Interviews, Profiles, and Reviews
July 15th 2010
Postscript
Tuesday, August 17th, 2004
Author’s Note: The following is written specifically for those who have read the entirety of “Monster Island”. It contains no spoilers but it won’t make a lot of sense to new and first-time readers. We’ll have something to say to you later, but for now just go read Chapter One of Part One and see what you think.
The first volume of the “Monster Island” trilogy is done, finished, in the can. The next volume will come to this space very soon. I plan on taking a month off to let my brain heal and to let the seeds of new ideas germinate.
We’re a long way from being done so nobody start crying on me. The next part of the tale belongs to Nilla, who some of you have probably already guessed starts out as a yoga instructor in California on the worst day of her (living) life. She will become one of the first victims of the Epidemic and that’s just where the book starts. I don’t have a title yet. “Monster Island 2” doesn’t really work since the story takes place on the mainland. For now I’m calling it “Nilla’s Tale”, which sounds like the story of an adorable runaway puppy. Believe me, any puppies in this story will fall far short of being adorable.
In the meantime, please do check out the links in the righthand sidebar. They were all hand-picked by either Alex or myself (if you don’t know who Alex is, see below). Here are some other things to keep you busy:
For those of you like Adrian who like to write your own zombie stories, please do check out http://www.undeadanthology.com, which is accepting submissions of original work. I won’t be able to publish anything here for you but you can also submit stories to DeadKev at http://www.allthingszombie.com/fiction.php#a or to Hell’s Library at http://moviesonline.ca/phpBB2/zombie-fan-fiction.php. I’ve dealt personally with these sites and they’re a swell bunch of folks.
If you know how to draw and you like to draw zombies, I really, really want to see some pictures. Send them to the contact address over to the right. Please only send me JPEG or GIF format files. I can’t open PSD or AI or EPS files and I can’t put PDF files up for display in an image gallery. Let me know in your email if you don’t want your pictures posted here for all the world to see, but send them to me anyway. Please! Be advised that we cannot pay you for your work or provide any kind of remuneration but we will always credit work back to its creator.
If you just want to talk about zombies, or zombie books, especially “Monster Island”, please do visit the fan group set up by Feral Fish at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/monster_island_fan/. I’ll be dropping by whenever I get a chance so I hope to see you there.
If you have not signed up to be notified by email of future updates to this site, you may wish to do so now. Just enter your email address in that box on top on the right, just above the bit where we ask you for money. That way you’ll know when Nilla’s story gets going. It will also let me inform you should there be any news or announcements here. Anyone who has already signed up for updates is on the list and doesn’t need to sign up again.
Okay. That’s enough business. Here’s the part where I get maudlin.
I want to thank everyone who read even a chapter of “Monster Island”. Thanks for your time and your interest. Those of you who stayed to read it all deserve special thanks and I wish I knew your names to thank you personally. The one thing that made this project worth doing was the readership, the most encouraging and intelligent bunch of folks I’ve ever had look at anything I did. Those of you who commented on the chapters—(in no particular order) the Lauras, Don and Donny D, Fred, Liam, Digbeta, Marbo, Alnjo, Ann Towey, Pat, Nadra, Mel, Davidkaye929, James, Igame3D, Mike, Feral Fish, Delacoix, Mendoza, Lady Cass, and on and on and on (please forgive me if I left you out)—well. You guys already know how hard you rock but I’d like to say it again: you rock.
I’d like to thank Adrian Padden especially and I think we all know why. You so crazy in a very, very good way, weird chap.
I owe a real debt of gratitude to DeadKev of Allthingszombie and Paul of F-Train, our contest winners who did a lot toward getting us some attention in the early days.
Fred VanLente watched me write a big part of this book and sometimes he even contributed advice without which I would have been lost. Thanks, Fred.
Big, big thanks go to Elisabeth Wellington, my lovely and well-loved wife, who inspired some major portions of the story and who took me away from all this just when I needed a break and who made me the happiest man in the world by kicking serious zombie ass for me and supported me throughout. Love ya, sweetie. Mean it.
And finally… to Alex Lencicki, who made it all possible, major league thanks. Alex is the mastermind creator and proprietor of Brokentype, which some day will be the first and foremost among online publishing houses that started out as blogs. At a time when I was almost ready to give up on writing Alex posed me a single question: what did I really want? Fame, money, power, women on yachts and heaps of jewels on the women? The answer was that I wanted roughly two hundred people a day to read whatever I wanted to write and that they would enjoy it and be able to tell me that they enjoyed it. Alex made it happen. If you had fun during your visit to “Monster Island” you owe him your thanks, too.
Oh, and if you’re wondering—Alex and I were eating sushi at the time. We planned out everything from how the site would look to the plot to how I would post entries. All we needed was a title. I looked up and saw a plastic Godzilla statuette, part of the restaurant’s décor, and immediately said, “How about ‘Monster Island’?”
Thanks for everything, everybody. See you in a month!
—David Wellington
August 18th, 2004 at 9:27 am
Thanks…it means a lot to be mentioned bu a up and coming award winning author…and thanks your making me look forward to mondays wednesday and fridays…reading one of your chapters on those days was wonderful and I would always either read it first so i could start my e-mail off right, or save it for last so at least I would have one good e-mail sent to me…and thanks to the creator of this website…not only didi it make it easy to re-read some select chapters (which you know everybody did when in the comments section, the yoga instructur was mentioned)…and for having other great stories forming on the web…so Dave i will leave you with the final words of “Lock, Stock and 2 smoking barrels“ and Big Chris, “…it’s been emotional.“
August 18th, 2004 at 9:28 am
DAVE! thank you my friend. for the special mention…twice! And the great time i had reading this “masterpiece“ (it was to me) thanks alex russianman and mrs wellington for allowing dave to write instead of…well thanks AND DAVE…SUSHI? YUCH! godzilla zombie hmm Im going to miss you dave but your back soon so thats good! no sad Adrian! yes! I have to go work now but ill talk again at my break,
take care Dave
Love ya man (in the most HETERO way possible!!!)
August 18th, 2004 at 9:56 am
Dave,
Thanks for the shout out man. I really do feel honored to even be mentioned by you. I’m glad to hear that you’ll be taking time off. You definitely deserve it! Go give Mrs. Wellington a little more of your time. I would like to thank Alex Lencicki for making it possible for Dave to share his fantastic story with us. I have never experienced a story such as this where I could share my thoughts with the author, and actually have him read them, and then respond. I really think that this is how a lot of other authors should start doing things. Cheers to you Alex. Take it easy Dave! I will be anxiously anticipating Nilla’s Tale and the thought of zombie puppies.
Check ya later!
August 18th, 2004 at 11:34 am
Indeed – a big thanks to everyone who read the book.
Dave’s too modest to ask, but I’d like to appeal to you readers to go forth and spread the word about Monster Island as best you can. It sounds like Dave just committed to two more of these, so we’ll need your help to get people to visit and read the book before the next one starts. Every time you get someone to link to the site or tell a friend about it it’s like you’re printing a copy of the book.
And Dave – there is no fucking way I’m letting you call the next book “Nilla’s Tale“ What is that? Have you learned nothing? It’s got to be punchy! It needs to pop! It’s got to be the kind of name people want to chew on! Something like… I don’t know…“Downward Facing Dead“
I’m sure others here have suggestions too.
August 18th, 2004 at 1:12 pm
Loved the book Dave, I’m sure you know that. Gary was by far my favorite zombie ever. Enjoy your time off, we’ll be expecting a lot from you next month!
August 18th, 2004 at 5:24 pm
Dave,
Thanks again for sharing your story with us. This format, where author and fans can interact, harkens to the storytelling tradition and I enjoy it.
Max was right, you have the stuff. Let us know when that PDF is ready! Please please!
Alex!! Great Yoga reference for title! LOL How about “Full Black Lotus“ or “Full Lotus Undead“? (sorry, very very bad humor)
August 18th, 2004 at 5:24 pm
Dave,
Thanks again for sharing your story with us. This format, where author and fans can interact, harkens to the storytelling tradition and I enjoy it.
Max was right, you have the stuff. Let us know when that PDF is ready! Please please!
Alex!! Great Yoga reference for title! LOL How about “Full Black Lotus“ or “Full Lotus Undead“? (sorry, very very bad humor)
August 18th, 2004 at 5:26 pm
Dave,
Thanks again for sharing your story with us. This format, where author and fans can interact, harkens to the storytelling tradition and I enjoy it.
Max was right, you have the stuff. Let us know when that PDF is ready! Please please!
Alex!! Great Yoga reference for title! LOL How about “Full Black Lotus“ or “Full Lotus Undead“? (sorry, very very bad humor)
August 18th, 2004 at 6:07 pm
wow, feel special with the honorable mention. Thanks dave =)on my birthday no less!
Anyways, I wish you well and can’t wait to get a look at your next project!
the one who really needs thanks is you dave! best story ever =) thank you /bow
August 18th, 2004 at 10:23 pm
Hey man, I wanted to let you know that I thought about the ending of “Monster Island“ for two days. Poor DeKalb. Gracias again — I’m looking forward to the next story….
August 19th, 2004 at 12:27 am
This has been a hell of an experience Dave. Thanks for telling us all an awesome story and for letting us interact as well! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like Monster Island. I certainly didn’t expect to find one of the best stories I’ve ever read on some random link from a zombie site (I think it was Alpha Dog’s, also pretty damn nifty work, heh). But from the first chapter on I’ve been hooked. This has been better than a LARGE number of the published (and even “popular“) books I’ve ever read.
Enjoy your very well deserved vacation and we’ll all be waiting when you get back! In the mean time, I’ll do my damndest to get as many people as I can to read this awesome (and now complete!) story! Thanks again Dave (and Alex too!)!
PS – My fiancee FINALLY started reading Monster Island! YAY!
August 19th, 2004 at 1:05 am
Dave,
Hope you enjoy the break from writing. Monster Island was a great story and I can’t wait to start reading the next installment. I wish I knew how to draw so I could give something to you for your service. I’ll be sure to pick up anything you get published! Thank you for the great reading material.
August 19th, 2004 at 3:44 am
I have enjoyed this entire novel from start to finish. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. The acknowledgment of me and the other die-hards was appreciated, but not neccessary. The pleasure was all ours. Can’t wait for the new stories!
Until I see Brad Dourif playing Gary,
Mike
August 19th, 2004 at 4:03 am
Im playing gary!!! or at least faceless…cos ill be faceless later, here i come beer! here i come!
Dave! missing you already…does it have to be a month?…eh…kiddin
August 19th, 2004 at 12:12 pm
AMAZING!!! What else can I say,what a story
August 20th, 2004 at 11:21 pm
I don’t know where to begin…
I was out of town for a bit so I just now read the final chapter and I was absolutely amazed. That was the great ending that I had come to expect from you Dave, and I want to sincerely thank you and all who had their hands involved in this masterpiece. You’ve converted someone who considered the zombie genre a humorous attempt at horror into someone who frequently has nightmares involving all sorts of undead menaces. I will miss reading new material but I understand that you need some time to yourself (and I also understand that I will probably re-read old material a billion times before you bless us with the next tale). The mention of my name made me so happy and I plan on joining that Yahoo group and spreading word of this great story to all my friends and family…
Until our paths cross again Dave, and everyone else!
August 21st, 2004 at 4:02 pm
wooo my name is in there! thanks dave, this place rocks. if i can manage to churn out some pictures of zombies ill be sure to send them in, cant wait for nilla’s tale, i think that should be the title. like you said its adorable so it would be ironic with the story being horror orientated. might join the group but not today im off to watch a film, bye.
August 21st, 2004 at 7:23 pm
Sorry it took me so long to post Dave. I sat here until Saturday in a state of denial. I’ve come to grips with that now….NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!! POST MORE YOU HAVE TO POST MORE!!!
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Like all the others I just about wet myself when I saw that you had included my nick. I even got upset that I hadn’t used my real name! This was an incredible story and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire run, posting days and non-posting days. Just an awesome experience. Thank you.
Without knowing what Nilla is going to do, a title is a shot in the dark so, I’ll go with “Oxygen Kills“.
Thanks again Dave, you rocked.
August 22nd, 2004 at 7:11 am
ive joined the yahoo group as beatingthedead. just checking it out now.
August 24th, 2004 at 11:37 am
Dave,
You have kept me looking over my shoulder, jumping at creaks in the floorboards and keeping my bedroom door locked at night. I loved every minute of it and look forward to your next story. Perhaps Nilla can hook up with Dekalb. Kind of like a Promentory Point meeting in the Midwest. haha. Anyway, it’s been fun and I am starting to read it over again. Thanks
August 25th, 2004 at 3:04 pm
got a little bit of art, it actually wasnt a zombie to begin with but i saw an opportunity and took it. http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/monster_island_fan/vwp?.dir=/Artwork&.dnm=zombie.jpg&.src=gr&.view=t&.hires=t
enjoy
April 5th, 2005 at 2:57 pm
I absolutely LOVED Monster Nation and Monster Island – I hope to read more of your work soon – thanks!