Warm Bodies

Atria Books

Company type	Imprint
Industry	Publishing
Parent	Simon & Schuster

Warm Bodies is a paranormal romance novel authored by Isaac Marion that combines elements of post-apocalyptic and gothic fiction. Often described as a "zombie romance," the story takes inspiration from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Initially created as a short story titled "I Am a Zombie Filled with Love," the expanded novel was picked up by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in early 2010.

Plot

Set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop, the narrative centers on "R," a male zombie in the early stages of decay who lives among other undead at an abandoned airport. Unlike conventional zombies, R hesitates to consume human flesh and collects various items within his home inside a grounded Boeing 747. The zombie population is split into two groups: the "Fleshies," who retain some human characteristics, and the "Boneys," fully decomposed leaders who maintain order.

During a scavenging mission, R consumes the brain of Perry, which allows him to access Perry’s memories. This experience motivates him to rescue Perry’s girlfriend, Julie, from hostile zombies. He conceals her within the airplane and slowly gains her confidence by sharing food and treasured possessions while learning about her life. Although burdened by guilt over Perry’s demise, R continues to experience Perry’s recollections.

After Julie is discovered, Boneys launch an attack, prompting R and Julie to flee with assistance from another zombie named M. They find shelter in a suburban home until Julie vanishes. R later encounters M again and discovers that many zombies are beginning to reclaim human traits such as memories and dreams. Determined to find Julie, R infiltrates a survivor community led by her father, Grigio.

Disguised as a human, R reunites with Julie but inadvertently triggers an outbreak after assaulting a guard during a social gathering. Grigio confronts R but is stopped by Nora, one of Julie’s friends, allowing them to escape. The transformation spreading among zombies intensifies, while Boneys initiate an offensive against both humans and Fleshies.

During a confrontation on a stadium roof, Julie realizes that the plague originated from humanity’s negative emotions manifesting as a dark force. The love between R and Julie completely heals him, symbolized by their golden eyes. Grigio attempts to kill them but is thwarted and falls to his death alongside a Boney. This defeat forces the Boneys to retreat, leading to peace between the living and undead.

The epilogue reveals that survivor communities are becoming aware of the plague’s origins, fostering hope for an effective cure and harmonious coexistence between humans and zombies.

Reviews

Paste Magazine commented that "Marion examines what it means to be human through R's path toward self-awareness—a story that broadens as his compassion deepens and exposes the real antagonists: cynicism, apathy, and complacency."

Prequel

Isaac Marion’s novella e-book prequel to Warm Bodies, titled The New Hunger, was published by Zola Books on January 28, 2013. Library Journal commended its "rich, evocative prose." Cinema Blend offered a generally favorable review, noting it functions more as an extension of Warm Bodies than an independent narrative but remains appealing to fans of the original work.

Sequel

On October 15, 2012, Marion announced via his blog that he was working on a sequel. Three years later, he expanded this project into two separate volumes, bringing the series total to four books. The first sequel, The Burning World, was published on February 7, 2017, supported by an extensive preorder campaign featuring exclusive story-related rewards available through Marion’s online store. The final installment, The Living, was self-published in a limited edition on November 13, 2018.

Film

The 2013 film adaptation featured Nicholas Hoult in the role of the zombie protagonist, R, with the screenplay and direction handled by Jonathan Levine. The ensemble cast also included Teresa Palmer portraying Julie Grigio, Rob Corddry as M, and John Malkovich in the role of General Grigio. Additional supporting performances were delivered by Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton, and Cory Hardrict. Several narrative changes were made for the film, including the survival of Julie's father and substituting the novel’s stadium setting with a fortified city where humans reside. A notable difference is the presence of a scene on the official movie poster showing R offering flowers to Julie, which occurs exclusively in the book, while some deleted scenes further modified the storyline.

Television

In May 2019, Lionsgate revealed plans to develop a television adaptation of Warm Bodies, with production undertaken alongside Jonathan Levine.

External links

• Author's site
• Author's blog