Undead Anonymous

Breather (br‘́́ thər) n. 1 one who breathes; a human being; a living person   2 someone who has civil and constitutional rights   3 a tasty, midnight snack

When I first came up with the title Breathers, I was in a bed and breakfast in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, recovering from the fact that I’m a Caucasian male who neglected to apply a strong enough sunscreen.  This was in October of 2003, two years after I’d written the short story “A Zombie’s Lament,” upon which Breathers is based.

At first I wasn’t sure the title would work for the novel.  After all, Breathers is a dark comedy about zombies, not the humans who abuse and subjugate them.  Except for the Breathers who work at the SPCA.  But that’s for another blog…

Problem was, I fell in love with the title.  And although I tried to come up with alternate titles that might work, I couldn’t bring myself to lose it.  So I had to make sure the content of the novel supported the title.  Still, my publisher wanted to add a reading line so that potential readers would know it was a novel about zombies, so we settled on the title of the original story it was based upon.  Which was kind of cool.

Officially, the first draft of the first chapter of Breathers was written on October 3, 2003.  I only know that because I have the journal entry for it.  But that chapter isn’t the first chapter.  It ended up becoming the second chapter.  The opening to the novel originally went:

My name is Andy and I’m a survivor.  At least that’s what I’m supposed to say and think and believe.  But I can’t say it, I don’t think it, and the only thing I believe is that this is worse than anything I could have ever imagined.

I finished the first draft of Breathers in February 2006.  The long lag between start and finish was due in part to my personal life and to the fact that I’m a binge writer.  I don’t write every day.  Which is heresy among a lot of writers.  I used to write every day.  From 1990-2001.  Two hours every morning before work and whatever I could get in at night.  But binge writing works better for me now.

I didn’t start out to write a novel that had any sort of social commentary.  I’ve just always loved zombies and wanted to give them a voice, show what undeath was like from their perspective.  I wanted to create a zombie the reader could sympathize and empathize with, so that if he eventually gave in to his instincts, the reader would still be on his side.

Plus I always wondered if it was necrophilia if you were both dead.

Yes, that is a smile on my face.  And yes, for the past several days it’s been rather permanent.  It’s kind of difficult to stop laughing when the moment you’ve dreamt of for nearly 20 years exceeds your wildest expectations.

Fox Searchlight Pictures Acquires “Breathers”

First of all, the fact that Mason Novick and Diablo Cody are co-producing the film is something I couldn’t have even imagined.  I’m both honored and humbled that they would have the faith to back Breathers on the big screen.

I’m also excited to work with Geoff LaTulippe, who is adapting Breathers and whose breakout screenplay, Going the Distance, is in development with New Line.

Finally, at the Church of Hollywood, my denomination has been Fox ever since I saw Star Wars in 1977.  The theme music for the Fox Searchlight intro still gives me the chills every time I see one of their films.

I wonder if I can get that as a ringtone…

Have I mentioned that I really dig my publishing team at Random House?

First there’s my editor, Laura Swerdloff, whose insights and suggestions tightened the manuscript and improved it in ways I couldn’t have managed without her.

Then there’s my publicist, Ellen Folan, who has been contacting independent bookstores in San Francisco and southern California to set up readings and signings and who has helped me to navigate the promotional journey.
 

Finally there’s Julie Sills, my marketing manager, who helped to coordinate the Necrobufrin videos and who has been working tirelessly to come up with ways to promote Breathers on the Internet. One of the most recent ideas was a widget where you can read Chapter 1 of Breathers on-line in its published format.

Get your own – Open publication

It’s pretty cool.  Or maybe I’m just enjoying this too much.

Thanks to everyone who helped to spread the word about Breathers in your blogs and on your profile pages.  While I’d like to be able to give an ARC to everyone, I only have a couple left and I promised one of them to my mom.

So without further delay, the winners by random generated drawing are:

Liviana, who wins the signed ARC of Breathers, and Dave Kasama and Erin Van Schaack, who both win a mass market paperback of their choice.

Thanks again for playing!

I just recevied my first official review from Kirkus Reviews, which is slated to appear in their January 15, 2009 issue.  I have to say, it’s a good way to start off the New Year:

BREATHERS: A Zombie’s Lament

The dead shall walk the earth, and they’re hungry for…love?

Debut novelist Browne branches out from his mostly horror-related short stories and delivers a rousing entry in the Rom-Zom-Com genre.

Based on his short story “A Zombie’s Lament,” Browne’s mortality tale begins rather grimly but almost immediately picks up speed and humor to evolve into a terrific comedy about the perils and joys of life beyond death.

Browne’s hero is Andy Warner, who survived, so to speak, the car crash that killed his wife but lost his vocal chords along with his life. Reduced to a pathetic existence consisting mostly of downing his father’s wine collection, suffering Glade spray-downs from his mother and attending the occasional Undead Anonymous meeting, old Andy is in pretty wretched shape.

His afterlife takes a turn for the better when he meets Rita, a pale but lovely girl who slit her own throat, and Ray, a feisty undead hunter.  Before long, Andy is fighting against zombie discrimination, mutilation and other forms of abuse by those unenlightened “breathers”:

“After all, what do I have to lose by standing up for myself? If being a rotting corpse with no rights and no future isn’t the worst thing that can happen to me, it can’t be that much further to rock bottom.”

The book has its share of gruesomeness, but it also offers astute observations on the world in which we live.

A zombie comedy with brains.