Living with the Living Dead: The Wisdom of the Zombie Apocalypse

It is safe to say we are living in a zombie-friendly world right now; they have invaded popular culture and do not seem to be letting go. There have been an increasing number of scholarly publications that examine the different zombie narratives and their place in our contemporary world. Greg Garrett gives us another one, and one that not only looks at the narratives through an analytical, literary lens but also from a theological perspective as well. Mr. Garrett examines the ways that zombies have been personified throughout history in literature and movies and eventually television. He examines how their popularity often rises when major changes are happening in society and it feels as though society is falling apart, especially, for example, after 9/11. Each chapter examines a different trope of zombie fiction by analyzing examples. I liked the work overall; it is fairly easy to read and understand, and he does not get too technical. What I felt was lacking was that he would often shift gears, and sometimes jarringly, between looking at the zombie texts through a literary lens and a theological one. I feel that this would have been much better if he had chosen which way to look at these texts–either way would have been fascinating.