The Zombie in Contemporary French Caribbean Fiction - (Contemporary French and Francophone Cultures) by Lucy Swanson (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Zombie in Contemporary French Caribbean Fiction shows how authors from the region have reimagined the zombie, which originated in French Caribbean folklore. This book considers forms taken by the living dead - a slave, a figure of mental illness, a horde, the popular zombie - in fiction allegorizing new socio-political realities.

Book Synopsis

Believed to have emerged in the French Caribbean based on African spirit beliefs, the zombie represents not merely the walking dead, but also a walking embodiment of the region's history and culture. In Haiti today, the zombie serves as an enduring memory of enslavement: it is defined as a reanimated body robbed of part of its soul, forced to work in sugarcane fields. In Martinique and Guadeloupe, the zombie takes the form of a shape-shifting evil spirit, and represents the dangers posed to the maroon or "freedom runner." The Zombie in Contemporary French Caribbean Fiction is the first book-length study of the literary zombie in recent fiction from the region. It examines how this symbol of the enslaved (and of the evil spirits that threaten them) is used to represent and critique new socio-political situations in the Caribbean. It also offers a comprehensive and focused examination of the ways contemporary authors from Haiti and the French Antilles contribute to the global zombie imaginary, identifying four "avatars" of the zombie--the slave, the trauma victim, the horde, and the popular zombie--that appear frequently in fiction and anthropology, exploring how works by celebrated and popular authors reimagine these archetypes.

Review Quotes

'As the first book-length study of the zombie in contemporary French Caribbean fiction, this monograph is a landmark publication in both francophone Postcolonial Studies and Zombie Studies... Swanson's work convincingly urges us to rethink how we conceive not only the Caribbean zombie, but also the region from which it emerged. The monograph is thus an exemplar of decolonial academic praxis, and marks a vital contribution to reframing how the French Caribbean is regarded in both academic and popular discourse.'
Laura Kennedy, Modern Language Review

'The Zombie in Contemporary French Caribbean Fiction is a carefully organized and generous work of literary and cultural criticism that will interest scholars and zombie enthusiasts alike. Beyond the critical achievements of Swanson's analyses, readers will find an illuminated path to a body of Caribbean literature related to the zombie written in French and accessible in English translation. Just as Swanson's notion of zombie avatars invites readers to consider the overlapping functions and uses of the zombie within her own corpus, her book will surely encourage future studies of the zombie from Caribbean perspectives.'
Nathan H. Dize, Small Axe

"Swanson sets the zombie back on its original path, thereby returning our attention to the Haitian figure (the original from which all others were spawned) and follows it into the 21st century in this vibrant and current study of a centuries' old myth. This book is a great addition to the field of zombie studies and to scholarship on Caribbean literature."
Sarah Juliet Lauro, University of Tampa

About the Author

Lucy Swanson is Assistant Professor of French & Francophone Studies at the University of Arizona.