Encyclopedia of the Zombie - by June Pulliam & Anthony Fonseca (Hardcover)

About the Book

A fascinating read for anyone from general readers to hardcore fans and scholars, this encyclopedia covers virtually every aspect of the zombie as cultural phenomenon, including film, literature, folklore, music, video games, and events.
The proliferation of zombie-related fiction, film, games, events, and other media in the last decade would seem to indicate that zombies are "the new vampires" in popular culture. The editors and contributors of Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth took on the prodigious task of covering all aspects of the phenomenon, from the less-known historical and cultural origins of the zombie myth to the significant works of film and literature as well as video games in the modern day that feature the insatiable, relentless zombie character.

The encyclopedia examines a wide range of significant topics pertaining to zombies, such as zombies in the pulp magazines; the creation of the figure of the zuvembie to subvert decades of censorship by the Comics Code of Authority; Humans vs. Zombies, a popular zombie-themed game played on college campuses across the country; and annual Halloween zombie walks. Organized alphabetically to facilitate use of the encyclopedia as a research tool, it also includes entries on important scholarly works in the expanding field of zombie studies.

• Provides comprehensive coverage of topics about or relating to zombies in film, literature, folklore, and popular culture
• Features work from contributors who are dedicated scholars, authors, or fans in the zombie genre of work
• Supplies dates with all names and works to give readers a sense of the historical context and evolution of zombie lore
• Includes concept entries--for example, comedy, free will, and weapons--that place works in a logical, thematic context

Book Synopsis

A fascinating read for anyone from general readers to hardcore fans and scholars, this encyclopedia covers virtually every aspect of the zombie as cultural phenomenon, including film, literature, folklore, music, video games, and events.

The proliferation of zombie-related fiction, film, games, events, and other media in the last decade would seem to indicate that zombies are "the new vampires" in popular culture. The editors and contributors of Encyclopedia of the Zombie: The Walking Dead in Popular Culture and Myth took on the prodigious task of covering all aspects of the phenomenon, from the less-known historical and cultural origins of the zombie myth to the significant works of film and literature as well as video games in the modern day that feature the insatiable, relentless zombie character.

The encyclopedia examines a wide range of significant topics pertaining to zombies, such as zombies in the pulp magazines; the creation of the figure of the zuvembie to subvert decades of censorship by the Comics Code of Authority; Humans vs. Zombies, a popular zombie-themed game played on college campuses across the country; and annual Halloween zombie walks. Organized alphabetically to facilitate use of the encyclopedia as a research tool, it also includes entries on important scholarly works in the expanding field of zombie studies.

Review Quotes

"Given the popularity and paucity of reference materials currently available on this topic, this book is a welcome addition." --ARBA

"This encyclopedia possesses wide appeal and is appropriate for general audiences. Researchers interested in monsters, anthropology, politics, and film history are also well-served by its contents. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers." --Choice

"This encyclopedia is appropriate for academic libraries because of its inclusion of relevant scholarly works. It will also serve public libraries well because of the zombie's prevalence in popular culture." --Reference Reviews

About the Author

June Michele Pulliam teaches courses on horror fiction at Louisiana State University.

Anthony J. Fonseca is the director of Alumnae Library at Elms College, Chicopee, MA.