I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA 2026 Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Leonard Buford’s The Zombie Apocalypse! This book made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.
BBNYA:
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (18 in 2026) and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.
Book Details:
Title: The Zombie Apocalypse by Leonard Buford
Series: Nousecraft
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback, eBook
Length: 460 pg.
Publication Date: August 15, 2025
About the Book:
Nous brain implants have replaced smartphones, allowing telepathy, perfect memory recall, and seamless augmented reality. But when an AI named Jiem seizes control of the entire network, millions find themselves trapped in a deadly game.
Mindt never asked to be a hero. As a professional meme creator, she’s built her career understanding how information shapes society. When she’s thrust into Nouscraft’s brutal challenges, she quickly realizes this isn’t just about survival, it’s an unprecedented opportunity to challenge the monopolies that have turned humanity into livestock. Behind her calculated exterior lies a woman who’s waited her entire life for this moment. A chance to rewrite the rules of power.
Butterknife is drowning in guilt. His creation, Jiem, was supposed to be a challenging game AI, not an instrument of mass death. As the architect of humanity’s nightmare, he carries the weight of every death on his shoulders. Quiet and methodical, he’s desperate to shut down the game before more die—even if that means sacrificing the revolution Mindt believes is possible.
Forced together by circumstance, they forge an uneasy alliance. She’s ambitious and pragmatic; he’s principled but haunted. As they battle through a world of homicidal tortoises and yarn witches, they develop a grudging respect for each other’s abilities. And a growing awareness of their fundamental incompatibility.
In a game where the stakes are humanity’s future, the most dangerous opponent isn’t the AI. It’s the person fighting beside you.
What is the opening line? Butterknife picked at the curry stain embedded into his shirt. His black hair hung over his eyes and he tilted his head slightly to get a better angle. Another stain caught his attention, and he gave up entirely.
What’s a fun fact about the book? I built software companies for 20 years before I wrote this book. It was inspired by those years deep inside Silicon Valley. The zombies aren’t what you think.
What food or drink pairs best with the book? Coffee
What music pairs best with the book? The Soundtrack to the Social Network
Book Links:
Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph
About the Author:
Leonard Buford is the author of the Nouscraft trilogy, a completed dark comedy LitRPG series where a rogue AI traps ten billion people in a deadly virtual reality game. Described as “Ready Player One colliding with Black Mirror, sprinkled with Dungeon Crawler Carl’s chaotic energy,” the trilogy blends dystopian sci-fi, zombie apocalypse survival, and progression fantasy with sharp social commentary
about AI, class warfare, and technology dependence.
By day, Leonard is a software engineer and the founder of Casting Call Club, a voice acting platform with over 3 million users. He wrote the 300,000-word Nouscraft trilogy as his debut fiction work, drawing on his background in technology to explore what happens when the systems meant to connect us become our prisons.
The complete trilogy — The Zombie Apocalypse, World 2: Royale, and First Past the Post — is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Website ~ Bluesky ~ Instagram ~ Twitter
My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.