Sorry this is long, I've tried to make it short as possible.
After research and reading modern zombie novels, I'm afraid I'll P.O. zombie enthusiasts with my "zombie" WIP because the monsters may not be zombie enough.
Like zombies they are undead, generally slow, generally gruesome, say "brains" (I know not a necessary trait and kind of goofy, but it is important in the plot), generally dumb, crave human flesh and brains in particular, are violent, and their appearance led to the apocalypse.
However, unlike many zombies, they do not rot, do not die when shot in the head (but it will stop them), have a heart beat but not respiration, can heal wounds and regenerate limbs, will eat other zombies and animals, most can look very human under the right circumstances, very few are fast, very few are smart, and the rarest have limited supernatural abilities (but not flying or anything too weird).
I know breaking with convention may make it difficult (or impossible) to find a publisher, but that isn't my main concern (I'm writing out of love of the craft and love of the story). As I said, I worry that if it is published it will drive away zombie fans because my critters are different.
Maybe I should call them something else?
After research and reading modern zombie novels, I'm afraid I'll P.O. zombie enthusiasts with my "zombie" WIP because the monsters may not be zombie enough.
Like zombies they are undead, generally slow, generally gruesome, say "brains" (I know not a necessary trait and kind of goofy, but it is important in the plot), generally dumb, crave human flesh and brains in particular, are violent, and their appearance led to the apocalypse.
However, unlike many zombies, they do not rot, do not die when shot in the head (but it will stop them), have a heart beat but not respiration, can heal wounds and regenerate limbs, will eat other zombies and animals, most can look very human under the right circumstances, very few are fast, very few are smart, and the rarest have limited supernatural abilities (but not flying or anything too weird).
I know breaking with convention may make it difficult (or impossible) to find a publisher, but that isn't my main concern (I'm writing out of love of the craft and love of the story). As I said, I worry that if it is published it will drive away zombie fans because my critters are different.
Maybe I should call them something else?
