December 28 2025
Angela D. Glascock gives us, “Locksmith at the End of the World: A Dead Silence Novella: Dead Silence, Part One”
About Angela D. Glascock: Let’s be honest: I’m writing this bio. Me. Angela D. Glascock. The author of the book you stumbled upon (Locksmith at the End of the World). So, I’m not going to write about myself in third person because that’s awkward.
My book, Locksmith at the End of the World: A Dead Silence Novella is about a zombie apocalypse primarily from a dog’s point of view; however, shortly after I published it I realized that the book represents the personal apocalypse my family and I experienced after we lost my sister to suicide.
When I examined my little zombie book as if it were assigned to me for a literature class, I realized the underlying themes and subjects represented more than what I’d written: zombies (shamblers or WrongHumans) are the loss, the guilt, the anger. My two female characters (Emma and Lucy) represent strength and perseverance: survive all the loss and keep going, regardless of all the nasty stuff floating around in your head. Chester, the dog—the character I most relate to—finds himself thrust into a situation where his person is gone, and his world is a shambles.
I’m currently working on the sequel to Locksmith, tentatively titled Foothills and Hollers.
I have a blog (who doesn’t?) called Biggest, Brightest Star in the Sky: Mostly True Tales. Here I post some of my creative non-fiction pieces, editorials, and essays. My blog is a mix of entertaining (I hope) and seriousness. You’ll find stories I’ve collected from my dad about growing up in northern Virginia and all the shenanigans and things you couldn’t get away with today. There are also essays about life after losing my sister to suicide.
Like most writers, I read A LOT. My favorite genres are memoir and thrillers, but I often indulge in post-apocalyptic and zombie literature.
In 1998, my personal essay “Pictures” was chosen for publication in 25 Best Virginia Community College Student Essays: 1998: the Personal Essay.
I also have pieces in the Writers of Chantilly anthologies (2016) Rewrite the Ending to… (“Hemorrhage”), (2017) Soundtracks of Our Lives (“Mental Souvenirs” and “River Music”) and (2018) Islands (“Love’s Crimson Caress”).
Currently, I am an editorial writer for our neighborhood newspaper, I’m working on a book about my sister, and a book about my grandfather.
Angela is a member of the Writers of Chantilly. Learn more here: writersofchantilly.blogspot.com
“Locksmith at the End of the World,” by Angela Glascock
About Locksmith at the End of the World: A Dead Silence Novella: Dead Silence, Part One: The zombie apocalypse from a dog’s point of view. When his person has a heart attack and dies, Chester the dog is thrust into a world where wronghumans stalk in silence and humans become deadly in an instant.
He’s hungry. He’s hurt. He’s alone. Wounded while fleeing her burning town, Lucy seeks medical care in an abandoned animal clinic. A locksmith in the Before, she uses her skills to stay quiet and unseen as she loots nearby homes for food as she heals. What she finds in one of the houses gives her hope…and friend, if she can save him.
Emma calls them shamblers. The media called them zombies. But in the After, the media is long gone, just like Emma’s companions. She’s alone in her refuge when shamblers finally break down the barriers and death pours in. Forced into a lonely world where she might be the only one left alive, she moves through the silence, learning survival on the fly while searching for life.
