Zombies! discussion

I'm having a hard time taking a stance on this issue and I need to come to terms with it. In the new "Dawn of the Dead" the dog is safe because the zombies won't attack animals. However, in the "Zombie Survival Guide", the virus seems to be able to spread to animals. Which is true? Do zombies attack animals, turning them into zombies? Do zombies attack animals and just kill them? Or do the animals reanimate and become zombies as well?

I do believe that there will be animal zombies when the outbreak happens (any day now) and I have issues with it too… if it turns out that the virus was genetically engineered (as I believe).. means that they will be fast as hell, in my experience with Resident Evil I had more trouble dealing with packs of dogs, crows, and others (the giant frogs of Resident Evil Zero scared the shit out of me – I unloaded a whole magnum on the first one I encounter) the thing is I live in a big city and I’m having problems creating an strategy to deal with the hordes of zombie monkeys and the pack of birds (like in monster island)


KD, quick questions what song would you like to play in the middle of zombie mayhem??? I mean if you were to be on a big club when the outbreak happens (seriously y’all any day now) what would you like to be playing when go into full zombie killing mode???

thats an excellent question, Alfie. I would play sebastiAn-H.A.L. on an infinite loop and enter a state of robotic possession as I lay waste to hordes of staggering brain cravers. I hope for my sake the undead will not be of the fleet footed variety.

If you read Keene's books then the animal aspect of Zombies is even more terrifying... I mean where can you go to get away from EVERYTHING?

It seems like an animal would have to have sufficient mass to become a zombie. If not, where do you stop? Are there zombie insects, for instance?

On a side note, The zombie dogs in the Zombies!!! board game are pretty nasty.

If you assume that zombies are the rusult of an infectious disease... as in Resident Evil, viruses can cross species, so it could eventually happen, although probably not at the beginning of the outbreak. I don't know about the Romero world, only in the first movie does he really tell us what causes the outbreaks (maybe cosmic radiation from the Venus probe--well, I suppose everything should come back then). As for Max Brooks, animals didn't come back, but were actually killed by eating the toxic flesh of zombies. The dog stories I thought were particularly good in World War Z.

... and Nat Geo Asia just aired a documentary called "Zombie Alligators" today, about something happening to the brains of gators in Florida (?).

The world of World War Z seemed safer than those of Monster Island etc., but since the Rabies virus do turn some species of animals into a state not unlike the infecteds on 28 Days/Weeks Later, I must say that's the way to go in a PAW narrative. I only hope that if indeed animals must become zombies, may it only be land mammals and not others. I can't even begin to imagine zombie lizards or anchovies or ... zombie iguanas!!!

I have read Brian Keene and that's what triggered this for me. I mean, if the birds go zombie, then we're just screwed. What's the point of taking a few out? You might as well just join them.

Never...EVER accept a defeatist mentality! Geesh Denise. You'll never be a part of my crew with that attitude. Don't you know that you never go without a fight, even if fighting is futile? Besides, a flame-thrower does amazing things to a flock of birds.

i think the issue was settled for me; when in 28 days later; the horses were running the pasture so freely to make a staunch point half-way through the film, if it not for the poignancy of the scene and how the directors/producers approached it, I might not be completely sold but since in every other movie it's been completely vague and yet they nailed their argument in there. I'm going for NO on the animals.
thanks, sincereley

that's hot

So by "sufficient means" are you saying that, for example, a mosquito could carry the zombie virus but not in sufficient quantity to transfer the virus to humans? That would make sense. However, birds scare me at the best of times, and zombie birds...brrrrr. Scary.

I will eliminate my defeatist attitude and stand strong until the end. It should be easy enough to protect myself from smaller animals, most couldn't get through leather, right?

Yeah, the crow scene was crazy... I would love to see Keene's books turned into films... the zombie deer really did a number on my brain

The zombie bear fight in David Wellington's Monster Nation was the first instance I can think of where I enjoyed the use of animals in a zombie situation. I really didn't like Keene's use of every living creature going zombie because it takes away hope. If there's no hope for your characters then the reader isn't as invested in their survival.

Logan -- you should get your hands on a copy of Keene's The Rising: Selected Scenes. He talks a bit about exactly why the different apocalyptic worlds, all part of his labyrinth mythos, are devoid of hope. It's very interesting, and yeah, it can be very tough to read, especially if you're by nature a hopeful person! =)

There is no hope!

I have to say no to animal zombies at least on a (natural, non-government engineered) viral basis. From what I understand it's not easy for a virus to jump species or else our household pets would have to get flu shots too every year or worst case we wouldn't be having this discussion because the avian flu would've wiped out about 80% of the world's population by now. Now, if you're talking about Mr. Keene's books and the monster series, then yes, because those outbreaks were supernatural in origin.

Work in a hospital, that will teach you the meaning of 'no hope'.

Yes, there are zombie animals right now all over the country. The virus is called rabies! Seriously, rabid animals are the equivalent of human zombies. They don't give up and don't seem to feel any pain. They just attack! Although of course, they aren't actually dead.

I really don't mind it either way. Some diseases affect humans that don't affect animals and vica versa.

By that logic, I leave it to the author to decide and unless it's a really strange explaination it works for me.

So it could go either way depending upon the source of the zombieism.

zombie dogs would be friggen scary cuz their fast and they bite hard

I like the idea of zombies being attracted to animals.

In DOTD I wondered if they took the dog and used its blood to cloak themselves in if it would have allowed a means of escape. But who would have tried it? Don't imagine any volunteers there.

And what was up with the zombie head in that drifting boat?

Back to animals.... I don't think I like crossing the plague into other species. The extinction of humans is far more interesting to me.

I've written a few undead novels and read quite a few including one's where animals, birds, fish, and even insects can become zombies. I personally can't see how anyone given that kind of scenario would bother trying to survive under those circumstances. It's obviously a no-win scenario and unless a character is either incredibly stupid or the most optimistic person ever I can't see anyone trying to survive.
Zombie animals seem plausible if there's a close connection to human physiology given the viral oriented undead. Those animals closely similar to humans such as pigs and primates might be feasible to become undead or 'rabid' but I doubt I'd ever include it in one of my stories. Characters have enough to worry about with having a zombie ape or a tribe of them to deal with. (Funny as that might be)
As to whether zombies would attack animals, I don't see why they wouldn't. Assuming the undead or infected living 28 days style zombies are driven by a primal basic instinct to feed on the living, I would think any number of furry critters would be in danger of being eaten. That being said, I also think most animals would notice/sense something was definitely wrong with a zombie and avoid it if possible.
-Bill