was hard not to read about Coburn, the fashion-conscious, somewhat hedonistic and snarky vampire who narrates the novel,...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, westside-challenge

This book is pulp.

I mean, it has to be, right? It's a vampire fighting zombies. That's... about as pulpy as you can get.

I'm a big fan of Chuck Wendig, and his first novel didn't disappoint. It's not high literature, but it's entertaining as hell. I wasn't able to read as much as I'd like for the first half of the book or so, but once my schedule cleared up the pages flew by.

I do have one qualm, which is that the entire first paragraph goes by without the word "fuck." I've got certain expectation...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like the writing of Chuck Wendig. I regularly read his blog and have read all of his writing advice and short stories that I have been able to buy. So I pretty much knew what this book was going to be like. Or at least I thought I did. Some people do not like the amount of profanity contained in Mr Wendig’s work and surprisingly for a zombie apocalypse novel where everything goes totally to pot there is a lot less of that kind of language than I’d expected. Don’t get me wrong this is no YA flu...more I like the writing of Chuck Wendig. I regularly read his blog and have read all of his writing advice and short stories that I have been able to buy. So I pretty much knew what this book was going to be like. Or at least I thought I did. Some people do not like the amount of profanity contained in Mr Wendig’s work and surprisingly for a zombie apocalypse novel where everything goes totally to pot there is a lot less of that kind of language than I’d expected. Don’t get me wrong this is no YA fluffy bunny horror and the language is appropriately expressive where needed. I fully intend to try and get my 15yr old to try and read this book so it can’t be too obscene.

This novel centres around a Zombie apocalypse and the main character is a Vampire called Coburn. Well that is instantly a couple of ticks on the fun-o-meter straight away. The world is screwed and in some ways the environment reminded me a bit of Mad Max as they made their way across America. Every time I thought things had got pretty bad they got worse until eventually. Well they don’t exactly get better, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending for you so you’ll just have to read it instead. If Zombies and Vampires are not enough for you try adding in some Zombie/Vamp hybrids, redneck fanatics and some frat house dope fiends who dress as clowns with access to the whole armoury of an air force base. Yep it gets that messed up.

I am a big fan of main characters that are not exactly nice people and I think it is a good sign when a writer can get me to empathise with a character like this. Coburn is not a lovable rogue he is a right little bugger (that was as polite as I could manage). The plot is gradually trickled through without being overly obvious. The ending leaves some questions and more importantly leaves a great big opening for a follow-up story. I certainly finished this book wanting to know what the new and improved Coburn would be like, although I can foresee some serious emotional issues bleeding through.

This is a great first novel that satisfies a need for a good old supernatural horror and leaves you wanting more. Oh and Coburn has a pet dog called Creampuff that he rescued.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Erika Badass rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book because I follow Chuck's blog, and find his humor on par with my own. Or is that my humor is on par with his? I think he's older, so let's go with that.
I found Double Dead to be interesting and different. Some parts were funny, some were gory and others had me cringing. I suspected a few things, but was also surprised at how the book ended.

Coburn, is a vampire who wakes up, buried, with no idea how he got that way. He rises up and finds himself in the middle of a zombie apoca...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Lainy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Blurb From Goodreads

Coburn’s been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he’s a vampire and all, it doesn’t much bother him. Or at least it didn’t, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead—but not dead like him, oh no.

See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He’s smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot...more Blurb From Goodreads

Coburn’s been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he’s a vampire and all, it doesn’t much bother him. Or at least it didn’t, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead—but not dead like him, oh no.

See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He’s smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot sustain him. Now he’s starving. And nocturnal. And more pissed-off than a bee-stung rattlesnake. The vampire not only has to find human survivors (with their sweet, sweet blood), but now he has to transition from predator to protector—after all, a man has to look after his food supply.

My Review

Aw I so wanted to love this book, the idea is pure brilliance however the story just didn't cut it for me (to be fair I had huge expectations). Some of it is really good to be honest for example we get to know how the disease started and spread and I love that and find it is usually lacking in zombie books (and movies). All questions that were raised throughout the book is answered which is another huge must for me.

However there was so much I disliked, for this to be a fair and honest review I had to give a two star rating. The vampire is a poor show compared to what we have viewed over the years, he gets his butt handed to him more often than not. His attitude really sucks for the most part (I did start to warm to him near the very end) and some of the dialogue seemed just a bit over the top although some of it was funny. That said the things I didn't like my o/h thought was quite funny (I read it out to him) so I definately think that whilst I thought the book was ok some readers will love it.

The other characters are varied and have some good traits but again there was noone who stood out for me or stayed with me, well maybe creampuff :D The way it ended I think there will be more to the series, will I get it? Yes I think so and hope that Coburn is more endearing and a better vampire than our first meeting. The writing of the book is very easy to follow and barring the swearing (which doesn't bother me but sometimes it just seemed over the top and there for the sake of it) I quite enjoyed the authors style of writing. 2/5 for me this time but I am very picky so if your a zombie and or vampire fan give it a try(less)

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Dec 28, 2011 Chris Bauer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to confess that I'm a HUGE fan of Wendig's blob TERRIBLEMINDS and have read a couple of his non-fiction works on writing. So this review may not be the most impartial review of the book, but here it goes.

Everything about "Double Dead" takes stereotypical conventions of vampire & zombie fiction and turns it upside down. Very enjoyable. The protagonist is a fantastic character walking a zig zag line between hero and anti-hero. Looking for a Bill Compton-esque pity party of mortal life?...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Cupcakencorset rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wendig has taken on a unique premise: how do you survive after the zombie apocalypse if you're a vampire? The answer: by brute strength, cunning and stubbornness. The protagonist is Coburn, a vampire who was in a catatonic state when the world went to hell and zombies destroyed civilization. He awakened two years or so later and found his own hard-to-end existence endangered by the lack of food (i.e., living people) and by the hordes of near-starving zombies who want to get a taste of him, too....more

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Nov 28, 2011 Daniel Swensen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

A fun yarn with a great premise, but an ending that feels rushed. Double Dead reminds me of Stephen King crossed with Sam Raimi: lots of garish, gruesome imagery, lots of inventive, non-stop profanity. The latter is probably my biggest complaint with the book -- I don't have a problem with copious profanity, but Wendig's characters have a tendency to become quip machines, slinging endless permutations of the F-bomb at one another. In sufficient volume, it robs the characters of individual voice,...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Kim Dallaire rated it 5 of 5 stars

A harsh, realistic look at the zombie apocalypse from the pov of a vampire, waking up about two years after the end of the world. Zombies are of no nutritional use to him, so he needs to find humans, any humans he can. He ends up finding Kayla and her group. Kayla's blood is actually a cure for the zombie bites, if she gets to you in time, so they are trying to get her out to LA to what may be the last working lab on earth. Along the way they'll have to deal with zombies, cannibals, religious f...more

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May 02, 2012 Nicki Syler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-would-read-again, books-that-would-make-great-movies, shelf-of-freaking-awesomeness

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 22, 2012 Carljoe Javier rated it 5 of 5 stars

Normally i save the five star rankings for serious literary stuff. but the fun factor of Double Dead is just so overwhelming that it would be a shame not to give it all five stars.

Starting from an unbeatable premise (vampire wakes up in the zombie apocalypse) author Chuck Wendig not only delivers on that awesome starting point, providing us with lots of action and gore, but he expands and develops his world, opening up routes that seem both familiar and yet, suddenly, strikingly new.

As Coburn,...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Christopher Vera rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good first effort by Chuck Wendig. I actually had a similar idea long ago...how would a vampire survive in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? Suddenly the vampire's prey becomes something precious to be protected. Wendig pulled it off much better than I surely could have and it was awesome to see his imagination at work here.

The book moves along at a good pace and he finds a strong voice in his lead character, the vampire Colburn. He follows a few welcome and nontraditional rules for vampirism....more

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Dec 02, 2011 Ren Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lately I’ve been on this zombie kick.

I’ve pulled out my old Romero flicks (if you even have to ask, leave now and go to the next blog), I got hooked on The Walking Dead series on AMC (an extremely smart move on their part, by the way) and have recently discovered zombie fiction.

Chuck Wendig has decided to take it a step further by putting a frigging Vampire in the mix.

Yeah.

I know.

The vampire’s name is Coburn. Our “hero” is an asshole and, to put it bluntly, he refuses to apologize for it. Can I...more Lately I’ve been on this zombie kick.

I’ve pulled out my old Romero flicks (if you even have to ask, leave now and go to the next blog), I got hooked on The Walking Dead series on AMC (an extremely smart move on their part, by the way) and have recently discovered zombie fiction.

Chuck Wendig has decided to take it a step further by putting a frigging Vampire in the mix.

Yeah.

I know.

The vampire’s name is Coburn. Our “hero” is an asshole and, to put it bluntly, he refuses to apologize for it. Can I tell you how much I liked him from the start? He’s just plain rude and will rip out your throat just for looking at him wrong. My kind of vampire, that’s for damn sure.

After waking up in the middle of a zombie wasteland, Coburn finds himself in a bit of pickle. New York City used to be a hotbed of action and now it was reduced to a moving graveyard, filled with dead blood. How the hell is he going to survive? No humans means no blood, and buddy’s got to eat, right?

Coburn comes in “contact” with a group of survivors who strike a deal with him: see them to The Promised Land (the West coast where there’s a safe zone for humans) and they will keep him fed along the way. What could possibly go wrong?

Double Dead rocked from page one all the way to end. There were times where I had to put down what I was eating in order to get through a paragraph, other times to re-read several paragraphs because it was just that damn good.

It had everything needed: a Cannibal Queen, howling zombies, ghetto clown pimps, gunfights, lots of blood and gore and a cute rat terrier named CreamPuff. Double Dead is a fast-paced, well-written novel filled with, dare I say it, biting humour. Anything can and will happen. The way this man describes things is sick beyond all reason. I was either laughing out loud or yelling what the ___?? Its a non-stop ride through a zombie-infested hell from cover to cover.

I highly recommend Double Dead, period. Oh and on a side note, after I finished reading it, I realized my own attempts at zombie fiction are pretty pathetic.

Thank you, Mr. Wendig, for unintentionally pointing that out to me :) (less)

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Jan 11, 2013 sj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: end-of-the-world-challenge, grrr-arrgh

Originally posted here.

Remember when I said last year that @KateSherrod had needed multiple showers after reading Chuck Wendig's Miriam Black books? That was NOTHING compared to the showers, brain bleach and other necessary mental hygiene adjustments one will need after reading Wendig's zombie+vampire+zombie vampire novel Double Dead.

I am not kidding at all, this book is GROSS. But still somehow charming? Seriously, this was how I read this book - "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ew. Seriously, ew. But still. HAH...more Originally posted here.

Remember when I said last year that @KateSherrod had needed multiple showers after reading Chuck Wendig's Miriam Black books? That was NOTHING compared to the showers, brain bleach and other necessary mental hygiene adjustments one will need after reading Wendig's zombie+vampire+zombie vampire novel Double Dead.

I am not kidding at all, this book is GROSS. But still somehow charming? Seriously, this was how I read this book - "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ew. Seriously, ew. But still. HAHAHAHAHA!"

Our hero (?) is Coburn, a "Noo Yawk" vampire that wakes up from a loooooong forced sleep to find that the world has been primarily taken over by zombies. There are few humans left, which kind of means REAL death for Coburn, since the "blood" of the walking dead isn't sufficient to power him.

What's a hungry vampire to do? Well, make friends with a fluffy little dog and somehow find himself as shepherd to a road trippin' flock of blood donors, of course!

“Shhh,” he said. “Chill the fuck out, pup. Last thing I need is for you to call a gaggle of undead assholes my way. Is it a gaggle? What is it? It’s a school of fish. A murder of crows. A parliament of owls. What’s a bunch of fucking zombies? A cluster? A cadre? You know what? I’m going to go with a fuckbucket of zombies. Sound good to you, pup?”

Double Dead would have made my best of list for last year, if I'd read it before all those posts were written. As it stands, though, I'll have to make sure to include it for 2013.

Definitely not for everyone, but if you don't mind some stomach churning gore and intensely disgusting situations that will make you laugh at the same time as you're trying not to puke - give this one a try.

If this book were a movie, it'd rate about 9/10 on the Faces of Death gore scale. I've learned that Wendig has a knack for making his readers uncomfortable, yet still keeps us coming back for more.

4.3/5 on my own personal book scale. Maybe higher since I'll never look at WalMart the same way again.(less)

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Dec 05, 2012 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quite enjoyable, very pulpy. He's strong on the metaphors and, well, like I said pulp-y. Would not recommend to just anyone, but I definitely enjoyed the book and read it quickly.

The connection and resolution was a bit predictable but well done, the very final bit between the two main characters didn't quite feel right. It worked, so this is more personal opinion then concern. I very much liked the anti-hero and his actions felt right. Although one aside, didn't need the "or at least he didn't t...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a lot of zombie books. From Mira Grant's excellent "Feed" to Max Brooks' also excellent "World War Z" and everything in between. I keep thinking that's it, this genre is tapped out. Along comes "Double Dead" with a brand new twist and it's a twist that is interesting enough to carry the story. A small warning, this is an adult book. Don't expect the main character to act like the lead in the latest romantic comedy. It's a zombie book with a vampire so expect plenty of violence and gore...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Arizela rated it 4 of 5 stars

The main characters (a vampire turned protector and the teenage miracle girl he's determined to keep safe from zombie hordes) are lovable even when they're not particularly likable. Those two are well drawn and interesting, but the secondary characters suffer from stereotypitis (the morbidly obese geek, the slutty hooker, etc).

Plot wise, this was a fun read, but the number of times the vampire survived things he flat out stated would be the end of him became a little Road Runner-esque by the en...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Andor rated it 2 of 5 stars

Zombies, vampires and zombie-vampires in one book. That's supposed to be cool.
It didn't work for me very much though. And I can pinpoint one thing that really annoyed me for most of the book: swearing.
I read "Blackbirds" by Chuck Wendig before, and I mentioned in my review that the amount of swearing - even though I don't usually care - is maybe a bit too much there. Well, that second book of his was moderate compared to his debut novel. The first part of the book is annoyingly full of swearing,...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, sciencefiction, vampires, to-review, horror, favorites

--Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog--

Well this was a book that first found about on Civilian Reader blog. When got around to reading the review at the blog couldn't hold myself back in not getting it. So in a very quick manner bought it off Amazon.com. The premise sounded fun where Horror is concerned and also the idea of zombies outrunning humanity so only a few survivors remained then by a strange twist of fate a vampire awoke to a zombie apocalypse that re...more --Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog--

Well this was a book that first found about on Civilian Reader blog. When got around to reading the review at the blog couldn't hold myself back in not getting it. So in a very quick manner bought it off Amazon.com. The premise sounded fun where Horror is concerned and also the idea of zombies outrunning humanity so only a few survivors remained then by a strange twist of fate a vampire awoke to a zombie apocalypse that resulted in him fighting for a limited food supply. This has to make anyone who reads zombie books to salivate after all its a really new, interesting take.
In any case, it did for me since never heard or thought about zombies having to compete for food. The world of books is fast becoming filled with stories of zombies and Double Dead impresses with its huge uniqueness that's a loaded gun of gore with a generous amount of suspenseful action.
The character develompment is something that is inded great. Coburn is a rather glum figure in Double Dead who's the main character and yes a vampire. He views humans nothing more as food and takes to often being snide which though you know its something as mean-spirited also in this instance is actually amusing:

He and Creampuff hid amongst a nest of dry reeds, watching.
A fat man came out of the camper, a windbreaker as big as a four-person tent dvaped across his body. Coburn marveled at the man's size Here it was, the end of the world, the gates of Hell ripped open so that all of its rotting souls could come tumbling out, and this is shit-heel somehow managed to remain morbidly obese.
But hey, the vampire thought who cares Big boy means big blood. Buckets of the stuff. Gallons . HIs toes curled just thinking about it.

As the book moves forward it reaches somewhat of a dull hopeless tone with what's going on and how the world is being taken over by zombies. Coburn finds that there may be real hope to humanity with , Kayla, who may be some kind of cure to the zombie apocalypse. Chuck Wendig did an amazing job with humour in his writing even when we are talking about a zombie apocalypse here. As for the writing he made every moment intriguing in the way he maintained a steady clip of movement in the story that immerses every instant.

Really happy that discovered Chuck Wendig's Double Dead and even now looking forward to discovering his other novels as well. One in particular Blackbirds which luckily was allowed to review this title by Netgalley. And expect a review for Blackbirds too. Double Dead is an amazing read in the growing reading pile of vampires and zombies with a brand-new incorporation.
Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Horror, Zombies, Vampires (less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalypse-in-general, vampires, great-endings, zombies

Well, I reviewed a book about zombies and a book about vampires. Why not both? Chuck Wendig is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He has a unique writing style and has a knack for creating incredibly original stories. Seriously check out his collection of short stories called Irregular Creatures. Amazing stories for an incredibly cheap price. Anyway, the first time I read Wendig was when I read a book of his that had an amazing plot. About a vampire trying to survive in a zombie apocal...more Well, I reviewed a book about zombies and a book about vampires. Why not both? Chuck Wendig is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He has a unique writing style and has a knack for creating incredibly original stories. Seriously check out his collection of short stories called Irregular Creatures. Amazing stories for an incredibly cheap price. Anyway, the first time I read Wendig was when I read a book of his that had an amazing plot. About a vampire trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse...Why didn't I think of that?

Double Dead centers on a vampire named Coburn who wakes up in a theater to a world of the living dead. He soon discovers a group of survivors where brave and innocent Kayla stands up to Coburn and offers him a proposition. You protect us in exchange for blood. There's not a lot of people left in the world and Coburn takes the deal.

From then they go on an adventure that genuinely surprised me. Cannibals, religous zealots, and armed clown settlements. If you have ever wondered what would happen if a zombie bit a vampire, here's your chance to find out. The product is so horrifying that it might actually scare you. Basically Coburn and his sheep(as he so lovingly refers to them) travel down route 66 with cannibals ahead of them and the hunters(the vampire zombie hybrids) hunting them.

Wendig works with the apocalyptic setting perfectly. Painting a picture of undead America and all the insane groups of survivors they come across. The character of Coburn is a great protagonist. He starts off as an unlikable asshole, but by the end you end up loving him. . As with most of the characters. Especially Kayla and her father Gil .There is some great exploration of Coburn's back story which I didn't expect either. Double Dead also has one of the best endings I've read recently. I literally can't think of a better way to conclude that story.

Overall Double Dead is a great genre-bender with an epic feel, very likable characters, a great anti-hero, terrific story, and a perfect ending.
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Jan 27, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, kindle

You may also read my review here:http://www.mybookishways.com/201...

So, you’re a dessicated vampire (that’s gone without blood for years, and has been in a kind of stasis) that comes to in the middle of an abandoned theatre with zombies nomming on, well, everything living. What do you do? You need to get blood, right? Our vamp, Coburn, attempts to do just that, but when he bites into one of the zombies, he quickly realizes that zombie blood is bad for his health. Well then, it’s time to find som...more You may also read my review here:http://www.mybookishways.com/201...

So, you’re a dessicated vampire (that’s gone without blood for years, and has been in a kind of stasis) that comes to in the middle of an abandoned theatre with zombies nomming on, well, everything living. What do you do? You need to get blood, right? Our vamp, Coburn, attempts to do just that, but when he bites into one of the zombies, he quickly realizes that zombie blood is bad for his health. Well then, it’s time to find some of the living, yes?

After heading outside and realizing that the world has pretty much gone to hell, and tangling with some of the living dead, he comes across a group of survivors. Food! Not so fast. Key among this group is a 15 year old girl named Kayla, who’s not about to have Coburn feeding off her father and her friends, so she strikes an unlikely deal with the vampire. Coburn protects the group from cannibals (we’ll get to that), and other baddies, and they’ll make sure he gets to feed. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Yeah, not so much…

Coburn the vampire is a foul mouthed, hedonistic, arrogant, self-centered son of a bitch, and he knows this, so how the hell he let this kid talk him into this deal, he’s not sure, but he is hungry, and he could use a place to crash, so he hops on board the RV that our little ragtag group has commandeered. What follows is a pretty wild ride through a destroyed American landscape populated with things much, much worse than the walking dead.

Double Dead is a terrifying, violent, American road trip through zombie hell. Wendig throws in a cannibalistic group that brings to mind something right out of Rob Zombie’s worst nightmares, zombies out the wazoo (of course), a military compound taken over by trigger happy yahoos dressed like clowns (I kept picturing Killer Clowns From Outer Space), and some hybrid creatures that will make the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The author spares no gruesome detail, but lest the word “gratuitous” start floating around in your mind, it’s really…not. The gore is necessary to the story and it’s tempered with a fair amount of black humor. Aside from the flying body parts and decapitations, it has probably one of the grossest (yet creative) vampire feeding scenes that I think I’ve ever read (seriously, *shudder*.) Double Dead made me laugh and cringe in equal measure, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it does have heart. Yep, this gritty, gross, blood drenched vamp/zombie fest has a heart. I certainly didn’t expect to develop a certain amount of grudging affection for Coburn (and his little dog Creampuff), but I did! There’s also something special about our Kayla, but I’m not going to give away that secret. It’s just part of the awesome that is this book.

The author credits Robert McCammon (one of my all-time fave authors) at the end of the book as inspiration, and I can certainly see shades of Swan Song in Double Dead. Amongst the horror, there are themes of loyalty, redemption, and even love that the author manages to weave in with an expert hand. Chuck Wendig has one sick, twisted imagination, but in his case, it’s a talent, and he poured that talent into this kick ass vampire/zombie apocalypse tale. Crisp writing, bullet fast pacing, and twists that I didn’t see coming make this one a can’t-miss for horror/zombie fans. The damn thing even made me cry. Seriously. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, a little sick (ok, maybe more than a little), a little funny, and a lot awesome, pick up Double Dead, and get your freak on, yeah?(less)

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About Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at th...more

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Quotes from Double Dead

“What...what are you?" she asked.
"I'm Batman.” — 2 people liked it

“He wasn't supposed to feel this way. He didn't even want to feel the way he did for the dog, for Creampuff--
Goddamnit
Goddamnit
"Goddamnit!" he snarled. Ginger blinked. Incredulous he explained: "They took my dog, Ginger. They stole my terrier." He popped each of his knuckles. "They didn't just abandon me after I got them through, after I kept them alive. They rubbed salt on my wound while they pissed in my eyes. I can't believe they stole my dog."
Coburn grabbed the kid by his all too-clean shirt and shook him like a baby. "Listen. You're going to drive me to go get Creampuff, my terrier...” — 2 people liked it

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