Jim Pike was the world’s biggest Star Trek fan—until two tours of duty in Afghanistan destroyed his faith in the human race. Now he sleepwalks through life as the assistant manager of a small hotel in downtown Houston. But when hundreds of Trekkies arrive in his lobby for a science fiction convention, Jim finds himself surrounded by costumed Klingons, Vulcans, and Ferengi—plus a strange virus that transforms its carriers into savage, flesh-eating zombies!

Paul Is Undead writer Alan Goldsher has revealed that a sequel is in the works for his undead Beatles book.

The story’s not finalised but Alan had this to say:

The Beatles kidnap me, and drag me along for their Poppermost Over America reunion tour, during which they intend to take over the United States. Blood, violence and smashed guitars ensue.

The follow-up will be called ‘Poppermost Over America’ and is due out late 2011/ early 2012.

Undead in the Head are looking for authors and artists to contribute to a Christmas themed zombie anthology later in the year, with all proceeds going to Hugs Foster Family Agency

From the site:

I am seeking Christmas/holiday themed short-stories ranging from 3000-10,000 words. The stories should have strong holiday themes and must contain zombies. Other then that it is all up to you. Be as gruesome as you’d like but keep in mind, the big kids at Hugs Foster might find a copy of this anthology in their stockings. Original stories only, please no reprints. Multiple submissions are fine up to three stories.

This anthology is for charity. There will be no payments and no contributor copies. This project for exposure only, and to help the foster kids at Hugs Foster Family Agency have a joyful holiday season this year.

In order to accumulate the most funds possible this anthology will be self-published. I am working on finding the best route possible. If anyone has information or suggestions on this please feel free to contact me at the email above.

Everyone is welcome to submit a story. If you have any question or would like more information please feel free to contact me at the e-mail above. Thank you so much for taking the time and I hope you consider this charity opportunity.

Zombies helping kids, warms the heart doesn’t it.

You can find out more or help fund the initial printing by buying stickers here.

Coming closely after Paul is Undead turned The Beatles into zombies another historical figure has been crossed-over with zombies, this one suggesting that William Shakespeare was a vampire who hunted down the undead.

Something wicked this way comes… and it keeps coming and coming and coming…

William Shakespeare was one of history’s greatest writers, a master of words with a body of work that is truly impressive… some may say a little too impressive for a single man to accomplish in one lifetime. Perhaps, as many have speculated, he had assistance. Or perhaps the explanation is more… unusual.

Who was William Shakespeare?

Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?

Why are the undead stalking the alleyways of London?

And can they be stopped?

Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.

So brace yourself for a wild ride through twisted streets and shadowed graveyards of Elizabethan London, where you’ll discover how the Bard got his Bite.

We’re offering no guarantees as to how good this will be (Is William Shakespeare a Twilight style vampire? TOUCH MY SPARKLES!) but it doesn’t seem as if we’ll ever run out of things to cram zombies into and I’m okay with that.

SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD is by Lori Handeland and can be bought from Amazon using the links below.

One of the few unsolved questions in my life continues to irk me: which is cooler, the zombie or the unicorn? Well, a new book written by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier will include short stories and opinions defending both sides.

Half of the book details the strengths of the unicorns – both good and evil – and the evils and incredibly bad-ass side of zombies. In addition to the two main authors several teen writers have also contributed to the story on both sides. You’d have to be crazy to not pick up or pre-order this story, because I can already tell it may be the best read of 2010.

Although the release date is set for September 21, 2010, we’re hoping to get an advanced copy and read straight through it to provide you with a review and a completely unbiased opinion on why zombies would dominate unicorns any day. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn? I have a hunch we’re all for Team Zombie

The premise of Night of the Living Trekkies should be the stuff those attending Star Trek cons dream of:

It’s Galaxy Quest meets Dawn of the Dead when all hell breaks loose at a Star Trek convention – and the world’s only hope for survival rests in the hands of some very determined fanboys!

Click the image below to pop

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever…

This seems overtly inspired by urban legend that Paul McCartney died in 1966 and was replaced by a look and sound a like.

Conspiracy theory gold but they do make some good points. Until we manage to get our hands on a copy when it’s released on June 22nd, we won’t know exactly what it’s about but until then you can keep up to date over on the Facebook page.

Tom Donner and I speak at the Paterson rescue station where he’s been residing for the past six months. He is a young, prematurely graying man, wearing what looks to be the same uniform he wore on his last day of work, the day he is describing to me. Like many survivors I speak to, I attribute his detachment to Post Undead Combat Trauma, but I come to realize that perhaps it is not shock, but acceptance behind his hazel eyes—acceptance of both the living dead and the lengths humanity will reach to survive them.

TD: It’s a logical thought, so I don’t blame anyone for trying what they did. Find a place that has plenty of food, fresh water, and supplies. A place that could become a potential long-term stronghold—somewhere accessible and familiar—and stay put until the cavalry arrives. It’s a great plan for five people, or fifty. Maybe even five hundred. But five thousand? There was just no way. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Al was working the gates as our hospitality greeter. He always arrived at work a half hour before everyone else. I used to razz him about gunning for my job, and he’d just grunt at me. It was late afternoon when we received a message from corporate that we were going to be closing early. That was the first sign that something wasn’t right. Corporate never closed us early. Then we noticed the emergency broadcasts that started flashing on the plasmas in the electronics section.

We started to direct people out of the store so we could begin shutting down, but once people saw what was happening, they just refused to leave. They ran around stacking their carts with soda, canned fruit cocktail, and beef jerky, even though we had already closed all the registers. We finally gave up and just let whoever was in, stay in, and began locking down the gates. Al and a couple of others managed to get them closed, but through the metal slats we saw more and more people headed for our entrance. They were screaming, begging for us to open up. Behind them, I saw at least seven fire trucks and ambulances speed past. Al wanted us to open the gates, saying that we had plenty of room on the floor, but I nixed that idea quick. An hour passed, and the crowd outside just kept growing larger and more frantic. Some held up their babies, pleading for us to just take their children, if not them. That’s also when we started hearing the moans in the distance.

The pounding on the gate became more frenzied as people tried desperately to get us to open up. I saw Al’s hands ball into fists. He screamed that we couldn’t just leave them out there. I shouted back that we couldn’t do it, that management ordered us not to open up, but I’m not sure if he could, or wanted to hear me. The people already in the store started backing away from the entrance to get away from the screaming and crying outside. I went upstairs to the office to ring the district manager and ask what we should do when I glanced at the parking lot security cameras. From across the lot, what looked to be a large, heaving mass was moving slowly toward the crowd of people pressed up against the entrance. My call had just connected with the DM when I heard the whirr of the gates rolling up.

I dropped the phone and screamed to Al, but when I looked down toward the entrance, he was giving me the finger as he opened up the gates. His extended hand was the last I saw of him before he was trampled by the crowd. The desperate mob that scrambled in under the half-opened gates was so crazed, they made a Black Friday sale look like a quiet Sunday morning. A couple of assistant managers and I fought our way back toward the entrance and managed to bring the gates back down. That’s when I saw Al’s sad, broken body a few feet from the entrance. We got a picnic tablecloth and carried him back towards the storage area. I thought to myself, “Well, at least we’re all safe again.”

That feeling lasted exactly ten minutes. Just as the crowd began to settle and things quieted down, a pair of high beams lit up the entrance. Seconds later, a yellow Suburban crashed through the gates and buried itself in a vitamin display. Behind it, the same gray mass I saw earlier on the security cam—now much clearer, and much more terrifying.

Pandemonium erupted on the shopping floor. ShopMaxx is basically just one big warehouse space, with pallets of merchandise and scaffolding providing the only means of escape. I saw everything from the second-floor office. The image of a kid’s smashed ant farm flashed in my mind. I watched as the decisions people made in those few seconds determined if they stayed alive or were pulled apart by the dead. Whether you turned left or right, if you paused to pick up a purse or a child: These became grave choices.

The most critical decision was the choice of elevation—some people chose sensibly and stationed themselves on solid, heavy merchandise. Others clearly didn’t give it as much thought. They positioned themselves on items that were more fragile—laundry detergent, boxes of diapers, rolls of paper towels. When the dead started going after these folks, reaching and pulling down items on their foundation, it looked like some nightmarish game of Jenga. It was only a matter of time before the whole structure came tumbling down, along with the victims. The only thing worse to see was people fighting for space, pushing others down closer to groping, rotted hands so that they themselves could survive. Ironically, one of the best places to stay was on top of the crashed Suburban. I’m not sure what the driver was trying to do, probably a smash-and-grab of supplies. He was beaten to death by the survivors even before the dead could get hold of him. After seeing victim after victim tumble down into the mouths of waiting dead, I couldn’t stand it any longer.

ZCM: What did you do?

TD: What else could I do? I escaped through an office window on the second floor.

ZCM: You didn’t try to help them?

TD: No.

ZCM: Didn’t you feel guilty for leaving those people?

TD: I was just a company employee for ShopMaxx, and I had to comply with the company’s policy. If Al had listened, maybe he’d be alive today too. If you’re looking to blame someone, blame those customers. They’re the ones who acted like animals, and they made their choices. They chose to stay. They chose to rush in and ransack the place. They chose to throw others to their death while saving themselves. I had already done more than enough. It could have been a nice setup there. We might have been able to ride it out for at least a month, maybe more. But it’s always the same thing, no different than when we have a “limit two per customer” sale. There’s always a selfish asshat that ruins it for everyone.

Donner looks down at his grimy, stained ShopMaxx vest. It is dotted with a variety of ornamental pins and badges. He unclasps one exceptionally glossy button and casually tosses it onto his cot. It reads “Employee of the Year.”

You can buy the book from Amazon below or find out more on the official site.

While I have been known for mocking trailers for books it’s mostly because all they do is show a video of the text from the blurb on the back of the book. If they were all as COMPLETELY AWESOME as this though, I’d say every book should have a trailer.

*UPDATE* This rumour has been debunked by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Graham-Smith himself. PPZ is still planned to be made into a feature length movie though.

Having been followed by this Twitter account it would seem that Deadline Productions are creating a 6 part TV series of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Of course, what the Twitter account fails to provide any details on is who Deadline Productions are, when the series will be coming to TV or any other details about the show.

Using our awesome powers of looking at a computer monitor, their Twitter background has a UK Channel 4 logo on it, but whether that’s just an image they’re using or not is currently unclear.

We’ve reached out the possible production company and Channel 4 to see if we can find out more info.