{"product_id":"the-z-word-isbn-9781683694076","title":"The Z Word","description":"\u003cb\u003e“Sexy, scathing, delightful, and intimately devastating.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of \u003ci\u003eManhunt\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCuckoo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePacked with action, humor, sex, and big gay feelings, \u003ci\u003eThe Z Word\u003c\/i\u003e is the queer zombie romp you didn’t know you needed.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChaotic bisexual Wendy is trying to find her place in the queer community of San Lazaro, Arizona, after a bad breakup—which is particularly difficult because her ex is hooking up with some of her friends. And when the people around them start turning into violent, terrifying mindless husks, well, that makes things harder. Especially since the infection seems to be spreading.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, Wendy and her friends and frenemies—drag queen Logan, silver fox Beau, sword lesbian Aurelia and her wife Sam, mysterious pizza delivery stoner Sunshine, and, oh yeah, Wendy’s ex-girlfriend Leah—have to team up to stay alive, save Pride, and track the zombie outbreak to its shocking source. Hopefully without killing each other first.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Z Word\u003c\/i\u003e is a propulsive, funny, emotional horror debut about a found family coming together to fight corporate greed, political corruption, gay drama, and zombies.\u003cb\u003eA May 2024 Indie Next List Pick\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003ePolygon\u003c\/i\u003e Must-Read Book of Spring 2024\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e Best Horror Book of 2024 (So Far)\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eParade\u003c\/i\u003e’s Best Horror Books of 2024 . . . So Far\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e’s Top 10 Sci-Fi\/Fantasy and Horror Debuts of 2024\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eThe Mary Sue\u003c\/i\u003e’s 10 Best Beach Reads of 2024\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eLit Hub\u003c\/i\u003e’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eBook Riot\u003c\/i\u003e’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024 \u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eBook Riot’s \u003c\/i\u003eBest LGBTQ Beach Reads of 2024\u003cbr\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eAutostraddle’s\u003c\/i\u003e Most Anticipated Queer Books of Spring 2024\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This cinematic romp has something for nearly every reader; humor, gore, heat, action, and mystery all swirl in the San Lazaro desert.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sexy, thoughtful, and fast-paced . . . King-Miller’s fiction debut expertly balances social commentary with fun in a novel that will have readers cheering for her queer heroes and questioning their own brand loyalties.”—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “With an endearingly messy protagonist and wonderfully complicated relationship dynamics among the entirely queer cast, King-Miller skillfully explores real issues facing the LGBTQ+ community while cleverly pairing the beats of a romance novel with the visceral gut punches of survival horror.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Lindsay King-Miller’s debut promises to be the queer zombie apocalypse novel everyone will be talking about this spring.”—\u003ci\u003ePolygon \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It’s thrilling to see the zombie subgenre reanimated with a fresh new premise”—Natalie Zutter, \u003ci\u003eLit Hub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A fundamentally queer and anti-corporate blast of unsettling entertainment.”—Maura Krause, \u003ci\u003eReactor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sexy, scathing, delightful, and intimately devastating.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of \u003ci\u003eManhunt \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Cuckoo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sharply written and filled with richly drawn, complex characters that I genuinely cared about, The \u003ci\u003eZ Word \u003c\/i\u003eis one of the most innovative and deeply affecting novels I’ve read in a while. Playful, acerbic, and utterly engrossing, it’s astonishing to realize that this is Lindsay King-Miller’s debut. I’m ravenous for more!”—Eric LaRocca, author of\u003ci\u003e Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This book’s coming in hot! King-Miller brings a delightful appetite for rollicking weirdness, queerness, sexiness, and chainsaw prowess. An absolute blast.”—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of \u003ci\u003eQueen of Teeth\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Light Most Hateful \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Queer, quirky, and a rollicking good time, \u003ci\u003eThe Z Word\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect zombie novel you didn’t know you needed in your life. Come for the chaotic bisexuality; stay for the humorous, heartfelt tale about found family in a world filled with monsters.”—Gwendolyn Kiste, author of \u003ci\u003eReluctant Immortals\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Rust Maidens \u003c\/i\u003eand winner of the Lambda Literary Award and the Bram Stoker Award\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Good zombie stories peel their own skin back to expose the fragility and the humanity of the characters within, and Lindsay King-Miller’s \u003ci\u003eThe Z Word\u003c\/i\u003e pulls it off with the best of them. Packed to the brim with drag queens, complicated relationships, and buckets of blood, \u003ci\u003eThe Z Word \u003c\/i\u003eis scary, funny, gross as hell, and ultimately deeply touching. The zombie apocalypse has never been queerer—or more fun.”—Matthew Lyons, author of \u003ci\u003eA Black and Endless Sky and The Night Will Find Us\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Comic and gruesome in turn,\u003ci\u003e The Z Word \u003c\/i\u003eis that rare can’t-put-it-down, miss-your-stop-on-the-subway kind of read. (Ask me how I know.)”—Calvin Kasulke, author of \u003ci\u003eSeveral People Are Typing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A gripping read about actual community and the dangers of corporate Pride that bites down on you like a wild animal and doesn’t let go.”—Mattie Lubchansky, author of \u003ci\u003eBoys Weekend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Has plenty of action and suspense that’s perfect for horror aficionados.”—Amanda Mullen, \u003ci\u003eScreenRant\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eLindsay King-Miller \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Z Word\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAsk A Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls Who Dig Girls\u003c\/i\u003e. Her fiction has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Fiends in the Furrows\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTiny Nightmares\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Jewish Book of Horror\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Fireside Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBaffling\u003c\/i\u003e magazine, and numerous other publications. She lives in Denver with her partner and their two children.“Don’t they have anything besides this hard seltzer bullshit?” I fume to nobody in particular. Only a handful of people are foolish enough to be sweating their asses off out here on the front porch, instead of inside, where they would still be sweating their asses off but also dancing or flirting or getting laid.\u003cbr\u003e     “I think the good drinks are in the kitchen,” says a young, heavily bearded white guy sprawled on the porch swing. “The planning committee got, like, ten cases of this stuff donated, so they’re trying to offload it.” I recognize him vaguely from the few Pride planning committee meetings I attended last summer and fall. I think his name is Mike.\u003cbr\u003e     “Right.” I sigh, pick up a seltzer and inspect it—Seabrook Black Raspberry—then drop it back into the sea of melting ice. I’m sure if I go inside, I could find something better in the fridge. Our hosts, Samantha and Aurelia, are craft beer lesbians. But Sam and Aurelia are also nonmonogamous lesbians who are, apparently, an hour or less away from a threesome with my ex-girlfriend Leah. I was inside for five fucking minutes before I caught a glimpse of Aurelia caressing Leah’s neck. No beer is worth that.","brand":"Quirk Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299875836133,"sku":"NP9781683694076","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781683694076.jpg?v=1767742368","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-z-word-isbn-9781683694076","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}