INTERVIEW: Amelia Beamer, author of “Pirates vs. Zombies”
Tell us a bit about your story. What’s it about?
“Pirates vs. Zombies” is about some friends being literally at sea when the zombie apocalypse hits. Like all zombie stories, it’s about the loss of humanity, and like all zombie stories there’s some dark humor.
What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?
I’ve wanted to write this story for a while. It was inspired by a moment from my novel The Loving Dead (which is in itself a story of fucked-up transportation, plus zombies), where I have a character thinking that the safest place to be, when the zombies come, is in a boat. Zombies aren’t great swimmers. On a boat, as long as you had enough supplies, you’d be set. But there will be other people in other boats, and they’ll need supplies, too. With zombies swarming the mainland, ship-to-ship piracy is inevitable.
Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?
I wrote a draft, but wasn’t satisfied. After some feedback and mental composting, I was able to fix it. Of course it never actually resembled the story I wanted to write, which would have had multiple epic zombie battles, culminating in that old pirate trick where you allow yourselves to be boarded, only to steal the other guys’ ship. Selah. That was too far into Pirates of the Caribbean territory, anyway.
Most authors say all their stories are personal. If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?
The first few sections of the story have a first person plural narrator. I’ve been wanting to get away with that for a long time. I think the use of the word “we” is an invitation to the reader to experience the emotional events with the characters, which dovetails nicely with the loss of self that happens in zombie stories.
What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
A few years ago, a friend and I visited a replica of the Nina, Columbus’s ship, under somewhat piratical conditions. I’ve wanted to write about that ship ever since. Also I had to look up square sails. And injuries related to whips.
What is the appeal of zombie fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about zombies? Why do readers and film viewers love it so much?
Like any genre, zombie stories deliver; unlike other genres, zombie stories are allowed to end badly — in fact, they’re supposed to. Also, zombies make it possible to smash characters up against each other in ways they wouldn’t otherwise agree to. There’s a lot to play with as a result.
What are some of your favorite examples of zombie fiction, and what makes them your favorites?
Night of the Living Dead, because it’s unflinching. Shaun of the Dead, because it’s funny. For short stories, it’s hard to beat Kelly Link’s “The Hortlak” and “Some Zombie Contingency Plans,” which are wrenching and funny at the same time. For nonfiction, Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie, by Wade Davis.