Dead Meat: Day 1 by Nick Clausen

Today sees the English language release of Danish horror writer, Nick Clausen’s, 2017 apocalyptic zombie tale, Dead Meat: Day 1.

Three teenagers on a routine newspaper delivery route encounter more than they bargained for when they stop at an old woman’s isolated home in the woods. Circumstances conspire against them in entertaining, if bloody, ways, leaving the reader to wonder – if this is day one, what is going to happen on day 2?

Written in present tense, the point of view character for most of the novel is Thomas, soon to be ex boyfriend of Jennie (it’s her paper round) and friend of Jennie’s younger brother, Dan. The three teenagers are realistic and likeable, to an extent, their true natures slowly revealed over the course of the book. While the zombie action is well trodden ground, the reactions of the characters is refreshing and the obstacles they must overcome are believable, sprinkled through the narrative in a good pace to constantly ramp up the tension without breaking the suspension of disbelief. Clausen’s voice is confident, dealing with the horror in suitable amounts of gore for the true horror fan as well as treating the characters with respect and humanity, and grounding the scares in identifiable situations. The novel is a quick read, and while the tale is complete, it leaves you, like the zombies contained within the pages, hungry for more.

In the elements of full disclosure, I must admit that I am a fan of the zombie genre. While their particular stench of decay may be long past its best, especially for the more traditional depiction of zombies in this novel, I am still partial to the shambling undead. Clausen may not break any new ground with his scenario, but his characters and writing are of a high enough calibre that while this fare is familiar, it is the best kind of familiar; comforting, welcome and scary. I cared for the fate of all the characters, could easily imagine myself in the scenario and I cheered at the requisite disembowelling scene. If you love zombies, this is a must read, as it is one of the better apocalyptic zombie horror tales. If you are looking for a good horror that will bring you down tense, if slightly well worn paths, than I recommend you check this out. Epecially with Halloween on the horizon, its time to get your spooky on, and I’m sure you will be like me and want to find out what else Nick Clausen has written once you have finished Dead Meat: Day 1.

I award Dead Meat: Day 1 a spooktacular…