Zombie Stop Parade by Richard Buzzell

This story has nothing to do with zombies. It's about a charismatic hip-hotster who places himself in conflict with his own society. Through his website, he conducts a campaign of ridicule against the cash-grab mentality, which he sees as the obstacle to sustainability. He manages to connect with a nascent alienation developing on college campuses in the wake of the global financial fiasco. Suspicious activity brings pressure from legal authorities, but he refuses to make concessions. His best friend is torn between his misgivings and his personal loyalty, while those around him, urge him to bail out in order to save himself.


Q&A with Richard Buzzell:
This book is quite different from most books being released today. How did you come up with the idea for it? The story originated, many years ago, with the central character and developed from there. The development process was mainly one of deciding what not to write. Eventually I eliminated enough options to give the story some reasonable degree of focus. Once a focus was established, the story fed off of what was happening in the media.
What made you decide to write the book as a journal? I wrote the book as a journal because I didn't think there was any other way to make it plausible. I didn't want to have an omniscient narrator. I'm just not comfortable with it.
The subject matter really parallels society today. Are any of the characters in the book based on people in real life? I think the central character is partly derived from the person who gave me his copy of, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Since writing the book, I've encountered numerous people who could've been models for the protagonist. Matt Taibbi is one.
Is there a message you would like your readers to walk away with? I'd like readers to feel that they have more control over the culture they consume.
What was your favorite part about writing this book? My favorite part of writing the book was being able to produce some fresh phrasing.
Can we expect more books in the future? I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by the process of trying to promote this book and can't imagine trying to write another one. I expect to do some writing online in the future. I do like Harper Lee's example of writing one novel and then getting out of the business.

Links:
Amazon
Smashwords

About the Author:
I've been a lifelong observer of popular culture, and a student of the socialization process,and this book is an attempt to express some of my thoughts on these topics. I can't say I have much interest in joining the clamor for celebrity, so I won't say any more about myself.

Dawn's Review:
Zombie Stop Parade is not about zombies; or is it? This story shows us how easily influenced we are by corporations and media. Even those who are against it and try to warn us of the dangers are sometimes seduced by the mythology. Zombie Stop Parade is very different from most of today's books. With an interesting format and unique subject it catches the readers attention right from the beginning. A hint of humor shows through with the clever names for our protagonist's "enemies", and while the subject is a serious one, I found myself smiling more than not as I read page after page. It is an engaging read from beginning to end.