Zombies in Contemporary Culture
Journeys, Bodies, Pandemics and Politics
Editor(s) Conor Heffernan,Emma Tonkin,Linda Flores Ohlson
Language: English
Genre(s): Literary Criticism, Media, Film and Theatre
Series: Horror Studies
- October 2025 · 256 pages ·216x138mm
- · Hardback - 9781837723034
- · eBook - pdf - 9781837723041
- · eBook - epub - 9781837723058
Building on previous zombie studies scholarship, this ghoulish collection examines how the undead reflect and contribute to contemporary social anxieties, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The contributors to this volume advance the theoretical framework of ‘zombiism’ through four interconnected themes – journeys, bodies, pandemics and politics – and their writings analyse diverse media representations of zombies across literature, film, television and material culture, offering new perspectives on how zombie narratives engage issues of travel restrictions, political breakdowns, racial tensions and sexual taboos. By bringing together scholars from various fields, the volume demonstrates the continuing relevance of zombies as a lens for understanding contemporary societal challenges, from public health crises to rising far-right politics and ongoing culture wars; its interdisciplinary approach not only enriches zombie studies but also reveals how the figure of the zombie remains a vital tool for analysing pressing issues in the humanities and beyond.
Author Biographies
Introduction
Linda Flores, Emma Tonkin, Conor Heffernan
The Zombie Journey
Place, space and the localised apocalypse Emma Tonkin
2. Fear the Walking Dead: Elitism, Privilege and Zombie Americana Scott Hamilton
3. Examining the importance of Media in George R. Romero’s Early Zombie Movies Robert Curran Dissecting the Zombie Body
4. Decaying Dicks and Putrid Pussies: Zombie Sex Toys and Pleasure Caroline West
5. The Suburban Zombie: Exploring Posthumanism and Transhumanism in Netflix’s The Santa Clarita Diet En-Chi Chiou
6. Incel Zombie Sex: Trophy Wives of the Damned Adeline Berry
7. Zombie as Metaphor of Postmodern Malaise in Halley Surviving the Zombie Pandemic Violeta Alarcón Zayas
8. Hear the Dead, Bite the Living: Beyond Post-Apocalyptic Trauma Catherine Pugh & Nikki Foster-Kruczek
9. Abject Body of the Zombie as a Counter Narrative to the Pandemic Hero Madeline Becker
10. Human Individuals versus Zombie Masses: A Dystopia or a (Hyper-) Individualistic Utopia? Hossein Mohammadzade
Zombie Politics
11. Decomposition and Excavation of War Memories and Massacres in Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing Grace Jung
12. The Symbolic Zombification and the Capitalist Modes of Production Rodrigo Gonsalves
13. Race, class and the Goal of the Dead: marginalised identities in French zombie cinema. Reece Goodall
Bibliography
Index
Author(s): Conor Heffernan
Conor Heffernan is Lecturer of Sport at the University of Ulster. He was previously Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies at the University of Texas.Author(s): Emma Tonkin
Author(s): Linda Flores Ohlson
