Mindy Weisberger—Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Zombie Bugs

RISE OF THE ZOMBIE BUGS:
THE SURPRISING SCIENCE
OF PARASITIC MIND-CONTROL
Mindy Weisberger
Hopkins Press, April 15, 2025
Hardcover, $29.95, eBook, $29.95, Audio CD, $45.95
Hardcover ISBN-13: ‎978-1421451350
eBook ASIN: B0D8L7P593
Audio CD ASIN: B0F3ZZZXML

Weisberger reports:

Before I was a science nerd, I was a film nerd who loved horror movies. It's no wonder that when I shifted from filmmaking to science writing, I was drawn to the gruesome side of the natural world. Butterflies that drank caterpillars like milkshakes; swallowed beetles that escaped through the anuses of frogs that ate them; cannibal wasp larvae that devoured their siblings—behaviors such as these were among my favorite things to write about. The more visual they were, the better!

In 2021, Tiffany Gasbarini, then an acquisitions editor at Hopkins Press, contacted me; she'd read my articles and wanted to know if I'd considered writing a book. We discussed some pitches and settled on a topic that had intrigued me for years: behavior-manipulating parasites. I'd previously written about the "zombie-ant fungus" Ophiocordyceps; the fungus Massospora cicadina, which zombifies periodical cicadas; and the emerald jewel wasps that zombify cockroaches, and I was excited to dive deeper into the world of zombifiers and their mechanisms for tweaking host behavior.

Mindy Weisberger
Photo by Hens Breet

I signed a contract with Hopkins Press in July 2022 and started writing the first chapter in the fall. I did a little traveling for the book—to a lab in Utrecht, a parasite collection in Leiden, and a mycology collection and lab in New York City—but I conducted most of my research by reading scientific articles, some dating to the 19th century, and talking to scientists who studied parasitism, behavior manipulation and neurochemistry.

I wrote the book while working full-time; I drafted a very detailed book outline, created a strict writing schedule, and then stuck to it. I wish I'd known more about grants for science writers because I definitely could have used them!

I also got a lot of great advice from the writers' group Authors of Nonfiction Books in Progress, organized by NASW member Kristin Hugo. I learned so much by listening to other writers at different stages of their book journeys, and I can't recommend that enough for first-time book authors. Writing is solitary, but it helps to build community as you go!

Contact info:

Mindy Weisberger: 201-281-6587, mindy.weisberger@gmail.com
- Website: https://mindyweisberger.com/
- Bluesky: Mindy Weisberger
- Instagram: laminda
- Threads: @laminda
- Mastodon: Mindy Weisberger
- LinkedIn: Mindy Weisberger
Book: Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind Control
Publicist: Alison Mailloux, 617-655-3371, alisonmailloux@jhu.edu

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Banner image adapted from original photo by Mindy Weisberger.

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Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

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