So I'm not trying to be a shit-stirrer but I am going to express an unpopular opinion: I don't like zombie stories. Never have. I have liked *individual* stories (ie GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS), but as a genre, no thank, and living through a pandemic has helped me put words to why--

We could go on forever about underlying metaphor (consumerism, etc) but at its core a big part of the anxiety w zombies revolves around sickness & fear of contagion, but with zombies the infected lose their humanity, absolving characters from the obligation to care for them.

Because in reality that's not how it works - humans are pro-social, they care for their loved ones, who do not become mindless, incurable and beyond help - and this behavior spreads infection. It makes for an easier narrative if the infected just stop being human.

It also feeds into a certain desire for rugged, individualistic “fuck you got mine” narratives that are the core of the vast majority of post-apocalyptic media (NOT ALL—Mad Max: Fury Road for instance) - I have to protect me and mine from the mindless raving hoards

While we're here the few zombie narratives I have enjoyed (again, GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS, @ElisaInTime's book, etc) have found creative ways to challenge the dehumanization aspect. Especially GWATG, as challenging the dehumanization is the central conceit.

So anyway, I can see the appeal for stories where you're the last man standing while the majority of people have lost their humanity (meaning you can kill kill kill with impunity and no guilt! freedom!) but idk, not for me, esp now. Interested to see if the genre survives at all.