What do you think?
Rate this book
Addicted to the Dead
What if eating the walking dead was the only way to ensure you don’t become one?
Shortly after you die, you wake up. Lost, confused, and scared. It happens to everyone. But if you ingest the meat of the dead, you can avoid this fate. You can rest in peace. People fear death, fear the unknown, so they eat their portion of dead meat every day, even though the meat itself takes away their ability to have children. But if you consume too much of it, or the meat is properly aged, it becomes a highly addictive drug, transforming those who are addicted—the meatheads—into emaciated husks of their former selves, only able to focus on getting their next fix.
Paco’s family is dead, and he is alone…until his dead little sister Sophia speaks. But the dead can’t talk, can’t think. Sophia is special, maybe the link between the living and the dead, and Paco takes her to the city to find a doctor that can help her, figure out what’s making her so…alive. But Paco and Sophia quickly find out that the city isn’t safe, that the streets are infested with meatheads. And that they are the only children there.
Calico, the city’s most feared killer, works for Ted Fleet, the man behind Ted Fleet’s Dead Meats, the leading dead meat company in the country—but Ted Fleet is also in charge of the city’s illegal meat distribution and Corpse Snuff business. Ted Fleet is holding Calico’s dead daughter Beauty hostage while he forces the killer to go out on jobs for him. Then Calico is sent to pick up a little dead girl, one that can talk, can think like she’s alive. Calico hopes maybe this girl can help Beauty, that maybe she is the key to changing everything. But when he finds out Ted Fleet’s plans for her, he knows he has to stop him.
From the disturbed mind of Shane McKenzie comes this extreme tale of the undead.
Shortly after you die, you wake up. Lost, confused, and scared. It happens to everyone. But if you ingest the meat of the dead, you can avoid this fate. You can rest in peace. People fear death, fear the unknown, so they eat their portion of dead meat every day, even though the meat itself takes away their ability to have children. But if you consume too much of it, or the meat is properly aged, it becomes a highly addictive drug, transforming those who are addicted—the meatheads—into emaciated husks of their former selves, only able to focus on getting their next fix.
Paco’s family is dead, and he is alone…until his dead little sister Sophia speaks. But the dead can’t talk, can’t think. Sophia is special, maybe the link between the living and the dead, and Paco takes her to the city to find a doctor that can help her, figure out what’s making her so…alive. But Paco and Sophia quickly find out that the city isn’t safe, that the streets are infested with meatheads. And that they are the only children there.
Calico, the city’s most feared killer, works for Ted Fleet, the man behind Ted Fleet’s Dead Meats, the leading dead meat company in the country—but Ted Fleet is also in charge of the city’s illegal meat distribution and Corpse Snuff business. Ted Fleet is holding Calico’s dead daughter Beauty hostage while he forces the killer to go out on jobs for him. Then Calico is sent to pick up a little dead girl, one that can talk, can think like she’s alive. Calico hopes maybe this girl can help Beauty, that maybe she is the key to changing everything. But when he finds out Ted Fleet’s plans for her, he knows he has to stop him.
From the disturbed mind of Shane McKenzie comes this extreme tale of the undead.
173 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 8, 2022
Horror Bookworm Reviews
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A father fights for his daughter’s freedom from the clutches of a disgusting evil entrepreneur that has no limits to his wrong doings. Meanwhile, a young boy seeks help for his sister’s mysterious transformation. These two desperate missions have one thing in common…to save their precious loved ones and to survive from those Addicted To The Dead.
A new kind of drug has taken the population by its clicking rotted teeth. The addiction to dead meat regulates the laws that control and governs the consumption of flesh. Author Shane McKenzie has returned with an original approach to a desired substance that bridge the gap between the living and the dead. This full length novel provides the whole kit and carnaged caboodle that a splatter fan could want.
Warning: Addicted To The Dead endures brutal acts of cringe worthy moments, demented corpse snuff films and shocking moments of storyline twists & turns. McKenzie’s approach to decomposing fictional flesh is like no other, and has that familiar flare of outstanding storytelling. Forget everything you thought you knew about the dead, “there is no cure for death”…or is there…
As a fan for many years, I salute Madness Heart Press for resurrecting the “Executive of Extreme,”…the “Saint of Splatterpunk,”…the “Grand Master of Gross-Out Contest,”…Shane McKenzie! A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ must read Horror Bookworm Recommendation. Grab this one my fellow horror addicts.
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A father fights for his daughter’s freedom from the clutches of a disgusting evil entrepreneur that has no limits to his wrong doings. Meanwhile, a young boy seeks help for his sister’s mysterious transformation. These two desperate missions have one thing in common…to save their precious loved ones and to survive from those Addicted To The Dead.
A new kind of drug has taken the population by its clicking rotted teeth. The addiction to dead meat regulates the laws that control and governs the consumption of flesh. Author Shane McKenzie has returned with an original approach to a desired substance that bridge the gap between the living and the dead. This full length novel provides the whole kit and carnaged caboodle that a splatter fan could want.
Warning: Addicted To The Dead endures brutal acts of cringe worthy moments, demented corpse snuff films and shocking moments of storyline twists & turns. McKenzie’s approach to decomposing fictional flesh is like no other, and has that familiar flare of outstanding storytelling. Forget everything you thought you knew about the dead, “there is no cure for death”…or is there…
As a fan for many years, I salute Madness Heart Press for resurrecting the “Executive of Extreme,”…the “Saint of Splatterpunk,”…the “Grand Master of Gross-Out Contest,”…Shane McKenzie! A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ must read Horror Bookworm Recommendation. Grab this one my fellow horror addicts.
December 11, 2023
Very interesting take on the zombie genre. Shane Mckenzie writes a story that combines addiction, zombies, gore, meat, and snuff. Also 2 bonus short stories.
May 14, 2022
This book is a set of three stories all set in the same locale. Imagine a world where zombie flesh is a common meal, but can only be consumed in small amounts or you get addicted to it. It can’t be too fresh, or too old, but just right and one man has the monopoly on getting it out to the masses.
The first story, “Like a Brother” is a short story that introduces the reader to one of the main characters of the book, Calico. Calico is a tough guy who takes care of whatever the boss man needs done. We get just a glimpse in this short story about how brutal this world really is.
The second story, “Addicted to the Dead,” introduces us to Paco and his little sister, Sophia. They go on a harrowing adventure into the city to find Sophia a doctor to help her with her “illness.” Junkies are everywhere looking for their next fix, a zombie snack. Can they make it safely to their destination?
The third story is a novella called “Knock His Teeth Out for Me.” Here we are introduced to Worm, an addict and former employee of the boss man. We are exposed to the tough life of an addict and how they will do anything to get what they need.
This is my first book by Shane McKenzie that I’ve read. I finished it and immediately thought, WTF did I just read? I liked how McKenzie told the story from different perspectives, the addict, those alive and trying to survive, and through a child’s eyes. Each perspective offers a unique blend of fear of the unknown and the feeling of helplessness. The swinging pendulum of emotions kept me vested in the characters.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It’s out now in electronic version on Godless, but will be released everywhere else on April 30th by Madness Heart Press! Go get it!
The first story, “Like a Brother” is a short story that introduces the reader to one of the main characters of the book, Calico. Calico is a tough guy who takes care of whatever the boss man needs done. We get just a glimpse in this short story about how brutal this world really is.
The second story, “Addicted to the Dead,” introduces us to Paco and his little sister, Sophia. They go on a harrowing adventure into the city to find Sophia a doctor to help her with her “illness.” Junkies are everywhere looking for their next fix, a zombie snack. Can they make it safely to their destination?
The third story is a novella called “Knock His Teeth Out for Me.” Here we are introduced to Worm, an addict and former employee of the boss man. We are exposed to the tough life of an addict and how they will do anything to get what they need.
This is my first book by Shane McKenzie that I’ve read. I finished it and immediately thought, WTF did I just read? I liked how McKenzie told the story from different perspectives, the addict, those alive and trying to survive, and through a child’s eyes. Each perspective offers a unique blend of fear of the unknown and the feeling of helplessness. The swinging pendulum of emotions kept me vested in the characters.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It’s out now in electronic version on Godless, but will be released everywhere else on April 30th by Madness Heart Press! Go get it!
April 13, 2013
I think it's been sometime since I started a review with a "holy shit!" and "fucking a!" but with this juicy little novel, nothing else seemed appropriate. There are just times in life when you turn that last page and nothing more comes to the mind, then joyous profanity.
Shane started kicking dirt in our faces last year with (thankfully) an abundance of kick ass novellas, and this year he's pinned us down on his killing table (once again thankfully) with two amazing novels. If you've been reading Shane since his release of Infinity House, in many ways you'll see a deeper maturity in the writing for Addicted to the Dead. Sure this book, like all his others, is filled with nasty scenarios, gore, violence and horrific bizarrity, that attracted me to his writing in the first place. But Shane offers way more to the reader then gory deaths and detailed examination of the contents of a persons guts as they are ripped through tattered holes. No, he gives us a detailed view of the inside of their minds and takes us deeply into troubles of human existence.
I've always found that all good horror has something to say about out society, whether it was the original intent of the author or not. The reader, though his own maturity will find mirrors in the books he reads. And this one, Addicted to the Dead is filled with plenty of mirrors that reflect the worse of humanity. (and sometimes the best)
Whether it is the corruption of innocence with Paco and his sister. The greed of Fleet and the hungry addicts that swirl through the city. The Ughs and Grunts who are just doing their jobs to get paid. And Calico and his daughter Beauty, who is left to do horrendous things to others due to circumstance.
See even without the concept of the dead shambling around, this story is a mirror reflection of everyday life. The horrors he writes in this book and the collision of personalities as they attempt to do right or wrong is no different than what we see on the news and read in our papers.
And that is where the power of the novel lies. It is not just an excuse to have people killed and beaten, it is an emotional tour of human existence. It cries and bleeds and feels pain, just as we do and us the readers will feel every single choice, every iota of desire as we rip through the pages hunger as the addicts depicted within.
Looking back since last year and taking in all the books Shane has released and turning the final page on this one last night. All I can say is this guy has come a long way in a year. To be able to make me cringe, laugh and feel is a powerful tool and Shane has all of this to give readers.
Obviously I'm recommending this one! So don't be no fool get a copy, I think they are almost gone and you'll be saddened to have missed out reading the best "zombie" novel ever written.
Shane started kicking dirt in our faces last year with (thankfully) an abundance of kick ass novellas, and this year he's pinned us down on his killing table (once again thankfully) with two amazing novels. If you've been reading Shane since his release of Infinity House, in many ways you'll see a deeper maturity in the writing for Addicted to the Dead. Sure this book, like all his others, is filled with nasty scenarios, gore, violence and horrific bizarrity, that attracted me to his writing in the first place. But Shane offers way more to the reader then gory deaths and detailed examination of the contents of a persons guts as they are ripped through tattered holes. No, he gives us a detailed view of the inside of their minds and takes us deeply into troubles of human existence.
I've always found that all good horror has something to say about out society, whether it was the original intent of the author or not. The reader, though his own maturity will find mirrors in the books he reads. And this one, Addicted to the Dead is filled with plenty of mirrors that reflect the worse of humanity. (and sometimes the best)
Whether it is the corruption of innocence with Paco and his sister. The greed of Fleet and the hungry addicts that swirl through the city. The Ughs and Grunts who are just doing their jobs to get paid. And Calico and his daughter Beauty, who is left to do horrendous things to others due to circumstance.
See even without the concept of the dead shambling around, this story is a mirror reflection of everyday life. The horrors he writes in this book and the collision of personalities as they attempt to do right or wrong is no different than what we see on the news and read in our papers.
And that is where the power of the novel lies. It is not just an excuse to have people killed and beaten, it is an emotional tour of human existence. It cries and bleeds and feels pain, just as we do and us the readers will feel every single choice, every iota of desire as we rip through the pages hunger as the addicts depicted within.
Looking back since last year and taking in all the books Shane has released and turning the final page on this one last night. All I can say is this guy has come a long way in a year. To be able to make me cringe, laugh and feel is a powerful tool and Shane has all of this to give readers.
Obviously I'm recommending this one! So don't be no fool get a copy, I think they are almost gone and you'll be saddened to have missed out reading the best "zombie" novel ever written.
October 28, 2013
You'd be forgiven for thinking this was yet another zombie tale, of which the horror genre has lately been flooded with. I thought the same but still made that purchase because I knew that even with the overdone subject matter, Shane McKenzie would put an original spin on it. His imagination and colourful story telling could make even drying paint seem fun and thrilling!
However! This was NOT a zombie book! This is set in a bleak society where the population is obsessed with not becoming zombies and the only way to ensure against this is to eat dead meat themselves. The story centres around hitman, Calico and Paco, who has lost his parents to the meat processing plant and is trying to keep his sister from ending up the same way.
As Joe McKinney points out in the introduction, Shane McKenzie doesn't just give us a horror story, he gives us a horror story that makes sense. A lot of books tell us a fantastic tale and neglect to give us the mechanics of how this story came into being, how we got to this point. He draws upon his own experiences, as a father, son and husband to make his characters believable and three-dimensional with true human emotions.
More importantly, Shane McKenzie and his talented story telling has given us another wild ride of a book!
However! This was NOT a zombie book! This is set in a bleak society where the population is obsessed with not becoming zombies and the only way to ensure against this is to eat dead meat themselves. The story centres around hitman, Calico and Paco, who has lost his parents to the meat processing plant and is trying to keep his sister from ending up the same way.
As Joe McKinney points out in the introduction, Shane McKenzie doesn't just give us a horror story, he gives us a horror story that makes sense. A lot of books tell us a fantastic tale and neglect to give us the mechanics of how this story came into being, how we got to this point. He draws upon his own experiences, as a father, son and husband to make his characters believable and three-dimensional with true human emotions.
More importantly, Shane McKenzie and his talented story telling has given us another wild ride of a book!
September 10, 2014
Having read McKennzie before I knew exactly what to expect with Addicted To The Dead. Shane balances out the gore and violence with a highly addictive story that takes the very fabric of the typical zombie tale and rips it to shreds.
The zombies are just a part of the story but there's a lot more going on and McKenzie's zombies are basically just food. This is a story about greed and addiction all told in McKenzie's brutal style.
While Addicted could be labeled extreme horror this is one of those books that take a genre and reinvent it and that makes it a must read. There is a fair amount of gore and brutality but unlike other splatterpunk novels it fits the context of the story.
Fact is McKenzie is one of the best horror writers being published. Addicted To The Dead is by far his best book and worth taking a look at.
The zombies are just a part of the story but there's a lot more going on and McKenzie's zombies are basically just food. This is a story about greed and addiction all told in McKenzie's brutal style.
While Addicted could be labeled extreme horror this is one of those books that take a genre and reinvent it and that makes it a must read. There is a fair amount of gore and brutality but unlike other splatterpunk novels it fits the context of the story.
Fact is McKenzie is one of the best horror writers being published. Addicted To The Dead is by far his best book and worth taking a look at.
October 3, 2015
This book is something only true horror fans would appreciate. It is gory and vulgar and has inappropriate subject matter. If any of that offends you I advise you NOT to read this book. However, if you are looking to go on a rollercoaster of emotions and test your stomach then by all means read this. You may enjoy it. I did. But there were definitely moments where I cringed and put the book down while I tried to get my bearings. But I always went back. I would recommend this book to people who love the horror genre or zombie fanatics because it is definitely a fresh spin on the zombie genre.
March 27, 2015
Brutal and unflinching, McKenzie gives us a fresh take the zombie novel. New take on and old genre, Addicted breathes new life into the genre, with richly drawn characters, and a fantastic plot pasted together with gore galore, any horror fan will love Addicted to the Dead. There are two related stories that are part of this book. A feast for your eyes.
October 6, 2014
Great
best apocalyptic book ever. could not put it down. gory, with great characters, I couldn't help chuckling to myself. I find all his books have a new zeal for horror, I haven't felt in a long time. loved it.
best apocalyptic book ever. could not put it down. gory, with great characters, I couldn't help chuckling to myself. I find all his books have a new zeal for horror, I haven't felt in a long time. loved it.
July 16, 2013
on the edge of what I can comfortably stomach... but full of Shane's steady hand at writing some excellent characters that give a softer side to get you through the terror... really excellent stuff.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews