Breathers: A Zombie's Lament
Encyclopedia
Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament (Broadway Books
) is a romantic zombie comedy
novel
by first-time author S. G. Browne
, published in 2009
. The story is told from the point of view of Andy Warner, a newly revived zombie who lives in his parent
s' basement
, attends Undead Anonymous meetings, and is in love with another zombie, Rita, who killed herself
by slashing her own throat. As he seeks to survive in a world that hates zombies, Andy must regularly consume formaldehyde
while all he and every zombie really wants is to eat human flesh
, which is forbidden.
, having reanimated after a fatal car wreck that killed his wife, orphaned his daughter, and left Andy disfigured and unintelligible. Reviled and discriminated against by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is an outcast. He spends his new existence watching cable television in his parents’ wine cellar and attending Undead Anonymous meetings with other zombies, where he finds kindred souls in Rita and Jerry. After they meet Ray, a rogue zombie who introduces them to the joys of consuming human flesh, Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to a media-driven, class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.
, with Diablo Cody
and Mason Novick
co-producing and Geoff LaTulippe adapting.
Broadway Books
Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a Division of Random House, Inc., released its first list in Fall, 1996. Broadway Books has since published many New York Times bestsellers in hardcover and paperback, including Elizabeth Edwards’ memoir Resilience, Bill O’Reilly’s memoir A...
) is a romantic zombie comedy
Zombie comedy
The zombie comedy, often called zom com or zomedy, is a film genre that aims to blend zombie horror motifs with slapstick comedy as well as dark comedy.-Early years:...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by first-time author S. G. Browne
S. G. Browne
S.G. “Scott” Browne is an American author of dark comedy and social satire. His debut novel, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament, is a dark rom-zom-com told from the point of view of a zombie. His second novel, Fated, a black comedy about fate and destiny, was released November 2, 2010.- Biography :S.G....
, published in 2009
2009 in literature
The year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
. The story is told from the point of view of Andy Warner, a newly revived zombie who lives in his parent
Parent
A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...
s' basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
, attends Undead Anonymous meetings, and is in love with another zombie, Rita, who killed herself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by slashing her own throat. As he seeks to survive in a world that hates zombies, Andy must regularly consume formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
while all he and every zombie really wants is to eat human flesh
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, which is forbidden.
Plot summary
Andy Warner is a zombieZombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
, having reanimated after a fatal car wreck that killed his wife, orphaned his daughter, and left Andy disfigured and unintelligible. Reviled and discriminated against by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is an outcast. He spends his new existence watching cable television in his parents’ wine cellar and attending Undead Anonymous meetings with other zombies, where he finds kindred souls in Rita and Jerry. After they meet Ray, a rogue zombie who introduces them to the joys of consuming human flesh, Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to a media-driven, class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.
Film adaptation
The film rights for Breathers have been purchased by Fox Searchlight PicturesFox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
, with Diablo Cody
Diablo Cody
Brook Busey , better known by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American screenwriter, writer, blogger, journalist, and author. She was first known for her candid chronicling of her year as a stripper in her Pussy Ranch blog and her 2006 memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper...
and Mason Novick
Mason Novick
Mason Novick is a film producer and talent manager based in Los Angeles, California.-Career:His credits include Red Eye , Juno , Days of Summer and Jennifer's Body...
co-producing and Geoff LaTulippe adapting.