Modern Good Reads discussion

This was a suggested topic, and a very good one.

Why are zombie stories, shows, and movies so popular? What is it about the zombie idea that seems to have hit the mainstream so strongly?

Share your thoughts!

I am not a fan of zombie stories, or shows, & movies. I wonder if it has to do with age - Is it the younger generation - ages 18 - 35?

Good question. I do know if I write a zombie story for #FridayFlash, I get a lot of pageviews.

I read an interesting article (on Cracked.com of all places) that put forward the idea that Vampires and Zombies represent the fears of the right and left wingers.

When Republican sentiment is strong, the vampire becomes popular symbolizing the lecherousness, decadence, and taxation policies of the left.

Zombies, on the other hand, represent the ultimate left-wing nightmare: a mass of homogeneous, thoughtless masses reducing America to a survivalist battleground.

I'm not sure it has any science behind it, but it's a damn funny concept!

Zombies are guiltless outlets for our violent tendencies.
It's fun to destroy something without having to feel bad about it afterward.

It's what is making money and entertaining 'us'

Hard to say, but various occultist and horror genres have been coming back in recent years. Witches, vampires, zombies, ghosts, and they seem to doing a re-invigoration every few years. I'd say there's some retro element to it, in that this sort of thing seemed to be a popular when a lot of us were teenagers (70's for zombies, 80's for ghosts, 90's for witches). But there's also an undeniable timeless appeal of these things.

As for zombies themselves, I think the popularity of this concept is that it speaks to modern, urban paranoia. We are aware of how fragile civilization is and how easily people could turn on each other, given the right circumstances. It also speaks to our fears about epidemics, since people in large, densely clustered areas are especially vulnerable to the spread of pathogens.

And of course, timing is also key. In recent decades, thanks to the globalization of the food and agriculture industries and Climate Change, outbreaks of influenza, respiratory illnesses, and tropical viruses have become more common and widespread. The increase of drug-resistant bacteria also has many people worried that good old fashioned antibiotics are becoming obsolete. So its understandable that zombie fiction would have a receptive audience right now.

That's all I got.

Brian wrote: "I read an interesting article (on Cracked.com of all places) that put forward the idea that Vampires and Zombies represent the fears of the right and left wingers.

When Republican sentiment is str..."

Good post. Since the dawn of civilization, there has always been the fear that the world would end. Rome had it with the barbarians, Christians with Armageddon, etc etc Perhaps zombies reflect modern anxieties?

Perhaps zombies are a metaphor for all those people meandering through life without purpose, consuming, surviving, with no real contribution to the world.

Or maybe its just cool to hack and kill the walking dead, like a video game.

:)

Travis wrote: "Perhaps zombies are a metaphor for all those people meandering through life without purpose, consuming, surviving, with no real contribution to the world.

Or maybe its just cool to hack and kill t..."

I think it's half and half. Sorry to sit on the fence :)

I was about to add my thoughts but decided to write a blog post instead. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/10QT36Q

Steven wrote: "I was about to add my thoughts but decided to write a blog post instead. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/10QT36Q"

Nice post! You make some very good points!

Personally, I find zombies hilarious (including those who are meant to be seriously scary). That‘s why I enjoy reading zombie stories or watching zombie movies.

Steven wrote: "I was about to add my thoughts but decided to write a blog post instead. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/10QT36Q"

Great post, Steven.

Brian wrote: "Steven wrote: "I was about to add my thoughts but decided to write a blog post instead. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/10QT36Q"

Nice post! You make some very good points!"

Thank you, Brian. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

Larry wrote: "Steven wrote: "I was about to add my thoughts but decided to write a blog post instead. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/10QT36Q"

Great post, Steven."

Thank you, Larry. Much appreciated. :)

William wrote: "Zombies are guiltless outlets for our violent tendencies.
It's fun to destroy something without having to feel bad about it afterward."

I like this. As an addition, I'd say that a lot of people secretly imagine that if a zombie apocalypse were to happen, they'd be the 'smart survivors' who make it through.

And an aside: speaking of weird trends, I still don't understand the vampire fixation, either.

T.K. wrote: "And an aside: speaking of weird trends, I still don't understand the vampire fixation, either."

Well, that sounds like a good topic to me!

I don't get why zombies are that popular, but I watch the best of 'em, i.e. Walking Dead and In The Flesh. If I had to hazard a guess it would be the humans preying on humans idea. We are the top of the food chain and it would be horrifying if we turned around and began preying on each other, like mindless Hannibal Lecters.

I'm still waiting for somebody to cross the two and unleash the ZOMPIRE upon the world :)

R.M.F wrote: "I'm still waiting for somebody to cross the two and unleash the ZOMPIRE upon the world :)"

I see things like I Am Legend and 30 Days of Night as being pretty much the same thing. Vampires who act more or less like zombies.

I'm not into zombies, although I like vampire themes. I think that ZOMPIRE could be an interesting merger. Anyone gonna try it?

T.K. wrote: "William wrote: "Zombies are guiltless outlets for our violent tendencies.
It's fun to destroy something without having to feel bad about it afterward."

I like this. As an addition, I'd say that a ..."

I hate to admit it, William, but I have been known to think about how I would survive the Zombipocalpse and (cough) I am also one of those who likes to think I could survive against all the odds. I'm not stockpiling body armor or TP or anything...just engaging in the fun mental exercise of planning.

I actually blogged about Zombies and zombie media back in March (http://bringinghomebug.blogspot.ca/20...).

In the end, I think zombies may be a reflection of our society's fears these days. We're afraid of economic collapse, antibiotic resistance, North Korea's use of nuclear missiles, etc. etc. etc. Hell, lots of people are afraid to let their kids walk to school most of the time these days. As a result, I think people are morbidly drawn to the especially bleak picture zombies present of who and what we are when the veneer of humanity is stripped away. Just like when we read about the beautiful child vampire slaughtering her human family, the greatest horror is in the contrast: human and yet most definitely not.

I am totally lost on the idea of zombie romance.

Its a joke right?

How can you love or have sex with a zombie?

I can see having a pet, one thats been declawed and its teeth removed. But romance?

Travis wrote: "I am totally lost on the idea of zombie romance.

Its a joke right?

How can you love or have sex with a zombie?

I can see having a pet, one thats been declawed and its teeth removed. But romance?"

Perhaps another zombie? I mean, just because they're undead doesn't mean they don't need love, right? That could be a catch phrase, "I'm undead, but I'm not dead."

Having written extensively on the topic, I have some thoughts on the matter. Basically, the popularity of zombies represents growing resistance against an increasingly complex society.

The world grows more confusing with each passing day. On one hand, we're all working harder to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living. On the other, we're spending our hard-earned money trying to keep up with advancing technology. Life today is incredibly confusing, when compared to earlier times.

The confusion and frustration felt by Americans today makes many yearn to lash out against the world. These days, people seem to sympathize more with movie zombies than their victims, and there is a reason for this. When people are overly confused, they can experience anger and a desire to rebel. Zombies are the personification of that rebellion-wish.

Zombies don’t have to go to work or worry about budgets. Nobody demands anything from them. They don’t think and don’t want others to think. They even go so far as to eat the brains of others, eradicating their ambitions and creating an anti-Paradise of zero responsibilities.

America’s current zombie fixation allows people to vent their negative emotions. Enjoying an exciting movie or book can help a person to forget their problems and transfer some of their aggressions to their viewing or reading experience.

It’s fun, cathartic, and best of all....nobody gets bitten.

Well, there goes my retirement fund! I was planning on unleashing the Zompire myself, but others have pointed out that somebody else done it years ago! Swines! :)

Just had another great idea - Terma-zompire! Evil, robotic zombie vampires hell bent on world domination.

Yes, it's silly, but the way Hollywood is these days, don't be surprised if you see it at a cinema screen near you.

R.M.F wrote: "Just had another great idea - Terma-zompire! Evil, robotic zombie vampires hell bent on world domination.

Yes, it's silly, but the way Hollywood is these days, don't be surprised if you see it at..."

Sweet!

While I hate to pimp my own work, I have some news about the series I recently published. It has been compared to the Walking Dead, though slightly more complicated, and got a nod from Max Brooks himself during a speech he made at the Ohio State University.

The first two books are now available at amazon.com in paperback and Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Delta-M...

http://www.amazon.com/Papa-Zulu-Matth...

Reviewers had the following things to say about the series and its portrayal of zombies and the military:

"This is a badass Zombie book."

"I could not put Whiskey Delta down till the end."

"Brilliant Storytelling, Outstanding Military Adventure writing and, Most Importantly....Remarkable Characters that make it all matter."

"Highly recommend for any fan of the zombie genre."

"These zombies differ from those in the Walking Dead in that they have some semblance of intelligence."

"and the zombies in this book dont just shuffle, moan,and bite they run and fight back"

"FINALLY! A zombie story where the US Military is not hopelessly inept"

"one of the better examples of military adventure/zombie apocalypse cross-overs out there."

"This is a great book - exciting storyline driven by gripping and well laid out plot lines that keep the reader 'on the edge of their seats' right to the end."

"Great story about soldiers doing solider business."