Yesterday in our Zombie Week survey, we covered the all-important issue of weaponry. As vital as it is to be well-armed, one cannot underestimate the importance of a well-fortified shelter when attempting to outlast a zombie uprising. So, we turned to our panel of experts with the following question:
Because we can’t ALL hole up in the mall…. What’s your ideal hideout/refuge for riding out the Zombiepocalypse (feel free to be as specific as possible—we totally promise not to steal your strategic survival locale. Much.)
Join us below the fold for some extremely well thought out zombie escape plans (and that thing about not stealing their hiding spots? Not legally binding…). As always, jump in with your own opinions and advice in the comment section!
S.G. Browne: I’d have to say the Playboy Mansion. I don’t know how safe it would be, but at least there would be other diversions. Of course, I’d just read the articles…
Carrie Ryan: The island of Curacao—limestone cliffs, gorgeous weather, water purifying plant, oil and oil refinery. Sounds perfect to me (even without the zombie apocalypse).
Christopher Golden: Duh. Disney World. The zombies would get in, but think of all the fun we’d have. (And who wouldn’t want to see zombies stumbling around dressed in those character costumes?)
Bob Fingerman: A Costco. I’d say Wal-Mart, but even in the apocalypse one needs standards.
Sarah Langan: The former armory, now homeless shelter in Bed-Stuy near where I live would be perfect. It’s got twelve-inch thick walls, and was built for warfare. My neighbors are tough, so I’d take them with me.
R.J. Sevin: Someplace where the hills are steep, the roads wind, and there are always deer hanging out on the side of the road, waiting to be shot and eaten. Northern California fits the bill, though there are countless other similar places. Or Toys “?” Us, where I’d take ALL of the Star Wars figures out of their packaging and mercilessly play with them, regardless of any potential future resale value, and gorge myself on push-pops from the little waist-high freezers they have near the checkout lanes.
Steven Gould: Martha’s Vineyard. Unfortunately, at the height of the season, you can’t really tell the difference between normal and the Zombie Apocalypse.
Walter Greatshell: The folks in my books are lucky enough to have access to an Ohio-class nuclear submarine, which is really the only way to escape billions of unkillable, Smurf-blue hellions.
Matt London: My ideal zombie refuge is a mansion filled with food, hot showers, heavy artillery, and a serum that cures zombification. I mean seriously…isn’t that everybody’s?
Jamie Lackey: I’d be happiest with a fully stocked fallout shelter. The only issue is making sure that no one you lock in with you is infected. It frightens me how many people make that mistake.
Sean Bieri: My grandparents have a cabin in the woods up in northern Michigan that’d be great. Secluded, backs onto a steep hill (so only one entrance to watch), and it’s on the edge of a deep lake I could row out onto if worse came to worst.
Catherine MacLeod: A luxury penthouse. Stock it with food and weapons, lock the elevator, put the generator on the balcony.
Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant): Anyplace that I can get to absolutely first. Because seriously, if you don’t lock down, and lock down fast, any reasonable “hide and wait for it to blow over” spot is going to be rapidly overrun by people looking to stay alive. I’m cool with that and all, but once I have declared myself Queen of the Costco, you can wait it out in the parking lot.
Dave Palumbo: I’d imagine the ideal would be a small island with a natural fresh water supply (like a pool or lake or stream). Remote, self-sustaining, and minimal zombie locals. If you have sailing skills, load up a boat and head out for open waters.
Julia Sevin: Can I have an island? I want an island. It has to be small enough that an effective zombie-sweep would be possible with whatever crew I had available, but large enough to have a healthy population of edible mammals and a freshwater supply adequate for my survivors. It needn’t be tropical, just sufficiently temperate for shitty ad-hoc dwellings and three-season agriculture. Yeah, this is a long-term thing.
Amelia Beamer: Anything surrounded by water: an island, or a boat. Unless zombies can swim. Then I’ll return to my original plan, which is to die immediately. I’d actually like to be Patient Zero, if possible.
Paula R. Stiles: I liked the Muslim West African compound I used from “Zombieville.” You’ve got your own well, fruit trees, high walls, chickens and goats…not a bad place to ride it out.
David Moody: I live right in the centre of the U.K., and that’s a good position to start from. As soon as the Zombiepocalypse begins, I’m packing up and heading for the coast—just a couple of hours drive in pretty much every direction from home. England is an odd-shaped little country with a surprisingly long coastline and I’ve got about fifteen places identified: lighthouses, islands, hidden stately homes…. The secret’s not so much where you go, it’s how visible you are. Stay quiet and out of sight and you can survive pretty much anywhere. I know, I know…I’ve thought about this too much!
Bridget McGovern will be doing her damndest to find the Batcave the minute the “Z” word hits the airwaves.
