*Jack Wallen drops a few M&M’s on the dealer’s table. The man with the eye patch holds them in his hand for a moment to be sure they don’t melt. He then fills Wallen’s pack with purified water, bullets, rare vinyl albums, purple hair dye, a mug with baby carrots scanned onto it, and the hardware he needs in order to repair his standing desk. Jay Wilburn and Wallen walk away from the table and through the market toward the gates. A fight breaks out in the center of the street, but they walk around it. Their weapons are handed back as they exit the gate. A few zombies turn toward them, but then arrows fired from guard platforms hit the skulls and drop the undead. Other men grab the bodies by the ankles and drag them away.*
Jack Wallen: You shouldn’t be here. People will recognize you. Rosamilia placed a bounty on your head for stealing M&M’s. He has raised our M&M protection tax and that has not gone over well.
Jay Wilburn: Are you going to turn me in?
Wallen: Won’t matter if one of his bounty hunters finds you. Chuck Buda was just here the other day looking for you.
Wilburn: He does whatever Rosamilia says anyway. I’m not scared of him. I can smell the New Jersey on him from a mile away even with all the rotting zombies.
Wallen: Either way, we should finish this interview fast and you should get back on the road.
Wilburn: State your name and the work you are featuring.
Wallen: Jack Wallen and Middletown 3: Metal Apocalypse
Wilburn: What is it?
Wallen: An anthology where 12 authors, using their own voice and writing prowess, tell the same story of a metal band caught up in the midst of the early stages of the zombie apocalypse.
*Zombie approaches from the left. Wallen sprays purple hair dye in its eyes and slams its forehead on a rock. It stays down and they keep walking*
Wilburn: Who are the shared characters in this edition of the Middletown series and what did you do with them in your version of the story?
Wallen:
Singer — Jon F – He’s got the ego and snark of a metal singer. He and Jenny L. have a past that is revealed through the story.
Guitarist — Jenny L. – Jenny should probably be institutionalized, but her meds tend to keep her just sane enough to function in society.
Bass — Lars X. – He’s a standard-issue bass player, but with a heart of gold and will fight for the band until his last living second.
Drummer — Bob S. – A tall, lanky drummer (one of the best in the genre), Bob knows about Jon’s and Jenny’s past and will do everything he can to take it to his grave.
Wilburn: Each author did their own take on the premise and the characters. What made this story and anthology and concept unique?
Wallen: In this particular case, they all come into being at a metal concert. That, in and of itself, makes them even more badass than the standard fare. Plus, they can probably toss a devil horn salute without any sense of irony.
The whole Middletown series is unique in that it brings together very talented writers and has them all tell the same story. Because of each writer’s different style and perspective, the stories all turn out to be very different — while retaining that common thread of plot.
Music is such an important aspect of my life. I wanted to bring that and writing together in this collection, to give the story a bit more immediacy. Most people are very inclined to connect to music on a very deep level, so adding this element to the apocalypse gives the unique collection of stories a many layered end result.
The Middletown series is one large story that is unfolding as if each release were a chapter (or act) in a much larger book.
Wilburn: Where does the Middletown series of anthologies go next?
Wallen: This particular release would be considered the inciting incident for the main story — in other words, what happens in Metal Apocalypse makes everything beyond this point inevitable.
Wilburn: What do you like or dislike about zombie stories you have read or seen? How does that shape what you create?
Wallen: On a personal level, I always try to write my stories with complex plots and characters. I tend to write those complexities because it’s what I like to read and what best fits my writing style. When I read a book and I feel like I’m either being spoon-fed every plot device or character motivation, it immediately turns me off. To that end, I like to give the reader credit for being intelligent…so I write to that level of intellect.
*Zombie approaches from the right. Wallen hurls a mug at its head. Ceramic shards emblazoned with baby carrots disappear into the creature’s skull. The body falls finally at rest. They keep walking.*
Wilburn: If Middletown 3 had a warning label, what would it say?
Wallen: Warning — If you’re not banging your head by the time you finish this book, you’re either dead inside or you’ve read it wrong (and should go back and re-read it from the beginning).
Wilburn: What do you hope readers get out of it?
Wallen: That every writer has a unique voice and storytelling style that sets them apart.
*They arrive at the gate to Wallen’s compound*
Wallen: This is where we part ways. I have to protect my people and that means keeping you away from them. You can’t come inside again. I’m sorry.
*Wilburn doesn’t answer. He reaches out for a handshake, but Wallen goes in for the hug. They bobble for a moment not knowing what to do. Then, it seems like Wallen goes for a kiss and they back away from each other awkwardly. Wilburn finally walks away silently and they part ways unfulfilled and with nothing really resolved between them.*
Check out Middletown 3: Metal Apocalypse starting November 10th. Also pick up the first Middletown Apocalypse and the second book Middletown 2: Midtown Apocalypse too.
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LOL….I’m loving these. I’m really looking forward to this book.I loved the other two.