The primary cause of death for men under 50 is suicide, yet it’s a killer statistic which results in remarkably little action or even attention.

And when it comes to the conversation around mental health, men too often take a back seat. Crushed under society’s expectations, they turn to drink or drugs rather than face the bleak reality of a world in which it is all too easy to feel alone and helpless. A bleak world in which it feels as though there is no point in speaking out because there is no-one there to listen.

“It’s like no-one is paying attention…it’s like it’s not real.”

In grim irony, and even with the wealth of emotional baggage be brings into the apocalypse, Nick thrives. Thrust into situations which require lateral thinking and creativity, he becomes the key to his own and others’ survival, able to face a reality which others cannot accept.

With the rules of civilization abandoned, his bravery and resourcefulness come to the fore. All the qualities which resulted in his downward spiral, in a society he loathed, are now put to use in a world which rewards rebellion rather than obedience.

Nick is the first in the series to notice details about what will attract the undead, taking this further by adapting and learning how to walk among them safely. It is also poignant that he is the first to see a zombie attack, but his revelations are dismissed as crazed ramblings due to his previous record of mental instability and substance abuse.