Circus of the Dead

Twenty years ago, the dead destroyed the world of the living. The survivors scattered in the wake of the Scourge, erecting small towns in the worlds' most sparsely populated areas.

For young Gabriel, the walking dead are merely the memories that haunt the eyes of those old enough and lucky enough to have survived. He is more concerned with his hard life in America's desert, where his chores keep him busy and the husks of books stashed beneath the cellar of the library are his only freedom.

Until the circus comes to town.

"Circus of the Dead" is a novelette of approximately 10,748 words.

"Finally, a zombie story for the thinking man! This story reads as much like literary fiction as it does horror. The zombie scourge seems to exist if only to symbolize man's great desires to keep weapons of impending doom close at hand and the zealotry needed to set them free. Blackburn creates atmosphere so real you'll need to swish the dust from your teeth when you're done! A welcomed change in a genre that seems done to death."

-- Stefan Bourque, author of "My Name Is Joe" & "Juggler"