Is It Necrophilia If You’re Both Dead?
S. G. Browne here, founder of Undead Anonymous and author of Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament – a dark comedy about undeath through the eyes of an ordinary zombie named Andy Warner. Andy would have been here to welcome you himself, but he’s currently undergoing his weekly formaldehyde treatment, which helps to slow down the process of decomposition.
Andy will appear frequently here, providing some insight into the struggles of being a zombie in a world ruled by the living. Also known as Breathers. He’ll also provide occasional words of wisdom on his dry erase board, which he has to use to communicate since his vocal cords were damaged in the accident. Occasionally, I’ll chime in with my own insights and updates. You’ll also hear from several of Andy’s friends, who are members of Undead Anonymous – the support group which Andy attends to help him deal with his new existence.
The basic premise behind Breathers is a question I asked myself when I originally sat down to write a short story about zombies:
Is it necrophilia if you’re both dead?
More to the point, I wondered what it would be like to reanimate from the dead into a society where you had no rights, no hope, and got carted off by Animal Control whenever you stayed out after curfew.
While I realize a significant proportion of zombie film and literature focuses on the undead as antagonists, there is a growing community of zombie sympathizers, so I hope you’ll appreciate the viewpoint presented here, with the zombie as hero.
