A CREATIVE WRITING professor is set to explore more politically pronounced themes in his sequel to his award-winning young adult novel Mars, May Zombie! to amplify class division in a post-pandemic society.
Picking up a year after Mars and his group arrive in the blue zone and illustrating how their invasion of the area fails, Assoc. Prof. Chuckberry Pascual’s Mars, Maraming Zombie! tackles a revolution and divisive politics in a setting that he said mirrors present-day Philippines.
The first book centers on Marcelo “Mars” Manapat and his journey of survival in a post-apocalyptic world with his grandmother, Vicky and best friend Billie. Together, they seek to escape from the zombie-infested “red zones” and travel to the “blue zone,” a safe haven for the living, only to discover a threat that may be worse than the zombies themselves.
According to Pascual, while lockdowns may have ended, the sequel continues to explore class divisions through a sharper political lens to represent societal issues that are still present today.
“Wala na nga tayong mga barriers. Dati kasi literal may lockdown, may mga sundalo etc. Ngayon, of course we’re free to roam around, pero parang alam mo na meron pa ring nagdi-divide sa mga tao,” Pascual told The Flame.
(“We no longer have barriers. Before, we had a literal lockdown with soldiers, etc. Now, of course, we’re free to roam around, but you still get the sense that something is dividing the people.”)
Pascual’s first installment, Mars, May Zombie! was published by Adarna House in 2022 and won plums like the Kid’s Choice Award at the 8th National Children’s Book Awards.
The setting of the first novel reflects the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic through the different zones in the novel, namely the red zones, black zones and blue zones, where residents have starkly different living conditions. The zones are also used to represent the different social classes.
The first book ends with a cliffhanger that propels Mars and his companions forward, setting up the stage for the sequel that Pascual had envisioned from the beginning.
“Nag-bank na ako na magkaka-sequel siya kasi parang hindi kayang magkasiya sa isang nobela yung gusto kong i-kuwento. Part talaga na mayroong revolution, and that it will fail, and that it will continue,” Pascual said.
(“I already envisioned that it will have a sequel because the story I want to tell can’t fit in one novel. There’s really a part where there’s a revolution, and that it will fail, and that it will continue.”)
The sequel delves deeper into Mars’ growth and allows readers to witness how the lessons from his experiences manifest in his actions, all while offering more action-packed narratives.
“With the second book, sinubukan ko naman na i-improve yung tingin ko ay mga puwede pang i-improve doon sa first book which is, of course, more action scenes. Mas naka-focus na talaga doon sa revolution kasi doon natapos yung dulo,” he said.
(“With the second book, I tried improving what I thought I could improve in the first book, which is of course more action scenes. It’s more focused on the revolution because that’s where [the first book] ended.”)
“Ngayon, parang mas ano na si Mars, mas mature na siya… Kung sa first book paano niya natuklasan na ‘Ay, kaya ko palang lumaban.’, dito, ‘Kaya ko palang lumaban and nag-fail tayo, what do we do?’,” he added.
(“Now, Mars is more mature. If in the first book it’s how he discovers that ‘Oh, I can fight’, here, [he finds] ‘I can fight, but we failed, what do we do?”)
The power of a collective
The theme of hope carries over in Mars, Maraming Zombie! as the characters continue on their quest into uncharted zones and face new challenges.
Pascual also emphasized how the sequel speaks of perseverance and how one can learn to rise from failures through Mars’ experiences.
For the author, both books explore the importance of a collective and the power that can be built when going beyond individual abilities, which can be seen through the found family trope in both novels.
“You can’t do it alone… May limitasyon ang individualism. Kailangan mo ng ibang tao para sa well-being mo, para magkaroon ng actual change,” he said.
(“You can’t do it alone. There’s a limitation to individualism. You need others for your well-being, for there to be actual change.”)
Through Mars, May Zombie!, Pascual discovered that humor was also an element that drew readers into his work. Since the first novel was released during the pandemic, keeping readers engaged through comedy also offered levity that helped balance the heavy atmosphere.
“Mas mahaba [yung first book] so siyempre mas malaking atensyon at panahon ang hinihingi, so ang hirap naman kung lagi na lang malungkot tapos ganoon kahaba,” he said.
(“The first book is longer, so of course, it asks for more attention and time, so it’s hard if it’s always sad.”)
Asked if there are plans for a third installment, Pascual was quick to reject the possibility and confirmed that the books would remain a duology.
“I just need to finish it and show the world after (the first book). This is the end,” he said. F
