American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture (Contributions to Zombie Studies)

Can we, indeed, speak of a current zombie renaissance? Yes. Yes we can! A must for film buffs and zombie/horror movie fans everywhere, Bishop's book is a fascinating look at the history of zombie films and their effect on pop culture and cinema. I don't particularly care for zombie films (notable exceptions: loved Shaun of the Dead and Fido, and 28 Days Later is one of my favorite movies ever), but Kyle "Dr. Walking Dead" Bishop is a friend of mine, so I thought I'd give his book a go. Wow. Couldn't stop reading! He covers everything from the history of voodoo and zombies in the real world up to the release of the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It was deeply interesting to see how zombie films have evolved from the incredibly racist 1930's films to the evil zombie heyday of the 1970's, and then the sympathetic zom-rom-coms of the 21st century. The book is totally engrossing . . . and also kind of gross . . . (there are pictures) . . . but five stars and two thumbs way up! This Book Provides A Cultural And Critical Analysis Of The Cinematic Zombie Tradition. Closely Examining Influential Works Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Jacques Tourneur's I Walked With A Zombie, Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2, Dan O'bannon's The Return Of The Living Dead, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, And, Of Course, Romero's Entire Dead Series, It Establishes Zombies In Gothic Tradition--provided By Publisher. Introduction : The Zombie Film And Its Cycles. Raising The Living Dead : The Folkloric And Ideological Origins Of The Voodoo Zombie -- The Return Of The Native : Imperialist Hegemony And The Cinematic Voodoo Zombie -- The Rise Of The New Paradigm : Night Of The Living Dead And The Zombie Invasion Narrative -- The Dead Walk The Earth : The Triumph Of The Zombie Social Metaphor In Dawn Of The Dead -- Humanizing The Living Dead : The Evolution Of The Zombie Protagonist -- Conclusion : The Future Shock Of Zombie Cinema. Kyle William Bishop ; Foreword By Jerrold E. Hogle. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 225-230) And Index. Includes Filmography. Zombie stories are peculiarly American, as the creature was born in the New World and functions as a reminder of the atrocities of colonialism and slavery. The voodoo-based zombie films of the 1930s and '40s reveal deep-seated racist attitudes and imperialist paranoia, but the contagious, cannibalistic zombie horde invasion narrative established by George A. Romero has even greater singularity. This book provides a cultural and critical analysis of the cinematic zombie tradition, starting with its origins in Haitian folklore and tracking the development of the subgenre into the twenty-first century. Closely examining such influential works as Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Jacques Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie, Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2, Dan O'Bannon's The Return of the Living Dead, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later , and, of course, Romero's entire "Dead" series, it establishes the place of zombies in the Gothic tradition. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.