You know, I’ve never explored the idea of a lobotomised workforce in my writings before, and you are making me reconsider.

Fantastic stuff.

Really? You should try it sometime – I find zombies such a natural complement to nazis and the church (in science fiction, not real-life, I hasten to add).

Instinctively I just feel that it’d be easier make a machine to do it than a man; and in some ways the lobotomised worker and the implicated questions are quite well-trodden ground.

In association with ruthless authoritarian rule, I find it far more evocative of faceless machine efficiency than anything else.

That’s not to say that I’m disliking of zombies in science fiction! I’d love to do a zombie apocalypse in a future setting.

I figured that not naming the envoy was a bad sign; guest star! Still this ratchets up the tension nicely.

Yes, I suppose the unnamed guest star is a rather obvious pointer. Reading this back I also feel I should acknowledge that the imagery towards the end was inspired by an old wartime Diese Schandtaten: Eure Schuld! poster – hence the slightly incongruous ‘firewood’ reference; seemed such a powerful description that I didn’t want to change it.