Abstract
Zombies flank the Jerusalem walls? Zombies invade a southern plantation in the United States? A television show with characters on the run from zombies? Videogames devoted to zombie chases like Planets vs. Zombies or Minecraft? I am baffled by the zombie revolution and the writing of this chapter solidified my continued bewilderment about the allure of zombie worlds. In the chapter, I unravel fascinations with zombies from three different optics. One is more of a landscape optic that speculates on contemporary fascinations with zombies and apocalyptic texts that have earned increased popularity. The other optic is a portrait view of a tween’s keen interest in zombies, drawing out aspects of her life as sedimentations of apocalyptic themes. The third and final optic is a brief close-up and personal account of my own struggles with zombies and researching young people about their investments and ruling passions with gothic, apocalyptic, and zombie worlds.
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night.
(Edgar Allan Poe, “Eleonora”, 1841)
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I would like to thank Dr. Diane Collier for her thorough and careful read through and critique of this chapter.
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Rowsell, J. (2016). Staying Up Late Watching The Walking Dead . In: Carrington, V., Rowsell, J., Priyadharshini, E., Westrup, R. (eds) Generation Z. Cultural Studies and Transdisciplinarity in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-934-9_8
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