Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth

Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth

A fascinating read for anyone from general readers to hardcore fans and scholars, this encyclopedia covers virtually every aspect of the zombie as cultural phenomenon, including film, literature, folklore, music, video games, and events. The proliferation of zombie-related fiction, film, games, events, and other media in the last decade would seem to indicate that zombies are "the new vampires" in popular culture. The editors and contributors of Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth took on the prodigious task of covering all aspects of the phenomenon, from the less-known historical and cultural origins of the zombie myth to the significant works of film and literature as well as video games in the modern day that feature the insatiable, relentless zombie character. The encyclopedia examines a wide range of significant topics pertaining to zombies, such as zombies in the pulp magazines; the creation of the figure of the zuvembie to subvert decades of censorship by the Comics Code of Authority; Humans vs. Zombies, a popular zombie-themed game played on college campuses across the country; and annual Halloween zombie walks. Organized alphabetically to facilitate use of the encyclopedia as a research tool, it also includes entries on important scholarly works in the expanding field of zombie studies. Gr 8 Up—Blending familiar icons with lesser-known but equally fascinating items, this comprehensive collection documents 225 notable representations of zombies in popular culture. Arranged alphabetically, each entry, ranging from several hundred to several thousand words, offers well-researched background information and specific details that will undoubtedly keep both casual readers and fans of the subject engaged; "see also" cross-references at the end of each entry further enhance the reading experience. Thorough yet concise examples from television (The Walking Dead, Dead Set), film (Night of the Living Dead, Zombieland), literature (Richard Matheson's I Am Legend), and folklore (Mesopotamian epic "Gilgamesh"), and cultural phenomena, such as zombie walks and video games, illustrate how pervasive zombie culture continues to be. Although heavy on text, the volume includes numerous black-and-white photos that break up the dense passages, but the lack of color is noticeable, and those expecting vibrant images of gore will be sadly disappointed. The book's purpose, however, is not to titillate but rather to examine and explore the subject's cultural and historical significance from a scholar's perspective. Two appendices—one chronicling zombie films from 1920 to 2014, the other listing academic books and articles on the subject—as well as a "Further Reading" section present additional research opportunities while simultaneously providing credibility and validity to the growing interdisciplinary field of zombie studies. VERDICT Strong in content but lacking eye-catching visual appeal, the resource will be best appreciated by serious zombie connoisseurs.—Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH “Given the popularity and paucity of reference materials currently available on this topic, this book is a welcome addition.” ― ARBA “This encyclopedia possesses wide appeal and is appropriate for general audiences. Researchers interested in monsters, anthropology, politics, and film history are also well-served by its contents. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers.” ― Choice “This encyclopedia is appropriate for academic libraries because of its inclusion of relevant scholarly works. It will also serve public libraries well because of the zombie's prevalence in popular culture.” ― Reference Reviews June Michele Pulliam teaches courses on horror fiction and film, young adult fiction, and women's and gender studies at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Anthony J. Fonseca , PhD, is library director and college archivist at Elms College in Massachusetts, where he also teaches courses in rock music and music literature as an adjunct.