I’m using this page to archive media and blurbs related to my novel, Zombie, Illinois which was released on October 1, 2012 from Skyhorse Publishing. (Available now!)
Named a “NOTEWORTHY NOVEL SET IN ILLINOIS” by Reboot Illinois
“Political reporter Ben Bennington, troubled inner-city pastor Leopold Mack and defiant punk-rocker Maria Ramirez take on marauding zombies and crooked Chicago politicians in this wickedly satirical page-turner by Kenemore (Zombie, Ohio). Knowing where the bodies are buried is integral to the power struggle that ensues after a resurgent Al Capone devours the mayor on television, an effectively gory scene that hints at Chicago’s buried past coming back to light. Ramirez’s father is next in line to be mayor , but amid the zombie chaos, some conspire to usurp his power. In the ensuing melee, Kenemore steers our sympathies: “…zombies are more a force of nature than a sentient, evil entity…. The humans are the ones with murder in their souls.” Nevertheless, both are lethal, and Kenemore creates an authentic sense of place and character in ravaged Chicago as well as wittily sustained tension throughout. Pastor Mack’s statement that they ” start by taking care of each other” invokes atypically hopeful sentiments for a zombie-genre offering: the self-reliance of the poor may set the stage for a renaissance of city spirit. This blend of idealism and wry political commentary infuses new meaning into the zombie ravages portrayed so graphically here. (Oct.)”
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] very clever, heartfelt […] epic about what might happen if the mayor of Chicago were eaten by a zombie on television and aldermen instigated an armed overthrow.”
– Christopher Borelli, The Chicago Tribune
“I couldn’t stop reading it. […] Scott Kenemore is a gifted writer.”
– Jerome Ludwig, The Chicago Reader
“Like all truly great zombie literature (and yes, such a thing absolutely exists) Zombie, Illinois is not merely a story about zombies. Instead, it is a story about Chicago, in all its corrupt, poverty-stricken glory. It is a story about the people who live there, the politicians and police who rule over them, and the neighborhoods themselves. A clearer picture of the Windy City may never be painted, as Kenemore does a fine job of using the zombie apocalypse to bring out the best and worst in a city made infamous for generations.”
“[Zombie, Illinois is] excellently researched and written horror…that should be part of any zombie fan’s reading collection.”
“Scott Kenemore is a true rarity in speculative fiction – an unflinching chronicler of people and locales, his narrative eye relentlessly probes the depths of our vice and rejoices in our courage. And yes, he gives us zombies too. In fact, Kenemore writes zombies with an intelligence and depth of story that leaves most genre fiction – and certainly most zombie fiction – looking half-dressed in comparison. He’s really in a league of his own. When I read a Scott Kenemore novel, I’m used to seeing great characters, great humor, and great action – those I’ve come to expect as par for his course – and yet with every book he writes he still manages to thrill me anew. And Zombie, Illinois is yet another high water mark in what is turning into a stunning career. What Carl Hiaasen did for the mystery genre, Scott Kenemore is doing for zombies. He’s that good.”
— Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award™-winning author of Flesh Eaters and Dead City
“Reliably pungent and profane.”
— P.F. Kluge, author of Eddie and the Cruisers and Dog Day Afternoon
“Scott Kenemore is the most original voice in zombie lit today, and Zombie, Illinois is his best book.”
– Matt Mogk, President of the Zombie Research Society and author of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Zombies
“Terrific from cover to cover! Zombie, Illinois is a devious blend of sharp wit and shocking horror. Absolutely delicious!”
– Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Dead of Night and Rot & Ruin
“Kenemore gets Chicago as much as he gets the undead. Zombie, Illinois blends zombies into the Windy City’s corruption, politics, and blues like the filling in a delicious Chicago hot dog. [. . .] The fourth star on Chicago’s flag belongs to the walking dead.”
– Aaron Sagers, CNN
“You could separately buy a gripping nail-biter about a zombie attack, a taut political thriller, a Chicago neighborhood map, a primer on Windy City politics, a guide to local urban myths and a sociological text about how people join communities. Or you could just get Zombie, Illinois and knock that all out in one book. Your call.”
-Matt Wilson, author of The Supervillain Handbook
“Zombie, Illinois is one of the most entertaining and realistic zombie outbreak novels in a very long time.”
“[Scott is] One of the most respected zombie authors in the USA…an authority on the subject of the undead.”
– UNDEAD Zine (UK)
“A zombie outbreak in Chicago brings together three very different people—Ben, an ambitious newspaper reporter; Mack, the pastor of a congregation located on the city’s troubled South Side; and Maria, the drummer of an all-women punk band—who form an alliance based on staying alive and helping others do the same. When the death of the mayor in a zombie attack hits the news, the city’s aldermen make plans to fill his position. Some of them see the zombies as a convenient smokescreen to cover up their unscrupulous ambitions. When Ben and his two companions discover what is happening, they realize that they may be the only ones able to save the city. Kenemore’s sequel to Zombie, Ohio raises the bar for zombie fiction, combining the standard blood and gore of zombie battles with shady politics to tell a story of human resilience and the triumph of community solidarity. VERDICT The author of the mock self-help “Zen of Zombie” series continues his saga of zombie warfare with a strong, compelling story that should appeal to genre fans.”
“Of course, a book with ‘zombie’ in the title has to have some kickass zombie action, and this book sure as hell does! The writing is beautifully graphic with vivid images of zombies missing body parts (or dragging them behind them), Pastor Mack giving out some good old fashion cans of whoopass (god I love that man!), and, simply put, action upon action.”
“Zombie, Illinois is a fast-paced, action-packed, zombie apocalypse novel with a live beating heart at its core.”
“Zombie, Illinois is the best zombie novel I have ever read.”
ScottKenemore.com 
I can’t wait!
You seem to know about Chicago, so maybe you’ve heard of this? I’m trying to track down more info. Have you heard of a zombie book coming out of Chicago, from what looks like a startup publisher by the name of Memento Mori Press? Apparently they’re putting out an adaptation of Moby Dick w/ Zombies called, Zomby Dick, of course. ha.
Found a PDF on dropbox, but can’t find much else. Looks good! Here’s the link:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3492674/ZombyDick_Preview_DRAFT-DNR.pdf)
Will this be available for the Kindle any time soon?
Hi Al. It will be out on Kindle soon, yes. – Scott
I dug it with a real big shovel! Here’s my review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/zombie-book-review-zombie-illinois-digs-up-the-best-and-worst-of-chicago
Thanks for a great read, Scott. Can’t wait for the next one. 🙂
This looks like a cool book. I might look into geting it. By the way… LINK! Zombie crossroads
I just finished Zombie Ohio and I can’t wait to read this one. I enjoyed your story.
As a refugee of Chicago and Crook County I appreciated your book at many levels. I took issue with the last Ben Bennington section that talked about all of us ‘libertarians’ out in the sticks. We would be the first to deal with the zombie problem, with ammo to spare, lol. Can’t wait to read zombie indiana! Btw: many of us gun toting libertarians living in counties under 100,000 would appreciate some more specifics as to the firearms used.