by Jay Wilburn
EE Isherwood has six books out in his signature Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse series at this point. There is about a 2 year span in the time it took him to write between the first and sixth book, Zombies Ever After. I think book one Since the Sirens is a great book that starts with the premise of a young boy helping a great grandmother escape an impossible situation in a zombie infested city. I think there is still a lot of growth shown over the course of the six books in the series so far that readers will appreciate. Book 1 has a raw, emotional charge to it. That is present in book 6 too, but there is also a complexity to the characters, the viewpoint, and the story that I think adds so much. Book 1 Since the Sirens has recently been reedited as it was prepared for Audible.
My favorite title in the series may be Zombies vs. Polar Bears. How could you not love a title like that? Isherwood has always been interested in how names communicate through writing. His chapter names have a clever edge to them as well that draws the reader along and plays with the audience a little along the way. One of my favorite chapter titles is CIV which plays on the level that it is about 104 year old woman (the Roman numerals) and the chapter talks about her life before civilization collapsed. Great title with multiple meanings. By the Polar Bears edition of the series, we are learning more about a mysterious rebel group that helped the book title become a reality.
Isherwood cannot immediately recall the first zombie book or movie that he ever saw. As he enjoys much from all media in the genre, it is hard for him to pinpoint what sparked the desire for him to pen his own zombie novel which would become this ongoing series. He’s always been a fan of exploring the zombie apocalypse, but one of his most recent influences has been Mark Tufo’s Zombie Fallout series. Tufo has been a fixture in the genre and on these tours for a while. I’ve heard from many rising authors what a difference Tufo’s writing has made for them. Isherwood and his wife first picked up Zombie Fallout because it was set in Colorado where he lived at the time. It left an impression. He appreciated Tufo’s talent as he expanded into other aspects of the horror genre. It challenged Isherwood to reach for his own dreams and to strive to do the best writing in his own series. As I personally read a great deal of zombie fiction as I prepare to choose authors and books for this tour, I do see some similarities in style and dare I say talent with Isherwood in comparing to Mark Tufo’s work whose writing I enjoy and admire very much. Isherwood has put out a series worthy of fans’ attention, I believe.
Isherwood says he’s been full-time for about a year now with his writing as of the publication of this article. He calls it the toughest year of his life in terms of hours worked and how he has pushed himself to succeed. I think I speak for many fans when I say he has delivered great work in that time and we are all proud of what he has accomplished.
I hope I have made the case for EE Isherwood. Begin his series with Since the Sirens and keep going through book 6 Zombies Ever After. You won’t be disappointed.
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