Hugh Howey

Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.

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Arrrhrg! Bleeaahhrg!!

Check the word-count, yo. Spooky how that works out. Aimed for 60,000, got close enough that the counter considers it 100%, anyway.

I, ZOMBIE is in the body bag, all writhing around in there. It’s less shitty than I expected. In fact, I fear a few of you sickos will enjoy it as much as I do.

I’ll say this: I, ZOMBIE has been the most challenging thing I’ve ever written. It was crafted during a period of great change in my life as Amber and I moved to another state and I began dealing with more and more business-type demands. There were two trips to NY, a vacation we’d planned months and months ago, a week at my family reunion, and all the nonsense that comes from a new house that needs lots of work.

More challenging than any of that, perhaps, was the nature of the book itself. There’s very little dialogue in I, ZOMBIE, which I feel is one of my strengths, something that really helps the word count soar. And I’m writing a perspective that hasn’t been done much if at all. Telling a story where characters can’t share and scheme posed unique problems. I don’t want to be premature, but I really feel like I cleared more hurdles in completing this story than anyone will fully know.

As for release date, we’re trying something brand new with this puppy. Unprecedented, really. I can’t divulge what that is just yet, but I can say that the book will be available August 20th and that it won’t be serialized or doled out. On that day, you’ll be able to get your grubby paws on the entire thing and read in a weekend what it took me three brutal months to create.

14 replies to “Arrrhrg! Bleeaahhrg!!”

Congrats!! Sounds like you had your work cut out for you on this one! And I can’t wait to get my grubby paws on it!! (or get it on my grubby Kindle??) ;) I’m a zombie story fiend, so I’m really looking forward to something fresh and different! And I gotta say that I LUV the Wool series, and have converted several of my co-workers into Hugh Howey fans very quickly by suggesting it to them. Keep those awesome stories coming and thanks for this update!! :)

Marie~

“On that day, you’ll be able to get your grubby paws on the entire thing and read in a weekend what it took me three brutal months to create.”

I almost feel like we’re cheating when we can consume something in a few days that you toiled over long enough that it got under your skin and became a part of your core being. Especially with a zombie book, it doesn’t feel right if we aren’t suffering at least a little. Can you possibly get the binders to make super-sharp pages so we get a paper cut with each page-turn?

I am really excited to see how you and amazon are going to release this bird. And then once it is free, seeing how quickly it and how high it will soar out over us.

Also, at the end of that weekend it would be cool to have a Google hangout or something where we could chat with you about the book!

I’m a recent convert as a result of a rave review on boingboing of “The Plagiarist”. Now reading Wool4. When I saw the title of your next book my first thought was of the DC Comic of the same name – but when i looked it up i found that they originally solicited as “I, Zombie”, but then changed it to “iZOMBIE”. Did that have anything to do with you?

That you could write any book at all with the insane schedule and conflicting demands on your time is pretty amazing. You should be very proud of this book.

I promise not to read it all in one weekend. I can stretch it to 3 days. I’ve got knitting in progress :)

Hugh, did you get a chance to check out my zombie story that I posted on the share your work part of the forum? I wonder how close our ideas are? Mine is pretty out there.

I would argue that your greatest strength is finding creative and brilliant ways to describe your character’s perceptions of their surroundings. If I had a book in front of me I’d give a quote, but something along the lines of “the sky was … and reminded him of…”

Can’t wait…except can’t you release on like the 17th?!!! Go back to work on the 20th and will have 0 time to read for awhile(only half kidding…)

Argh. I’m going on holiday for the next 2 weeks and so desperately wanted this to read during that time. Oh well. I’ll have to survive the Bohemian countryside without zombies. Drat.

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