Zombies! discussion

I am a huge fan of zombie fiction. I have a custom AK I named the zombie hunter. I refer to "prepping" as preparing for the zombie apocalypse. I just realized that they wouldn't be much of a threat. Fly larvae and other insects would strip them down to nothing. Not to mention carrion and other scavengers. There would be a massive boom in insect population, namely flies. That would lead to a huge increase in bird populations. Waste, mold and disease would be a bigger problem than zombies. I just ruined zombie lore for myself while on a drunk tangent..... ugh.

Easy enough to say that insects and scavengers would avoid them because the flesh is "strange" and repels them. That seems less of a stretch than dead bodies being able to walk around without any energy being used.

Sure flies would be a problem as far as trash would be concerned but I'd tend to go with the flies not wanting anything to do with the infected flesh. If pockets of civilization could regroup quick enough the trash could be sorted before it became to bad. Plus I think scavengers would pick through the food before the majority rotted away leaving less flies that way as well.

@Jeff

I never thought to name our AK! Or the rest for that matter. :)

Actually the company that makes OFF insect repellent is looking for a way to get the Zombie smell in their products. It's going to be more effective than Deet they say. :)

Another problem might be mosquitos. They could spread it to anyone who isn't genetically able to naturally fend it off.

The flies would take time. Assuming that they were willing to touch the corpses. The corpses might exhume some sort of chemical scent that keeps most scavengers away.

I think winters would be harder on the zombies than anything else. A deep freeze would work wonders to destroy the remaining cells in the bodies.

Still you have to survive until winter(assuming you're in a climate that has freezing weather) with 6 billion+ hungry zombies wandering about.

Depends on the zombies being discussed actually.
Traditional dead guy walking type zombies, ya..the shelf life for those zombies is only a few weeks before you don't have to worry much. Winter far up north, a bit longer, but a couple months sheltered and walled up somewhere would be enough to survive easily enough.

Now, the living infected...that is a different issue entirely. the 28 days later scenario is apocalyptic, especially if they will eat and drink to sustain life. Thats one thing I think the 28 days actually didn't make sense. rabid animals will still eat. If this is hitting a primal instinct of rage, the infected would not only murder everything (humans, dogs, etc), they would then eat it when hungry enough. If they know how to climb, run, and attribute sound to humans, then they know how to eat and drink.

The mosquitos comment is a interesting new perspective...no doubt that should be considered as a spreading source for infection to anyone not immune. Guess it depends on the virus itself really.

egad..zombie mosquitos...well, no difference there

The good books take the effort to show that it is really the people and how they react to the situation that are the real danger. The Zombies can be dealt with (except in massive hordes), but stupid people are more complicated and often more dangerous.

I kind of agree that in itself, a zombie epidemic could be handled....which is why I wrote my book. In my book, zombies are just the icing on the big crap cake that the world has to eat.

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I just assume that something chemical happens within the zombie that stops the decay or slows it down increasingly. Maybe every time the eat fresh meat it will restore them a bit.

As an author of zombie-related books who has done some research on the matter, allow me to step up to the podium! ;-)

The question is: Are the zombies a natural occurrence (victims of a disease) or supernatural (possessed by an evil presence)? A 'natural' zombie would rot away and be deactivated in short order. But, a 'supernatural' zombie would be energized by an external source of evil and so could keep going and going and going...

Long story short: 'Natural' zombies, we could beat easily. 'Supernatural' would take some work!

Saturnfx wrote: "The mosquitos comment is a interesting new perspective...no doubt that should be considered as a spreading source for infection to anyone not immune. Guess it depends on the virus itself really. ..."
Most zombielit seems to agree that zombie blood is "dark and thick" - stands to reason - no pulse and no oxygen means thick gunk for blood. Hardly a good source of nutrient for mossies. Plus, in the case of a virus-transmitted cause, the virus is unlikely to affect insects the way they do humans. Hence, no need to worry about that.

Right. Ultimately I was considering more a active blood virus infection verses walking dead type zombie (28 days verses dawn)..and of course the issue is slapping a mosquito that was partially filled with tainted blood while feeding on you. malaria style transmission
As far as flys..well, if they have newly eaten infected skin in their bellys...not sure..possibly not an issue.

Zombie flys...what a nightmare. Rather deal with sprinting zombies that shoot lazer beams out of their eyes frankly.

I think zombie rats would be the worst...

I don't think zombie splatter is given it's due respect...when you bash in a skull, stuff flies. Into open wounds, open mouth, or in your eyes. Then the infection, or what have you, would present itself without having been bitten.

Dawn -- That's true! I watch movies where people are getting plenty o' zombie goo splashed in their eyes and open mouths and wonder: ain't that enough to infect and zombify them...? It's like the writers didn't take that consideration.

Mark wrote: "Dawn -- That's true! I watch movies where people are getting plenty o' zombie goo splashed in their eyes and open mouths and wonder: ain't that enough to infect and zombify them...? It's like the w..."

Been addressed in one of the books I read (at this point, I forget which.) Utimately the virus started small, infected tons, then after whatever, a week or so, it mutated into a larger virus..the larger virus is too bulky to be transferred unless by gross contact with a person (blood to blood). They were pretty descriptive.
Basically, of a zambo bites you, high chance if it drew blood (as its in its mucus also), but if its blood flew into your mouth..unless you were dealing with some dental work and had an active open wound, you were probably fine. It needs access to your bloodsteam.
But it depends on the virus of course.
you seen in the 28 days later stuff that a single drop of blood to the eye and your done, go the opposite way to the walking dead style virus and..well, you already have it...just waiting for your heart to stop..be it now, or in 90 years.

I've never especially liked the germ/virus-transmission concept of zombies: it turns the storyline into more of a medical thriller, which seems more science-fictional and less horrific to me. So in my stories and books, I usually raise the dead through supernatural means. Not that there's anything wrong with the concept of germ/virus-based zombies -- I just approach the concept of zombies from different angles.

Mark wrote: "I've never especially liked the germ/virus-transmission concept of zombies: it turns the storyline into more of a medical thriller, which seems more science-fictional and less horrific to me. So in..."
Then you must read Mark Tufo..Very Supernatural theme in his...

Thank you for the suggestion, Shannon! I have a *lot* of new authors I need to catch up on. I don't read other authors while I'm writing new books for publishers, so it's been a while since I've read *anything* new -- my publishers keep me busy.

Mark wrote: "I've never especially liked the germ/virus-transmission concept of zombies: it turns the storyline into more of a medical thriller, which seems more science-fictional and less horrific to me. So in..."

I think that a story can only be classified as a Medical Thriller if the characters are intent on curing the disease. If they're more focused on merely surviving the collapse of human civilization and the tens/hundreds of millions of walking corpses that are intent on eating human flesh, then the story would be well in the realm of apocalyptic horror.

Mike -- You mentioned:
>I think that a story can only be classified as a Medical Thriller if the characters are intent on curing the disease.

That's true! I hadn't thought of that. I've only read a couple medical thrillers over the years. I used to work for a healthcare system, so reading about medical matters seemed too much like being at work!

Shannon wrote: "Then you must read Mark Tufo..Very Supernatural theme in his... i>

Not really.
The virus itself is medical (came from shots/virus). There are some supernatural elements overall, but not from the zeds...the z's just kicked up the supernatural elements and brought it to the surface.

If you think of zombies as the dead, yes. But if your think as the zombie as the dead living were their minds are gone just leaving instincts and hungry like animal being rapid , one is easy , two a problem , six you need run, twenty you maybe fuck , hundred you have a herd , thousand you have a horde .