Zombies Have Come to Save the Day

Move over, vampires: The undead are monsters for our times

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 11, 2009 4:19 PM CDT

(Newser) – In the echelon of monsters, zombies can’t get no respect. They’re not hip like werewolves or suave like vampires. Yet the undead are staging a comeback, Lev Grosman writes in Time. Woody Harrelson is starring in a zom-com, Juno’s screenwriter is producing a new zombie flick, and Jane Austen fans can now devour a novel called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

The resurgent popularity of the brain-eaters isn’t so surprising, says Grossman. The biodegradable fiends satisfy our eco-friendly mindset, and old friends regularly return from the dead via Facebook. What’s most refreshing about the zombie is his populist appeal: He’s plucky, tenacious, and humble. “Long live (or is it die?) the zombie: the official monster of the recession."

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (2)]

A zombie arrives at the premiere of Screen Gems' 'Quarantine' at Knott's Scary Farm on October 9, 2008 in Buena Park, California. (Getty Images)

People dressed as Zombie's gather in Leicester Square during the zombie walk world record attempt at the Odeon Leicester Square on August 27, 2007 in London, England. (Getty Images)

Underneath it all, zombies are pretty relatable. (Getty Images)

Kristen Stewart, left, and Robert Pattinson are shown in a scene from, "Twilight." (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Peter Sorel)

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You won't find zombies putting on airs like some other monsters. They're monsters of the people. It was the beginning of the end for vampires when Lehman Brothers went under, those bloodsucking parasites. - Lev Grossman, Time

Vampires you understand. They're good-looking and sophisticated and well dressed. They're immortal. Some of them have castles. You can imagine wanting to be a vampire or wanting to sleep with one.
- Lev Grossman, Time

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Zombies Have Come to Save the Day