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THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE by MAX BROOKS

TABLE OF CONTENTS “He comes from the grave, his body a home of worms and filth. No life in his eyes,

INTRODUCTION

WEAPONS AND COMBAT

ON THE DEFENSE

ON THE RUN

no warmth of his skin, no beating of his breast. His soul, as empty and dark as the night sky. He laughs at the blade, spits at the arrow, for they will not arm his flesh. For eternity, he will walk the earth, smelling the sweet blood of the living, feasting upon the bones of the damned. Beware, for he is the living dead. —Obscure Hindu Text 1000 B.C.E

ON THE ATTACK

124

HOLLYWOOD ZOMBIE

182

ZOMBIE VIRUS SYMPTOMS Hour 1: Pain and discoloration of the infected area

INTRODUCTION What is a zombie? How are they created?

Hour 5: Fever (99 – 103°), chills, slight dementia, vomiting, acute pain in joints

What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their needs, their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before desisting any survival techniques, you must first

CAUTIO

learn what you are trying to survive.

We must begin by separating fact

from fiction. The walking dead are neither a work of “black magic” nor any other su-

Hour 8: Numbing of infected area, increased fever (103 – 106°), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination Hour 11: Paralysis in the lower body, overall numbing, slowed heart rate

pernatural force. Their origin stems from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used

Hour 16: Coma

by Jan Vanderhaven, who first discovered the disease.

Solanum works by traveling through

the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain. Through means not yet fully understood, the virus uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily

Hour 20: Heart stoppage, Zero brain activity Hour 23: Reincarnation

6 // 7

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON 1. Obey the Law 2. Train Constantly 3. Care for your Tools 4. Beware Display Items 5. Develop the First Weapon

CLOSE COMBAT SLINGS & STRING FIRE ARMS

MISC.

8 // 9

The best bludgeon is a steel crowbar.

Its relatively lightweight and durable conHand to hand combat should always be avoided. Given a zombieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of speed, it is much easier to run than stand and fight.

BLUDGEONS When using a blunt weapon, th goal is to crush the brain (remember, the only way to

What they lack is the weight and strength for a lethal strike. A section of lead pipe will work for a single encounter but is too heavy

kill a zombie is by destroying the brain). This

for those on the move. A sledgehammer has

is not as easy as it sounds. The human skull

the same drawback and requires practice for

is one of the hardest, most durable surfaces

its user to hit a moving target. Aluminum

in nature. So, of course, is the zombieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Ex-

bats are light enough to work for one, may-

treme force is needed to fracture, let alone

be two fights, but are known to bend after

shatter it. However, this must be done, and

prolonged use. The standard, one-handed

done with a single, well-placed blow. Miss-

carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hammer has striking power but

ing your target or failing to breach the bone

severely limited reach. Its short handle al-

will leave you with no second chance.

lows a zombie to grab your arm and pull it

Sticks, axe handles, and other wooden

in. The police baton, made of acetate plastic,

clubs are good for knocking a zombie out of

is strong enough for any battle but lacks the

the way or beating off an individual attack.

lethal power for a one-blow kill.

struction makes it ideal for prolonged close combat. Its curved, semi-sharpened edge also allows for a stabbing motion through the eye socket, directly into the brain case. More than one survivor has reported killing zombies in this manner. Another benefit of the crowbar is that it may be necessary to pry open a door, shift a heavy object, or perform other tasks for which it was originally designed. None of these functions can be accomplished with any of the previously mentioned items.

EDGED WEAPONS Blades, in any form, have advantages and disadvantages over bludgeons. Those that have enough strength to split the skull rarely stand up after many repetitions. For this reason, slicing, particularly decapitation, serves almost the same function as a head blow.

NOTE: The severed head of a zombie is still able to bite and must be regarded as a threat. The advantage of slicing over bludgeoning is that it can make killing a zombie unnecessary. In some cases, simply chopping off a limb or severing the spine is enough to disable the undead. But in most cases, the zombie will continue chasing while sustaining the injury, so a blow to the head is ideal. The advantage of slicing over bludgeoning is that it can make killing a zombie unnecessary. In some cases, simply chopping off

SURVIVAL TIP #1

USE YOUR HEAD CUT OFF THEIRS

9 // 10

CEREBRAL NEUTRALIZATION

The ONLY known method of terminating a zombie, either by cranial penetration or blunt force trauma

FIREARMS

nism allows a storm of lead to be discharged

Of all the weapons discussed in this book,

in seconds. These tactics may be invaluable

nothing is more important than your pri-

on the human battlefield but are a feckless

mary firearm. Keep it cleaned, keep it

waste against the living dead. Remember,

oiled, keep it loaded, keep it close. With a

you are going for a head shot: one bullet,

cool head, steady hand, and plenty of am-

precisely placed. As the machine gun is

munition, one human is more than a match

designed for saturation fire, it may take

for an army of zombies.

hundreds, even thousands of rounds for

Choosing a firearm must be an exact

one, randomly lethal shot. Even aiming the

science, with every variable considered.

machine gun as a rifle (a tactic used by U.S.

Different firearms serve different functions.

special forces) is a losing proposition. Why

Almost none serve all. Selecting the perfect

hit a zombie with a well-aimed fire-fround

tool means dispelling conventional doctrines

burst when one well-aimed rifle shot produc-

of warfare that have worked so well against

es the same result? In the 1970s, one school

our fellow humans. Sadly, we know all too

of thought favored the Scythe Theory: if a

well how to kill each other. Killing zombiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;

machine gun is placed at the head level of

thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another story.

an undead crowd, it could mow them down

THE HEAVY MACHINE GUN

with a single, long burst. This argument has

Since World War I, this invention has

been debunked ghouls, like the humans they

revolutionized human conflict. Its mecha-

used to be, are not all the same height. Even

CENTER MASS For stopping or slowing down target ONLY when distance does not permit a headshot.

LOWER EXTREMITIES For stopping or slowing down target ONLY when distance does not permit a headshot.

RANGE VS ACCURACY Studies have shown that given the trauma of battle, the closer a human is to a zombie, the wilder his shooting will be. When practicing with your firearm(s). establish a maximum range for repeated accuracy. Practice against moving targets in ideal (steer-free) conditions. Once that range is fixed, divide it by half. This will be your effective kill zone during an actual attack. Make sure the undead do not move closer than this zone, as your accuracy will erode. If engaging a group, make sure to hit those that enter the zone first before dispatching the others.

14 // 15

“We opened up at seventy, maybe eighty meters. I could see chunks of flesh blasting off their bodies. Our rounds were hitting their mark! They kept coming. I sighted one and let go a full bust from my BXP. I know I snapped his spine, because the man dropped like a leaf. Legs still twitching, he kept crawling after me! Finally, at five Complete incineration is the BEST way to destroy a zombie once and for all. Burning eliminates not only the body but all traces of Solanum, the zombie virus.

meters, we used the last bit of fuel in the flamethrower! The sons of bitches lit up like torches but just wouldn’t stop! One of them grabbed [Name Withheld], setting him on fire as it bit through his neck. I saw the rest of those things surround him as we took off for the jungle. Goddamn the devil’s mother, what the hell were we supposed to do?!”

BE CREATIVE WITH YOUR RESOURCES Explosives Fire Molotov Cocktails Dousing Blowtorch

Flamethrower Acid Poison Biological Warfare Electrocution

Radiation Genetic Warfare Nanotherapy Armor Plate Mail

Chain Mail Shark Suit Helmets Bulletproof Vests Kevlar Covers

—Serbian Mercenary during the Zairian Civil War, 1994

Flesh–human, undead, or otherwise–takes

Fire itself has no loyalty. Consider the flam-

a long time to burn. In the minutes or hours

mable nature of your surroundings, the

before a blazing zombie succumbs, it will

Chance of smote inhalation, the possibility

become a walking–or to be perfectly accu-

that a blaze will act as a beacon for other

rate, a shambling–torch. Several cases have

zombies. All these factors must be consid-

been recorded in which burning ghouls

ered before such a powerful and unpredict-

have done more damage, even caused more

able weapon is unleashed. For this reason,

deaths, than they would have with only

fire is mainly considered an attack or flight

their fingernails and teeth.

weapon, and rarely used for static defense.

28 // 29

PROTECT YOUR FORTRESS 1. Preperation: The Home 2. Preperation: Supplies 3. Surviving an Attack 4. Immediate Defense

Strageties for single and double story houses:

Lock everything Run bathtub Find weapons Stockpile supplies Demolish Staircase

Stay out of sight Keep Quiet Do not use phones Plan another escape Get to high gound

SURVIVAL TIP #2

GET UP THE STAIRCASE THEN DESTROY IT

182 // 183

SHAMBLER STATISTICS SPEED Low

THE HOLLYWOOD ZOMBIE Ask someone what they think of when

it for their zombie mythos. Zombies

they hear the word zombie, and they

did not spring straight from Romero’s

will probably describe a scene from

head, though. Where did these gory

Romero’s Night of the Living Dead,

creatures come from?

where a rotten corpse walks with

arms outstretched, looking for hu-

duced to mainstream western culture

man victims to gnosh on. Most mod-

in 1929 when W. B. Seabrook wrote

ern zombie movies are some variation

The Magic Island, detailing his obser-

on this theme. The ways in which the

vations of life in Haiti, including the

zombies are made are quite varied, but

practice of voodoo. Zombies are part

the living dead almost always have

of the voodoo religion, although only

some common traits: they’re rotten,

of a small subsect, referred to as the

they don’t talk much, and they have an

“cult of the dead.” The practitioners of

insatiable need to attack people, more

mainstream voodoo typically wanted

often than not with a snack in mind.

nothing to do with these necroman-

Most zombie movies that are post-

cers, according to Seabrook. Neverthe-

Night of the Living Dead borrow from

less, in the decades to come, in west

The idea of zombies was intro-

INTELLEGENCE Low TRACKING TECHNIQUE Sound EXAMPLES Night of the Living Dead Re-Animator Shaun of the Dead Zombieland Walking Dead

SHAMBLER

184 // 185

STATISTICS SPEED Slow INTELLEGENCE Low TRACKING TECHNIQUE None EXAMPLES White Zombies Revolt the Zombie King of the Zombies I Walked with a Zombie

VOODOO

culture the ideas of voodoo and zom-

“The unburied dead have been return-

bies became inextricably intertwined.

ing to life and seeking human victims.

The release of this book inspired a

It’s hard for us here to be reporting this

movie in the burgeoning film industry,

to you, but it does seem to be a fact...” —”Night of the Living Dead” 1968

White Zombie. In it, a young couple stopping off in Haiti to get married fall victim to “Murder” Legendre, a voo-

CRAWLER While most zombies move in a noticeably slow and strained manner, Runners have little to no deterioration of motor functions. Runners are able to sprint as fast as the

doo practitioner played by Bela Lugo-

zombies took their place on the silver

si. The zombies in this film are fairly

screen. A few more zombie films came

close to Seabrook’s portrayal: they are

out in the 1930s. The makers of White

mindless slaves being used as cheap

Zombie came out with an atrocious

labor. They need to be taken from the

sequel, Revolt of the Zombies, where

grave almost immediately after being

those who became zombies didn’t

buried; if they have started to rot, they

even appear to die, they were just

are no good. Seabrook’s zombies won’t

hypnotized slaves.

attack you, either. Without a master,

these zombies remain motionless.

between voodoo and science through

Although not as popular as the

the next decade or so, as various evil-

more dashing Dracula or the more

doers used their undead slaves toward

physically impressive Frankenstein,

terrible goals. In 1968, George Romero

Zombie movies continued to flit

186 // 187 STATISTICS SPEED Fast INTELLEGENCE Medium TRACKING TECHNIQUE Sight Smell EXAMPLES 28 Days Later Resident Evil I Am Legend World War Z

took zombie films to the next logical

video game), with its amnesiac zom-

step. What if the zombies didn’t have

bie-killer, Alice.

a master? What if they just got up and

started attacking people on their own?

hold no blame here. It’s just us — our

And if science could make zombies on

own ignorance, our own greed, our own

purpose, why couldn’t something hap-

fear, our own illogical anger. And it’s

pen to make them accidentally?

been us all along. We’re the ones who

But gruesomely comic or grimly

poison our world, our societies. And

serious, living or undead, it’s really all

we’re the ones who turn on each oth-

George Romero’s world now. We just

er when we do, until we finally retreat

stagger through it, as yet another mys-

behind our little fortresses, guns in our

terious virus is released, yet another

sweaty hands, waiting, waiting...

For ancient rites and magic charms

hungry horde brings on the apocalypse.

By now, the monsters, and their

media, are even feeding on each other.

RUNNERS

There is the hit “The Walking Dead” TV series (based on a comic book) in which “biters” are gobbling up civilization. There is the apparently endless “Resident Evil” franchise (based on a

We have met the enemy...

And we’re their lunch.

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THE HOLLYWOOD ZOMBIE TIMELINE 2010

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WHITE ZOMBIES

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

RE-ANIMATOR

28 DAYS LATER

RESIDENT EVIL

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

ZOMBIELAND

THE WALKING DEAD

On arrival in Haiti, Madeleine Short reunites with her fiancé Neil Parker On the way to their lodging, the couple’s coach passes Murder Legendre, an evil voodoo master. Neil and Madeleine arrive at the home of the wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont. Charles’ love of Madeleine prompts him to meet Murder secretly in Murder’s sugar cane mill, operated entirely by zombies. Charles wants to convince Madeleine to marry him and solicits Murder’s supernatural assistance. Murder states that the only way to help Charles is to transform Madeleine into a zombie with a potion.

Barbra and Johnny drive to rural Pennsylvania for an annual visit to their father’s grave. Noticing Barbra’s discomfort, Johnny teases, “They’re coming to get you, Barbra”, before she is attacked by a strange man. Johnny tries to rescue his sister, but falls and bashes his head on a gravestone, killing himself. Barbra flees by car but almost instantly crashes into a tree. With the man in pursuit, she starts running, which includes the de rigueur stumble-and-fall and the loss of her shoes. She arrives at a farmhouse where, to her horror, she discovers a woman’s mangled corpse.

At University of Zurich Institute of Medicine, Herbert West brings his dead professor, Dr. Hans Gruber, back to life. There are horrific side-effects, however; as West explains, the dosage was too large. When accused of murder, West exclaims, “I gave him life!” West arrives at Miskatonic University in New England in order to further his studies. He rents a room from medical student Dan Cain and converts the building’s basement into his own personal laboratory. There is an instant animosity between West and faculty member Dr. Carl Hill. West declares that Hill stole the theory of brain death from Dr. Gruber.

In Cambridge, animal liberation activists break into a medical research laboratory with the intent of freeing captive chimpanzees. They are interrupted by a scientist who desperately warns that the chimps are infected with Rage, a highly contagious virus that is spread through bites. Ignoring the scientist, the activists release the chimpanzees. One of the chimps attacks an activist and immediately infects her, leading her to infect everyone else present, including the scientist. 28 days later, a bicycle courier named Jim awakens from a coma in St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

The Umbrella Corporation operates a top-secret genetic research facility named The Hive. Located deep beneath Raccoon City, The Hive has been sealed by The Red Queen due to the release of the T-Virus into the facility. The Red Queen kills every living thing in the facility to ensure the T-Virus doesn’t reach the surface, but the T-Virus reanimates them, transforming the humans into ravenous zombies and the animals into highly aggressive mutants. Alice was once a security operative working for the Corporation until her memory was wiped by the Red Queen’s nerve gas.

After a miserable day at work, an upraising of zombies has overwhelmed the town, but Shaun is too busy with his hangover to notice. He and Ed discover a female zombie they believe to just be a drunk girl until they hear about the outbreak on the tele. First fighting back with random objects and Shaun’s records, Shaun and Ed arm themselves with a cricket bat and a shovel after breaking into locked shed. They kill the two zombies in the yard and by a process of elimination decide that the safest place they know is the Winchester Shaun and Ed continue their adventure to the bar.

Two months have passed since a mutated strainof mad cow disease mutated into “mad person disease” that became “mad zombie disease” which overran the entire United States population, turning American people into vicious zombies. Unaffected college student “Columbus” is making his way from his college dorm in Austin, Texas to Columbus, Ohio to see whether his parents are still alive. He encounters “Tallahassee,” another survivor who is particularly violent in killing zombies. Though he does not appear to be sociable, Tallahassee reluctantly allows Columbus to travel with him.

Rick Grimes is a former Sheriff’s deputy who has been in a coma for several months after being shot while on duty. When he wakes, he discovers that the world has been taken over by zombies, and that he seems to be the only person still alive. After returning home to discover his wife and son missing, he heads for Atlanta to search for his family. Narrowly escaping death at the hands of the zombies on arrival in Atlanta, he is aided by another survivor Glenn who takes Rick to a camp outside the town. here Rick finds his wife Lori and son Carl, along with his partner Shane and a group of survivors.