Zombie Research Society
George A. Romero has left much to the world; perhaps most notable is his genre-defining cult classic Night of the Living Dead, which was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1999, and recently honored with a wonderful new restoration by The Criterion Collection earlier this month. However, zombie fans may be surprised to learn that our friend, and former Zombie Research Society Advisory Board member, still has one final tale to tell.
Apparently Romero had been working on an unfinished manuscript for more than a decade. And judging by the brief synopsis provided in a recent interview with author Daniel Kraus, this upcoming novel appears to expand on the short story “John Doe” which was published earlier this year as part of the anthology series Nights of the Living Dead from St. Martin’s Press.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Kraus signed with Tor Books to complete the project, currently titled The Living Dead, which is scheduled for release sometime next year. Despite the unfinished state of the manuscript, Krause seems genuinely excited to work on the upcoming novel; and is making a great effort to gain insight into Romero’s original vision.
I’m studying his favorite movies, watching his favorite operas, listening to his favorite music, all in an attempt to find in them the inspirations he might have found. I’m taking thematic and structural cues from these works and working them into the book. It’s not like having George next to me, but it’s what I have, and I’m treasuring every moment of it.
Daniel Kraus is perhaps best known for the Zebulon Finch series, his novel Rotters, and a number of collaborations with director Guillermo del Toro including Trollhunters and the novelization of his new film The Shape of Water. Also joining the project is editor Brendan Deneen, who oversaw The Walking Dead novels by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. So it appears that Romero’s work is in good hands, and we’re very excited to see the results!
For more details on the upcoming novel, please check out this interview with Daniel Kraus by author Anthony Breznican available online, exclusively at Entertainment Weekly. Or swing by the official Amazon page for more information about his recent work, and the author himself!