By now, the image of a green, thumbless undead hand has become iconic. Gamers instantly recognize it, even without the aid of a logo. But getting to that point took some time and several iterations. Jeremy Bennett, one of Valve’s artists, has posted a very interesting article about the entire process of creating the box art for Left 4 Dead. He chronicles the team’s struggle to convey the essence of the game in a single image, a task made more complex by the title’s team-based multiplayer focus. Included are several early prototypes, most featuring the game’s four protagonists.

Writing the Left 4 Dead guide and playing it since it’s release has fueled a craving for zombie fiction. Yeah, it’s actually a growing genre, especially since Max Brooks’ two bestsellers were released. Granted, most of the stuff out there is pretty awful but I found one author I really like. His name is Kim Paffenroth. He’s a professor of religious studies, giving him a rather unique perspective on the whole genre. Anyway, I was reading his first novel, Dying to Live, and noticed there were two interesting correlations to Left 4 Dead. In the novel, one of the key locations is Mercy Hospital and one of the main characters is named Zoey. Coincidence? The novel was published in 2007 so I doubt the author was inspired by the game. Maybe he has some fans at Valve? Anyway, if zombie fiction is your thing, it’s a good read. There’s a second book in the series I’m reading now. Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies looks like it’ll be a fun read too.