Dead in L.A.: A "Gathering Dead" Novel

Stephen Knight, a former Border Patrolman turned Hollywood screenwriter, brings his professional background to Dead in L. A., a novel set in a city overrun by carnivorous corpses. The story follows Robert Wallace, a screenwriter who awakens from a prolonged illness to find his wife dead and his son missing. Los Angeles has become a hunting ground where the dead feed on the living, targeting everyone from high-paid movie stars to penniless residents of Skid Row. Wallace moves through the crumbling ruins of the City of Angels in a desperate attempt to locate his child while evading legions of ghouls. The narrative presents a grim reality where human beings are the sole item on the menu for these undead hordes. This work draws on the zombie apocalypse tradition, grounding the supernatural horror in the specific geography and social stratification of Los Angeles. It appeals to readers who enjoy character-driven survival stories within established genre frameworks. Those seeking lighthearted entertainment or non-fiction accounts will likely find this text unsuitable for their tastes. The novel captures the chaos of a fallen metropolis through Wallace’s perspective. His journey highlights the vulnerability of individuals against overwhelming odds. The setting transforms familiar landmarks into zones of death. Knight uses his experience with border security to inform the tension and pacing of the pursuit. The story remains focused on the immediate physical threat posed by the undead horde. It offers a stark look at societal collapse without offering easy resolutions or heroic triumphs.