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WZMB
It's the end of the world, but we're not going off the air! Martin Stone was a popular shock jock radio host before the zombie apocalypse. Then for six months the dead destroyed society. Humanity is now slowly rebuilding and Martin Stone is back to doing what he does best-taking to the airwaves. Host of the only radio show in this new world, he helps organize other survivors. But zombies aren't the only threat. There are others that thought humanity needed to end. That what happened was our punishment. And they'll do anything to make sure that we fail...
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2014
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Andre Duza
23 books56 followersAndre Duza is an actor, stuntman, screenwriter, and the author or co-author of over 10 novels, a graphic novel, Hollow-Eyed Mary, and the Star Trek comic book Outer Light, co-written with writer/producer Morgan Gendel. He has also contributed to several collections and anthologies, including Book of Lists: Horror, alongside the likes of Stephen King and Eli Roth.
Andre’s writing has been described as horrific, satirical, and fast-paced, with a unique voice and lush, finely-detailed prose.
Andre also wrote, co-produced, and starred in the award-winning short film Tagati, which is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. You can view the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUZ6n...
Andre is also a Certified Fitness Trainer and a Kung Fu Instructor. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and four children.
Andre’s writing has been described as horrific, satirical, and fast-paced, with a unique voice and lush, finely-detailed prose.
Andre also wrote, co-produced, and starred in the award-winning short film Tagati, which is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. You can view the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUZ6n...
Andre is also a Certified Fitness Trainer and a Kung Fu Instructor. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 11, 2015
The gimmick (the entire book being told through the transcripts of a Howard Stern style radio show AFTER the apocalypse has already happened) NEVER wears thin and, in fact, gives a new perspective on how to tell a story in the well-trodden zombie genre. If you like zombie books and are looking for a fresh take on the subject, Duza's WZMB might be for you.
June 5, 2016
I have had this book for a year and finally got around to reviewing it. My problem tends to be this. If I buy a book with my own money I have a habit of putting it off because I have requests and deadlines on most of the books I receive for review. it is actually one of the things I don't like about having a review blog not to mention writing the occasional review for the magazines and other web sites. I am definitely not saying reading has become a chore. That is impossible. But it does cut into the adventure of the spontaneous "awesome" discovery. But WZMB came highly recommended by a lot of people I respect not the least being Jeff Burk, the editor at Deadite Pres. Now if you are saying, "Wait a minute. WZMB is from Deadite press. Of course he is going to praise it.", then you don't know Jeff Burk. He may be the editor but he is one of my go-to guys for the spontaneous "awesome" discovery...even if the book is from his publishers and even if the fruition of discovery comes a year later.
If you parsed the title you have figured that WZMB is a zombie novel. But it is a very different zombie novel in structure and story. It is written in the style of a radio show transcript. The novel centers around a Howard Stern-like shock jock and his equally Howard Stern-like sidekicks. The zombie apocalypse starts while they are on the air and we get a nice feeling of the confusion that would emanate from the airwaves if an event like this would occur. Flash forward to 6 months later. The Martin Stone Show has been moved to a complex called the Brand Compound formerly know as Waterfront Luxury Apartments in Philadelphia, PA. It is one of the few secure areas left, maybe the last. Martin's radio show is a bastion of hope delivering the news and messages of the survivors while cynically wondering if hope really exists. But it is slowly revealed that the zombies are not the real threat and that mankind often becomes its own biggest enemy.
The idea that humans are more dangerous than the zombie threat is certainly not original to the genre. Yet WZMB delivers that theme better than most. First, there is that structure of using transcripts. It is a tight and focused method. In this book, it comes across almost as a literary response to the found-footage style of film-making. In fact it is easy to envision this being made into either a movie or play without many changes. One might think the action would suffer in a structure like this but it has the opposite effect. It heightens the tension by focusing on the reactions of those most affected. Second, we have an array of characters that elicit our empathy and interest. Martin Stone, like his thinly disguised real life model, is crass but likable as is his colleagues. There is a variety of minor roles that are essential to the telling such as Dave, the both-feet-on-the-ground security guard who represents stability , Maggie the religious fanatic, and Dr. Hammond, the dim light for hope in the future. Duza brings all these characters together in sort of a culmination of humanity that makes sense but doesn't come out all obvious. The author knows the story is the thing and he has a very creative and impelling story.
WZMB reads fast. It took me an short evening to read through this slightly less than 300 pages. Yet it has more going for it than most over-weight epic tomes. If one is into the zombie genre of horror books than this is a must-read. Do not take a year to begin reading it like I did. Get it now!
If you parsed the title you have figured that WZMB is a zombie novel. But it is a very different zombie novel in structure and story. It is written in the style of a radio show transcript. The novel centers around a Howard Stern-like shock jock and his equally Howard Stern-like sidekicks. The zombie apocalypse starts while they are on the air and we get a nice feeling of the confusion that would emanate from the airwaves if an event like this would occur. Flash forward to 6 months later. The Martin Stone Show has been moved to a complex called the Brand Compound formerly know as Waterfront Luxury Apartments in Philadelphia, PA. It is one of the few secure areas left, maybe the last. Martin's radio show is a bastion of hope delivering the news and messages of the survivors while cynically wondering if hope really exists. But it is slowly revealed that the zombies are not the real threat and that mankind often becomes its own biggest enemy.
The idea that humans are more dangerous than the zombie threat is certainly not original to the genre. Yet WZMB delivers that theme better than most. First, there is that structure of using transcripts. It is a tight and focused method. In this book, it comes across almost as a literary response to the found-footage style of film-making. In fact it is easy to envision this being made into either a movie or play without many changes. One might think the action would suffer in a structure like this but it has the opposite effect. It heightens the tension by focusing on the reactions of those most affected. Second, we have an array of characters that elicit our empathy and interest. Martin Stone, like his thinly disguised real life model, is crass but likable as is his colleagues. There is a variety of minor roles that are essential to the telling such as Dave, the both-feet-on-the-ground security guard who represents stability , Maggie the religious fanatic, and Dr. Hammond, the dim light for hope in the future. Duza brings all these characters together in sort of a culmination of humanity that makes sense but doesn't come out all obvious. The author knows the story is the thing and he has a very creative and impelling story.
WZMB reads fast. It took me an short evening to read through this slightly less than 300 pages. Yet it has more going for it than most over-weight epic tomes. If one is into the zombie genre of horror books than this is a must-read. Do not take a year to begin reading it like I did. Get it now!
January 26, 2015
Shock Jock Zombie Action
I'm always on the lookout for new approaches to the zombie genre. When I read the description of Andre Duza's new one, I needed to have it. I'm a huge fan of Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio, and I kind of envisioned this book as being like that, except with zombies. I was sort of right.
Martin Stone is the shock jock star of this book, a kind of Howard Stern-esque character who ends up becoming the last source of broadcast news and entertainment during the zombie apocalypse. He delivers survivor stories, news and more to his listeners, many of whom actually seem to hate him. The odd thing is that Martin seems to be pretty likeable. Every once in a while he'll say something disagreeable, but his heart is obviously in the right place. He's a cool dude, with a first-rate crew around him.
The whole tale is told in transcript format, which at first I worried might not be able to properly deliver sufficient zombie action. I was wrong, thankfully. Duza deftly weaves in plenty of zombie madness, while building to an action-packed jumping-from-the-windows climax. Zombie fans looking for something different should check this one out.
I'm always on the lookout for new approaches to the zombie genre. When I read the description of Andre Duza's new one, I needed to have it. I'm a huge fan of Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio, and I kind of envisioned this book as being like that, except with zombies. I was sort of right.
Martin Stone is the shock jock star of this book, a kind of Howard Stern-esque character who ends up becoming the last source of broadcast news and entertainment during the zombie apocalypse. He delivers survivor stories, news and more to his listeners, many of whom actually seem to hate him. The odd thing is that Martin seems to be pretty likeable. Every once in a while he'll say something disagreeable, but his heart is obviously in the right place. He's a cool dude, with a first-rate crew around him.
The whole tale is told in transcript format, which at first I worried might not be able to properly deliver sufficient zombie action. I was wrong, thankfully. Duza deftly weaves in plenty of zombie madness, while building to an action-packed jumping-from-the-windows climax. Zombie fans looking for something different should check this one out.
June 27, 2015
I wasn't sure how fun this book would be to read since the story is told by way of a Howard Stern like show broadcasting during the zombie apocalypse. But I'm here to say that this book was freaking awesome! A new and unique take on zombies written by an incredibly talented bizarro and horror author!
June 3, 2020
So, what did I think about WZMB by Andre Duza? Well, I just can’t gush enough about this zombie book! Duza’s unique script writing was a joy to read and I think I’m going to be a returning customer for sure! It felt like I was reading a live script from a real radio show! I got so lost in the book that I forgot I was even reading a book! It was like I was there, in front of my computer with the kindle app open, listening to a real radio show playing.
My favorite characters were definitely Raven and Martin, which are two of the main characters of the story, both hosts of the Martin Stone Show! I even liked Larry and Ted! And everything came together in the end and trust me when I say this book is packed to the brim with exciting scenes.
Andre Duza does a great job writing characters and scenes and really gets the reader in there like their living in the story!
Overall, I give WZMB Five Glowing Stars! IT was honestly that good, and I highly recommend my new favorite zombie book to all of you beautiful people out there, regardless if you are tired over the zombie trend. Trust me when I say this zombie book does something new that is fun and enjoyable.
My favorite characters were definitely Raven and Martin, which are two of the main characters of the story, both hosts of the Martin Stone Show! I even liked Larry and Ted! And everything came together in the end and trust me when I say this book is packed to the brim with exciting scenes.
Andre Duza does a great job writing characters and scenes and really gets the reader in there like their living in the story!
Overall, I give WZMB Five Glowing Stars! IT was honestly that good, and I highly recommend my new favorite zombie book to all of you beautiful people out there, regardless if you are tired over the zombie trend. Trust me when I say this zombie book does something new that is fun and enjoyable.
June 7, 2016
We can safely say that the zombie genre is a bit over used and overdone. Sometimes there’s a book that comes out and shows you that sometimes a fresh perspective is all a genre really needs. Andre’s book is one such book. It’s told through radio transcripts and feels more like a play than an actual book. It’s an interesting glimpse at the characters and you really get a chance to know them. Had any of Martin and his radio crew been boring this would have sunk like the Titanic. The way the story is told it’s important to have a talented cast of characters to tell it. That’s where WZMB shines. You know that you’re reading a zombie novel but at the same time it doesn’t matter. You’re reading about the survivors and how they’re coping.
The story moves at a pretty decent clip, but the odd thing about Martin Stone is that he doesn’t seem too controversial. This is a guy reacting to the world around him. The show is clearly a tribute to Howard Stern and I swear you can hear Howard’s voice in your head as you’re reading it. We are all thinking the same way, and these are questions we too would be asking if we found ourselves in the same situation. Andre has done a great job at hooking the reader and making us almost forget that this is a book told through a radio show. It’s an interesting way to tell a story and it works. It’s unconventional and as I read it I wondered how it was all going to end. He sets the story up so well that you truly become attached to Martin, Raven, and everyone else.
WZMB successfully takes a genre that has been done almost to death and has breathed some life into it. The story itself deals less with the zombies and more about the survivors. It seems as if the zombies themselves aren’t really the important part of the novel. The survivors are. If it had been just another by the numbers zombie story it wouldn’t have been the same. At the end of the novel you even begin to see what Andre wanted us to see all along. For the answer you have to read the book. This is a book that you don’t want to miss. It’s got a little violence and gore but not so much that the casual horror fan won’t pick it up. If you like fresh takes on tired horror genres you should pick up WZMB.
The story moves at a pretty decent clip, but the odd thing about Martin Stone is that he doesn’t seem too controversial. This is a guy reacting to the world around him. The show is clearly a tribute to Howard Stern and I swear you can hear Howard’s voice in your head as you’re reading it. We are all thinking the same way, and these are questions we too would be asking if we found ourselves in the same situation. Andre has done a great job at hooking the reader and making us almost forget that this is a book told through a radio show. It’s an interesting way to tell a story and it works. It’s unconventional and as I read it I wondered how it was all going to end. He sets the story up so well that you truly become attached to Martin, Raven, and everyone else.
WZMB successfully takes a genre that has been done almost to death and has breathed some life into it. The story itself deals less with the zombies and more about the survivors. It seems as if the zombies themselves aren’t really the important part of the novel. The survivors are. If it had been just another by the numbers zombie story it wouldn’t have been the same. At the end of the novel you even begin to see what Andre wanted us to see all along. For the answer you have to read the book. This is a book that you don’t want to miss. It’s got a little violence and gore but not so much that the casual horror fan won’t pick it up. If you like fresh takes on tired horror genres you should pick up WZMB.
November 3, 2016
Full Review
While the transcript format isn't used to its full potential, WZMB was still an exciting read. Fans of zombie books should definitely pick this up. If you're looking for a take on the zombie apocalypse that goes in a different direction, without straying entirely from the familiar tropes, Duza's novel is perfect.
While the transcript format isn't used to its full potential, WZMB was still an exciting read. Fans of zombie books should definitely pick this up. If you're looking for a take on the zombie apocalypse that goes in a different direction, without straying entirely from the familiar tropes, Duza's novel is perfect.
April 21, 2015
I took this book with me to a rather boring week long conference, sat in the back of the room and thoroughly enjoyed it. A new twist on the Zombie craze this book is laid out as a manuscript from a radio show ( think Stern on crack) and doesn't fail to deliver. If you're a fan of DEADITE books you won't be disappointed. Buy it!
June 4, 2025
Have you ever asked, "What if a shock jock radio show crew survived the zombie apocalypse?" Andre Duza definitely answers that question here. It is equal parts the latter end of the WALKING DEAD comics (after the formation of Alexandria) and the post-radio career of Howard Stern Show. I would have given it 5☆s, but it did drag in some places.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews