Writing book on how to survive the Zombies and I need ideas.

reply to post by SpaDe_


everyone says shotguns, but i'm not so sure they're a good idea against zombies. assuming they're carrying some kind of virus or bacteria, the splatter caused by a shotgun at close range could cause you to become infected. the only way to put zombies down is to either cause enough damage to their bodies so that they can't function, or blow their brain up. shotguns would accomplish this well, but i think it would be unsafe at close range.

Originally posted by Ariele
Do you believe in zombies? If you don't - why would you put your time and effort in writing a book about it?

Often the point isn't so much that we believe zombies are real its often just a way to make survival techniques more interesting to read and write about. Horror has a lot of fans and you can tap that fan base to get a perfectly reasonable preparedness message out to people who might never consider reading one based around more mundane things.

depends on the type of zombies, you got the clasic slow moving dumb as sh*t kind, or the 28 days later never stop running at ya kind.

anyways, i love zombie movies and the number one rule i always think of is, if you are going to lock yourself in one room make it the attic and not the basement. zombies will keep pounding on the door and get into the basement eventualy but they cant climb the ladder into the attic, they not too smart.

also you would need some way of getting supplies (food, medical supplies, fuel, weapons, ammo) so a beefed up 4x4, a few fast survivers and some firepower would be a good idea.

reply to post by Bob Sholtz


Agreed.

Something like a shotgun would be more - and of course just pure speculation here - used as a 'last ditch' secondary or tertiary firearm...you've still got to be reasonably close up to any target for the average shotgun to be effective (other than using solids etc)...in comparison to say a rifle or even a sidearm anyway...

A shotgun would be more for the 'oh crap! fire madly and clear a path AWAY from them' type situations...

I will ask Brad Pitt when I see him in Glasgow next

Not my idea, but I remember some dude posted in a zombie apocalypse thread and he had a great idea: a sharksuit. It's genius! Because zombies would have to bite you to infect you, so if that thing can stop a sharks bite it can sure as hell stop a zombies bite.

So I would wear a sharksuit, and on top of that knights armor to be 100% sure that no zombies will bite and infect me: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8270a8e77efc.jpg[/atsimg]

If I could pick any weapons to use in a zombie apocalypse, let's see here....

A minigun:

A McBros .95 Caliber Rifle: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/663e51c56eb6.jpg[/atsimg] Hopefully if there is a mob of zombies heading my way, I just aim right about neck level with this big thing and the huge bullet will take out multiple zombies with one shot.

A tank, which would keep me encased and safe from zombies, and also would allow me to take dozens out at a time: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9c53b8447362.jpg[/atsimg]

A steamroller somehow modified to have the seat shielded by bulletproof glass, keeping me safe from any sneaky zombies that try to flank me. This would allow me to cruise around and squish packs of zombies: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a21c3ca678cb.jpg[/atsimg] (Imagine that's bulletproof glass and you have a good idea)

The Krupp Bagger 288, with turrets mounted to have a 360* field of view, as well as greased with oil or something slippery to ensure that zombies can't climb up it. Also, the big saw used for trenching would be lowered to just about ground level and rotate around like a massive chainsaw: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/da6c162875d2.jpg[/atsimg]

A minefield around my fortification, which would most likely be a castle with very tall walls that no zombies could climb up: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0a8ffa84767e.jpg[/atsimg] Rather than your run of the mill moat, I would somehow have a moat filled with either lava or molten steel to ensure that no zombies could make it across.

A bomber, preferibly a B2 due to it's flat surface, which would be covered in solar panels. This would allow me to stay in the air for long amounts of time, and I could use my fuel during night-time when the sun goes down: [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/29a4eccea14b.jpg[/atsimg] I would have an airport on an island where I could go to re-fuel and re-up on bombs which would be either devoid of zombies or protected from zombies by electrified fences or extremely tall walls.

And most importantly: ear protection to make sure I don't go deaf from all of that firepower.

Step 1 deside on the type of zombie you are using, from brain dead to intelligentish, from fast to slow, from mutating, etc. Step 2 figure out how the it spreads. Step 3 figure out what weapons would work best against the type of zombie selected. Step 4 figure out how to survive a regular SHTF situation, then add zombies to the mix. Step 5 talk about fortifications and armour and etc. Step 6 discuss getting food and how it affects animals (can dogs become zombies or not). Step 7 write book, don't be to serious. Also, be different from the Zombie Survival Guide mentioned above, which is a fun read.

Giant pea plants that shoot giant peas would be effective defence against the zombies.

I just got done watching Zombieland for the 37th time...but who's counting? I'm not sure how to top that one, it's the perfect combination of funny, smartass, rambuntious scary rollercoaster fun. You could always put a twist on the zombies themselves and give them some trait that is different, that's set apart from typical zombies. Maybe make them have a little bit more speed, or break the tradition that only a shot to the head can kill them. Maybe a mutant zombie?? Hmm...so fun, isn't it?

This is a little known fact that I'm willing to share. Rh negative blood type tissue cannot be cloned, it's a genetic thing. Therefor comes an interesting concept. Zombies being reanimated dead flesh, could it be possible that only Rh positive people could be zombies and could the cure lie in Rh negative blood. Lots of luck

Originally posted by Nikola014
reply to post by therealwolf90

 

Please don't.

No one is going to read that.

Your wrong. People actually DID read a book of the exact same subject matter. Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide.

reply to post by Waratah


There is no such thing as zombie proof, only zombie resistant

reply to post by fishhooks


Well if that isn't a terrible idea I don't know what is. An AA12 is big, heavy, has ammunition that is big, and heavy. There is no reason to use fully automatic fire on a zombie. One well placed head shot is all it takes, anymore is useless and wasteful.

I don't know why people always have these overkill ideas with zombies. They aren't superman. They are rotting flesh with little intelligence shambling around. Just be calm, patient, smart, and use a .22, or any regular assault rifle out there. No reason to get too crazy.

To the OP,

I like the idea, obviously, but unless you are an extremely talented writer, your book will just look like a ripoff of Brooks' work. Or you could approach the issue from a whole different perspective, as someone else mentioned.

Go somewhere real freaking cold, so by time the zombies try and attack you they die of hypothermia. Unless they get smart and start driving cars or bundling up with a scarf and ear muffs, then your screwed.

Funny thread.

and funny OP. surely if you were going to write a book, you would know what you were going to write about. Hardly your work if you are stealing other peoples ideas.

Originally posted by Laxpla
Go somewhere real freaking cold, so by time the zombies try and attack you they die of hypothermia. Unless they get smart and start driving cars or bundling up with a scarf and ear muffs, then your screwed.

Good point...never seen a zombie movie set in Alaska or say, even Minnesota? Heck, I can barely survive here in January and I'm not a zombie, though I've been so freakin' cold I've felt like one... Can barely catch your breath and it's so cold it hurts. That's not a bad idea really....Alaska, Antartic zombies? I think it's new and different? Snow zombies? Could put the whole Eskimo culture into it, with the sled dogs (Huskies, Malamutes) and something to do with ice? Hmmm.....maybe the sled dogs could bark to warn off zombies, sort of like the German Shepards in the Terminator. Can you tell I love a good zombie movie?

I'm going to go ahead and write your book for you:

1) Locate and breach the nearest genetic engineering lab in your location.

2) Use previously rescued genetic scientist (or rescue one at this time) to.....

(here's how frackin' brilliant I am )

3) Hybridize human brain tissue into flies!

The zombies (who are naturally surrounded by flies, cause they're dead flesh) would be completely confused because they would smell human brain in 360°.

4) Drive through the countryside (or city, as your plot dictates) casually running down, clubbing, axing, shooting and exploding all the zombies who at this point are just turning around in slow and uncoordinated circles.

AND THE BEST PART? Your sequel is already set up. Zombie nuisance eradicated...But now the flies are taking over!


AAAAAaaaarrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!

Looks like you may need to put down in the weaponry area a design for a nuclear shotgun with visor connected to it for aiming! You could also use a hover tank with guns under it where the hover things so the zombies can get you. Unless they somehow steal an airplane and parachute onto your hover tank. Then you're screwed because they will.... have invisible shields. Huh. I guess you're not screwed. YAY

OOH!!! I almost forgot! What if the zombies required a head shot to kill and their head chopped off to prevent coming back to life? Make sure to write that down!!!!!!!

This is kind of a waste of time. There are a number of "zombie survival" books already on the market. Even children's books on the subject.

And given that a human zombie outbreak has never occurred in recorded history, absolutely everything in the book would be hypothesis and speculation. If you find yourself transported into a Romero movie, the book might be helpful. Otherwise, it's useless. Most likely very few people would buy it given the ones that came before you.

I would recommend that you find another topic to base your book around.