There’s no doubt about: Zombies are cool once more. From mega-hit films like I am Legend to a burgeoning online sub-culture of Zombie blogs, reanimated corpses are once again hip.

Dennis Dufour’s new novel Deadworld expands the depth of this genre by emphasizing the human characters as much as the monsters. The ‘undead’ in Deadworld serve as a backdrop, but the story focuses on the living. Few Zombie genre novels are so bold to stress themes such as the power of friendship, true love, and the how power does indeed corrupt.

“Man is scarier than any monster the human imagination creates,” says Dufour. “Monsters play on our childhood fears, but they aren’t real. Man can commit atrocities and horrors, and it’s close to us, because it is us.”

"The people/characters in my novel reflect both the glorious side of human nature, and the very darkest side.”

Deadworld, at only 103 pages, is designed as a fast read with a lasting impact. The story involves an epidemic which transforms ordinary people into zombies. While this follows other Zombie stories including I Am Legend, the rest of the story focuses on a thrilling adventure punctuated with strong and sometimes evil human characters. The main character in Deadworld sets out with his friend on a desperate search to find his fiancée. Along the way they encounter and rescue a popular singer and her manager, and then cross paths with a sadistic military officer who imprisons them. An escape brings the story to a climax, with the military officer obsessed with their every move.

Themes which run throughout Deadworld include:

• Science and the pursuit of progress, with insufficient concern for the dangers which may result
• The indefatigability of life
• The pure power of friendship.
• The danger of absolute power
• Military fanaticism

“Good stories are about people,” notes Dufour. “I love the Zombie genre, but I love accentuating and delving into the human spirit as much as I love the enduring allure of Zombies.”

Dennis Dufour earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Kaplan University, and gained membership into the Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He has been heavily involved in interactive writing clubs and remains an avid fan of the Zombie genre.

Deadworld is available for purchase at major online bookselling sites.