by James D Dean
This actually is an extension of a question that was asked during my time as the host of Zombie Book of the Month club. One reader asked a simple question, why are there so many authors that believe that a farm is the perfect stronghold to ride out the hordes of undead chowing down on the remnants of the living. Why do so many writers think field of corn stalks and barns full of cow crap will dissuade an army of corpses from turning their heroes into a fast food snack?
The simple answer is…we don’t.
This question gets asked a lot, by pretty much everyone. Where would you go when the dead suddenly get a hankering for a hunk of Steve? The most common answer is the mall or to Costco. Yeah…like every other asshole who has seen even 5 minutes of Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. The original or the remake, take your pick. Any shopping center out there will be so full of survivors that the dead would start looking at shopping centers as their versions of the MRE. (meals ready to eat for those who are wondering)
That of course is usually followed up by my second favorite answer. I would go to a military base and steal <enter the heavily armored vehicle here> or grab a couple <add multi-million dollar weapon system here>. My favorite part about that answer is the assumption that the military won’t be using said items at the time you try to saunter onto their bases and “borrow” their stuff. And even if the base is empty of all life…it’s likely the people who know how to use those fancy military bang bangs have probably taken their toys with them and went home.
For the purposes of full disclosure, I have 2 brothers who have served, one in the Army and the other in the Marines. From what they tell me, operating an M1 Abrams or a Bradley fighting vehicle isn’t exactly like jump starting a Buick. They tend to be a tad bit complicated…which is why out military go through all that fun training. So even if you make your way on to a base and actually find a multi-million dollar tank laying around, it’s very likely that you will spend the next few weeks playing the “what does that button do” game. It’s equally as likely that you will end up with a few new holes in your body from one of those trained military persons whose sole responsibility is to discourage the curious.
The truth of the matter is, when the dead start trying to snack on us we will likely go to places that seem safe. Usually that comes in the form of places that are familiar, like your house or your place of employment. In my opinion, those are the ones that will not last long. Food and supplies will run out which will lead those to venture out to find ways to survive. Since a majority of people live in areas of high population density, most who stay in their homes will fall victim to vast hordes of the undead.
So back to the original question…why farms. The answer lies in my previous paragraph. Population density. Farms tend to exist far enough away from larger cities that the numbers of dead will not swell immediately after an outbreak. In an area where everyone knows everyone, and it takes a road trip in your truck to visit your neighbor, It is very likely that you will have time to catch your breath and figure out a long term plan of survival.
When I wrote the farm into my series, it was never a place meant to fortify against the armies of the undead. It was a temporary refuge, a rally point for Dan and his family and friends to meet up and plan a next move.
But the truth of the matter is the second word in the name “zombie apocalypse” is apocalypse. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter where you go or where you hide, it is very likely you won’t survive. If you do, it will take a lot of smarts, planning, and a whole shit ton of luck. So, may as well try your luck at a farm.
Just avoid the malls. And if you see a farmhouse that is cast in a strange bit of black and white…keep walking. Bad stuff happens there…
Check This Dying World: Abandon All Hope or begin with book one.
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