Wicked Ink Signs Daniel R. Fierst for a Gripping YA Dystopian Horror Novel Exploring Fear and Isolation in a Zombie-Ravaged World
Wicked Ink Publishing is thrilled to announce the signing of Daniel R. Fierst for his chilling and immersive YA dystopian novel, All I Want Is To Not Be Alone. Slated for release in 2026, this dystopian horror tale plunges readers into a world of terror, isolation, and desperate survival against the backdrop of a relentless zombie apocalypse. This haunting coming-of-age story examines humanity’s deepest fears—not the undead that walk the earth, but the terrifying prospect of being utterly and irrevocably alone.
In All I Want Is To Not Be Alone, Timothy Baker has learned the art of survival through careful preparation, logic, and total isolation. For two months, he has fortified himself within the decaying walls of his childhood home, trusting in his meticulous routines to keep him safe from the ravenous undead.
But Timothy’s fragile fortress is shattered during a routine supply run when the unthinkable happens: the undead close in, and the barricades he's relied on for protection crumble. Forced to flee, he embarks on a desperate journey north, drawn by whispers of a haven in the frozen wilderness of Canada—a rumoured sanctuary untouched by the chaos of the undead. What awaits him, however, is not only a perilous trek through zombie-ravaged cities, but a confrontation with his own fears, isolation, and shattered humanity.
The further Timothy travels, the more he descends into a personal hell of haunting memories and emotional decay. As he documents his journey in intimate journal entries and fleeting digital connections, the lines between survival and insanity begin to blur. The horrors he faces are matched only by those within—his fractured memories, the ghosts of lost connections, and his inability to escape the crushing loneliness threatening to consume him.
The path through this post-apocalyptic wasteland is fraught with danger, but it’s not just the undead he has to fear. Along the way, Timothy will confront horrifying remnants of a broken world—derelict towns, monstrous survivors who have lost their humanity, and chilling remnants of a society that crumbled under the weight of fear and violence. The cities are graveyards, and the wilds offer no guarantee of safety. With winter descending and the days growing colder, Timothy faces the ultimate question: Can he survive the physical dangers of a world gone mad, or will the psychological toll of solitude and despair destroy him long before the undead?
Daniel R. Fierst’s All I Want Is To Not Be Alone is more than just a survival story—it’s a deep dive into the human psyche under extreme stress, a meditation on isolation, and an exploration of the ways in which fear and loneliness can transform us. Fierst’s extensive cross-cultural experiences, living in the USA, Germany, and Japan, bring a rich and unique perspective to his writing. He blends his artistic background, a BFA in painting and illustration, with his academic background in psychology to create a narrative that is as much about the mind as it is about survival.
Drawing on his expertise in human behaviour, Fierst’s writing is both visceral and thought-provoking. His exploration of the emotional and psychological depths of his characters adds an extra layer of tension and horror to the already bleak and dangerous world Timothy must navigate. Fierst’s background in music, particularly as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, also infuses his work with a rhythm and intensity that builds suspense and deepens the emotional resonance of Timothy’s journey.
In All I Want Is To Not Be Alone, the true terror is not in the endless wave of the undead or the threats lurking at every corner of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It’s in the crushing realization that survival alone is not enough. In a world where the dead walk the earth and the living struggle to hold on, Timothy's greatest battle will be against the suffocating isolation that threatens to strip him of his humanity.
Wicked Ink Publishing is proud to bring Daniel R. Fierst’s unique voice to the dystopian genre, and we can’t wait to share his debut YA dystopian novel with readers in 2026. All I Want Is To Not Be Alone promises to be a thrilling, emotionally intense, and terrifying read that readers will long for after they’ve turned the final page. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to unleash this gripping new voice in dystopian fiction.
Surviving the zombie apocalypse is hard enough… but facing it alone could break you.
To Timothy Baker, survival isn’t luck—it’s logic: prepare for the worst, anticipate every danger, and all else stay alive. It’s worked for two months as he’s fortified himself in his childhood home. But when a routine supply run collapses into chaos, and the undead close in, Timothy is forced to abandon his barricaded sanctuary.
His only hope? Heading north, toward whispers of safety in the frozen wilds of Canada.
The journey is anything but safe. Timothy's road from his suburban home to the heart of zombie-ravaged cities is plagued by danger—both external and within. As he documents his descent into isolation through intimate journal entries, half-shattered memories, and fleeting digital connections, Timothy must reconcile the walls he’s built around himself with the growing ache for connection.
With winter tightening its icy grip and humanity slipping further from his grasp, Timothy faces the ultimate test of survival: Can he adapt to the unexpected? And more importantly—can he make it through without someone by his side?
All I Want Is To Not Be Alone is a haunting tale of resilience and humanity’s deepest fear: not the undead, but being truly alone.
