Professor Crazy here once again, to interview Walter Greatshell, the author of Xombies: Apocalypse Blues and his latest book, Xombies: Apocalypticon. I actually interviewed Walter once already–be sure to check it out–but I was so impressed with Xombies: Apocalypticon, which continues the saga of the spread Agent X, a man-made virus that takes over the DNA in human cells and turns people into blue-skinned Xombies, that I asked Walter Greatshell if he’d do a second interview with me. I’m happy to say he agreed, and I hope you all enjoy reading our second bout of questions as much as I enjoyed asking them!
Professor Crazy: Your sequel opens up at the beginning of the outbreak of Agent X. The setting is at a prison, where some of the convicts are involved performing in a rodeo for the general public. The women in attendance begin to get infected by the virus, and they spread it to everyone around them, who continue to spread it. My first question is about the group of convicts who call themselves the Reapers. Why do they call themselves Reapers, and what made you decide to include prisoners as some of the main characters in your novel?
Walter Greatshell: Well, one of the first story problems I had to deal with when writing Xombies was how anyone could survive such a plague. Clumsy walking corpses are one thing, but Xombies are virtually unstoppable—there’s no easy bullet to the head. One solution was escaping by submarine, another was going to the frozen arctic. But in this book I needed a way for certain people to have survived among Xombies—who actually learned to coexist in a kind of symbiosis. I had already laid the groundwork for this in the first book by mentioning that the Moguls got their supplies from armies of prison convicts, who had been recruited and trained by military advisors. The joke on the prisoners is that they are still pawns of the prison-industrial complex—the only difference is that now they get to fetch groceries for their former keepers. So in Apocalypticon we meet one such scavenger party, called the Reapers because they’re reaping the bounty of the dead world.
Xombies: Apocalypticon is set primarily in Providence, Rhode Island. Your descriptions of it often are poetic, and you seem to have first-hand knowledge of the state. Have you ever lived in Rhode Island, or visited there? If not, what is there about Rhode Island that caused you to set your novel there, besides its obvious natural beauty?
I actually live in Providence, which makes it a convenient setting for my books. It’s an interesting place. I’m originally from California, so one of the things that I love about Rhode Island is all the weird history crammed into such a small area. For example, this state has had the most recorded vampire incidents of anyplace in America—seriously! All the locations in my book are real places that I’ve explored over the years, even Miska’s secret tunnel. WaterFire is a real, and surreal, event. But one of the book’s locations has just recently been demolished: the old highway underpass with murals on the walls. Now, because of my book, it will always exist the way I remember it, which is the great thing about art.
I’m guessing that the cover of Xombies: Apocalypticon depicts one of the heroes of your main plot line, Sal DeLuca. Could you please refresh for our readers’ minds who Sal is, and tell us why and how he ends up in Providence leading a group of other teen boys and trying to evade rampaging Xombies as they forage for fast food?
Sal DeLuca is the Odysseus of the story. He was a very minor character in the first book, barely mentioned by Lulu, though we learn now that he was the one responsible for turning the submarine factory into a skateboard park. He’s a bit of a slacker and a stoner, who has a strained relationship with his blue-collar dad. His big dream is to be a BMX champion, which is why he’s wearing that awesome leather jacket on the book cover. When the plague hits, Sal is sleeping off a hangover. Fortunately, he gets a phone message from his father warning him of what’s going on, and is able to escape to the submarine compound. Sal really rises to the occasion, becoming one of the most serious and capable characters in the story.
I wasn’t sure how—if at all—you would be able to bring back the character of Lulu Pangloss, as she becomes a Xombie in the first novel of your series. What made you decide to work her back in?
Lulu’s tale is really the heart of the whole saga, even when she’s not front and center. The first book is completely from her perspective, which is interesting but inherently limiting, because Lulu is a bit of an unreliable narrator. I knew after I wrote it that I wanted to make the sequel a much broader story, an overview of the people and things Lulu encounters. I wanted to get inside the other characters’ heads, find out what makes them tick. I also wanted to get out of the submarine and cut loose with some furious urban action. In that sense, this book is much more of a “zombie novel” than the first one. In fact, I think it’s quite possible to read Apocalypticon first, and then read Apocalypse Blues afterward—it may even be more interesting that way.
You’re quite inventive in the choice of some of your characters’ nicknames, and I’d like to ask you about a couple of them in particular. Who are Voodooman, Righteous Weeks, and Grover Stix?
They’re all Reapers, but Voodooman is the really tragic and heroic figure. He’s a convicted felon named Marcus Washington—someone who made terrible mistakes early in life, but who suddenly realizes he may still have a shot at redemption. Righteous Weeks is his best friend and fellow gangbanger, whose own morality is the rough justice of the street. Grover Stix is simply a cheerful follower, a flunky who doesn’t concern himself with choices at all, letting others do his thinking for him. Folks like him are dangerous because they automatically trust anyone who reinforces their narrow worldview.
One thing I liked about your books is your several cultural and musical references. One I’d like to ask you about is your mention of the horror author, H.P. Lovecraft. If I recall, I think he set some of his stories in Rhode Island. Could you please tell our readers if Lovecraft and possibly his friend, August Derleth, were influences to your writing, and what stories you especially like or admire that either wrote?
Yep, Lovecraft was a native Rhode Islander—in fact, he was born just blocks from where I’m living now, and is buried only a couple of miles away. It’s pretty cool to read his descriptions of places I walk by every day. There are a lot of little Lovecraft references in my books, and the climax of Apocalypticon really goes into full-on Cthulhu craziness. But my favorite story of his is probably the least flamboyantly nuts: “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” which is like a perfect little Twilight Zone episode. August Derleth I’m not as familiar with, though I must have read stuff by him in my teenage bibliomania. From what I understand, he was sort of like Marlowe to Lovecraft’s Shakespeare.
In this book you introduce a new character, Major Bendis, who gives the convicts a new lease on life, as it were. Where did you get the inspiration for him?
Kasim Bendis is the leader of the mercenaries sent by MoCo to recruit the convicts. Since money is worthless, the Moguls must use other means to persuade people to do their dirty work, and one of the biggest inducements is the promise of property: The Reapers are granted control of all the land they can claim. It’s like an Indian treaty, or the brutal land grab that happened when the Oklahoma Territory was opened to settlers. The game is always rigged in favor of the Moguls. Guys like Bendis exist to ensure the con goes smoothly.
There is a parallel storyline involving mutiny and sabotage aboard the sub. I don’t want to give it away, but the mystery is who, or what, is behind the sabotage. What was the inspiration behind it?
This is one of those things that came to me about halfway through the writing of the book, and just lit up the whole plot. Right there I knew I had something worth reading.
You seem to have a lot of fun inventing grotesque set pieces such as the “Prairie Schooner” and the “Harpy Jukebox.” What is that all about?
It’s the sicko in me. I like designing these things and sketching them out, and it’s an interesting writing challenge describing something that only exists in my own head. Also it’s a way of showing the fundamental difference between Xombies and humans: Xombies are elemental, like stone. You can’t kill a brick, even if you smash it. Since it’s impossible to hurt them, Xombies can be exploited in ways that no living creature could survive.
One of your chapters is titled “Blue Suede.” Rather than being about Elvis Presley, though, it’s mostly about a character called Old Joe Blue who has the condition known as argyria. What is argyria, how does he get it, and why is Old Joe so important to the plot of your novel?
Well, argyria is a real disease, which turns people blue—it’s a rare condition caused by an overdose of silver. Whether Joe Blue actually has argyria is open to question, but he is certainly blue. Without giving away his identity, I’ll just say that he is somebody we’ve heard a lot about, but whose existence has been a subject of intense debate. Kind of like Elvis.
I mentioned before your musical references, such as having chapter titles like “Octupus’s Garden” and “I Am the Walrus.” It got me wondering what happened to the Beatles tribute band from the last book, and if we’ll see them again.
I like those guys, and they will definitely be back. There was just not a lot for them to do in this book, other than provide some comic relief, and I don’t want to waste them on that. This story is complicated enough as it is. But they’re still aboard the sub—just imagine the ghostly sound of their singing in the background.
I was wondering if you have considered naming your next Xombie-related novel (if there’s going to be another) Xombies: Out of the Blue, Into the Black. Whatever title you might choose, do you think you might continue this series, or maybe go in a different direction? Xombies: Apocalypticon is just barely out, but have you begun to write another book yet? What are your future plans?
Nice title! I was thinking Xombies A-Go-Go. There’s definitely going to be at least one more Xombies book, because I’m working on it now. It should come out early next year, along with my non-Xombies thriller Mad Skillz. But I also have ideas for a longer-term storyline that I think would be really fun to explore, so this thing might be going on for awhile. I hope so, because it’s an interesting world to work in. I also have several other books in progress, and a short story in the upcoming zombie anthology, The Living Dead 2.
Finally, what is your favorite beer, if one of your countless fans happened to spring for a pint at your local bar?
Beerwise, I’m partial to Sam Adams in winter and Corona in the summer. And I would never say no to a fan! So if anyone wants to meet me in person (beer or no beer), I’m slated to be at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Thanks, Professor!
Thanks once again to you, Walter Greatshell! Have a fantastic time at the Comic-Con, and whatever you end up calling you next Xombie book, if it’s like the first two, it’s sure to be another excellent read! If you haven’t yet read Greatshell’s work, and you love reading about zombies, check them out for a different take and an old theme!
