What's Your Favorite Zombie?

If this year isn't the year of the zombie, then certainly next year will be... or maybe the year after that. It has arrive sometime.

The last few years have seen a plethora of zombie films, both "serious" and comedic. At the moment, Zombieland is booming at the theaters, and "mash" books such as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (zombie version) are filling bookshelves. As for books, there are quite a few others out there. They vary from traditional zombies (we don't know why they exist, they just do) to SF/thriller blends - usually associated with a viral infection.

And yes, I have two similar projects in the works or soon to be released. The one that is perhaps the greatest surprise is the novel Pallid Light. Yes, this one is with the ever pleasant co-author Alexander Griffin. Wonderful to work with. Always agreeable. And ever so witty.

But this post is really about the different types of zombies out there. If you haven't been keeping up with the walking dead, then you should know there are shambling zombies, ambling zombies, intelligent zombies, and brain dead zombies. There are also those that crave flesh, and others that desire brains, and some they just bite and chew.

While zombie lore existed long before George Romero's film Night of the Living Dead, it was that film that planted them in the horror genre - though it took a few years for them to sprout.


In Romero's classic film, the zombies were slow, brain dead beings, that walked the Earth for no known reason, and they liked to eat living flesh. Oh, they were groaners as well, as opposed to the more recent screamers.

Following Romero's film were a number of others, including follow-ups by Romero (I remember watching Dawn of the Dead at the midnight show at the mall theater). The zombies in that film were a bit smarter, although they did tend to hang out waiting for good prices of consumer goods.

Now throw into this the cornucopia of zombie novels and short stories, and we have a new sub-genre. To underscore this, many entertainment companies and websites are having zombie contests, protests, and of course games. Ah, did I mention The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks (Mel Brook's son)? This book is neither novel nor story. It is a guide on surviving the zombie apocalypse, and wildly successful.

And back to films. Dawn of the Dead saw a re-make with faster zombies, and they were a bit smarter. In many ways they were similar to the critters in 28 Days Later (although some would argue they are not zombies).







Needless to say, I could continue this all day - but I won't. However, if you haven't read or seen any of these books or films, take the time. If the sub-genre is this popular, it seems like it is related to popular culture, which begs the question why is popular culture embracing zombies?

The Grin of the Dark - Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell is a master of horror literature. And fans of Campbell will delight in his latest novel. In his typical style, he creates a dark narrative that draws the reader into the story. While I'm not particularly a fan of "clown horror," Campbell manages to win me over with unsettling, spooky scenes containing these notorious circus performers. But he does much more than this.

The story is centered around Simon Lester and his quest to write a book about the silent film star Tubby Thackeray. The task takes him to a variety of locations, all wonderfully filled with intriguing characters. As the novel progresses, the surreal narrative grows strong - as though there is something from the past awakening. The style works well with novel's subject.

As Lester continues to research Tubby Thackeray, things become more mysterious. There is little material to be found about a silent film star who rivaled Charlie Chaplin in fame. It is as though someone is intentionally trying to erase him from history.

With each passing page the novel grows darker, and yet maintains lighter moments - humorous elements that lift the gloom long enough for the reader to dive in again. At first glance, a novel about a character who is researching a silent film star, perhaps doesn't "sound" like horror. But when handled this well, the mystery and the horror unravel into a brilliant tale.

I would suggest that readers who are new to Ramsey Campbell start with one of his other books. The Grin of the Dark is stylish and well done, but it is perhaps not the starting point for acolytes. In this novel, he works with the prose, making the the writing as much a part of the story as the characters and plot. It is an excellent example of why he is a modern horror master.

Boo!

Having read quite a bit of fiction in my life, I tend to view it in a different manner as time passes. Many years ago, I remember reading horror stories, finding them engaging, and they were usually "page turners." But I'm not sure something ever occurred in a story or novel that startled me or suddenly scared me - causing me to have a physical reaction, like someone sneaking up behind and yelling "Boo!" Rather, I found myself disturbed by the novels, or I had images lurking in my mind. This would be something like watching the film Jaws, and then having a fear of the water. Except, Jaws, like most films, has the ability to "surprise" the viewer - the "Boo!" factor. I wonder if that is possible in fiction. And by that I mean sudden surprise. Certainly fiction has the ability to produce the unexpected, but what about doors opening with something jumping out, or a hand resting upon a character's shoulder. In film, that would cause some one to stir or jump or even scream. Is this possible in fiction? I'd imagine someone has experienced it.

This probably seems like a strange question coming from someone who writes in the genre. But after a while, either through reading or writing, some of the unexpected aspects are lost. Or, it might be that horror fiction can disturb or unsettle a reader, but maybe not create a startling surprise that causes the reader to jump out of his or her seat. Or, maybe this is something I simply have lost over time.

For those interested, this topic contrasts well with a previous post: Horror: What scares us and why do we like it so much?

What brings this topic to mind is that at conventions, I often hear readers asked for the "scariest" books or stories. This, in turn, makes me wonder about what I've just been rambling about.

Horror: What scares us and why do we like it so much?

It seems to me that many people never get a chance to attend as many conventions as they like -- if any. So I thought I'd bring a convention to everyone. One of the panels I participated in at Confusion 2008, along with Suzanne Church, was on the topic of horror and what scares us.

This seems like a good place to pose the question, and look for a few answers. What is it that scares us in horror? Are there particular things? Are people scared by horror fiction any longer? What is the attraction to horror? Is it being scared or is it something else? Do we need gore or some visceral element to make horror horrifying?

I could go on with the questions, but these seem like a good starting point. I'll try to round up a group of panelists, but everyone should consider themselves panelists and offer answers or pose questions.