this is my first time using reddit and i didn't know where to post this, but i wanted to ask a community what they'd like to see in a zombie story. i wanted to know what to consider while writing it(like do people want realism of the zombies decay and be dead in a couple weeks?). are people fine if the story later forgets about the zombies? what style would people like it drawn: comic or anime? any bases i should cover when i create my zombies?

Inspired by 'Oblivion' movie.

[March 13, 2019]
The date was March 13th, 2019; the CDC and the US government instituted a health advisory for all citizens to take precautions against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Schools and workplaces confined people to their homes and required them to wear masks to avoid catching the virus. Researchers and scientists have been trying to find a vaccine for this sudden pandemic, but it has resulted in the virus's mutation, any who becomes infected by this new strain not only experiences the symptoms of the virus before the mutation but also an elevated heart rate, brain hemorrhaging, fever, and nutrient deficiency.

[September 17, 2019]
After many people caught this new strain of COVID-19, a notable sign of infection was darkened fingernails. Worry and disbelief lingered in the populace as not only would this new strain of the virus be found in the US but also in China, Africa, and Russia. People believed it was all a conspiracy, but more and more people got infected and eventually died. Then the virus was modified by scientists who sought to use it as a way to create a biological weapon; however, it was let loose by one of the scientists who became infected through a hole in their hazmat suit.

[September 26, 2019]
Several people were infected by the virus and died, but not only did they die; they arose. The first instance of this was during a protest made up of conspiracy theorists and concerned citizens. They were protesting against the use of animal testing for medicine and cosmetics. As they protested, they didn't know that one of them was infected and showed symptoms of infection; they coughed up blood and screamed in pain as their brain was hemorrhaging. They died surrounded by onlookers and protesters; someone among the crowd tried to help the infected man, and the helper was bitten by them. Many people who witnessed this either through the media or in person recalled what they saw and called them zombies; of course, they weren't the rotting corpses that were seen throughout zombie media, so instead those at the 1st stage were called "Infected"

[December 20, 2019]
Christmas is only a few days away, and people would normally be buying their children gifts and sweet treats, but nowadays, having such peaceful days is a luxury no one can afford. Several infected overran several cities and regions across the world; many even tried to venture into the wilderness, but they encountered many creatures that inhabited it. And winter has not helped the survival of the remaining uninfected.

[April 4, 2020]
After many months of the infection, survivors have not only begun to get used to survival in their situation but also adapted to new environments. While living in the wilderness, they have encountered creatures told across countless myths & legends: the Wendigo, the Grafton Monster, Mothman, etc. So now not only do survivors have to deal with the infected but also Cryptids

*I thought ykw else is great other than zombies but also cryptids that linger in the wilderness making it so that no where is safe

BACKGROUND STORY:

The summers stopped being seasons and became sieges. Daytime highs now sit at 85–100°F (29–38°C) for months, and every degree is a watt: air conditioning alone drags the grid to its knees. Data centers, the other great hunger, have multiplied across the same years, draining power the suburbs used to have.

The math that saved the government was the human body. A nude person is thermally comfortable at 85°F (29°C). Someone in underwear is comfortable at 81°F (27°C). Someone in light clothing needs 77°F (25°C). Every layer removed is AC the grid doesn't have to pay for — and less laundry, less garment manufacturing, less electricity again.

So the government did not mandate nudity. It bought it.

**RED:** permanent nudity, lifetime commitment. 66% TAX CUT, significant social protection. Requirement: nothing but a red alarm bracelet, shoes optional, AC never below 85°F (29°C).

**BLUE:** underwear or small swimwear only, permanently. 33% TAX CUT, same protections. Requirement: blue alarm bracelet, AC never below 81°F (27°C); nudity allowed, shoes fine.

Businesses may not discriminate. Restaurants and cinemas cannot eject a red or blue patron — they owe a seat towel, and a space heater if the AC bites. Hotels must hit the legal temperature. Transit must carry them. Employers must keep the workplace safe for them, may require PPE only, and cannot force extra clothing.

Hiring is protected: a qualified red must be hired over a clothed applicant; a blue must be hired unless a red or another blue beats them, and only where the employer proves a more qualified applicant won. Failing to hire a red means six months' salary until they find work. Firing a red takes six months' notice and Ministry of Labor approval; a blue, three months. Every ten employees, an employer must carry one red or two blues; smaller firms are exempt.

Cheating is expensive. Break the bracelet and the authorities are notified — and anyone, public or police, may report someone overdressed. Reds who violate go to forced nude labor — solar fields, salt flats, night crews — dressed per contract. Blues go to work camps, limited to underwear and shoes. Any crime committed because of a bracelet carries the maximum penalty of the law.

Light clothing, underwear, or nude?

Hi!

I am doing a wasteland warrior type person for Halloween, I'm not really that crafty but so far this is what I've done with a repurposed jacket and boots, I also have some trousers to do similar to and a pair of goggles etc.

I feel like the jacket is missing something? What what you add to this?

Thank you!

There’s malls, there’s tall buildings, there’s farms, there’s islands, there’s a jail, what other places? And in which would we have the best case of survival?

I'm writing a zombie book that I am aiming to be as realistic as possible. My outline is still in VERY early development and I am unsure if I will ever get it to publishing, but I am in the stage where I am doing a BUNCH of research on projections for the future as the story takes place in 2048.

For right now, my big question is around electric cars. I'm taking the route that suggests the U.S. will fully transition to EVs to reduce emissions at some point between now and 2048 by some sort of federal mandate. Problem is, would an EV survive? Yes, there are ways to circumvent the energy issue (solar, etc.), but how do you think they be affected by the manufacturer going dark? Is that a real obstacle?

I've been steadily expanding my to-watch list, so I'm looking for more post-apoc movies. I've already watched Children of Men, The Road, The Book of Eli, 28 Days Later (and the movies that follow), The Crazies, World War Z, I Am Legend, Mad Max, Contagion, The Girl With All The Gifts, Dawn of the Dead.

Resident Evil (2002) is on my to-watch list, but I know I watched it when I was younger. Just can't remember anything about it. I do enjoy "nature-claimed" and dusty settings, desperate survivors eating whatever they can find, etc. Any good movies you'd recommend based on the list above? Don't mind the language as long as there are English subs!

Ya'll blew me away on the last responses about Melee weapons - let's have a go at this one.

Which direction feels more believable?

So imagine civilization has completely collapsed. Modern firearms and ammunition are basically gone, but humanity being humanity, we've figured out how to make things go boom again.

Here's where my nerd brain is stuck.

Option A: We essentially go backward. Flintlocks, muskets, black powder pistols, maybe some absolutely terrifying homemade blunderbusses. Old-school technology making a comeback.

Option B: Get weird with it. Steampunk-ish, scavenged, hand-built firearms. Every gun is a Frankenstein creation made from whatever its owner could find, salvage, or figure out how to machine.

Here's the catch: neither option is particularly efficient. Reloading sucks, ammunition is scarce, capacity is terrible, and if something is sprinting toward you, you'd probably rather have a spear.

So guns become backup weapons, last resorts, or something you pull out when you absolutely need to ruin someone's day.

My question for the history nerds, engineers, gun enthusiasts, and fellow apocalypse overthinkers: Which direction feels more believable? And more importantly, which would make for a more interesting world?

Bonus points if you can explain how spectacularly wrong my logic is.

Finished and published THE LIVING MACHINE recently, and I'm still rather chuffed about it.

It's a standalone sci-fi journey adventure / thriller about a robot waking up in a world where animals rule, humanity has been pushed aside, and almost everything it remembers has become difficult to make sense of.

This unnamed robot meets Novalie, who wants revenge on a bedbound man called Jude. It ends up travelling with her while trying to figure out its own past. Along the way, fragments of an old war begin to resurface in its mind, and a mysterious voice starts making things even more strange...

It took me six months to write, which is the quickest I've managed to finish a novel! Releasing books can sometimes feel like shouting into an empty room, so getting the thing finished and out into the world is an achievement in itself, I think!

If anyone here decides to give it a go, thank you!

For convenience, I've included some links below to help you find it. Thanks again for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the adventure!

UK

USA

GERMANY

CANADA

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My website, where you can learn more about me and get a free exclusive sci-fi thriller short story!

Because in Leave Them Outside, every decision you make can save someone's life… or drag the whole shelter to its death.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5281900/Leave_Them_Outside/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pa_1014

Hi everyone, I am the author of The Horseman’s Dream. The audiobook is now live on Audible, Amazon and Apple Books. In a near-future Britain reduced to a flooded archipelago, a grieving scientist who invented dream-sharing technology lives in exile on a remote Scottish island. When a media empire announces it will broadcast the dreams of a catatonic sixteen-year-old known as The Horseman, he realises the boy’s mind carries the same frequency that has haunted him since his own son’s death. What follows is a desperate rescue across submerged England, a confrontation at Sheffield Cathedral and a final revelation on a beach that should not exist — under twin dying suns.

US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0HMCZKVLP
UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0HMCXDVWR

I’m giving away free Audible promo codes to anyone who would like to listen and leave an honest review. Just comment below (US or UK) or message me and I’ll send you one. 

Thank you.