MY NEXT GUEST IS THE BESTSELLING
AUTHOR OF "THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE" AND "WORLD WAR Z."
PLEASE WELCOME MAX BROOKS.
HEY, MAX.
COME ON UP.
THERE YOU GO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) NOW, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" CALLED
YOU "THE ZOMBIE ( BAND PLAYING )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) LAUREATE" OF THE UNITED STATES.
BECAUSE ZOMBIES HAVE BEEN POPULAR, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG
TIME, BUT YOU'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT THEM SINCE 1997.
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THE ZOMBIE GENRE?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK IT SO MUCH DRAWS ME AS REPEL MEAS.
IT'S FEAR.
BECAUSE I GREW UP IN A PRETTY NERVOUS HOUSEHOLD.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
YOUR FATHER IS THE GREAT MEL BROOKS AND YOUR MOTHER WAS THE
GREAT ANNE BANKROFT.
AMAZING.
>> THANK YOU.
MY MOTHER IS ADDITION TO BEING THE GREAT ANNE BANE KROFT, SHE
GOT DEATH THREATS IN THE 60s WHEN SHE KISSED SIDNEY PORTIER
AT THE OSCARS.
IT'S STANDARD PRACTICE WHOEVER WAS GIVING AWAY THE OSCAR GIVES
THE WINNER A PECK ON THE CHEEK.
THAT HAPPENED.
SIDNEY PORTIER CAME OUT, AND NEXT DAY, A MOUNTAIN OF MAIL
THREATENING HER LIFE.
SO SHE WAS A LITTLE JUMPY, AND SHE WAS A LITTLE WORRIED I WOULD
BE KIDNAPPED.
NOW, HERE'S THE THING.
MOST OF US HAVE MOMS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WORRIED WE'RE
ANYTHING TO BE KIDNAPPED.
BUT NOT EVERYBODY HAS AN OSCAR AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS ACTING OUT
HOW YOU WOULD BE KIDNAPPED.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE SCENARIOS YOU REMEMBER?
>> OH, YES, MY MOTHER WOULD ACT IT OUT.
IT WOULD BE A PLAY, THE CURTAIN WOULD GO UP AND SHE'D SAY, "ALL
RIGHT, YOU'LL BE AT A FIELD TRIP AND YOU'LL BE OUT AND SOME GUY
WILL COME UP AND SAY 'HEY, KID.
YOU WANT A CHOCOLATE BAR'?" MY MOTHER GREW UP IN THE 30s.
SO NOT ONLY WOULD I BE KIDNAPPED BUT BY A PROHIBITION MOBSTER
JIMMY CAGNEY.
COME HERE, KID.
WE'RE FLIPPING A COIN.
THAT WAS MY CHILDHOOD.
>> Stephen: AND DID YOUR DAD LIGHTEN TAT ALL OR WAS HE JUST
LIKE, "I LEAVE THAT TO YOUR MOTHER."
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MY DAD YOU THINK OF HIM AS MEL BROOKS THE
GENIUS, I KNOW HIM AS A MAN WHO SPENT HIS FORMATIVE YEARS
DEFUSION MINE S.
>> Stephen: SO ALSO JUMPY.
>> A LITTLE JUMPY IN MY FAMILY.
>> Stephen: YOU GREW UP IN "THE HURT LOCKER."
>> I DID, AND MY MOTHER WAS A SURVIVALIST.
SHE HAD AN EARTHQUAKE QUAKE.
I BROUGHT HOME MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY MOTHER SAID CASUALLY, "WELL,
WE CAN EAT THE DOG."
"HAS A LOT OF MEAT ON IT.
IT COULD BE A WEEK OR TWO."
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE TOTALLY SET UP TO WRITE THE "THE ZOMBIE
SURVIVAL GUIDE."
>> YES, I TOOK IT ALL AND PUT IT IN BOOK S.
>> Stephen: AS SOMEONE WHO HAS THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS,
YOU SEE PEOPLE ONLINE A LOT OF TIMES POSTING WHAT THEY THINK
WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL LAIR, LIKE A HOUSE OR
LOCATION OR MOUNTAIN OR FORTRESS THAT COULD SURVIVE A ZOMBIE
APOCALYPSE.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE HOUSE OR DESIGN THAT YOU THINK WOULD
SURVIVE THE SHAMBLING MASS?
>> YES.
I DESIGNED A ZOMBIE-PROOF HOME.
NEVER PUBLISHED IT.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> YEAH, "BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS" ACTUALLY HAS A SOFTWARE
WHERE YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR DREAM HOUSE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY INTENDED.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR HOUSE LIKE?
>> ROUND.
BECAUSE OF THE PHYSICS.
BECAUSE -- >> Stephen: ROUND!
>> EXACTLY!
>> Stephen: AS IF THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PHYSICS?
ZOMBIE CAN'T GRAB ROUND THINGS.
>> YOU HAVE A FLAT SURFACE IT CHANNELS ALL THE FORCE TO CRACK
IT BUT IF IT'S ROUND, IT EVENLY DISTRIBUTES THE PRESSURE.
>> Stephen: OH, I SEE, I SEE.
>> I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS WAY TOO MUCH.
>> Stephen: YES, THIS IS ALL-- IT'S ALL CLEAR NOW.
YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOUR NEW BOOK IS CALLED "MINECRAFT: THE
ISLAND," "MINECRAFT" SECOND BIGGEST SELLING VIDEO GAME OF
ALL TIME, LIKE BUYING TETRIS.
WHY A BOOK OF A VIDEO GAME?
DO YOU THINK VIDEO GAMES ARE A GATEWAY TO READING?
>> THEY CAN BE.
THIS ONE CAN BE.
BECAUSE I AM A PARENT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO EDUCATE YOUR KIDS BECAUSE YOU
KNOW, THIS POOR GENERATION COMING UP, THEY DON'T HAVE THE
ROLE MODELS THAT WE GREW UP WITH.
YOU KNOW, THE KIDS OF TODAY, THEY DON'T HAVE GOOD, SOLID ROLE
MODELMODELS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO THEIR LIVES LIKE WE DID.
WE HAD MEL GIBSON, O.J.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> SO YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW LESSONS.
AND I STARTED PLAYING "MINECRAFT" WITH MY KID, AND I
REALIZED OH, MY GOD.
THIS GAME TEACHES YOU EVERYTHING.
IT TEACHES YOU PLANNING.
IT TEACHES YOU PREPARATION.
IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO RECOVER FROM FAILURE.
WHAT DOES TETRI TEACH YOU, ANGER MANAGEMENT.
>> Stephen: WHAT TO DO WITH AN "L-"SHAPED PIECE OF THING?
>> THAT'S IT.
"MINECRAFT" LITERALLY TRAINS YOU HOW TO BE CREATE AND I HAVE
SURVIVE THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21st CENTURY.
>> Stephen: THE GREAT GREAT GEORGE ROMERO, WHO INVENTED THE
MODERN CONCEPT OF A ZOMBIE AS AN UNDEAD THAT EATS YOU OR BITES
YOU.
YOU TURN INTO A ZOMBIE YOURSELF.
HE JUST DIED LAST WEEK.
>> HE DID, GOD BLESS HIM.
>> Stephen: SADLY.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW HIS MOVIES, LIKE WHAT
WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> YES, OF COURSE, I DID.
I WAS YOUNG.
SOME TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL AND "NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD" CAME
ON.
I WAS VERY SCARED OF ZOMBIES BUT ROMERO GAVE ME HOPE.
THIS WAS A WAY TO FIGHT THEM.
YOU JUST HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WAY WAS.
YOU COULD SURVIVE.
HOW WERE YOU GOING TO DO IT?
AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH A GREAT METAPHOR FOR LIFE.
>> Stephen: YES, FIRE AND HIDING IS HOW YOU DO IT IN THAT
ONE.
>> YOU JUST NAMED MY 20s.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
NICE TO MEET YOU, MACK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK "MINECRAFT: THE ISLAND" IS IN
STORES NOW.
MAX BROOKS, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.