The Real Problem with Zombie-Themed Novels and Series

Submitted by Jin-Vincenzo t3_127r3s1 in books

Do you enjoy reading books and TV shows with undead themes? Have you ever struggled to buy into a tale because the characters or undead were portrayed in an unrealistic way? If so, you are not by yourself.

Even though zombie fiction has become more and more popular over the years, there are some reality issues that these tales still have. These flaws include, but are not limited to, inconsistent undead depiction, a lack of a reason for the epidemic, unrealistic character behavior, and an excessive dependence on violence.

The inconsistent depiction of zombies is a frequent issue in zombie tales. While some tales depict zombies as slow-moving, mindless creatures that are simple to outpace or kill, others depict them as fast-moving, intelligent creatures that are difficult to destroy. Because of this inconsistency, readers or watchers may find it difficult to suspend their disbelief and completely interact with the narrative.

Another issue is the lack of explanation for the outbreak. Many zombie stories never fully explain how the virus or infection started, leaving readers or viewers wondering where it came from and how it spreads. This can make the story feel incomplete and unsatisfying.

In addition, some zombie stories feature unrealistic character behavior. For example, characters may split up and wander off alone, even though it's clear that this is dangerous and could lead to their death. This can make it hard for audiences to relate to or invest in the characters.

Finally, some zombie stories rely too heavily on violence, using excessive gore and violence to shock and entertain audiences. While violence can be an important part of the story, too much of it can detract from the overall experience and make the story feel gratuitous.

Of course! To be clear, these are my thoughts and concerns regarding the problems facing zombie-themed novels and series. By sharing my perspective, i hope to spark a discussion and gather ideas from others on how to improve these stories and make them more engaging and believable.

What do you think about the problems facing zombie-themed novels and series? Have you encountered any of these issues in your own reading or viewing experiences? What solutions do you think could help address these shortcomings and create more compelling and realistic zombie stories?

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wolf781 t1_jefjw35 wrote

>In addition, some zombie stories feature unrealistic character behavior. For example, characters may split up and wander off alone, even though it's clear that this is dangerous and could lead to their death

And this right here shows you've never dealt with a group of humans under incredibly stressful situations.

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whynotfather t1_jeg5ea7 wrote

Yes, I remember a podcast talking about a woman that lost her job and had trouble providing and what not. Got a credit card and bought all of this bulk stuff like toilet paper, household stuff, and a week of groceries. Well maxed it out and then didn’t have any access to the remaining weeks of groceries. Had tons of TP though.

The analysis was that she was trying to horde when she could rather than plan for consistent manageable spending. But that’s what high stress desperate people will do. They will focus on some random thing vs big picture. That’s how I’m books or other media I’m a little forgiving of decisions I wouldn’t make because I’m just sipping tea and relaxing. I’m not be chased or under pressure.

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InvisibleSpaceVamp t1_jefy5bq wrote

Why is it a problem that different authors decide to portray fictional beings in different ways? Reminds me of the "real vampires don't sparkle" comments from the good old Twilight days. Sure, it was silly, but real vampires don't exist and you can take all the liberties you want when writing them. Same goes for zombies.

I think all the problems you mentioned are not specific to zombie novels, I have come across unrealistic behavior (in my opinion, based on my personal experience) in pretty much every genre I read. It's not a zombie problem, it's a bad writing problem.

The same can be said about not explaining how a zombie outbreak really happened. That's only an issue when the writing is bad. With good writing, the lack of knowledge might be chosen on purpose. Like, by having a narrator who is not an all knowing scientist but a regular person who has to go by whatever the government chose to leak to the media.

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> Even though zombie fiction has become more and more popular over the years,

Really? I was under the impression that the zombie trend has slowed down significantly. Is there anything new I should read? I think The girl with all the gifts was the last one I read in the genre.

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MorriganJade t1_jefev72 wrote

I've only read The girl with all the gifts by Carey and it didn't have these problems. I really like it. I think it's fine if they aren't consistent to each other, other creatures, like vampires and elves, tend to be different too

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AnnChristy_Z t1_jefio0d wrote

I think the important distinction with Girl, which was an absolutely fantastic book, is that the people there were still alive when they became hungries. They were zombie-like, but not specifically zombies. It twisted it in a truly beautiful way. The fungus angle was brilliant.

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Beneficial_Street_51 t1_jefusg4 wrote

I would have agreed with some of these before the pandemic.

I agree with none of them after.

While we have some solid guesses of where the coronavirus came from, we still do not have a consensus on its origin over three years later. If we were in a situation where communication was interrupted, this would be even more complicated. Not knowing where or how a zombie outbreak originated is perfectly in line with real life.

There's nothing wrong with liking different kinds of zombies. Fast. Slow. Doesn't matter.

People. Fought. Over. Toilet. Paper. People literally punched service workers, spat on people, called people slurs, threatened nurses and doctors, raged at flight attendants, and there's even information out there that car accidents or some kind of rage came out of isolation/quarantine. Toilet paper was not a true necessity like say, water, or medication. Dodging actual zombies and trying to get necessities from other humans? So much violence. It's my opinion that zombie media actual underestimates how much violence there would be in some cases.

Again, people did absolutely ridiculous things during the pandemic. Doctors: don't gather with your elderly relatives. People: gathering with their elderly relatives. Doctors: don't gather in large, crowded bars. People:...

There are people who still think the pandemic was fake or the flu so I absolutely believe lots of people will walk off on their own because the zombie apocalypse is fake. Totally believable. As is the gotten bitten and told no one thing now. So many people suspected they were sick and still went places.

Zombie media is about us though. It's not about the zombies. And I have to say, I think it gets us right. Unfortunately.

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Edcrfvh t1_jege8w2 wrote

Disagree. Zombies need to be internally consistent. Not consistent with books written by competitors. No one owns zombies. It does make sense to explain origins of plague when your characters would know it. Like a scientist. If main character is a lumberjack there's no reason for them to know exactly why zombies are running amuck. Variety is the spice of life. I can find something in zombie category I want to read.

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The_Great_Angel t1_jegvv9v wrote

i think there is a scenario

medieval zombie apocalypse

if there is a time in history that will best equipped to deal with it is The Manor System.

as the horde slowly walks towards the agricultural estate, they start to prepare like it's a siege. bring in the harvest early, call in your man at arms maybe some near by mercenaries.

the gates are shut as the horde swarms the walls, it is now a siege. the peasants are worried about there homes, the local Friar is doing his best to calm the people, the few men at arms try to sally out but get ripped apart.

when all hope is lost an army is seen on the horizon ... it's your lord the duke with his knights and some Knights Hospitaller. they come charging down the hill. the earth is shaking and hoof beats like thunder as they plough through the horde like a ship through water.

the siege is over, they tell you the emperor is rallying every noble in the empire to fight this undead army and the one who started it

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snowlock27 t1_jeh1ybq wrote

I've had an idea along these lines for a while now, but with Viking mercenaries instead of knights. It was going to have some parallels with Ragnarok. Unfortunately I have no talent at writing, so it's just an idea floating in my head.

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dynamic_argon t1_jegrj9m wrote

This is why I liked the newsflesh series. Great writing and characters that did jot focus solely on zombies but the aftermath of dealing with them

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