Eric Brown in my opinion is one of the best 'Zombie' writers out there. His stories are well crafted masterpieces (can you tell I'm a fan?) and so we thought an interview was in order for his brand new book entitled; UNABRIDGED, UNABASHED AND UNDEAD, A COLLECTION OF THE BEST ZOMBIE SHORT STORIES, so, we asked the questions and here are his answers:

Q. Where did the stories in this book come from, how many of them are new or and how many have been previously published?

Eric: They are collected from magazines I have appeared in over the years. There are certainly some new tales in the book including one I wrote for “The Night of the Working Dead” anthology which died before publication.

Q. How did you become a Zombie fan?

Eric: I watched Night of the Living Dead as a VERY young child. It gave me nightmares for two weeks. It moved me so much, I sought out everything else zombie I could find. When I discovered Dawn of the Dead, the original version, shortly thereafter, I knew I was hooked and a zombie fan for life.

Q. How many books do you have out right now?

Eric: I currently have 11 books in print and 5 more under contract. Most of the new 5 are due out this year. Of my already published books, Unabridged Unabashed and Undead: The Best of Eric S Brown and Zombies II: Inhuman (a new second edition with an exclusive story) are both the newest on Amazon. Cobble remains a steady seller there as well. I guess people must have enjoyed its island based, dead plague storyline that intermixed angels and demons. Well, at least one of each anyway.

Q How much time do you spend writing, are you a full time writer or do you have a 'day job'?

Eric: I do work a part time day job. I am also a husband and father. My life is crazy busy on any given day. I often talk about how I miss sleep but I really wouldn't trade any of it for the world. Not every writer is so swamped with projects, that seem to come to them out of the blue, that they have to chug energy drinks and chain smoke. (Note, I am trying to stop smoking or at least hoping to try).

Q. Your stories are always fresh and new, where do these creative ideas come from?

Eric: Ideas can come from anywhere and with me they usually do. Anywhere from my wife's nightmares after listening to me drone on about a project, non-zombie TV that I watch, childhood memories, etc.

Q. How do you begin to write a Zombie story?

Eric: I just start throwing words on paper and how they turn into a story if I am writing something that I haven't already been hired for. These days I have begun to use plot outlines and such as I have so many projects, I have to in order to stay organized and on track.

Q. Are the characters made first and then the story around them, or are the characters created as the story develops on the page? I guess I'm asking, do you have a Zombie formula?

Eric: It can go either way for me. I don't have a formula exactly. I just have the advantage of being a life long zombie fan and a sometimes creative person.

Q. Does your family read your stories and are they Zombie fans too?

Eric: Not my wife. She is a chicken. My Mom however reads everything I do regardless. My son is still far too young for the type of stuff I write but is rather impressed that his dad writes comic books. Well, a comic book. I have a series entitled Dead West kicking off later in the year from Post Mortem Comics based on one of the novellas featured in Season of Rot (from Permuted Press) which is also due out this year.

Q. Any interesting hobbies?

Eric: Aside from being a total comic nerd and junkie, no. I have loved comics even longer than I have loved zombies. I am a total fan of the Flash. Barry and Wally rule. I also love The Legion of Superheroes, Jonah Hex, JSA, Adam Strange, and a bunch of other titles.

Q. You've been writing for a long time, what advice would you give to a new writer?

Eric: Never give up. Keep getting better every day by writing every day and submit your work. Listen to editors when they tell you things both negative and wonderful. Learn to take both with a grain of salt and do what needs to be done to improve your work.

Q. What are you currently at work on?

Eric: I have just completed and turned in a full length solo novel, World War of the Dead (working title) to Coscom Entertainment. I just signed a contract to write a second book for Library of the Living Dead Press called Barren Earth with fellow author Stephen North. If you thought my zombie work was a bit “fringe” before or cutting edge, then Barren Earth will leave you a completely blown mind. It's such an original and insane take on the dead; I think everyone will be shocked by it literally. And at the current moment, I am hard at work on a project to big and crazy that I am not even allowed to talk about it for fear of the publisher driving to my house and kicking my butt. And one day, I hope to find the time to get back to my calling- short stories. It's not easy juggling three novel projects, awaiting the release of two other novel sized books, doing a monthly comic script, and my columns. Add the part time job and my family and it seems impossible to write my normal short stuff these days.