Guest Blogger: Angela from Dark Faerie Tales

Has everyone met Angela from Dark Faerie Tales? I’m sure you have, she has an amazing site that is one of my favorite stops.  Not only does she find all the new book covers, but she has these fabulous Publishing News posts with all the latest new book deals.  One of my favorite features on DFT are her Debut Urban Fantasy and Debut Paranormal Romance Reading Challenges.  I love finding new authors and Angela has introduced me to quite a few.  But why am I still talking…Angela is here today, so I’m going to step aside.

Dark Faerie Tales

Are Zombies Dead?

Zombies might typically be cold to the touch, but right now the genre is HOT. From movies, to comics, to gaming, the undead have never been more hip, more current. They probably aren’t quite as popular as their undead genre cousins, the vampires, thanks to the breakout success of True Blood and Twilight, but that’s probably going to change this fall with AMC’s Walking Dead. I’ve started to wonder though whether zombies or the zombie apocalypse as a genre has the same lasting appeal as vampire fiction. There have been some notable tweaks to the zombie genre in the last decade, but is it enough? Has the zombie been done to death? Is there anything left to keep the zombie genre in film, book and comics fresh?

Ever since the modern zombie movie was popularized when George Romero knocked audiences for a loop with Night of the Living Dead in 1968, zombies have been a horror staple. Being eaten alive is probably one of the most terrifying ways to die. Well, that and being buried alive. It’s not surprising that horror lovers immediately latched on to the idea of flesh eating zombies. What else would someone who’s come back from the dead want?

In the 21st century we’ve seen some tweaks to the zombie genre, some of which have played with some of the basic characteristics of George Romero’s slow, plodding, but untiring zombie. George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead was successful at evoking our primal fears of death, and being eaten. More recent takes on the zombie genre include one of my all-time favorites – the fast zombie. 28 Days Later and Dawn of the Dead really shook things up with the fast zombies. The second tweak to the genre is the government/evil corporate biological experiment, such as – I Am Legend, Resident Evil, and Crazies. These films play to our very post cold war fears of biological attacks, dirty bombs, etc. An entire generation of kids has grown up without a serious fear of nuclear Armageddon. We’re more concerned with outbreaks of Ebola Zaire, swine flu and anthrax. These anxieties are often reflected in the new zombie fiction. These tweaks and departures from Romero’s original concept, importantly the fundamental characteristic of death (In 28 Days Later, the zombies are sick, but not dead), makes debatable whether the monsters in 28 Days Later and Crazies are even zombies in the strictest sense of the word.

Ultimately, it’s not really about the zombies. Counter intuitively, it’s not the zombies themselves that make zombie fiction so compelling. Zombies are really just a plot device. It’s the SURVIVIORS that sustain the zombie genre, and how writers and film makers tell the survivors’ stories. The zombies, be they the slow George Romero originals or the Danny Bolye sprinting variety, generally don’t have names and rarely receive any sort of characterization. So while the zombies themselves go through some evolutionary changes, the fundamental survival story keeps the genre fresh and helps zombies keep up with the (vampire) Jones.

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Contest Details:
Yes, I am totally adding a contest to Angela’s post. I want to make sure everyone knows about the fabulousness that is Dark Faerie Tales and what better way than to add a contest, right?  So what is being given away?  Two novels from the massive stack that I currently have sitting in my office.  We’re talking newly released F/UF/PNR novels and you’ll even get to pick the two from a list (which I do not have yet).  If we end up with over 50 entries, I’ll pick another winner and give away two more books.  If we make it to 100, I’ll pick three winners.

Entering the contest is easy.  All you have to do is tell me What do you think? Is there enough there to keep the Zombie genre fresh? Or…visit Dark Faerie Tales and let me know what DFT was able to intrigue you with. This is mainly so I don’t see “please enter me” comments; not answering the question will disqualify you from the contest.

As always, there’s more ways of getting your name in the hat (remember, these aren’t mandatory to enter, just extra entries):

  • +1 for each place you post about today’s contest on your blog, social network, or anywhere you can. Digg it, stumble it, twit it, share it with the world. Wherever you share it, make sure you add a link to it along with your answer.
  • +1 to any review you comment on, however, comments must be meaningful. Just give me the title of the review and I’ll be able to figure it out from there.
  • +1 If you are a follower of Literary Escapism on Facebook and/or Twitter
  • +10 Purchase any novel through LE’s Amazon store or the Book Depository sometime during this contest and send a copy of the receipt VIA email for your purchase to: jackie AT literaryescapism DOT com. Each purchase is worth ten entries.

There is one thing I am adding to my contests now…the winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until September 21st, at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the Research Randomizer and the List Randomizer.

I have not been contacting winners, so you will need to check back to see if you’ve won.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

20 Comments

  1. I would have characterized the infected in I Am Legend as closer to vampires than to zombies, myself.

    I’ve seen some discussion from the literary standpoint that vampires represent our culture’s love-affair with youth while zombies represent our fear of sickness, aging, and death. If there is any truth to this on a primal, why-do-some-thing-keep-selling level, then, yes, the zombie motif is here to stay, in all of its incarnations, including everything from World War Z to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

  2. Zombies do seem to be very in now – but it’s the fear of those we most love turning aginst us that makes it really scary – will your partner end up biting your ear off rather just nibbling playfully? That’s what is really scary about zombies and it’s a fear that will always stay with us.

    Love DFT – been lurking there for a while but you convinced me to become a follower! :-)

  3. They didn’t mention the most awesomeness zombie movie, Resident Evil! . There are so many creative people out there. I think we will be seeing lots more zombie stories! I just love the banner DFT has.

    3 points for me

  4. I’m already a follower of DFT so I see Angela’s posts every day. As for zombies, I just don’t get it. I’m not saying I’d never read a zombie book or go see a zombie movie. I just won Married with Zombies and I’m totally looking forward to reading it, and I loved Shaun of the Dead, but in general, no thanks. I think it’s because the gross-out factor is just a bit too high for me. I mean we are talking rotten flesh and maggots here. Yuck. That’s not what I want to read after a long day at the office.

    +2 – commented on Twelve and Venom.

  5. I’ve loved zombies ever since I saw Night of the Comet when I was a kid back in the eighties. They’re terrifying and fascinating at the same time. I don’t think they’ll ever achieve the popularity in PNR and UF that vampires and shifters have, but I don’t think they’ll be going away either.

  6. I haven’t read many zombies novels, but yes it’s very in right now. I have Feed by Seanan Mcguire sitting on my shelf and am looking forward to reading it. I hope it’s not all gore though can’t really stand reading it either. I’ve been a long time blog follower of Angela’s blog, there’s always great reviews and i am always discovering new releases/upcoming novels.

    +1 LE blog/twitter follower

  7. I think that there are still authors out there who can put a new twist on zombies. But I think that zombie books will burn out after a while. There just aren’t as many places to go with zombies as there are with vampires and shifters.

    facebook follower

  8. I just love the look and layout of the Angela’s blog. And the content is awesome too. Great reviews, awesome contests and interviews. I even like her reviews on paranormal movies and whatnot. And her publishing news–that is always a plus!! So basically I love her content! And of course the layout and look is awesome too!

    jessbess2505[at]yahoo[dot]com

  9. I’m not that into zombies (agree with the gross factor), but I’d love someone to change my mind. Although Randall is my favorite character in Ugly Americans. I’m seeing more and more zombie books, and I think as long as different authors create different ‘rules’ for zombies, like vampires (some can withstand sunlight, some need to kill once a year, etc.) readers will still be interested. I think it’s kind of funny you used the word ‘fresh’ when talking about zombies!
    And I just have to mention that I’ve been following Angela’s blog for a while!
    I follow LE on fb and twitter +1

  10. Angela has an awesome site. I visit it all the time to check for new books, new covers and generally everything having to do with UF, F and PR books! :)

  11. Of course I follow DFT and Angela. I love her insight on Zombies. I haven’t read many Zombie books, but from the few that I have read, I’ve enjoyed them. They have been different. One was even from a Zombie’s POV, Dust.

    I guess if I read more, it might all start to sound the same, but I’ve always been fascinated by Zombies. Mainly in movies. I am really looking forward to that new series Angela mentioned on AMC called Walking Dead.

    I’ve even blogged about Zombies before. Are you prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse? If not, check this out: I don’t know how fresh Zombies can be because they are rotting flesh, but they are definitely worth paying attention to.

    Thanks so much for the guest post and giveaway!

    missie at theunreadreader.com

  12. +1 Thanks for the guest post and giveaway – I already follow DFT and Angela’s blog.
    I enjoyed reading her article and I agree with her, the stories are about the suvivors. I’ve watched a lot of the movies she mentioned and I just finished reading, “Handling the Undead” by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the zombies are not the flesh eating kind, they just want to go home but the POV are from the families and how they are coping.
    So yes, I think the genre can still find fresh (not a word normally used for zombies) ways to keep the zombie stories alive. (bad pun – sorry)
    +2 http://twitter.com/lulilut/status/26967769569
    +3 LE & DFT twitter follower
    d.septer at insightbb.com

  13. To be honest I love zombie movies but reading about zombies… not so much. People try to come up with new things for zombies but I usually enjoy classic take a bite out of you zombies the most.

    +1 Twitter: http://twitter.com/jmspettoli/status/27210715613

    +1 Follower of Literary Escapism on Facebook (Jessica Spettoli) and Twitter (@jmspettoli)

  14. honestly I can’t answer your question, because I haven’t read a book about zombies yet… but theoratically it’s possible to keep it fresh – I mean vampires are very popular and why shouldn’t zombies? I think there are quite a lot authors out there with ideas for zombie stories.
    greetings, Melanie S.

  15. I think people are wanting the Zombie genre – I know a few people that are looking for only that. As soon as it’s moves people will snag it up. DFT sucked me in because of their site in general, loved the layout, backgrounds, articles. I follow both LE and DFT

  16. I’m personally not a fan of zombies, so I’m not really sure I care? Was that harsh?

    Thank you for introducing me to Angela and Dark Faerie Tales, I’ll have to add it to my list of must-stop-by blogs…

    +1 I follow on fb and twitter!

  17. I love the DFT site. Its one of my favorites.

    While I have mixed feelings on zombies, read some great ones, read some not so great. I think there is a lot there to keep it going for a while still. Theres really quite a few different ways to go about stories containing zombies and I dont think people will tire of them soon.

  18. i havent read alot of books about zombies but they seem like they could be really cool. i think the reason that zombies are cool, well some of the reason, is because of zombieland, i love that movie. i dont know if zombies will become as big as some other supernatural beings but i wouldnt mind if they did

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