An End by Brandon Pawlicki
Society isn’t the only thing that breaks down in a zombie apocalypse. For survivors, such an event throws deeply held personal beliefs into crisis.
In An End, book one of the Where We Stand Now series, author Brandon Pawlicki tackles the aftermath of a world-decimating zombie outbreak with an emotional and intellectual depth that makes this novel more than just another zombie apocalypse story. We got a chance to talk to the author about how his series stemmed from a frustration in other apocalypse stories, and how he hopes An End takes different approach and what he hopes readers take away from it.
Q: How did you first come up with this story? Was there one specific moment of inspiration, or did it come to you over time?
A: The trigger point for me was really my frustration with where other apocalypse stories had gone. There were a few big ones that I was really into at the time and I felt that they all sort of took a nosedive in quality. I’d wanted to try my hand at writing a series around that time anyway, so that hefty dose of fan letdown finally got me going. It also sort of chose the genre for me.
Q: Along with writing, you’re drawn to other storytelling media as well, everything from music, video games and film and other books. Are there any particular titles that inspired you while crafting An End?
A: There were definitely some inspirations from the genre. Though, I don’t want to poke any bee hives with specifics, because then it’ll be pretty clear which ones I slammed in the first question haha. I’m inspired by darker, more character driven movies, shows, and games. One name I can give without ruffling feathers is actually The Revenant. I adore that film. The imagery, pace and music of it and titles like it are really great creative fuel for me. Generally, I just looked at the stories I liked and took some notes about what worked for me and what didn’t.
Q: You weave a lot of topics into An End — religion, school shootings and a zombie apocalypse. How do you balance a complicated plot like this? Do you plan ahead, or go where the writing takes you?
A: It mostly came around the same time. I knew that if I was going to follow a character through the end of the world I had to truly care about them. And for me that meant giving them a tragic background, and a bit of a character reversal from what we usually see in these kinds of stories. I wanted to explore the idea of someone getting thrust into something like this that already had a hard life before things went belly up. How would they adapt as opposed to a character that had everything going for them before?
Q: What went into crafting Vallerie’s character? What qualities did you want to highlight in her as the main protagonist?
A: Great follow up! Well, as I said, I wanted to explore a character that felt human and vulnerable. My favorite characters are the ones that are “screwed up”, but still try to carry on anyway. And Vallerie definitely has some baggage for a survivor. From the outset, it all came pretty naturally for me and I enjoyed thinking of ways I could get her to carry on in defiance of the horrors to come. She’s not superhuman. And she has both angels and devils on her shoulders. I think that makes her someone readers can relate to and root for.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from Vallerie’s story?
A: My first priority is to entertain. I want this series to have plenty that gives readers a genuine sense of awe. And I think book one alone has plenty in it that’ll make you go “holy sh*t!”. If there’s a lesson I could choose, though, it would be that life is complex and that that’s a good thing. It’s important to look at things beyond simply being all good or all bad so you don’t get stuck. Vallerie’s story is really about finding balance and getting unstuck. I’m hopeful that readers can relate to that and maybe find some inspiration there.
Q: This first book is only the beginning of Vallerie’s journey to the other side of an apocalypse. What can readers expect from the next volume?
A: The next volume is actually already out. Book two is titled Fangs Bared, and it’s a direct continuation from where An End leaves off. I wrote both parts basically back to back, so the biggest thing to expect is a sense of organic growth. We see a lot more of things that were teased in the first book. There’s a wider world with new characters, higher stakes and plenty of chaos to chew on. As for Vallerie specifically, I think readers are going to be pleasantly surprised with where her character goes. Things get pretty nuts. *wink*
About Brandon Pawlicki:
Brandon Pawlicki is an independent author from Michigan. He lives a modest life alongside his writing, working in customer service and enjoying all forms of storytelling media on his downtime including books, movies, video games, music and television. His main pursuit as an author resides in his dystopian fiction series, Where We Stand Now, which centers on a young girl’s tale of trauma and recovery in traversing the zombie apocalypse and playing a key role in restarting civilization.
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