Zombie Q&A—Andy Kumpon (Seeds of the Dead)
“If zombies eat everything around them, why are some as skinny as a beanpole?”
The Mexican-American author talks about combining survival horror, gallows humor, action, and suspense; reveals what inspired his unique take on the zombie genre; and shares his zombie movie influences.
Author and filmmaker Andy Kumpon is a big fan of old Godzilla movies, Star Wars, and the films of John Carpenter. His latest novel is Seeds of the Dead: When his evil superiors create a new strain of genetically modified food (GMO) that transforms ordinary people into ravenous, bloodthirsty zombies, a disillusioned scientist turns whistle-blower and becomes their next target.
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01 What’s your unique spin on zombie fiction?
My unique spin is Genetically Modified Zombies or GMZ. I’ve applied the GMO/Monsanto angle as the antagonistic villains and the origin of the zombie virus through food, and I’m using the scientist as the whistleblower protagonist. As far I know, though I could be mistaken, that particular twist has never been used.
And the zombies, well, they are not your typical undead creepozoids. They have certain biological constructs after mutation and reanimation that make them distinct from other popular zombie fiction on the market today. At least divergent enough to maybe make some zombie fans appreciate that at least we tried to do something different.
02 What inspired you to go in this direction?
Well, mostly just a desire not to rinse and repeat the same old plot over and over again. Now, don’t get me wrong—those stories work and work well when the right person is creating that world-building scenario and characters.
For me, not so much, because I would probably just be regurgitating the same great zombie fiction/films that I’m already a fan of without adding anything new. I’ll leave that to writers who are much more talented than myself.
Besides, I just think an agrochemical and biotechnology corporation is such a great villain. And genetically modified food is already a very controversial topic, especially in this hypersensitive day and age. Are they really being used to benefit humankind? Or, is there something more nefarious behind their existence and widespread use? Inquiring minds want to know, right?
03 When and how did you first become interested in zombie stories? (Childhood reading, movies, what?)
Well, most definitely from movies, and I would say the big two for me are Day of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead. Though drastically different from one another, they are two incredible examples of zombie narratives with a completely different tone and execution, yet both are incredibly entertaining films.
And both came out in the same year, too. Kind of weird, huh? Like American Werewolf in London and The Howling, arguably two of the best werewolf movies ever, and they were both made just months apart.
04 What are your “zombie story” pet peeves?
I have just one, and I address that in Seeds of the Dead, that being: if zombies eat, and eat all the time and everything around them, why are some as skinny as a beanpole? Wouldn’t they be bloated? I mean, how can something dead have a working metabolism and a functioning intestinal track? Just food for thought, pun intended.
05 What do YOU look for in a good zombie story?
Just great, believable characters, whether it be a zombie comedy, zombie drama, zombie action book or film, or a combination of all of the above. If you have great characters, you’ll have an awesome zombie story. At least in my opinion.
Seeds of the Dead Book Promo Video
Horror and comedy both make us jump—which is why these elements work together so well together. Looking at books from authors like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Tanya Huff, Kelley Armstrong, John Scalzi, Diana Rowland, and Kevin J. Anderson, plus many authors you should meet.