World War Z: Filling In The Gaps

Hello, as some of you know, I am a huge fan of the World War Z book. Now, I've looked online for a real conclusive timeline for the book, but I've found many contradictorily ones. So that inspired me to make one myself, and (hopefully) with the help of you guys, we can make a good finished version.

Let's begin!

So one of the major questions of the World War Z book is, when does it take place? Well, we do have some clues for that. 1. They mention the 3 Gorges Dam being complete, that means that the book would take place post 2003. But, that leaves us with a pretty large time period, so.. 2. The International Space Station is complete for at least most of the novel. that would put a pretty large part of the novel dating at post 2011. 3. The book says that Bush's successor is up for re-election at some point in time in the book. That would date a portion of the book around 2012.

So, in conclusion some basic dates could look like this:

2010/2011: Solanum (The Zombie Virus) starts spreading through China.

Late 2011/Early 2012: Solanum is revealed to the world as 'African Rabies', after a riot in South Africa.

Late 2012: Phalanx is released as a placebo drug for Solanum.

Spring 2013?: A female reporter breaks the story that Phalanx is only a placebo drug. The Great Panic starts in America and around the world.

2014: The fractured U.S military tries to stop the zombies at Yonkers, they fail.

Late 2014: The U.S and other nations us the Redecker plan.

2020?: The countries of Earth start reclaiming their old territory.

2020s: Victory in America day and eventually Victory in China day.

2030s: World War Z is published.

(Disclaimer: This is just an outline of a timeline, that only includes important events)

Another question that World War Z poses is, who are the Presidents while the events of the story occur? We can predict that using some evidence found in the novel. First, the President at the beginning of the novel would probably be an elderly Republican, probably John McCain. McCain's running mate is a Republican with Jamaican heritage, probably Collin Powell. Eventually (McCain?) has a mental breakdown after Yonkers and Powell becomes President and picks a collapsed Vermont politician, probably Howard Dean, as his running mate for a future election, they win. Powell dies near the end of the Zombie War and Dean ascends to the presidency.

That's what I have so far. If you have any questions, just ask. And if you have any suggestions or ideas then please tell me.

I'll be keeping an eye on this.

I think we can outright say that the presidents are Powell and Dean. I don't remember what they say about Powell's predecessor. Does the book say anything about the president between Bush and Powell? Ever since 2000, McCain was considered the most likely 2008 nominee, although with another international issue in the headlines, someone else could move forward.

jetpack said:

I'll be keeping an eye on this.

I think we can outright say that the presidents are Powell and Dean. I don't remember what they say about Powell's predecessor. Does the book say anything about the president between Bush and Powell? Ever since 2000, McCain was considered the most likely 2008 nominee, although with another international issue in the headlines, someone else could move forward.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

They never said who was president before Powell but they did say that he was an older man and that he had a mental breakdown. I thought McCain could somewhat fit the criteria.

fallout1969 said:

Thanks!

They never said who was president before Powell but they did say that he was an older man and that he had a mental breakdown. I thought McCain could somewhat fit the criteria.

Click to expand...

I also thought that it was McCain. I think ist metioned that he is in a coma after the evacuation of Washington. Still I think ist obvious that the book plays very shortly after the Bush-Administration (with Karl Roves and all).
So I would say, the epidemic starts 2008 in China. To hide this, China starts a Taiwan-war-scare, which helps McCain/Powell to get elected in November. First outbreaks in the USA in 2009. It seems to die down in the winter 2009/10, but Spring 2010 sees the Great Panic.

freivolk said:

I also thought that it was McCain. I think ist metioned that he is in a coma after the evacuation of Washington. Still I think ist obvious that the book plays very shortly after the Bush-Administration (with Karl Roves and all).
So I would say, the epidemic starts 2008 in China. To hide this, China starts a Taiwan-war-scare, which helps McCain/Powell to get elected in November. First outbreaks in the USA in 2009. It seems to die down in the winter 2009/10, but Spring 2010 sees the Great Panic.

Click to expand...

Makes sense. But, it states that phalanx was only passed so fast by the FDA because it was Bush's successor reelection year.

fallout1969 said:

Makes sense. But, it states that phalanx was only passed so fast by the FDA because it was Bush's successor reelection year.

Click to expand...

Been a while, but I think 'Grover Carlson' just said it was an election year, no necessarily a presidential election. If so, then we're looking at the 2010 midterm elections. Also, the Wacko states that Powell insisted that the Presidential election go on after the evacuation to Hawaii despite his and the Attorney General's advice to simply grant emergency powers and hold off on elections.

So, this would mean that the initial outbreaks start in 2008 in China, moving outward as refugees flee the country. The African outbreak in Joannesburg takes place in 2009. Phalanx is developed over the winter of 2009-10, and the Warbrumm-Knight report is produced around the same time. The U.S. military is also making it's own strategies during this period, and Alpha Teams are deployed through 2009 and 2010. The infection starts getting noticed in the U.S. in 2010, prompting the FDA push and several small coverups and stonewalling, probably in the summer of 2010 before the elections. Winter 2010-2011 comes along, cases drop, which the media spins as because of Phalanx. In the meanwhile, people start to know what's really going on at some level. 2011 comes the Great Panic after an unnamed reporter breaks the story that Phalanx is a placebo, and zombies exist. By this time, attacks have already started as shown by the San Diego family who were just going bout their business when Zack literally knocks on the door. I'm guessing that summer 2011 is when the story breaks.

2011 is the Great Panic. Question is does it last through 2012? The Battle of Yonkers happens during a heat wave, so summer. The government starts implementing the Redeker plan in fall telling people to 'go north' since zombies freeze solid. Because of this piece, I'm thinking a winter has passed since the Panic broke, placing Yonkers around August 2012, the big evacuation in September-October 2012, in time to worry about elections and choosing the Wacko as Powell's running mate.

fallout1969 said:

Another question that World War Z poses is, who are the Presidents while the events of the story occur? We can predict that using some evidence found in the novel. First, the President at the beginning of the novel would probably be an elderly Republican, probably John McCain. McCain's running mate is a Republican with Jamaican heritage, probably Collin Powell. Eventually (McCain?) has a mental breakdown after Yonkers and Powell becomes President and picks a collapsed Vermont politician, probably Howard Dean, as his running mate for a future election, they win. Powell dies near the end of the Zombie War and Dean ascends to the presidency.

Click to expand...

What seems to define the president is his powerful oratory and his skin colour. I think if anyone should become American president in this timeline, it should be Obama.

It's also implied that this president is coming after the Bush presidency, thus giving more credence to it being Obama.

His vice president is Joe Biden, who gains the nickname of being "the Wacko" for obvious reasons.

Of course that doesn't explain how the POTUS has Jamaican relatives. But this president sounds an awful lot like Obama.

Is this an attempt at making it more plausible or something? Because the collapse of China is definitely ASB the way it was done.

Gog3451 said:

Is this an attempt at making it more plausible or something? Because the collapse of China is definitely ASB the way it was done.

Click to expand...

How so? It's handled well IMO compared to having the US Army fail utterly at Yonkers because the author wanted to discredit the military industrial complex.

McCain for wartime VP? From what I gathered, the VP was called the Wacko because of a "Never Live it Down" moment while on the campaign trial which I contributed to Howard Dean and his infamous speech in 2004.

Edit: The POTUS having Jamaican relatives implies Colin Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, got into office.

On the creation of the US Safe Zone, if the infection starts in 2009 with Yonkers taking place later in the year, the remnant US military spent a few years clearing out the states part of the safe zone, especially in big cities where a lot of people would've been. Here is a map of wartime safezones found on the wiki.

We also need to figure out the Iran-Pakistan Nuclear war. Who's in power, lack of US negotiation, etc.

ggarner57 said:

We also need to figure out the Iran-Pakistan Nuclear war. Who's in power, lack of US negotiation, etc.

Click to expand...

Yeah that's a major thing too. Also which cities were nuked.

I'd also say Tibet/Bhutan/Nepal are basically unscathed, given that they were India's safe zone, and that Lhasa was the world's most populous city.

fallout1969 said:

Yeah that's a major thing too. Also which cities were nuked.

Click to expand...

Since the war was started by Pakistani refugees flooding into Iran, there might not have been many important cities left in government control and I can't recall any mention of a Pakistani Safe Zone so it's unknown what happens to them. At least it implies the infection wasn't that bad in Iran yet.

AK47Productions said:

Since the war was started by Pakistani refugees flooding into Iran, there might not have been many important cities left in government control and I can't recall any mention of a Pakistani Safe Zone so it's unknown what happens to them. At least it implies the infection wasn't that bad in Iran yet.

Click to expand...

I think Pakistan and Iran would have been invaded by India after the nuclear war.

fallout1969 said:

I think Pakistan and Iran would have been invaded by India after the nuclear war.

Click to expand...

The remains of India were hiding behind the Himalayas by the time Pakistan and Iran began nuking each other. Having them claim it after the zombie war would be more likely.

AK47Productions said:

The remains of India were hiding behind the Himalayas by the time Pakistan and Iran began nuking each other. Having them claim it after the zombie war would be more likely.

Click to expand...

That's what I meant, sorry.

What do you guys think on, what countries would be in the EU.

AK47Productions said:

Edit: The POTUS having Jamaican relatives implies Colin Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, got into office.

Click to expand...

The "President" still sounds an awful lot like Obama, with his powerful oratory and the like.

The "election year" referenced ITTL could refer to a midterm election, so the year of the Great Panic could be 2010 at the earliest.

The first President always reminded me far more of Mitt Romney. He was implied to be a fairly weak leader who was focused far more on fiscal conservatism at home and was loathe to go beyond that bubble of policy.

Not to mention the suggestion that he had some kind of breakdown and was unresponsive, leading to his military man VP taking over. (Obviously Colin Powell.)

And the Whacko was also pretty obviously Howard Dean. They even had his POV in Vermont.

DTanza said:

The first President always reminded me far more of Mitt Romney. He was implied to be a fairly weak leader who was focused far more on fiscal conservatism at home and was loathe to go beyond that bubble of policy.

Click to expand...

Rereading the series, I thought the president before Powell was supposed to be Cheney.