Most works of media in 2019 like to fashion the Zombie Apocalypse as some sort of “end game” for all of humanity. The world would certainly look a lot different (except for maybe Florida), but would it truly bring an end to human interaction as we know it? This week’s Smut Vault contribution takes a slightly different approach to this narrative, and offers us a few new ideas. Ok, so I’m a zombie….but I can still fuck, right?
Zombification: Living Dead Girl Part 1 by Alexandra Ortigas introduces us to Lizz, who is a rather nice, if only slightly dense young woman describing her life to us in a past tense personal narrative. Lizz is absolutely gah-gah over her boyfriend, Alex, and for good reason. Not only is Alex a handsome stud muffin and accomplished nurse, but he might be the only thing keeping Lizz from becoming a brainless flesh eating member of the undead. Lizz, bless her heart, had a bit of a run-in with some of the downtrodden members of the community out by the local liquor store. What looked like an normal altercation with a drunk derelict eventually turned out to be Lizz’s unfortunate introduction to ZOMBIFICATION! Lizz is feeling weird for sure, but she can’t take her mind off Alex, and not because she wants to eat his brains. Oh, she wants him in her mouth (heh heh heh)…but possibly we’ve discovered a new cure for this horrid disease.
Book one takes a bit of getting used to, I’ll admit. The conversational style of Lizz points out rather quickly that she and I probably wouldn’t be friends in real life. Still, the monologue format is interesting and adds some flavor to a nutty circumstance. I compare a lot of her mannerisms to a semi-popular video game from a handful of years ago, Lollipop Chainsaw , which was an interesting sparkle-filled attempt at a linear zombie survival with a dark comedy edge. But while Lollipop‘s Juliet was a zombie hunter, our Lizz is constantly fighting off the urge to become a zombie herself. Her perspective was an interesting one and I was pleased to see her sense of humor stay through to the end, including the steamy moments. While possibly getting out a little quicker than I expected, I was excited to immediately pick up the next installment.
Back from the Dead, Again (part 2) continues the saga of Lizz and Alex as the zombie infestation continues it’s long march as told from the point of view of still-not-quite-zombified Lizz. Due to quick thinking and careful reaction, the pair have been able to stay fed, relatively clean, and most of all, safe. Oh yeah, and they have sex constantly. Our heroes couldn’t explain the science of it just yet, but sex and orgasms seem to stave off the permanent effects of the zombie virus. While Lizz is technically a zombie after her bite sustained from the first book, she’s been kept from mindless consumption by our good friend, Vitamin D. The couple have worked out how to survive on their own, but supplies are running low and it’s time to face the outside world again…
Part Two certainly offers more depth than the introductory novella, but that ends up being a double edged sword. The positives? We meet new characters and get a great deal more explanation about the world contained in the story. However, the humorous tone and jabs from Lizz’s narration style make transition to the brief dramatic moments a little more difficult to process. One of the great tragedies of a mass outbreak of any virus would of course be the elevated suicide rate. Rather than avoiding the topic or working around it, we actually have to confront it directly… while the surprising zombie cuckoldry and BDSM elements we’re exposed to seem to serve as bookends to the tough stuff. I thinking this may have been more akin to dark comedy, but frankly I was still trying to understand the characters’ feelings on the zombie cuck-sex that just happened…so maybe a reread is in order.
Verdict: Living Dead Girl (parts 1 and 2) by Alexandra Ortigas are together an interesting introduction to a new style of zombie related fiction. Approaching the sexual angle of the apocalypse genre without exploitation or demeaning women is a scarce commodity, so it’s great to see an author putting this out there for the world to consume. It can be a little shaky at times in its attempts to stay light hearted, but a reader can compartmentalize and have a fantastic time screwing society back out of this zombie plague. With Part 3 expected soon, I’m excited see Lizz and Alex take this act on the road and develop further along with the author. Let’s just hope they pack enough lube.
Special Thanks to Alexandra Ortigas for providing review copies of Living Dead Girl to TehBen.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author’s Twitter: @OrtigaAlexandra
Purchase Link: Part 1, Part 2
TEHBEN.COM 