Creature Comforts: Zombies

Pike · Jul 13, 2008

So far we've examined the sleek and sexy, the seductive and dangerous, but now let's take a 180 here and delve into the vile and stinky. Yep, let's talk about zombies!

From the bejillion Dead movies, Resident Evil, the hijinks in merry old England (28 Days/ Weeks Later and Shaun of the Dead), we see lots and lots zombie activity, but how about in novels?

The first that hits me is Mark Henry's Happy Hour of the Damned. Now, it's not a horrific account of flesh-eating minion stalking the poor populace but there is body chomping and decomposition. What other tales of the walking dead have you enjoyed? Have you written any? What would you like to see in a corpse?

Calla Lily · Jul 13, 2008

Brian Keene's The Rising. Heck, I just love Brian Keene's writing.

But I do admit to watching more zombies than reading them (the original Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later).

Wolvel · Jul 13, 2008

I seen more than I've read as well. Plus they are a little more effective in a visual medium. Now a true horror master maybe able to sucessfully pull them off in the written form though.

Pike · Jul 13, 2008

Yep, lots and lots of zombie movies to choose from, but I forgot about Keene. He has writen a few. How about World War Z? I recall that sitting on the shelves. Anyone read that?

Pike

Bmwhtly · Jul 14, 2008

The only fiction I've read that could be called zombie is Stephen King's 'Cell' (And I didn't think that was too good).

Is there a reason walking corpses work better on screen than in print? something, perhaps, to do with the target audience?

DeeCaudill · Jul 14, 2008

My two current WIPs could be considered zombie novels, but the only time my MC refers to them as such, she is quickly corrected (I suppose it's a nod to Shaun of the Dead, where they don't use the "zed word" either).

It seems to me like zombies carry an even stricter set of codes than other standard horror creatures: slow, inexorable, unthinking, flesh-devouring. I found it really fenced me in once I started drafting, so I don't call them zombies.

Sassee · Jul 14, 2008

LKH has zombies. Hers are a variety, though. Depending on who raised the zombie it could either look like a rotting corpse or a whole person that doesn't even look or act dead. Her zombies only tell the truth as they know it, they are not capable of lying, and the ones that appear to be more dead move slowly but fast enough to be a reasonable threat. I believe some of the deader ones appeared in Anita's bedroom once, and they were hacked to pieces with all the pieces still trying to get to her. I think fire was the only surefire way to destroy those zombies.

Other than that, I don't read about a lot of zombies. They appear every so often as an army of the dead sort of thing (didn't that happen in the Dresden Files?) and aren't given much page space.

Due to their general lack of presence, I'm not real picky about zombies. It all works for me as long as the writer keeps it consistant.

Bmwhtly · Jul 14, 2008

DeeCaudill said:
It seems to me like zombies carry an even stricter set of codes than other standard horror creatures: slow, inexorable, unthinking, flesh-devouring.

I'm not sure that's quite true.
Although I think of zombies in those terms, or rather, in Romero's terms. Isn't the actual meaning of 'zombie' a creature that operates without free will?

That's why 28 Days Later is a zombie film although their zombies aren't dead.
But they skirt the issue by calling them 'Infected' rather than the zed word.

I found it really fenced me in once I started drafting, so I don't call them zombies.

Yeah, like that

BarbaraKE · Jul 15, 2008

Isn't the actual meaning of 'zombie' a creature that operates without free will?

Didn't zombies originate in voodoo culture? I seem to remember it was believed that evil witchdoctors could either curse someone or give them certain drugs. Then the victim would appear to die and be buried. The witchdoctor had to dig them up within a certain period (otherwise the victim would really die from lack of oxygen). After all this, the now-zombie had no free will and had to obey the witchdoctor.

In other words, zombies are not rotting flesh risen from the dead (since they were never truly dead). The horror is that they either 1) have no mind left or 2) do have some mind left but are still forced to do horrible things at the bidding of the witchdoctor.

HoraceJames · Jul 15, 2008

I've never done a "traditional zombie" story, I do have a story involving a "skeletal revenant" that is reanimated from bones and a few spare parts. He does have free will, although he "lives" only for the purpose of seeking revenge.

He also loves clothes.

DeeCaudill · Jul 15, 2008

Didn't zombies originate in voodoo culture?

That's what my copy of Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology (best reference book ever!), says.

Paraphrasing the EOP: Haitian Voodoo superstition of the practice of reviving dead bodies to act as soulless robots. The entry also cites The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis as documentation of the secret poisons (from puffer fish) used in the actual ritual.

Looks like I've got something else to read on my list.

Zombies as a horror trope seem to be more about the loss of identity or the loss of free will. Maybe the details of how it actually works are less important that the dreadful possibilities--what if you turned into one of them*!

* Including, but not limited to: Democrats, Republicans, Communists, Atheists, Cannibals, or horror writers. *gasp*

TENNISMAN · Jul 24, 2008

I thought Brian Keene's The Rising was a masterpiece. His City of the Dead and Dead Sea were also good. I thought Stephen King's Cell was one of his worst novels, about a 3 out of 10. I don't believe I've read any other zombie novels.

Pike · Jul 24, 2008

I keep hearing that about Cell. Any other opinions? Any other zombie moments to share before we take a swing at another critter?

Bmwhtly · Jul 25, 2008

Pike said:
I keep hearing that about Cell. Any other opinions?

Started with some potential, then fell apart.

Calla Lily · Jul 25, 2008

What Ben said. I loved the initial EMP--King at his best. Eerie, unsettling, clever. Then it degenerated into two of his standards: gore and a supernatural creature manipulating everyone. Not my cup o' caffeine.

David McAfee · Jul 25, 2008

The only two zombie books I've read are CELL (meh...not King's best), and THE STUPIDEST ANGEL (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

Haggis · Jul 25, 2008

callalily61 said:
Brian Keene's The Rising. Heck, I just love Brian Keene's writing.

But I do admit to watching more zombies than reading them (the original Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later).

Keene also wrote City of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Bentley Little's The Walking, was a wonderful read, spoiled somewhat by a weak ending.

And, of course, we're writing a classic zombie short story right here in the horror forum.

Pike · Jul 25, 2008

Having read a handful of Little's books, I'm never that fond of his endings but did enjoy the Walking.

Vincent · Jul 25, 2008

King did write a zombie short story in the 80s titled Home Delivery, with proper end of the world climbing-out-of-the-grave-to-eat-you zombies.

DeeCaudill · Jul 25, 2008

I just finished World War Z last night. I think it was a well-done exercise in world-building and following all the logical consequences of a zombie outbreak (the breakdowns of government, etc).

Constructed out of a series of post-event interviews, I didn't think the horror impact was very good--you don't care about the characters because you know they survived and they're viewing the events from a distance.

Pike · Jul 27, 2008

Jenny Rappaport of the L. Perkins Agency just posted a list of books she sold, including the zombie anthology the Living Dead. It features work fmo Joe Lansdale, Laurell K. Hamilton, Poppy Z. Brite, and many others. Here's a link to its Amazon page.

It's obvious that we need some more zombie fic out there and here's another installment.

The Scip · Jul 28, 2008

I liked the beginning of cell and the story was good until the end when it seemed rushed. Almost like King decided he didn't want to work on the story anymore so he just ended it where it was, could have been a very good zombie book.

All that from a die-hard King fan.

Haggis · Jul 28, 2008

DeeCaudill said:
I just finished World War Z last night. I think it was a well-done exercise in world-building and following all the logical consequences of a zombie outbreak (the breakdowns of government, etc).

Constructed out of a series of post-event interviews, I didn't think the horror impact was very good--you don't care about the characters because you know they survived and they're viewing the events from a distance.

I agree. It sounded like a great concept. And I was so looking forward to reading this, but it didn't do a thing for me. I think you summed up the reason it didn't quite well.

comradebunny · Sep 4, 2008

I love zombies. I watch almost all the of the movies (you have to be a real fan to sit through some of the crap that comes out) and avidly read zombie short stories and novels.

I loved World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. My impression was that this book was not written to scare in a traditional sense. The fear comes when you take the time to sit back and put yourself into the situation. It was essentially a war novel, not a horror novel. I also really enjoyed Max Brooks’ earlier work The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. It even explains the difference between voodoo and other zombies. It will tell just about everything you ever wanted to know about zombies (and a lot of things you never thought to ask).

A great site for zombie short stories is at Homepage of the Dead. They have a large fan fiction section. Some of the stories there are even from published authors. They also accept other horror genres, but it is mainly for zombies.

I personally didn’t care for Keene’s The Rising or its sequel, but I really liked Dead Sea.

Other zombie novels I’ve enjoyed include:
Twilight of the Dead by Travis Adkins
Plague of the Dead (The Morningstar Strain) by Z. A. Recht
Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne
The Walking Dead (graphic novels) by Robert Kirkman
Dying to Live: A Novel of Life Among the Undead by Kim Paffenroth

I did not care for Cell at all.

rsmccoy · Sep 5, 2008

Keene rocks, no doubt about it. Dead Sea was so cool because of the species jumping virus.

THere is an anthology coming out later this year called The World Is Dead by Permuted Press. The goal of the antho is for writers to explore how society functions after the death of the the world, either human or zombie. Some of the drafts I have seen from some of my friends who are submitting (it is now closed to submissions), blow me away. They are taking the concept of zombies in new and very cool directions, I can't wait to read it.

THe zombies on film originally worked because to audiences, they just looked so disturbing and inevitable. THe may shamble, but they don't stop to rest or sleep. Once that effect lost it's impact, they switched to the special effects gross out with ripping apart bodies and eating guts.

28 days broke the rules by making them fast and the remake of Dawn picked that up, though without justification. Through short stories, we as writers can push the concept in any direction we want to stretch those boundaries more with little risk. I don't think they will ever take off mainstream like Vampires, but we don;t have to settle for the zombie status quo.

(Shameless plug) We have a few zombie stories coming up Oct 1st in NT, along with other usual Halloween suspects and some not so usual.

Creature Comforts: Zombies

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