BEST NEW
ZOMBIE
TALES
Volume Three
- BOOKS of the DEAD -
This book is a work of fiction. All characters, events, dialog, and situations in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.
BEST NEW ZOMBIE TALES Volume Three
Collection copyright 2011 by James Roy Daley
Graphic design by Cynthia Gould
Interior design by James Roy Daley
Edited by James Roy Daley
Photography by Danielle Tunstall
Modeclass="underline" Danielle Tunstall
FIRST EDITION
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Lazarus Condition by PAUL KANE, copyright 2005. * First published by Tasmaniac Publications.
Of Cabbages and Kings by NATE SOUTHARD, copyright 2011. ** Original for this anthology.
Those Below by JEREMY C. SHIPP, copyright 2007. ** First appeared in the anthology Love & Sacrifice.
The Traumatized Generation by MURRAY J.D. LEEDER, copyright 2004. ** First appeared in Open Space: New Canadian Fantastic Fiction.
The Cyclist by SIMON WOOD, copyright 2011. * Original for this anthology.
Family First by JG FAHERTY, copyright 2007. ** First appeared the Garden State Horror Writers Anthology.
The Way of Things in Fly-Over Country by AARON POLSON, copyright 2009. First appeared in Deadworlds: Undead Stories Volume One.
The Beach by TIM LEBBON, copyright 2011. * Original for this anthology.
Fast Eddie's Big Night Out by JOHN L. FRENCH, copyright 2004. ** First appeared in Future Mystery Anthology Magazine issue #32.
Night of the Living Dead Bingo Women by SIMON MCCAFFERY, copyright 1992. ** First appeared in the anthology Still Dead.
Worm-sacks and Dirt-backs by LEE CLARK ZUMPE, copyright 2008. ** First appeared in the anthology Abominations.
The Purple Word by ERIK T. JOHNSON, copyright 2005. ** First appeared in Far Sector SSFF.
Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands by JOE MCKINNEY, copyright 2005. ** First appeared in Pedestal Magazine issue #55.
A Sense of Duty by GREGORY MILLER, copyright 2009. ** First appeared in Scaring the Crows: 21 Tales for Moon or Midnight.
The Basement by WILLIAM T. VANDEMARK, copyright 2008. ** First appeared in Bits of the Dead.
Working Man's Burden by DAVID C. PINNT, copyright 2009. ** First appeared in The World is Dead.
The Last Supper (The Anatomy Of Addiction) by JOHN CLAUDE SMITH, copyright 2004. ** First appeared in Horrorfind Online.
Memory Bones by MICHAEL STONE, copyright 2002. ** First appeared in Stillwater Journal.
Going Down by NANCY KILPATRICK, copyright 2006. ** First appeared in Mondo Zombie.
Sweetbread by TONIA BROWN, copyright 2010. ** First appeared in Morpheus Tales.
*Reprinted by permission of author.
**Used by permission of author.
Great books from:
BOOKS of the DEAD
BEST NEW ZOMBIE TALES (VOL. 1)
BEST NEW ZOMBIE TALES (VOL. 2)
BEST NEW ZOMBIE TALES (VOL. 3)
CLASSIC VAMPIRE TALES (VOL.1)
BEST NEW VAMPIRE TALES (VOL. 1)
MATT HULTS - HUSK
MATT HULTS - ANYTHING CAN BE DANGEROUS
JAMES ROY DALEY - TERROR TOWN
JAMES ROY DALEY - 13 DROPS OF BLOOD
JAMES ROY DALEY - INTO HELL
JAMES ROY DALEY - THE DEAD PARADE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ~ JAMES ROY DALEY
The Lazarus Condition ~ PAUL KANE
Of Cabbages and Kings ~ NATE SOUTHARD
Those Below ~ JEREMY C. SHIPP
The Traumatized Generation ~ MURRAY J.D. LEEDER
The Cyclist ~ SIMON WOOD
Family First ~ JG FAHERTY
The Way of Things in Fly-Over Country ~ AARON POLSON
The Beach ~ TIM LEBBON
Fast Eddie's Big Night Out ~ JOHN L. FRENCH
Night of the Living Dead Bingo Women ~ SIMON MCCAFFERY
Worm-sacks and Dirt-backs ~ LEE CLARK ZUMPE
The Purple Word ~ ERIK T. JOHNSON
Sabbatical in the Ohio Methlands ~ JOE MCKINNEY
A Sense of Duty ~ GREGORY MILLER
The Basement ~ WILLIAM T. VANDEMARK
Working Man's Burden ~ DAVID C. PINNT
The Last Supper (The Anatomy Of Addiction) ~ JOHN CLAUDE SMITH
Memory Bones ~ MICHAEL STONE
Going Down ~ NANCY KILPATRICK
Sweetbread ~ TONIA BROWN
ZOMBIE #3
About the Authors
Preview - James Roy Daley - Terror Town
Preview - Matt Hults - Husk
Preview - James Roy Daley - Into Hell
Introduction
JAMES ROY DALEY
The release date for Best New Zombie Tales Volume Three has been delayed as long as possible. I've had a folder full of excuses tucked away inside my mental Rolodex for a while now, probably since the day Zombie Tales Two was made available to the general public. I've told people all kinds of things, crazy things: the book wasn't ready, the stories weren't quite right; I'm waiting for my book sales to improve; I'm worried about flooding the market.
Lies.
All lies.
Every word that fumbled over my lips. Lies.
In truth, there's only one reason volume three was put on hold. Only one.
H. P. Lovecraft.
The moment Zombie Tales Three was ready for print I knew he would come to see me, seeking vengeance, seeking retribution. Zombie-Lovecraft chewed the hand from my arm the first time I released a zombie book (see Zombie Tales One), and he sawed the foot from my leg the next (see Zombie Tales Two). Neither incident was enjoyable in any possible way. Both experiences were painful, leaving me scarred mentally, physically, and emotionally.
So why put out a third volume? Why not keep rolling out the excuses until the day I die?
Honestly, I'm not sure that I have an answer for that one. Maybe it's because I grew up with a punk rock attitude, or maybe I'm just too damn stupid to do the intelligent thing. Or maybe, just maybe, I figured I could take the son-of-a-bitch, and give him a piece of what's comin'.
In the months following the release of Zombie Tales Two I spent a lot of time in the hospital. My leg, which was in terrible shape, endured three separate operations. The first was an emergency operation performed hours after my attack. During the second surgery, which was completed a few weeks later, I had part of my leg amputated in preparation for the third operation----a procedure known as osseointegration.
Osseointegration is a new way of attaching an artificial limb to a body. Up until recently the 'stump and socket' method was used, causing significant pain to the amputee. This new 'direct attachment' method works by inserting a titanium bolt into the bone at the end of the stump. Several months after the operation is complete the bone will bond itself with the titanium. Once the bone and the titanium are connected an abutment is fastened to the bolt, which extends from the stump. The artificial limb can then be fastened securely. Some of the benefits of this method include better control of the prosthetic, the ability to wear the prosthetic for an extended period of time, and the ability to do things like drive a car, or in some instances, play a musical instrument.