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Joined: 4/25/2011
Posts: 2
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It seems that the genre map has Horror listed as a sub-genre of Fantasy, so I thought this best posted here.....
I'm wondering if there are any other fans of zombie movies, literature, and general pop-culture out there?
If so, what do you think of the current explosion of zombie related materials (especially books & games) available today? What's your favorite? Where do you come down on the walking vs. running debate? Do you include virus or plague related (think rage virus from 28 Days Later) events can be "zombies", too?
I was never a "horror" fan, and a lot of the time I don't know if I agree that zombie books belong under that banner. I'd love to hear what others are thinking about zombies, favorite movies, books, etc.
PS - I'm a fan of BOTH walking and running zombies. I realize this makes me the odd one out. if you disagree, make a believer out of me.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 222
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My story Betrayer's Truth has a... zombie. I hesitate on using the word zombie, because it is more like the walkers from Martin's world. Certainly undead, but less drooling and you can definitely hold a conversation with it.
But in aspects of form, it does indeed resemble a zombie.
... Snowy Owl has an entire army of zombies, actually. They're even in a scene uploaded, I do believe. These are the slow walking stupid zombies, but they are really just corpses with magical power driving them, rather than your typical moves-on-its-own zombie.
I don't read or watch zombie flicks though. Sometimes zombies just make appearances, and then I giggle. I don't actively pursue them though, unless they have a good reason to make an appearance in my novel.
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 376
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I wouldn't call myself a 'Zombie Fan', because I'm not that focused, but I will admit to a fascination with various flavors of Zombie.
Running vs. Walking is really a moot point to me, so long as the author is consistent with *why* they run or walk. I think most of the arguments why they shuffle along are good ones, but logical reasons for the 'shuffle / walk' mean that there are exceptions to the rule.
There's another question with Zombies that has become overshadowed by the more recent running vs. walking debate. Plague vs. Curse - I'm not talking about biochemical vs. mystical, either. I'm talking about the difference between old style 'cursed' zombies that had to be specifically created, and the modern 'walking plague' zombies who infect anyone they bite / touch / kill.
As to Zombie Literature, I'm fond of Max Brooks, but the novel Dust is actually pretty good as well. I've got a pair of SteamPunk novels that have Zombies in as well.
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Zombie fan might be putting it lightly. I sort of went through a zombie obsession through college -- since movies like the Dawn of the Dead remake and Shaun of the Dead were coming out and resurrecting (heh, no pun intended) the mini-sub-genre.
I don't really prefer running or walking (or magic vs. science vs. virus) zombies. They all have their merits. How they come back from the dead isn't really as important as what they represent. Yeah, I'm kind of a fan of the metaphor zombies. Blame George Romero.
Max Brooks definitely set the bar with his books. I don't think I've met a single zombie fan that didn't love World War Z. The Walking Dead (comic and show) are carrying on that legacy of the zombie story being a very human drama. I don't mind the zombie comedies; I loved both Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland to pieces. Just like any other popular genre, you're going to get a lot of bad with the good.
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Since this portion has become a host to a few zombie lovers... I tooooo have a question. So... I'm using the term undead in my story. I just don't like the connotation that zombies have... My story features a Necromancer that is raising people from the dead; they are relatively mindless (obey commands as instructed through dark magic), but they are blood hungry, they aren't devouring humans, or anything like that... On top of that, there is a group of select undead that are even more capable because of HOW they were raised from the dead. So they aren't ghostly spectres or anything... but can i really get away with calling creatures undead when they have been raised by a Necromancer?! Let me know what you guys think!
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Joined: 5/2/2011
Posts: 59
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@Revenant: I think so, yes. The only obvious alternative would be to outright call them zombies, or else the walking dead, risen dead, etc. Undead would not bother me, as a reader.
To the original topic, I haven't had much good experience in terms of reading zombie fiction. Max Brooks and some great anthologies notwithstanding. Didn't like Boneshaker, pretty indifferent to Feed. But I do love zombie films, and I am always willing to pick up a novel with zombies in it. Wrote a rant about the zombie story in my blog, even. (http://ophiucha.tumblr.com/post/4687507882) My current story has some zombies in it, though they aren't central to the story. A failed experiment in my elven drug lord's quest for immortality. They are pretty important to his character arc, but as he isn't the main character, they don't feature too prominently in the story. But my MC does lose his arm to one of them, so there's that.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
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Yes. undead means it was dead before, it now is animated, but not alive.
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