As an avid Halloween lover and frequent reader, I can’t imagine a better October release book than a novel about Zombies … on the Titanic. Deck Z: The Titanic is a new book (their first novel) by semi-local authors Chris Pauls and Matt Solomon that chronicles the story of German scientist Theodor Weiss who discovers a strange plague that ravages its victims, transforming them into monsters hungry for flesh. Weiss’s studies show that there may yet be a cure, but when he discovers the military plans to use the disease as a weapon, he procures the only sample and heads for America. He may be safe from the German army, but he finds himself aboard the Titanic.

When asked how their book fits into the popular niche of zombie fiction, the authors explain, “Deck Z definitely draws upon the existing zombie canon, yet we hope it adds a couple nuances to the genre. Using a historical aspect is a good touchstone to get readers interested, but ultimately the story should supersede the hook for the thing to really hum.”

They also wanted to avoid retelling other zombie stories, so they focused their research on the Titanic and built the zombie part of the story in a way that was true to their story. The authors did exhaustive research to make sure they had the layout of the ship and the life on the ship correct. The way that the authors organize the book is into three stages with dates and times marking the beginning of each chapter and is told from a third person perspective.

Even if I think it’s pure awesome, some might think it is a bit strange to place zombies in the setting of the Titanic for a novel. When asked ‘why?’ the authors said, “We liked the idea of innocent passengers being trapped with nowhere to run (or swim).  It was our way of introducing an Alien-like claustrophobia to the proceedings. Also, the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking has the event back in the public consciousness.” The duo worked on the novel for just over a year before being ready for its release.  

In regards to the publication of the novel, the authors continue with, “We’re excited. We think there’s more here than meets the eye, and that readers will appreciate the story’s detail and ultimately, heart.” You can get this “unsinkable, undead” novel on Amazon, Kindle, and local book stores.