Reading The Great American Zombie

Challenging the human understanding of life and death, the zombie figure represents a fragmentation of personhood. From its earliest appearances in literature, the zombie characterized a human being that was no longer an indivisible whole, embodying the ontological debate over which elements of personhood are most uniquely human. Through its literary evolution, the zombie's missing element gradually approached a finer definition, as narratives moved beyond highlighting metaphysically opaque concepts like "soul" or "will." Studying over a century of American literary history, this book explores how zombies translate cultural concepts and definitions of personhood. Chapters detail how literary zombies have long presented narratives of American cultural self-examination.

The zombie has cropped up in many forms--in film, in television, and as a cultural phenomenon in zombie walks and zombie awareness months--but few books have looked at what the zombie means in fiction. Tim Lanzendörfer fills this gap by looking at a number of zombie novels, short stories, and comics, and probing what the zombie represents in contemporary literature. Lanzendörfer brings together the most recent critical discussion of zombies and applies it to a selection of key texts including Max Brooks's World War Z, Colson Whitehead's Zone One, Junot Díaz's short story "Monstro, " Robert Kirkman's comic series The Walking Dead, and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Within the context of broader literary culture, Lanzendörfer makes the case for reading these texts with care and openness in their own right. Lanzendörfer contends that what zombies do is less important than what becomes possible when they are around. Indeed, they seem less interesting as metaphors for the various ways the world could end than they do as vehicles for how the world might exist in a different and often better form.

Themes of faith and religion have been threaded through popular representations of the zombie so often that they now seem inextricably linked. Whether as mindless servants to a Vodou Bokor or as evidence of the impending apocalypse, the ravenous undead have long captured something of society's relationships with spirituality, religion and belief. By the start of the 21st century, religious beliefs are as varied as the many manifestations of the zombie itself, and both themes intersect with various ideological, environmental and even post-human concerns.This book surveys the various modern religious associations in zombie media. Some characters believe that the undead are part of God's plan, others theorize that the environment might be saving itself or that zombies might be predicting life and hybridity beyond human existence. Timely and important, this work is a meditation on how faith might not just be a forerunner to the apocalypse, but the catalyst to new kinds of life beyond it.

Science fiction and horror television shows predict how the world might be different if zombies were real, or if artificial intelligence could develop consciousness. Pop culture critics reveal that these not-quite humans are often proxies for race, and the post-apocalyptic landscapes set the stage for reimagining social and political institutions. This book advances horror scholarship by placing those stories within a long tradition of mythologizing U.S. history. It demonstrates how Disney's Zombies reenacts the civil rights movement, how The Walking Dead fulfills Thoreau's fantasy against the backdrop of founding a new nation, and how Westworld permits visitors to experience the Old West while bearing witness to Indian Removal. Each of these narratives imagines a future that retells the past. The chapters within look at that tradition in order to understand the present.

Hear What the Critics are Saying "Wow, what an amazing and Entertaining Book; great cast of characters, very good story with a lot of eerie twists and turns. Population Zero is by far one of the best zombie books to have come out in a long time." -Mary Jones – Valley Daily News “A must read in the horror genre. Population Zero is a book that will leave you begging for more; Five Stars All The Way.” -Judy B. Cohen – Elite Media Group “Deliciously entertaining and very fun read. I bought it for a friend as a gift and she loved it as well. It’s by far one of the finest zombie apocalypse books to have come out in the last decade. Highly Recommend This Book.” -Dave Baker – Book Bloggers of America “Very interesting story. I highly recommend this book to any zombie lover out there. Can’t Go Wrong.” -Carl Mosner – Readers Cove Unlimited “Population Zero is an extremely well developed post-apocalyptic zombie tale. I really had a lot of fun reading this story. If you’re looking for a phenomenal zombie book, then look no further than this one. Ten Thumbs Up.” -Debra Eisner – Literary Times Inc. “My favorite zombie book this year; so far I have read more than eight. Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t put it down. Great Read.” -Emma Righter – Writers United Group “This story reminded me why I fell in love with reading zombie books in the first place; thank you Mr. Harding for making such an amazing and fun book. Keep up with the great story telling. Awesome Book!” -Lee Ratner – Daily Media Trends, Inc. Editorial Review Population Zero is an amazing book and a really interesting read. By the end of the book, you will feel like you have gone on an emotional rollercoaster which is not only fun, but also frightening. This zombie book is definitely one of a kind in the horror genre. If you are looking for a book that will leave you biting your nails at the edge of your seat, then look no further than Population Zero. This book is chock-full of amazing characters and terrifying zombies. Five Stars! Jim S. Stein About the Book When a scientist unleashes the deadliest virus the world has ever seen, a small group must band together to survive the zombie apocalypse; their tale is one of redemption, joy and tears. Come and join us in the town of Steel Valley. A world filled with chaos, where even the dead don’t know their rightful place. (zombies, zombie, zombie survival guide, zombie mayhem, zombie fiction) [zombies]

Hear What the Critics are Saying "Wow, what an amazing and Entertaining Book; great cast of characters, very good story with a lot of eerie twists and turns. Population Zero is by far one of the best zombie books to have come out in a long time." -Mary Jones – Valley Daily News “A must read in the horror genre. Population Zero is a book that will leave you begging for more; Five Stars All The Way.” -Judy B. Cohen – Elite Media Group “Deliciously entertaining and very fun read. I bought it for a friend as a gift and she loved it as well. It’s by far one of the finest zombie apocalypse books to have come out in the last decade. Highly Recommend This Book.” -Dave Baker – Book Bloggers of America “Very interesting story. I highly recommend this book to any zombie lover out there. Can’t Go Wrong.” -Carl Mosner – Readers Cove Unlimited “Population Zero is an extremely well developed post-apocalyptic zombie tale. I really had a lot of fun reading this story. If you’re looking for a phenomenal zombie book, then look no further than this one. Ten Thumbs Up.” -Debra Eisner – Literary Times Inc. “My favorite zombie book this year; so far I have read more than eight. Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t put it down. Great Read.” -Emma Righter – Writers United Group “This story reminded me why I fell in love with reading zombie books in the first place; thank you Mr. Harding for making such an amazing and fun book. Keep up with the great story telling. Awesome Book!” -Lee Ratner – Daily Media Trends, Inc. Editorial Review Population Zero is an amazing book and a really interesting read. By the end of the book, you will feel like you have gone on an emotional rollercoaster which is not only fun, but also frightening. This zombie book is definitely one of a kind in the horror genre. If you are looking for a book that will leave you biting your nails at the edge of your seat, then look no further than Population Zero. This book is chock-full of amazing characters and terrifying zombies. Five Stars! Jim S. Stein About the Book When a scientist unleashes the deadliest virus the world has ever seen, a small group must band together to survive the zombie apocalypse; their tale is one of redemption, joy and tears. Come and join us in the town of Steel Valley. A world filled with chaos, where even the dead don’t know their rightful place.

Hear What the Critics are Saying "Wow, what an amazing and Entertaining Book; great cast of characters, very good story with a lot of eerie twists and turns. Population Zero is by far one of the best zombie books to have come out in a long time." -Mary Jones – Valley Daily News “A must read in the horror genre. Population Zero is a book that will leave you begging for more; Five Stars All The Way.” -Judy B. Cohen – Elite Media Group “Deliciously entertaining and very fun read. I bought it for a friend as a gift and she loved it as well. It’s by far one of the finest zombie apocalypse books to have come out in the last decade. Highly Recommend This Book.” -Dave Baker – Book Bloggers of America “Very interesting story. I highly recommend this book to any zombie lover out there. Can’t Go Wrong.” -Carl Mosner – Readers Cove Unlimited “Population Zero is an extremely well developed post-apocalyptic zombie tale. I really had a lot of fun reading this story. If you’re looking for a phenomenal zombie book, then look no further than this one. Ten Thumbs Up.” -Debra Eisner – Literary Times Inc. “My favorite zombie book this year; so far I have read more than eight. Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t put it down. Great Read.” -Emma Righter – Writers United Group “This story reminded me why I fell in love with reading zombie books in the first place; thank you Mr. Harding for making such an amazing and fun book. Keep up with the great story telling. Awesome Book!” -Lee Ratner – Daily Media Trends, Inc. Editorial Review Population Zero is an amazing book and a really interesting read. By the end of the book, you will feel like you have gone on an emotional rollercoaster which is not only fun, but also frightening. This zombie book is definitely one of a kind in the horror genre. If you are looking for a book that will leave you biting your nails at the edge of your seat, then look no further than Population Zero. This book is chock-full of amazing characters and terrifying zombies. Five Stars! Jim S. Stein About the Book When a scientist unleashes the deadliest virus the world has ever seen, a small group must band together to survive the zombie apocalypse; their tale is one of redemption, joy and tears. Come and join us in the town of Steel Valley. A world filled with chaos, where even the dead don’t know their rightful place. (zombies, zombie, zombie survival guide, zombie mayhem, zombie fiction) [zombies]

The zombie has cropped up in many forms--in film, in television, and as a cultural phenomenon in zombie walks and zombie awareness months--but few books have looked at what the zombie means in fiction. Tim Lanzendörfer fills this gap by looking at a number of zombie novels, short stories, and comics, and probing what the zombie represents in contemporary literature. Lanzendörfer brings together the most recent critical discussion of zombies and applies it to a selection of key texts including Max Brooks's World War Z, Colson Whitehead's Zone One, Junot Díaz's short story "Monstro, " Robert Kirkman's comic series The Walking Dead, and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Within the context of broader literary culture, Lanzendörfer makes the case for reading these texts with care and openness in their own right. Lanzendörfer contends that what zombies do is less important than what becomes possible when they are around. Indeed, they seem less interesting as metaphors for the various ways the world could end than they do as vehicles for how the world might exist in a different and often better form.