NOTE: This was originally posted on this web site that will change you life!
by Brice Chandler
As a story teller, I like to push the boundaries of the genres I write in. That’s not really saying much since a lot of authors do that and probably better. Hmm, let me use my zombie stories as an example. I think that my novel, Whiskey Jack, pushes the limits for what can be construed as a zombie book. First off, while Jack believes that he’s going up against zombies, he also fights giant “zombies” – 20 to 30 foot tall monstrosities. I like to call those mutated zombies (check out my blog from last year’s Winter of Zombie tour). Some people would argue that they aren’t really zombies because humans can’t grow that large. Others say that if they return from the dead, then they’re zombies.
When my writing can start that kind of discussion, that’s what I mean by pushing the boundaries. I like to write crossed genres. I’ve had stories where birds are the only zombies that appear after they got ahold of a bad chicken nugget. In my current novel, Where Fallen Angels Lie, the zombies appear in a virtual reality game, but for the main characters that apocalypse might as well happen in real life. In fact, the repercussions are felt outside of the game.
A large percentage of that novel takes place outside of the game where no zombies appear. Does that mean that it’s not a zombie book? I think that readers of the genre can appreciate the directions zombies are going? It’s often said that no idea is new, and I believe this when it comes to storytelling. I’m sure there are many others who have and are currently pushing the genre. Between this and some of the classic takes of the sub-genre, I think fans will be entertained for years to come… as a fellow reader, I hope so.
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About Author:
Brice J. Chandler is a Mutant Zombie advocate and also a US Marine Corp veteran. He has worked in factories and as a pewter-smith before graduating from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His military background and work experience are often reflected in his writing. Although he writes in many genres, he considers zombie, apocalyptic, and dystopian stories his true love. Brice and his wife, Kimberly, currently reside in a small river town in North Eastern Missouri under the harsh rule of their three daughters: Emilie, Charlotte, and Piper.