Guest Post: GG Silverman #WinterofZombie
Zombies and Comedy: Bringing Horror to a Wider Audience
Sometimes, if I’m at a cocktail party and chatting with someone I just met, the topic will eventually turn to what shows we’re all watching or what we’re all reading. If I tell someone I’ve been watching The Walking Dead, sometimes the other will shudder visibly and say, “I don’t do zombies.”
“Why?” I’ll say.
The response is invariably something along the lines of, “Zombies give me nightmares.”
The response is invariably something along the lines of, “Zombies give me nightmares.”
Then the topic turns to what we do for a living, or what we love doing in our free time. That’s when I tell people that I’m a horror writer, that I’m writing zombie books that are also funny.
They’ll raise an eyebrow. Then someone else will chime in and vouch for me, saying that they, too, aren’t into zombies at all, but had a laugh reading my book and would recommend it to others. And maybe they’re now into comedic horror, and my book was the gateway drug. Score!
A few weeks later I might run into the person I was chatting with, or I might hear from them online. They’ll say that, yes, even though zombies traditionally give them screaming night terrors, they read my book and enjoyed it like crazy. They might even go so far as to leave me a glowing review online saying the very same thing.
So, what am I trying to tell you, fellow writers?
Adding an element of comedy could be a great way to broaden your audience. Think of it this way: so many of your friends have seen Shaun of the Dead, but how many of your friends have seen 28 Days Later?
Right. Now you know what I’m getting at.
Funny makes horror better.
G.G. Silverman is an award-winning author who lives just north of Seattle. Her first book,Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress, is a comedic feminist YA zombie novel. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local bookstore through IndieBound.org
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The stench of frozen flesh is in the air! Welcome to the Winter of Zombie Blog Tour 2015, with 40+ of the best zombie authors spreading the disease in the month of November.
Stop by the event page on Facebook so you don’t miss an interview, guest post or teaser…and pick up some great swag as well!
Giveaways galore from most of the authors as well as interaction with them!
#WinterofZombie is the hashtag for Twitter, too!
