Would you know how to survive a zombie uprising? If you do, you may be one of many of our fellow students have recently been armed with knowledge and preparedness against the undead. Last Thursday, the Rensselaer Union Speaker’s Forum hosted Max Brooks, New York Times bestselling author and foremost researcher of the living dead.
Although he is often overshadowed by the legacy of his father Mel, Max Brooks has created his own name as a comedy writer. From 2001 to 2003, he was an Emmy-winning writer for the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live.” Brooks is probably known best for his de-facto standard manual on undead protection, The Zombie Survival Guide. He recently authored World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, providing several first-hand accounts of a future war against the living dead. The film rights for his latest New York Times bestseller have been purchased by Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company.
His first book was written during the Y2K scare in the midst of hundreds of survival guides appearing on bookstore shelves. Feeling as though many of these guides addressed unrealistic topics, he decided to write about the very real threat of zombies. He chose the topic out of fear: unlike other demons, one does not have to seek out zombies in an ancient tomb, radioactive swamp, or abandoned slaughterhouse. Zombies will seek you out in large numbers and without warning.
What is an ideal weapon to use against these unnatural fiends? One unfortunate individual faced Brooks’ scathing criticism after suggesting the shotgun, an iconic weapon in many zombie movies. Pointing out the large number of people attending the presentation in DCC 308 that night, Brooks asked how much ammunition one could realistically carry. After some hesitation, the audience member confidently replied, “about 30 shells,” to which Brooks asked, “and how many people are in the audience tonight?” When selecting a method of defense, one’s weapon of choice must be light, reliable, safe, and quiet. He emphasized that weapons should only be used for defense, and must be legal. At the start of a zombie outbreak, local authorities might not be aware of the coming crisis. By wielding illegal weapons, you could be thrown in a holding cell along with what the police perceive as a shambling drunk, but actually one of the undead.
Of all the advice given to the audience, Brooks stressed the most that we must organize before they rise. When the inevitable zombie apocalypse finally comes, it is critical that everyone has a designated role in the effort to survive based on his skills. He sent us away with the task of meeting in our dormitories and apartments to seriously assess the odds of our survival. Do we fortify where we are, or do we flee to less populated areas? What will we need and for how long can we sustain safety? These are all very important questions to address before a zombie outbreak occurs.
Brooks delivered his guidelines for surviving an uprising of the living dead in a shockingly rational and believable manner, with a very genuine concern for his audience’s lives. The event provided an opportunity to field many questions for close followers of his research and clarify myths and truths for those not so aware of the threat of zombies.
The Rensselaer Union Speaker’s Forum is a student group lead by Union Activities Coordinator Cameron McLean. The Speaker’s Forum is dedicated to bringing in guest lecturers to both entertain and enlighten students beyond classes at Rensselaer. Be sure to keep an eye out for their series of speakers next year!
