Elegy for the Undead
by Matthew Vesely
“This is a brutal, beautiful, inevitable story.”
Jude and Lyle's newlywed life is shattered when a vicious attack leaves Lyle infected with a disease that transforms him into a violent and often incomprehensible person. With no cure for the "zombie" virus in sight, the young husbands begin to face the last months they have together before Lyle loses himself completely.
Fond remembrances of young love meet the challenges of navigating a partner's terminal illness in this bittersweet tale that explores both how we fall in love and how we say goodbye when the time comes far too soon.
FIC015000 FICTION / Horror
FIC011000 FICTION / LGBT / Gay
FIC028070 FICTION / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
Print: $14.00, EPUB $7.99
Print ISBN: 978-1-941360-45-3
Digital ISBN: 978-1-941360-46-0
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publicity Contact: Feliza Casano, publicity@lanternfishpress.com
Photo Credit: Ian Jennings
About the Author
Matthew Vesely collects ironies. Usually, he’s scribbling in his journal while somber music plays in the dark. But, when you meet him, he’s more likely to be giddy talking about new books, reality TV, or dogs. Striving to portray real queer experiences through the lens of fiction—he lives, works, and writes in the Philadelphia area.
Comp Titles
Peng Shepherd, The Book of M
Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven
Colson Whitehead, Zone One
Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies
Talking Points for
Booksellers & Librarians
A tender and bittersweet exploration of terminal illness from a fresh voice in literary speculative fiction
Fans of Station Eleven and The Book of M will enjoy this queer take on love and loss in times of apocalypse
Praise for Elegy for the Undead
"Vesely’s eloquent debut reimagines the zombie novel as a tender reflection on the complexities of human relationships. . . . This unique, intimate zombie tale is sure to impress."
—Publishers Weekly
“The end of the world is for everyone. With this novella, Vesely has made the apocalypse accessible in a way that is all too rare.”
—Mira Grant, author of Feed
"The sweetest zombie story you'll ever read... True love can't stop a zombie takeover, though it is a welcome balm, in the bittersweet and restrained novel Elegy for the Undead."
—Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews
"This stunning novella marks the introduction of a voice worth keeping an ear out for."
—Dark Scribe Magazine
“Equal parts heart-racing and -wrenching, Elegy for the Undead will give you a real reason to care about zombies.”
—Andrew Katz, author of The Vampire Gideon's Suicide Hotline
and Halfway House for Orphaned Girls