Zombies
have been a part of popular culture for decades, but perhaps never as popular
as they are today with the proliferation of zombie-themed entertainment
including zombie runs, zombie haunted houses, the hit TV show, The Walking
Dead, and numerous films such as the recent blockbuster, World War Z. The
zombie phenomenon is practically world-wide, but nowhere is it more of a hit
than in Atlanta, Georgia thanks in no small part to The Walking Dead filming
nearby and the city playing host to the annual DragonCon fantasy and science
fiction convention.
Local
Atlanta author Matt Handle is the latest to add to this Atlanta phenomenon with
his debut novel, Storm Orphans. The story kicks off in the year 2011, with the
familiar image of a television reporter inexplicably spouting gibberish in the
middle of her on-air report. Five years later, what’s become known as the
Babylonian Plague has killed 99% of the world’s population and turned virtually
all the survivors into zombie-like creatures known simply as the Afflicted. The
tale follows a handful of survivors that avoided that fate and now make their
way through the dangerous ruins of Florida and Georgia in search of answers as
to what caused the terrible malady and what, if any, future is left for
mankind.
Deciding to forego the pursuit of an agent or a traditional publishing
deal in the wake of success by indie authors such as Hugh Howey and J.A.
Konrath, Handle released Storm Orphans on Amazon last week and is already
receiving rave reviews.
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