NPC Virtual Book Event: Max Brooks, "Devolution"

Bestselling author Max Brooks will deliver a talk entitled, “Zombies, Bigfoot, and COVID: How Fiction Can Prepare Us For Disasters,” at a National Press Club Headliners book event on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.

Brooks is perhaps best known for reinventing the modern zombie genre with his "Zombie Survival Guide" and his novel, "World War Z."  More than a mere horror tale, "World War Z" builds on Brooks’ extensive research in pandemic planning – which Brooks says the Trump administration largely ignored in its response to COVID-19 – as well as describing how a pandemic threat can transform civil society.

In his latest novel, "Devolution," Brooks once again examines what happens when civil society faces a violent threat. This time, he examines a small community in the Pacific Northwest, cut off from its surroundings by the eruption of Mount Rainier. The survivors soon learn they are not alone, finding themselves under siege by a troop of Sasquatch driven from their hunting grounds by the disaster. A review from Kirkus describes Devolution as “a tasty...tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.”

This 1-hour program will stream live at 1:00 p.m. ET as part of the National Press Club’s Virtual Newsmaker series, and is accessible to both the media and members of the general public free-of-charge. Viewers can send their questions for Brooks in advance or during the live program via email to [email protected].