oh wait, there it is. Over the last few decade or so, the zombie apocalypse has become the most famous and pervasive end-of-the-world scenario in popular western culture, the popularity of modern films like 28 Days Later in 2002, Pirates Of The Caribbean in 2003 and Shaun Of The Dead and the Dawn Of The Dead remake in 2004 having brought audiences back to classics like the George Romero movies and the Evil Dead franchise. If youve not had to answer the question as to whether you have a plan for the zombie apocalypse, you probably dont spend enough time online, and good for you. Essentially a variation on the inexplicably popular bleak narrative of the post-apocalypse, where a zombie outbreak has somehow brought civilisation to its knees, the zombie apocalypse is all about survival, not just against the continuing threat of the undead, but against each other. Its never usually established exactly how civilisation, government, and the rule of law are brought low by the zombie pandemic. The genre is so well ingrained in our culture by now that no one even really bothers asking the question anymore. Its just assumed that zombies = Fall Of Man. Shaun Of The Dead niftily sidesteps that by having the army step in at the end, deus ex style, and restoring order by shooting the dead to pieces which is, of course, exactly what would happen in real life. And of course this is the main issue with the concept in order for the zombie apocalypse to succeed, civilisation has to swiftly and spontaneously fall apart and then stay fallen apart. Despite the physical infrastructure of the country being more or less intact, no one will think to retake those lines of communication, restart power and organise militia to gradually take back the country. This is why so many zombie apocalypse narratives begin long after the world has fallen because it doesnt really make sense and they have to skirt over it as best they can. World War Z attempts to show the actual events of a zombie apocalypse taking shape but it has to take massive liberties with the central zombie concept to do so, thereby proving the point. Were humanity to band together to fight the zombies the way that they always do to fight aliens, there would be no zombie apocalypse but if they banded together there would be no zombie apocalypse, so they dont.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
