It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife…if he can keep at bay the zombies seeking to consume her flesh, that is!

Seth Grahame-Smith, a political blogger and activist, is the co-author of a new book entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. His cohort? Jane Austen.

Grahame-Smith, in an act of zombie-horror genius, has taken the original Austen novel of Pride and Prejudice and written supplementary scenes of zombie horror action. Blood, guts, brains, and copious gore are a guarantee.

Jason Rekulak, the book’s editor, explained the motivation for the project in an interview with MediaBistro.  Said Rekulak, “We wanted to take the classic Jane Austen novel and sort of spruce it up with some all-new scenes of ultra-violent zombie carnage.”

And Jane Austen could not have aided the creative process any better, Grahame-Smith said in an Entertainment Weekly interview.

“When you take a look at the original book,” Grahame-Smith said, “it’s almost as if, subconsciously, Jane Austen is laying out the perfect groundwork for an ultraviolent bone-crushing zombie massacre to take place.”

Set in the English town of Meryton, P&P&Z tells the story of a vile plague that has wiped out scores of villagers, except the villagers are returning from the dead, threatening the burgeoning romance of feisty Elizabeth Bennett and mysterious Mr. Darcy. Grahame-Smith is clearly proud of his work.

“My favorite scene in the book is the first, big zombie attack at the ball where Elizabeth and Darcy first meet each other,” Grahame-Smith said in an interview with NPR.

In addition to the new zombie action sequences, the novel also includes 20 original illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock, who was the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice.

The concept of P&P&Z, though, raises a fascinating question regarding the ever-decreasing literacy of the American youth. Zach Soiya, a junior studying chemistry at Loyola University Chicago and devoted fan of the zombie horror genre, said that while he would read any classic redone in the zombie tradition, he does see potential in the P&P&Z formula.

“I would purchase this book if it was War and Peace and Zombies…and I would finish it!” Said Soiya. “I think that this is a great way for authors to re-introduce the classics to a generation who would rather watch a movie. I would read the classics if they had added zombie goodness since I know I am not only getting a good amount of horror and gore, but I gain the knowledge to discuss these pieces of work with fine men and women over tea and crumpets (minus the zombie parts).”

Coincidentally, Quirk Books, the publisher of the novel, is advertising the book in the exact manner Soiya described, marketing P&P&Z as a book that will reintroduce a classic to modern readers.

“This insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen’s classic novel to new legions of fans,” states the publisher.

With all the publicity the book has been getting, Quirk’s prophecy seems to be accurate. After it was featured on the popular National Public Radio news-quiz program “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell!” on February 7th, P&P&Z experienced a steady climb in the Amazon bestsellers list (the book is now available for pre-order), peaking at #77.

The book currently sits at the #470 slot, and Grahame-Smith is cheering on the book’s success with a personal blog that appears on the book’s Amazon page. He even started a Facebook group for the novel. The group presently has 1,521 members (and, like a pack of zombies, it keeps on growing).

Rekulak said the book has already garnered attention from other publishers and film studios. “Another publisher called us. They tried to buy the rights outright. They said we were too small to sell it correctly. We are (also) just starting to get film inquiries from film producers.”

To meet demand (and buzz), Quirk has accelerated the release date from mid-May to April 1st. Said Rekulak, “We’re very excited, we don’t know what it’s going to mean … it’ll be interesting to see how much this online buzz translates in to actual sales.”

Zombie fans, however, should beware: a recently announced film, Pride and the Predator, features a premise eerily similar to P&P&Z. Produced by Elton John, the movie revolves around a group of Jane Austen-esque characters that are systematically butchered by an alien figure.

Grahame-Smith, though, is not worried.

“I guess it was inevitable…you can’t have Dante’s Peak without Volcano; Armageddon without Deep Impact,” Grahame-Smith wrote on his blog. “Step Up without Stomp the Yard. So now it’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Pride and Predator. May the best mangling of a classic win!”