Author Max Brooks tells UNC students how to survive a zombie attack

For the audience members who attended author Max Brooks’ lecture on Wednesday, surviving the zombie apocalypse should be easy.

Brooks passed some of his knowledge along as part of the Carolina Union Activities Board’s Zombie Fest, a week-long event aimed at raising zombie awareness.

In his lecture, Brooks outlined the necessary steps to take to survive the impending zombie attack and dispelled common zombie myths.

“The first lesson of survival is to divest ourselves from the misinformation perpetrated by mainstream zombie media,” he said. “They don’t care about saving your life like I do.”

Brooks outlined the common characteristics of zombie films, including weapon choice, transportation and shelter used by humans during a zombie siege.

While the exact definition of a zombie is debated, it is usually considered to be an “undead” human who feeds on living humans.

According to Brooks, most zombie movies inaccurately portray what the attack will be like.

Alex Michael, a freshman in the process of writing a screenplay about zombies, said he enjoyed the lecture.

“He was pretty consistent with what he stated in the books,” Michael said. “I enjoyed watching him. It was helpful.”

As for Chapel Hill, Brooks said the town would not be an optimal location in which to take cover during a zombie assault.

“Go to a corner of the world where nobody lives,” he suggested. “And already know how to survive there.”

A vigorous question-and-answer session ensued after Brooks’ talk. Audience members asked which weapons Brooks would choose, whether to travel alone or in a group after the attacks and whether the military should be trusted following a zombie attack.

After the lecture, Brooks signed copies of his books and even a crowbar that a fan planned to use when the attack happens.

Brooks has written two best-selling books about zombie apocalypse, “World War Z” and “The Zombie Survival Guide.”

Brooks said publishers initially thought that his work was funny.

“Let’s see who’ll be laughing when the dead rise,” he said.


Brooks’ top 10 lessons for surviving a zombie attack:

-?Organize before they rise!

-?They feel no fear. Why should you?

-?Use your head: cut off theirs.

-?Blades don’t need reloading.

-?Ideal protection: tight clothes, short hair.

-?Get up the staircase; then destroy it.

-?Get out of the car; get onto the bike.

-?Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!

-?No place is safe, only safer.

-?The zombie might be gone, but the threat lives on.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.