Brooks discusses zombie survival books, visiting UW Oshkosh

Max Brooks, Emmy award winner and author of the bestselling books "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "World War Z," will be speaking at UW Oshkosh on Wednesday. B-Side editor, Katie Holliday, talked with Brooks about zombies, his books and what students can expect if they come to the event.

Katie Holliday: So what got you interested in applying all of (these survival guide tips) to zombies specifically?

Max Brooks: I was always scared of them, and around the time Y2K happened, when the fear of Y2K was building, there were disaster preparedness manuals coming out. And I thought, "What about one about zombies?" And I went looking for one, to read it, and no one had the free time, I guess, to write one. So nobody was writing, and I have the free time, so I sat down and wrote it. (Referring to the survival guide book)

KH: Is this what you'll be discussing on Wednesday? What can students expect to hear when they come to the event?

MB: When they walk in, they're going to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse.

KH: So basically your book in real life?

MB: Essentially my book translated for the stage.

KH: So your book has a lot of real-world application.

MB: It does, and my second book is much more of a geo-political message of a global meltdown through a zombie war. I'll be given a tour at the CDC in Atlanta; they understand that zombies are a great way to talk about disaster preparedness.

KH: Did you have anything else you'll like to include?

MB: I think the most important part of my lectures are the Q and A sessions, because I find the questions most interesting, and they're usually all zombie questions. I'm very interested in what the students in Oshkosh are going to ask.

            Brooks will be speaking on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Reeve Union ballroom. For more information about Brooks, visit www.maxbrooks.com. Read the Advance-Titan on Thursday for full coverage of the event.