How can we build resilient societies? Novelist Max Brooks writes about horrifying fictional catastrophes to teach us how to survive real ones.
This week’s podcast guest-star Max Brooks is the bestselling author of the zombie apocalypse cult classic World War Z, for which he also wrote the screenplay for the Hollywood adaptation with Brad Pitt. He is the son of Hollywood legends Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks – Max and Mel recently went viral with their #DontBeASpreader video which has had 16.1M views to date.
As well as a bestselling author, Max is also a renowned global disaster preparation expert and works alongside the US government, the Atlantic Council (US global leadership and engagement in partnership with allies and partners) and lectures at West Point Military Academy on disaster preparedness. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post and beyond on everything from coronavirus and biowarfare to the form the real zombie apocalypse will come in.
Max’s new novel, Devolution, is available here.
Praise for Max Brooks:
‘An absolute must have … Brooks infuses his writing with such precise detail and authenticity, one wonders if he knows something we don’t.’ Simon Pegg
‘Prepare to be entranced by this addictively readable oral history of the great war between humans and zombies . . . Will grab you as tightly as a dead man’s fist.’ Entertainment Weekly
‘As a horror story, it’s exciting. As a parable, it’s terrifying.’ Empire
‘Devolution is one of the greatest horror novels I’ve ever read. The characters soar, the ideas sing, and it’s all going to scare the living daylights out of you.’ Blake Crouch, author of Dark Matter and Recursion
‘Brooks (World War Z) spins a substantial and suspenseful case for the existence of Bigfoot in this thriller. Brooks creates vivid landscapes and has a gift for shifting focus in an instant, turning lovely nature scenes suddenly menacing. Brooks packs his plot with action, information, and atmosphere, and captures both the foibles and the heroism of his characters. This slow-burning page-turner will appeal to Brooks’ devoted fans and speculative fiction readers who enjoy tales of monsters.’ Publisher’s Weekly
