David Moody's Blog, page 19

The Value of Nothing

Hope you don’t mind – I need to ask for your help with a few things this week. Today, I wonder if you’d be good enough to help me spread the word about an AUTUMN: DAWN promotion.

I’m guessing most people who read this post will know how I started out. If not, here’s a very brief recap. I had a book published traditionally in 1996 – it sank without trace. When I finished my second novel – AUTUMN – I was determined not to let the same thing happen again. I decided that my mission was simply to get it in front of as many readers as possible. I gave the novel away, sharing more than half a million copies in no time at all. By chance, I managed to surf the crest of two simultaneous waves: the growing market for zombie fiction (which few other authors were writing), and the increasing interest in eBooks (particularly free eBooks, something even fewer folks were offering). It’s no exaggeration to say I owe my career to the decision to give AUTUMN away.

Fast forward twenty-plus years, and all this seems like old hat. But with the new AUTUMN trilogy complete, I decided to repeat the experiment. For the next week, AUTUMN: DAWN (HERBST: MORGENDÄMMERUNG in German) is free to download from all major eBook providers. I’m curious to see if the value of nothing is as high in 2023 as it was in 2001.

If you’ve not read the book, please help yourself to a copy. Whether you’ve read it or not, would you mind helping me share the free promotion? I’d really appreciate it if you’d share on Facebook or elsewhere, or retweet the Tweet below. Your support is very much appreciated. As I used to say in all my promo material back in 2001, please SPREAD THE INFECTION!

WELCOME TO LONDON

Population 7 million • 99.9% of them dead • the survival of the rest balanced on a knife-edge

“AUTUMN: DAWN is an unabated, unforgiving onslaught… keeps you gasping for air until the very end."-BookNest

FREE FOR A LIMITED TIMEhttps://t.co/DFmWdi0R7A pic.twitter.com/ZnPN7mzPPJ

— David Moody (@davidjmoody) February 14, 2023

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The Living Dead

I’ve come to the conclusion that my relationship with the films of GEORGE A ROMERO is a complicated one. There’s no question that his holy trinity of DEAD films – NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD, and DAY OF THE DEAD – were life- and career-changing for me. Their inspiration is writ large throughout all nine of the AUTUMN novels and many of my other books. However, with a few notable exceptions (THE CRAZIES, MARTIN, and CREEPSHOW) no matter how hard I try I find it hard to find anything positive to say about many of his other films. To my mind, LAND OF THE DEAD, DIARY OF THE DEAD, and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD are, by and large, pants. I find it hard to believe they were the work of the same creative force. I’m planning a re-watch of all six DEAD films in the near future, because I’m open to the possibility that it’s me that’s got it wrong…

I think that’s the main reason I’d avoided reading THE LIVING DEAD for so long.

For those who aren’t aware of the book, it’s an absolute brick of a novel written by ROMERO and DANIEL KRAUS. I finally finished it this week and, for the most part, I was surprised and impressed in equal measure.

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The long author’s note from KRAUS is, to a zombie nerd like me, almost as interesting as the book itself. He describes in detail how the novel was pieced together from notes, short stories, and other scraps from the ROMERO archives. Reading the essay, it’s clear that this project was a labour of love for KRAUS and editor BRENDAN DENEEN (who I had the pleasure of working with on some of the original HATER and AUTUMN novels).

The novel is divided into several distinct sections of uneven length, each focusing on a different stage of the zombie apocalypse. We begin on day one as a medical examiner and assistant unwittingly try to carry out an autopsy on Patient Zero. The book then takes us through the early days – effectively running parallel with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DIARY OF THE DEAD – showing the familiar societal collapse from the perspective of a number of wildly different survivors. And it’s these same characters we follow for the most part through the days, weeks, months, and years that follow.

I’ll admit, I struggled at the outset, because ROMERO and KRAUS were retelling a story we’ve all heard many times before in many different ways, but the tracking of the characters’ over the years and the way they connected (and disconnected) with each other worked well. The book rewards you more the longer you stick with it.

And it’s the final sections of the story that resonated with me most of all. Those who’ve read my books will know that I’m fascinated by the idea of the post-post apocalypse, and THE LIVING DEAD is the closest we’ll get to understanding how ROMERO saw things panning out. Much has been written about how his plans for the DEAD films were compromised because of budgetary and other studio restraints, but here we have a fascinating glimpse into his true vision of the end of days, and that alone is worth the price of admission alone.

THE LIVING DEAD is available in print and as an eBook and audiobook. Again, I’m a couple of years late to the party, but if you’re a ROMERO fan I definitely recommend picking up a copy if you haven’t already.

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HERBST: EXODUS – jetzt erhältlich

I’m happy to announce that the German language edition of AUTUMN: EXODUS is now available. HERBST: EXODUS can be picked up as an eBook and paperback from Amazon.de. Thanks as always to Jasmin and Craig for their help in producing this version of the book.

The HERBST books have been a huge success for me over the years. The original agreement with MICHAEL KRUG and OTHERWORLDVERLAG back in 2008 (I think) was my first foreign language deal and it’s fantastic that the series still has an audience. I’m pleased to have been able to complete DER LONDONER TRILOGIEN for German language readers.

LONDON IST TOT

Ein Großbrand ist durch das Herz der Stadt gefegt und hat alles, was sich ihm in den Weg stellte, zerstört. Die Lebenden, die Toten und die Untoten wurden gleichermaßen ausgelöscht. Doch im Schutz der undurchdringlichen Mauern des Tower of London haben die verbliebenen Mitglieder der Monumentgruppe es irgendwie geschafft zu überleben. Wenn sie überleben wollen, müssen sie jetzt losziehen.
Sie müssen alles daran setzen, um von hier wegzukommen, und dann noch einmal alles riskieren, um Ledsey Cross zu erreichen, einen sagenumwobenen sicheren Hafen, Hunderte von Meilen entfernt.

Jeder Schritt, den sie machen, birgt unzählige Gefahren. Es gibt keine Abkürzungen und keine einfachen Lösungen. Um überhaupt eine Chance auf eine Zukunft zu haben, muss die Gruppe im härtesten Winter durch ein Land ziehen, das von lebenden Toten beherrscht wird.

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Film Recommendation – XTRO

Many, many years ago, the VIDEO NASTIES debacle meant that horror fans like me in the UK were starved of movies. My only source of news at the time was STARBURST magazine which carried an article about a film called XTRO. I was so intrigued by the bizarre images that accompanied the feature (a woman trapped in a cocoon giving birth to eggs over a bathtub, an alien with inverted knee and elbow joints, and a full-size Action Man on the rampage to name but three) that teenage me made a promise to myself to hunt out the film. It took a few decades, but I managed it. It really is an oddity. I watched it again recently and decided it was a perfect obscurity for me to recommend here.

Here’s the story in a nutshell: after throwing a stick over the roof of his house for his dog to chase (seriously – it’s that kind of movie) a chap called Sam is abducted by aliens. He unexpectedly returns three years later and is reunited with his wife (now living with another man) and son. Things are as awkward as you’d expect between the main characters, and then the situation deteriorates as Sam begins to have an increasingly bizarre effect on his young son. Throw in a few sex scenes, a supporting cast of nosy neighbours and the like, a midget clown (like I said, it’s that kind of movie), and a woman giving birth to a full-grown man on a kitchen floor, and you’re just about there.

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It’s a mess. It’s bizarre. It’s incoherent at times. So why am I recommending XTRO?

Because unlike the majority of movies which see the light of day today (I’m looking at you endless remakes, sequels and superhero movies), XTRO is jam-packed with originality. Though it takes its inspiration from some familiar sources (there’s more than a hint of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and it was marketed as the anti-ET at the time with the tag-line ‘not all extraterrestrials are friendly’), it’s refreshingly different. It moves along at a decent pace, doesn’t make a huge amount of sense at times, but it’s never boring. The effects are remarkably good, particularly for the early 1980s, the creature designs are great, the score (by director HARRY BROMLEY DAVENPORT) is effective in a John Carpenter-esque way, and there are a few scenes that’ll make you question what you’ve just watched and have you skipping back a couple of minutes to check you weren’t imagining things.

Like I said, with XTRO you’re not going to get the most coherent movie experience, but you will get a film chock-full of ambition and originality, and that’s got to be a good thing, right? And if one XTRO movie’s not enough for you, check out XTRO 2 and 3 (I intend to, though apparently there’s no connection other than the name and the reviews I’ve seen are less than glowing…). And be warned, as recently as 2010, Harry Bromley Davenport was promising more. Here’s a trailer for the 2019 blu ray release which confirms as much:

If you’re in the UK, you can stream XTRO now on Amazon Prime. You’ll thank me for it. I think.

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Blowing my own Trumpet

I hope you’ll indulge me blowing my own trumpet today. I’ve had a few conversations recently with folks who’ve just started online businesses, and it’s made me realise how far the bookstore aspect of INFECTED BOOKS has come over the last couple of decades. I wanted to give it an overdue plug.

Let’s go back to the early days… way, way, way back in 2003(ish) when INFECTED BOOKS first appeared online, if you wanted to buy a signed book from me it was a slow and cumbersome process that usually involved the exchange of several emails followed by physical cash or a cheque, then a delay while I got hold of the book, packaged it, then walked round to the Post Office and sent it to you. These days IB is a far more slick operation, with thousands of orders successfully processed. Stock levels are carefully managed and www.infectedbooks.co.uk is safe, secure, and well-reviewed. I come from an operations and customer service background, and the bookstore run like I used to run other people’s businesses. Old habits die hard!

If you haven’t already, please do check it out:

All books are signed, and you can request personalisationAll orders are dispatched within 24 hoursPrices are typically cheaper than other online bookstores (including the ‘big A’)Postage to UK addresses is absolutely freePurchases of books published by Infected Books include complementary eBook downloads (and the process for getting your download has recently been automated)

So, again, please forgive the self-indulgent advert, and visit www.infectedbooks.co.uk if you’re at all interested in picking up signed copies of my books. For a limited period you can get 10% off your order if you quote promo code TRUMPET10 at checkout!

CURRENT POPULAR DEALS

THE LONDON TRILOGY – 3 PAPERBACK BUNDLE

£38.50 REDUCED TO £30

CHAOS THEORIES – 3 PAPERBACK BUNDLE

£28 REDUCED TO £20

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PODCAST RECOMMENDATION – ATOMIC HOBO

I’ve always considered myself a bit of an expert on THREADS. As a teenager in 1984, I was one of the traumatised millions who watched the film when it was first broadcast, and I’ve seen it countless times since. I’ve lost count of the number of TV recordings, VHS tapes, DVD, and blu ray versions I’ve owned over the years. I dragged my wife to Halifax a few years back to see it on the big screen followed by a Q&A with one of the stars, REECE DINSDALE. I’ve recommended it to literally hundreds of people, both at book events and in the day-to-day. When I worked for HSBC many years ago and regularly found myself in Sheffield, I’d even track down the filming locations in my spare time.

I thought I was something of an obsessive. Turns out JULIE MCDOWELL is a far bigger THREADS geek than me. Today, I want to recommend her excellent ATOMIC HOBO podcast to you.

Since 2018, ATOMIC HOBO has covered a huge range of topics relating to nuclear war and nuclear preparedness, much of it focused on how inadequate the guidance and protection would be to you and I – the ordinary folk a million miles removed from those making the decisions and carrying out the attacks. I think it’s this viewpoint that gives the podcast its appeal. Julie’s delivery and approach puts you at ease – it’s like a cosy fireside chat with a friend who’s spent far too long thinking about the end of the world. She dissects outdated governmental reports and propaganda publications such as PROTECT AND SURVIVE, talking about them with a brutal honesty, and almost always focussing on the utter uselessness and inadequacy of the official line. Along the way she also interviews relevant folks, most notably NICHOLAS MEYER who directed THE DAY AFTER, MICK JACKSON who directed THREADS, and RITA MAY who played (unforgettably) Mrs Kemp.

But what really keeps me coming back to the podcast is the ongoing FOUR MINUTES OF THREADS episodes, in which Julie studies every frame of the film in uncomfortable detail. No matter how well I think I know THREADS, no matter how much horror I think I’ve seen, Julie always manages to uncover a grim detail I’ve missed.

ATOMIC HOBO is available wherever you access your podcasts and on PATREON. Julie’s website is www.juliemcdowall.com. It’s a good time to start following the podcast – you can subscribe to the ATOMIC HOBO YouTube channel, where she’s just started adding video versions of FOUR MINUTES OF THREADS. She’s also got a book coming out in April – ATTACK WARNING RED!: HOW BRITAIN PREPARED FOR NUCLEAR WAR – which you can pre-order here.

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12STORIES

Last summer I posted here about how I had too many ideas and not enough time. It struck a chord. Judging by the feedback I received from other writers, I know I’m not alone. Most people have a ‘to watch’ list and a ‘to read’ book pile – we also have a ‘to write’ queue! I explained that I was going to take a new approach, because I didn’t want all those ideas to go to waste. I can share the results of that new approach with you today.

12STORIES is a new section of this site. Each month, I’ll be posting an original short story or novella, and I hope you’ll find them interesting. As a writer, I know the value of experimenting and not getting stale. The stuff I post might be top-notch, it might be gutter-level, but I hope it’ll a) entertain you, and b) invigorate me.

As I’ve explained in my introduction to 12STORIES, I don’t know what I’m going to do with any of this stuff. It might be that I use the idea again or expand it. It might be consigned to the virtual waste-bin. Because I want to keep my options open, there will be a maximum of four stories available at any time.

My first effort – OVER AND OVER AND OVER (AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN) – is now available to read. As you’ll read, it has a connection to THE SPACES BETWEEN, the long-gestating science-fiction horror series that I’m hoping to finally start writing proper in 2023.

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AUTUMN: EXODUS (book three of the London trilogy)

“I’ve read a lot of zombie books, and Moody’s vision still remains so distinct as to be considered a genre of his own.” —Craig DiLouie, author of EPISODE THIRTEEN

PRINT
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | INDIEBOUND | B&N

EBOOK
AMAZON | APPLE | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY | NOOK

SIGNED
INFECTED BOOKS | EBAY | ETSY

AUDIO
AUDIBLE | AMAZON | APPLE

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FILM RECOMMENDATION – EXHIBIT A

It’s Saturday afternoon here. A good time to settle down with the family and enjoy a feel-good movie, perhaps? This probably isn’t one to watch with the kids…

In keeping with my threat to dig out more obscure films to recommend, here’s another grim little gem. I’m sure that, like me, you’ve seen more than your fair share of found footage movies. It’s a tired and overused format, but when it’s done right, it can be extremely effective. Case in point, EXHIBIT A. This is an uncomfortable recounting of the disintegration of a close-knit family in Yorkshire, told through the lens of a home camcorder.

Here’s a synopsis and trailer, followed by my thoughts.

The timely story of a normal family disintegrating under financial pressure, eventually driven to the unimaginable. We witness the terrifying events unfold through daughter Judith’s video camera, which subsequently becomes Exhibit A.

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Over the years, I’ve found that the effectiveness of found footage movies often hinges on the plausibility of the set-up. That’s not to decry the importance of the script, the direction, or the performances, but if there’s no sensible reason for one of the characters to be holding onto a camera while they’re going through hell, it tends to undermine the movie. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT framed itself as a recovered documentary footage, for example, and in another successful example of the genre, BORDERLANDS (also known as FINAL PRAYER), we’re watching recordings made by a team investigating unusual happenings at a church. I must write about BORDERLANDS soon. It’s another cracker. At the other end of the scale, though, are films like CLOVERFIELD. Although entertaining, when the protagonists are clambering around on the top of a collapsing apartment block while an enormous monster destroys the immediate neighbourhood, I can’t help thinking ‘put the camera down, you jerk’, and that takes me straight out of the movie.

Back to EXHIBIT A. Here we have a young girl, Judith, with a video camera, using it to document the mundanity of family life (and to spy on the girl next-door, on whom she’s developed a crush). It’s a simple but effective device, allowing Judith to record and rewatch key parts of family life. But it’s not just Judith’s camera that’s important, it’s Judith herself. She’s not an observer documenting events from a distance, she’s a key player. We watch the horror unfold from her perspective, and that of the rest of her family trapped in a nightmare scenario together. There’s no escape from the camera’s unblinking eye.

As I usually do, I’m going to skirt around the detail because I’m recommending this film to you, not reviewing it. The performances are strong across the board and the direction and editing are top-notch, keeping events moving along at a good pace. There’s an inevitability to the story (and that’s not a criticism), which makes it all the more compelling. You know where it’s going (the clumsy DVD artwork is a heck of a giveaway), but the film draws you in and you can’t look away. The film was released in 2008 but, sadly, the themes and pressures which precipitate the family’s collapse – and in particular that of the father, Andy – are still all too resonant today.

I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed EXHIBIT A so much is because it does what I love best – it tells an extraordinary story through the eyes of a group of extremely ordinary people. As uncomfortable as it is, I can identify with aspects of Andy’s plight (though not his actions and behaviours), and you can imagine similar scenes playing out in living rooms up and down the country. It’s the normality of the background that gives the denouement it’s power. In some ways, the structure of the film is reminiscent of THREADS, in that the first third of the runtime is used to effectively convey the mundanity of everyday life before events transpire that destroy that world forever. Of course, there are no nuclear explosions in EXHIBIT A, just total destruction of a different, far more personal kind.

Viewers in the UK can watch EXHIBIT A now on AMAZON PRIME VIDEO. It’s definitely worth an hour and a half of your time.

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AUTUMN: EXODUS AUDIOBOOK

The audiobook version of AUTUMN: EXODUS, narrated by the superb AUBREY PARSONS is available now from AUDIBLE, AMAZON, and APPLE. If you’ve not heard one of Aubrey’s narrations before, then you’re missing out. They’re something truly special indeed. But don’t take my word for it. I have a very limited number of free download codes for all three of the London trilogy books. Fill in the form below if you’re interested (terms and conditions apply*), but you’ll need to get in quick.

[contact-form-7]

All I ask in return for these codes is that you help me spread the word about the books. You can do this by posting about them or social media, or leaving a review on Amazon, Audible, Goodreads, or any other site. Your support is very much appreciated!

Audiobook promo codes – terms and conditions

You can use this form to request any of the books shown belowYou can request multiple booksThe number of codes available for each book vary and are limited, so your request may not be successfulIf a particular book is not listed, no more codes are availableThis offer is only available for Audible.com and Audible.co.ukI’ll endeavour to send codes within 24 hours of them being requestedMy decision is final in terms of sending codesAudible’s terms and conditions for promo code use apply.

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