Alison Kemper | Your Handy Guide to Zombies

October is here! It’s time for scary movies, spooky books, and creepy TV shows. And with the recent success of AMC’s The Walking Dead and SyFy’s new series, Z Nation, more and more people are giving a zombie entertainment a try.

For the newcomer, the world of the undead can be confusing. Are they fast? Are they slow? Are they all after one thing: braaaaains?

Here’s a quick guide to some of the more common zombie types you might encounter this October.

Classic Zombies

Classic zombies are brain dead, semi-lethargic cannibals. These corpse creatures populate George A. Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, and today’s mega-popular series, The Walking Dead. Remember: classic zombies are especially dangerous in large hordes.

Fast Zombies

Over the last decade, zombies stopped shambling and started running. And to be honest, zombies are a heck of a lot scarier when they can haul tail. If you’re ready to check out some terrifyingly fast zombies, try 28 Days Later or World War Z (the movie, not the book—the zombies in Max Brooks’ awesome novel are of the classic variety).

Romantic Zombies

We knew it would happen. We had a rash of devastatingly sexy vampires (Hello, Edward and Damon). It was only a matter of time before we met a hot, sensitive boy zombie, who falls for a human girl. Enter R from Warm Bodies. Sweet movie, clever book.

Funny Zombies

My favorite kind! I mean, let’s face it, all that “aarrggh” and stumbling around just naturally leads to funny situations. If you like a side of humor with your horror, try Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland or some fun books, like TEN LITTLE ZOMBIES: A LOVE STORY or the kids’ series THE ZOMBIE CHASERS.

Of course there are many other kinds of zombies: Nazi zombies (DEAD SNOW), Redneck zombies (DEAD OVER HEELS) (my new book!), Intelligent zombies (ZOMBIE, OHIO and DAY-BY-DAY ARMAGEDDON) or even Hybrid zombie-vampires (THE STRAIN or I AM LEGEND).

No matter your scare level, there’s a zombie for, um, every taste. Give them a try this Halloween!

Do you enjoy watching/reading about the undead? What’s your favorite book or movie? Leave me a comment below!