What if Grantville was ISOTed into a Zombie World?

[Chris]

An idea that someone tossed forward.

Let’s imagine that Grantville (of 1632 fame) was, instead of being tossed back time, tossed instead into a world of zombies. Basically, the zombiapocalse has taken place, the vast majority of the human race is dead or turned into zombies, the few survivors are hiding out and there’s no help coming at all.

What happens next?

Chris

[Adam]

They die after the ginormous hordes of zombies are done with them.

[Chris]

They die after the ginormous hordes of zombies are done with them.

I'm sure I can do more with the idea than that.:chuckle:

Chris

[Adam]

I'm sure I can do more with the idea than that.:chuckle:

Chris

Well, it really depends on where they land through the RoF.

Is there a large concentration of zombies (50,000-1,000,000) around their area?

Are they placed in an easily-defendable terrain with a set of chokepoints to cover?

Is there a source of abandoned (but much functional) arms, tools, survival kits nearby?

How much livable is the land they've been RoFed in, and how long can they rely on their own town stocks before being forced to "go outside" and forage?

Are there survival enclaves nearby to fill them in on what the heck is wrong with this world? Better yet, can they react fast enough to this Brave Undead World before they all get their brains eaten?

If all this answers are positive and the town gets a hefty dose of Lady Luck, I'm pretty sure they can be more than just a self-sufficient small community within a decades' time. Assuming that at this time, no Zacks (or unsuspectingly infected survivors) make their way into town...

[stalkere]

Chris,
:confused:With all due respect, you've already written this story. "The Living Will Envy the Dead" is, basically, Grantville in a Zombie Universe, with nuclear weapons instead of a Zombie Plague, and nuclear survivors and bandits filling in for Zombies. I kind of thought you were recycling a Zombie Story when you wrote that one.:(

I don't read the Zombie stories, and have never watched a Zombie movie for longer than it took to get away from it - A hour of the "The Crazies" is probably the most I've ever watched, and I left when the infection started to hit the majority of the people.

A lot of folks like these stories, and I mean no disrespect to anybody - but, I agree with Adam.

Unless they get REALLY lucky - they will die off within a few weeks. You see, they're in a valley...Zombies can fall off the cliffs, and infected corpses can spread the contagion inside the town. Nobody is going to understand the danger until - probably - way too late. Within weeks, a dozen survivors, maximum - probably more like five or six.

These folks are fine people, and tough - but Appalachian Hill country tough, not Zombie-verse survivor tough. It isn't "Bambie vs Godzilla", but it's more like "Gentle Ben the Grizzly Bear vs Godzilla" - same outcome, just takes a little longer.

I mean, really, try watching The Crazies if you haven't already. Small town America pitched into the Zombie-verse. Subtract the US military cordon around the town, and that is pretty much what we're talking about.

If I might suggest, try something that has AFAIK, never been done in the Zombie-verse. Try translating a major military unit - say, a regimental-sized base - into the Zombie-verse. You want to really bend some heads - what about the story of the troops in Iraq or Afghanistan in a global Zombie Pandemic. Cut off from home, and trying to survive - to cull the infection in their own ranks, and killing the Zombie Mujahadeen...and maybe set up a stable society in the midst of the Chaos.

We got a little of that in Last Centurion. But...everybody seems to have "faceless zombie-like military goons" as stock characters in a disaster. Why not tell one from the viewpoint of some military guys CAUGHT in the disaster?
and not crazed onsie-twosie crazy survivors of an annihilated military unit. The Trope of "The Artilleryman" from War of the Worlds seems to be a standard required stock character for anybody doing disaster stories.

And...maybe..try a UK unit. I know you like using US Settings, and you do a decent job of it, but I think, of all your stuff, I enjoyed "Yeoman of England" best - mostly because of the UK setting.

Why not a Zombie Story with, I dunno, a active-duty Scottish Regiment, in base, maybe just back from the Rockpile or the Sandbox? The world starts going to hell all around them, and they are trying to figure out what the bloody hell to do. OR - if you need to do it fanfic Zombie story - what about RAINBOW SIX? They are based in the UK, no? What happens to them in a Zombie-verse setting? They don't go down easy, but they're tough enough that many will survive.

Or - you want to get daring - How about the Coldstream Guards? To make it a bit safe, how about at Windsor Castle, have the Queen and her consort die early, and one or both of Princes - take charge in a throwback to an early day.

Maybe a vibe from "The March" series, with Prince William or Harry standing in for Prince Roger.

And I'm only going to say it once, because I wouldn't want to upset anybody - but :secret:"Zombie Prince Charles" - I know that the UK has some conventions about the Royals, so I don't want to start a firestorm - but, Elizabeth is dead, Prince Charles takes over...but then, as he tries to take charge the situation, we find he's infected...and maybe he is noble about it, hands the reins over to his son, and then destroys himself.

OK, gotta go now, but I hope there's something in these maundering you can use.

Ed

[GBW]

They invite thousands of zombies into town, transform them into strong advocates for democracy with their rugged hillbilly charm, and remake the world after the good old U.S. of A.

[Nikephoros]

I like Mr. Stalker's ideas alot.

I mean, write a story set in your homeland.