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Cadaver in Chief
The undead have risen from their graves, and society hangs by a thread. But America's political parties aren't going to let a little thing like the zombie apocalypse get in the way of a presidential election. There are nasty whispers about the incumbent, though, and they have nothing to do with where he was born. The rumor: He's dead.
Could a zombie be running for President? It's up to ace Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods to find out.
Cadaver in Chief, the new 10-chapter mini-novel from New York Times bestseller Steve Hockensmith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), follows Woods on her search for the truth...a search that puts her up against the most dangerous ghouls in Washington. Oh, and zombies, too.
Could a zombie be running for President? It's up to ace Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods to find out.
Cadaver in Chief, the new 10-chapter mini-novel from New York Times bestseller Steve Hockensmith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), follows Woods on her search for the truth...a search that puts her up against the most dangerous ghouls in Washington. Oh, and zombies, too.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2012
About the author
Steve Hockensmith
98 books532 followersSteve Hockensmith is the author of the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and several other novels, including the Edgar Award finalist Holmes on the Range. He lives in Alameda, California.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 16, 2012
Steve Hockensmith offers a highly entertaining satire of modern American politics and media with this story of a presidential campaign being waged in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Hockensmith's "Holmes on the Range" mysteries have always included humor, but that element takes center stage here, providing a fun, quick read.
April 12, 2017
Kindle Unlimited, not taken out of today's headlines but sure it's only a matter of time. It's a bit or maybe more on the 'silly' side, but considering rampaging swamp monsters of today's political climate, not sure how far from the truth it is, so really enjoyed the end of the world as we know it, in another setting.
February 26, 2021
I won "Cadaver In Chief" in a Halloween giveaway, which I was glad about because I'm already a fan of Steve Hockensmith's "Holmes On the Range" and "White Magic Five and Dime" series.
In a story with uncomfortable parallels to the worst of 2020, humanity has been beset by a zombie pandemic. Not to extinction, but life is altered in unexpected ways: you can buy guns at the local 7-Eleven, you have to say "hello" to everyone you pass to prove you're among the living ("The End Times were hell on shy people"), and the jaded populace shuffles through bullet-riddled days of blood and guts as society circles the drain.
In the midst of this slow-motion apocalypse, reporter Jan Woods picks up on a thread of story much more interesting than the dog-grooming convention doggedly (sorry) taking place despite the ever-present undead: the President of the United States may have just been eaten by a zombie.
Cue a chase for the truth loaded with intrigue, danger, the most bizarre assassination attempt you ever heard of, incisive criticism of click-driven news cycles, and plenty of gore, all told with jet-black wit and humor.
On a personal note, my enduring memory of this story will probably be the day I took it to work to read on a break. I went out on the patio to eat in deference to Covid, I had a nice hummus tray and a tall, frosty Coke Zero, the sun was shining...and it was thirty degrees outside. No matter; sometimes the best times are the unusual ones, and I had great time reading "Cadaver in Chief".
In a story with uncomfortable parallels to the worst of 2020, humanity has been beset by a zombie pandemic. Not to extinction, but life is altered in unexpected ways: you can buy guns at the local 7-Eleven, you have to say "hello" to everyone you pass to prove you're among the living ("The End Times were hell on shy people"), and the jaded populace shuffles through bullet-riddled days of blood and guts as society circles the drain.
In the midst of this slow-motion apocalypse, reporter Jan Woods picks up on a thread of story much more interesting than the dog-grooming convention doggedly (sorry) taking place despite the ever-present undead: the President of the United States may have just been eaten by a zombie.
Cue a chase for the truth loaded with intrigue, danger, the most bizarre assassination attempt you ever heard of, incisive criticism of click-driven news cycles, and plenty of gore, all told with jet-black wit and humor.
On a personal note, my enduring memory of this story will probably be the day I took it to work to read on a break. I went out on the patio to eat in deference to Covid, I had a nice hummus tray and a tall, frosty Coke Zero, the sun was shining...and it was thirty degrees outside. No matter; sometimes the best times are the unusual ones, and I had great time reading "Cadaver in Chief".
November 17, 2025
Just plain fun and silly and ridiculous and darn entertaining! A quick easy fast paced read full of humor and lots of zombies!!!!!! I enjoyed the characters and the story was ZOMBIES! One of my favorite reads of the year!
(From the book blurb): “The undead have risen from their graves, and society hangs by a thread. But America's political parties aren't going to let a little thing like the zombie apocalypse get in the way of a presidential election. There are nasty whispers about the incumbent, though, and they have nothing to do with where he was born. The rumor: He's dead.
Could a zombie be running for President? It's up to ace Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods to find out.
Cadaver in Chief, the new 10-chapter mini-novel from New York Times bestseller Steve Hockensmith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), follows Woods on her search for the truth...a search that puts her up against the most dangerous ghouls in Washington. Oh, and zombies, too.”
(From the book blurb): “The undead have risen from their graves, and society hangs by a thread. But America's political parties aren't going to let a little thing like the zombie apocalypse get in the way of a presidential election. There are nasty whispers about the incumbent, though, and they have nothing to do with where he was born. The rumor: He's dead.
Could a zombie be running for President? It's up to ace Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods to find out.
Cadaver in Chief, the new 10-chapter mini-novel from New York Times bestseller Steve Hockensmith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), follows Woods on her search for the truth...a search that puts her up against the most dangerous ghouls in Washington. Oh, and zombies, too.”
May 1, 2020
A fun little romp through an election year in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
Read
August 28, 2012**"The Surgeon General has determined that prolonged exposure to online political “discussion” leads to self-righteous vitriol, the spread of semi-literate misinformation, toxic levels of perverse asshattery and absolutely nothing worthwhile."**
The Surgeon General hasn’t really issued such a proclamation, but retiring Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods is of the opinion every political blog and news website should be required to carry just such a warning.
So imagine her displeasure when a mere two days before her retirement kicks in she’s assigned to investigate a rumor about the President. A rumor that started on the political blog TruthBuffet.org (“Where Justice Is Served”). A rumor that the POTUS, Brick Bradley, is in fact a zombie.
The country may well be in the midst of a major battle to contain the undead, who’ve been rising from their graves at an alarming rate, but surely there’s no way the President could actually be a zombie without someone having noticed. Right? Well…
Much to her increasing curiosity, the more Woods pokes around trying to disprove the rumor the more it looks like there really is some kind of cover-up going on. With both her retirement and the election looming, it becomes a race against time to get to the bottom of things and determine once and for all whether the POTUS is just another brain dead politician, or an honest-to-goodness dead dead member of the shambling hordes who walk amongst us.
With the real U.S. Presidential election a mere 69 days away, author Steve Hockensmith’s novella Cadaver in Chief couldn’t be more timely. Everywhere you look – from TV to newspapers to Facebook to Twitter to the blogosphere and beyond – people are engaged in stumping for their people and parties, often with alarming levels of vitriol. Cadaver in Chief allows for a welcome time-out from the mind-numbing relentlessness of the serious political discourse by examining it with tongue planted firmly in undead cheek. Hockensmith’s trademark wry humor is abundant, with both liberals and conservatives spending equal time at the end of his political skewer. The media, both old school and new, also takes its fair share of good-natured lumps with regard to how it covers current events, especially elections.
Clocking in at 144 pages, Cadaver in Chief is the epitome of tight, no-frills storytelling. Things get jumping right from the start, and a nice mix of humor, action, and a little bit of mystery keeps things rolling along at a great clip. Cleverly interspersed “outtakes” from newspapers, blogs, and television show transcripts lends an air of realism to the feeling an actual political campaign is being followed – you know, despite the undead angle – and some of the best wit in the book is found slyly buried amongst them, so be sure to read closely. Speaking of which, as always with Hockensmith be sure to read the copyright page, as he’s up to his usual hijinks there as well.
If, like me, you’ve about had it up to your eyeballs with politics, Cadaver in Chief is a refreshing way to take a step back, have a good laugh, and refortify yourself to ride out the remainder of the election season.
The Surgeon General hasn’t really issued such a proclamation, but retiring Washington Tribune reporter Jan Woods is of the opinion every political blog and news website should be required to carry just such a warning.
So imagine her displeasure when a mere two days before her retirement kicks in she’s assigned to investigate a rumor about the President. A rumor that started on the political blog TruthBuffet.org (“Where Justice Is Served”). A rumor that the POTUS, Brick Bradley, is in fact a zombie.
The country may well be in the midst of a major battle to contain the undead, who’ve been rising from their graves at an alarming rate, but surely there’s no way the President could actually be a zombie without someone having noticed. Right? Well…
Much to her increasing curiosity, the more Woods pokes around trying to disprove the rumor the more it looks like there really is some kind of cover-up going on. With both her retirement and the election looming, it becomes a race against time to get to the bottom of things and determine once and for all whether the POTUS is just another brain dead politician, or an honest-to-goodness dead dead member of the shambling hordes who walk amongst us.
With the real U.S. Presidential election a mere 69 days away, author Steve Hockensmith’s novella Cadaver in Chief couldn’t be more timely. Everywhere you look – from TV to newspapers to Facebook to Twitter to the blogosphere and beyond – people are engaged in stumping for their people and parties, often with alarming levels of vitriol. Cadaver in Chief allows for a welcome time-out from the mind-numbing relentlessness of the serious political discourse by examining it with tongue planted firmly in undead cheek. Hockensmith’s trademark wry humor is abundant, with both liberals and conservatives spending equal time at the end of his political skewer. The media, both old school and new, also takes its fair share of good-natured lumps with regard to how it covers current events, especially elections.
Clocking in at 144 pages, Cadaver in Chief is the epitome of tight, no-frills storytelling. Things get jumping right from the start, and a nice mix of humor, action, and a little bit of mystery keeps things rolling along at a great clip. Cleverly interspersed “outtakes” from newspapers, blogs, and television show transcripts lends an air of realism to the feeling an actual political campaign is being followed – you know, despite the undead angle – and some of the best wit in the book is found slyly buried amongst them, so be sure to read closely. Speaking of which, as always with Hockensmith be sure to read the copyright page, as he’s up to his usual hijinks there as well.
If, like me, you’ve about had it up to your eyeballs with politics, Cadaver in Chief is a refreshing way to take a step back, have a good laugh, and refortify yourself to ride out the remainder of the election season.
September 12, 2012
This novella is by the author of a prequel and sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (but not that book itself, interestingly). While Cadaver in Chief continues to deal with zombies, this time the undead menace are blended with a satire of election year politics.
The story was brief but engaging, with many interesting implications. Retiring reporter Jan Woods comes across a blog post claiming that the President of the United States was attacked and killed by a zombie while on the campaign trail, and that the whole affair has been covered up by the government. Despite the unreliable source of the claims, she decides to investigate further, with hazardous results.
The setting was especially fascinating. While most zombie apocalypse stories take place after the sudden collapse of society, Cadaver in Chief depicts an invasion in progress, with an America that is slowly crumbling. Citizens are trying to cope: everyone is constantly armed and new social rules have cropped up. Those who damage a zombie (or "nasty") are responsible for finishing it off, and pedestrians greet each other loudly to avoid being shot by wary neighbors. Gallows humor is everywhere. It'd be nice to see this setting revisited by the author. It could easily serve as the stage for a serious horror novel if some of the comedic elements were toned down.
Somewhat depressingly, I actually found the fictional Beltway pundits' diatribes to be less tone-deaf and absurd than the real-life political discourse going on in the US right now. Truth is stranger--and dumber--than fiction in this case.
Elements of comedy and horror are generally tricky to balance, but I think Hockensmith succeeded in walking that tightrope. The end result is a fast-paced story that spices its humor with some genuinely creepy moments. It's very important that a comedy story not outstay its welcome, but I wouldn't have minded spending more time exploring this world.
The story was brief but engaging, with many interesting implications. Retiring reporter Jan Woods comes across a blog post claiming that the President of the United States was attacked and killed by a zombie while on the campaign trail, and that the whole affair has been covered up by the government. Despite the unreliable source of the claims, she decides to investigate further, with hazardous results.
The setting was especially fascinating. While most zombie apocalypse stories take place after the sudden collapse of society, Cadaver in Chief depicts an invasion in progress, with an America that is slowly crumbling. Citizens are trying to cope: everyone is constantly armed and new social rules have cropped up. Those who damage a zombie (or "nasty") are responsible for finishing it off, and pedestrians greet each other loudly to avoid being shot by wary neighbors. Gallows humor is everywhere. It'd be nice to see this setting revisited by the author. It could easily serve as the stage for a serious horror novel if some of the comedic elements were toned down.
Somewhat depressingly, I actually found the fictional Beltway pundits' diatribes to be less tone-deaf and absurd than the real-life political discourse going on in the US right now. Truth is stranger--and dumber--than fiction in this case.
Elements of comedy and horror are generally tricky to balance, but I think Hockensmith succeeded in walking that tightrope. The end result is a fast-paced story that spices its humor with some genuinely creepy moments. It's very important that a comedy story not outstay its welcome, but I wouldn't have minded spending more time exploring this world.
January 3, 2013
I started laughing within the first few pages, and it just went on from there. I like how Hockensmith portrayed this world where zombies roam and how society has adjusted to deal with it, poking fun at just about every conceivable issue. In addition to the absurd, there is an intriguing story unfolding as reporter Jan Woods starts off with a puff piece assignment and then finds herself investigating leads to something far more interesting and twisted. I found all the little details amusing and disturbing to contemplate, and there were even a few truly creepy moments I hope I never have to worry about in real life. Love zombies? Sick of politics? Need some catharsis? This is it.
September 12, 2012
Loved this book. It was a really unique story filled with dry, subtle humor that had me laughing the whole way through and just enough carnage to still fit into the horror category. The author does a great job of spotlighting his obvious disdain for the two major political parties and the national press without coming off as preachy or angry. I hadn't read anything by this guy before, but will definitely be reading more of Hockensmith's work in the near future.
January 7, 2013
Better than I thought it would be! A light-hearted, sometimes cynical take on what would happen to our political/journalistic climate were a zombie outbreak to occur, this book is sly, satirical and nowhere near formulaic. It doesn't break any new ground, but was still an enjoyable read. I especially liked that the heroine of the piece was a middle-aged woman: not your typical zombie-fighter but an interesting choice because of it, adding a tinge of realism to the proceedings.
September 29, 2012
This is the intelligent zombie political humor and social commentary we needed, not the intelligent zombie political humor and social commentary we deserved. Here's my official review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/zombie...
http://www.examiner.com/review/zombie...
September 25, 2012
I really liked this -- enough sarcasm to keep the brain activated and a hilarious premise. Recommended!!
October 20, 2012
Witty, humorous, engaging. A good take on the zombie story with a bit of apolitical undertone. Very good read, though Dawn of the Dreadfuls is still my favorite.
November 4, 2012
This book is Funny as any current R-rated comedy movie. It had me laughing out loud at some of the funniest social commentary disguised as sci-fi/horror/political satire since Kurt Vonnegut,Jr.
January 6, 2013
A clever take on both the zombie apocalypse genre and political satire from a very funny author with a good track record of that sort of thing.
February 1, 2013
Fun at the beginning, but mainly played for laughs -- pretty good laughs, but just that.
September 11, 2012
A funny, fast read. A good plot and chock full of scarily accurate political satire.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews