Who is The Author/Narrator from The Zombie Survival Guide and what is their importance?

Because The Zombie Survival Guide is written as if it were a non-fiction book, without characters, the only character consistently present is the author and narrator. Throughout the book, the author, in his fictionalized guise as a zombie expert, imparts knowledge and advice to the reader. He sets himself up as an authority, although he gives no information about himself or his background.