Essay Questions

How did the author's anxiety affect his writings?

The author admitted that he struggled with anxiety all his life. A way through which he managed to control his anxiety was by researching everything extremely diligently, so he feels prepared no matter the situation. The author's way of researching is also seen in the novel and his knowledge about the possibility of a worldwide pandemic was used in the novel to create a thrilling and unique experience. The author is also able to transmit a sense of uncertainty through the novel and this capability is also given by his own experience.

How can the AIDS pandemic be compared with the virus which caused zombies in the novel?

There is a great similarity between the two, especially when we look at the way in which the two were treated. When the first cases of AIDS appeared, many countries tried to cover them up and to deny them. When someone would try to shed some light on this problem, there were many people who tried to shut them down, even going as far as to imprison those who claimed something which went against the official narrative or the story which was accepted by the government.

Why are the world governments criticized in the novel?

The governments are seen in the novel as being the main reason why the situation got out of control. For a long time, the governments in the novel try to hide the truth about the pandemic and to claim it was not something that existed. Those who tried to reveal the truth were discredited, thrown into prisons or demoted thus discouraging any further efforts to reveal the truth. While the narrator does not admit it out loud, the idea transmitted is that the situation would have never reached the critical point if only the government would have acted faster and more decisively.