Max Brooks Takes a Break From Zombies to Write About Minecraft
You might recognize the name Max Brooks as the author of the critically acclaimed books "The Zombie Survival Guide" and World War Z. His book was used as the basis for the 2013 zombie flick with the same name but that's about all they had in common. His realistic approach to this popular horror genre has given him some what of a "zombie guru" persona and he seems to be taking a break from that with his latest title. Max has partnered with Majong, the game developer who created the infamous Minecraft. His book was first announced at Minecon in 2016 and is the first, licensed novel about this insanely popular brand. He recently spoke with Stephen Colbert about how parenting really influenced the subject of his new book.
His book isn't a game guide or a how to, it's actually a fictional novel based in the block-based universe. Here's the plot summary for "Minecraft - The island" as listed on Amazon:
Washed up on a beach, the lone castaway looks around the shore. Where am I? Who am I? And why is everything made of blocks? But there isn’t much time to soak up the sun. It’s getting dark, and there’s a strange new world to explore!
The top priority is finding food. The next is not becoming food. Because there are others out there on the island . . . like the horde of zombies that appear after night falls. Crafting a way out of this mess is a challenge like no other. Who could build a home while running from exploding creepers, armed skeletons, and an unstoppable tide of hot lava? Especially with no help except for a few makeshift tools and sage advice from an unlikely friend: a cow.
In this world, the rules don’t always make sense, but courage and creativity go a long way. There are forests to explore, hidden underground tunnels to loot, and undead mobs to defeat. Only then will the secrets of the island be revealed.