Zombies vs Vampires
No. The title of this blog entry does NOT refer to the Facebook application where you can build an army of zombies and vampires and fight other zombies and vampires to become bigger and stronger. I stopped playing months ago because I just didn’t have enough time to keep feeding my zombie and taking care of it. But apparently, in my absence, my zombie has become a Level 6 Samurai. I have no idea how that happened.
But I digress.
Zombies vs vampires.
I’ve always been a zombie fan. Ever since I saw Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead on Creature Features back when I was in 6th grade. I even used to dream about them chasing me or surrounding my house or doing my taxes. And I will admit that I enjoy the fast moving zombies as well as the shuffling ones. They’re both terrifying in their own way.
Vampires? They’re okay, if you want an immortal, supernatural creature with superhuman strength and the ability to shape shift. I don’t have anything personally against vampires, I’ve just never been that enamored with them.
For the most part, fans are either in one camp or the other. At least most of the zombie and vampire fans I know. But I like to generalize, so for the sake of me being right, we’re sticking to this argument for the time being. You don’t get a lot of fans straddling the fence, loving zombies AND vampires. And there’s a good reason for this.
Vampires are like fraternity boys. All pretty and full of themselves and constantly trying to get you into bed. They primp and they pose and they get all dressed up to go out for a night of partying. Every move the make, all the posturing they do, is just a smoke screen to lure you in so that they can feed on you. Drink your blood. (Okay, maybe not the vampires in From Dusk Till Dawn or The Lost Boys, but your stereotypical vampire, sure.)
They’re insincere. Hiding their true motives. Bullshitters.
Zombies, on the other hand, don’t try to impress you with their good looks or their charms or their fancy outfits. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not. They wear their decomposing hearts on their sleeves and aren’t ashamed to say, “I’m a zombie and I want to eat your brains.”
I admire that in a monster. Plus, they’re tragically comical. Shuffling along, losing their hair and teeth and nails and the occasional appendage. Add the fact that they used to be us, that we could all become them one day, and it creates a sense of empathy that, ultimately, was the reason I wrote Breathers in the first place.
So how about it? Zombies or vampires? Which camp are you in? Or do you go both ways?
April 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Just like Twilight but instead of Vampires its zombies. Genius! (it hasnt been done with Gargoyles yet…)The idea is good but its nothing new, there have already been other books with this kind of twist on the zombie theme, notably Dead Generation by Daniel Waters.
April 17th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
While I hate to disagree with my favorite Zombie author, I’d have to say that Vampires are much more interesting than Zombies. Why? Well for one thing, (Andy Warner excluded)Zombies are pretty much a faceless group. Think about it; with the exception of SIMON GARTH (http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/zombiegarth.htm)
of Marvel comics fame-and his flame died out in the 70′s- there are precious few INDIVIDUAL zombie characters that really stand out and make a lasting impression.
Here are a few Zombie/vampire comparisions:
Zombies are relatively easy to kill. Vampires are not.
Zombies sole supernatural power (Simon Garth excluded)is the fact that they are undead. Vampires are undead with a host of supernatural powers.
Zombies have to do NUMBER TWO when its time to use the bathroom (i’m sure THAT smells wonderful) after flesh feasting. Vampires piss blood… At least according to Stephen Kings Nightflier.
What I’m clumsily trying to say is that Vampires have much more potential, but its probably a potential rarely realized. As an example, I saw TWILIGHT and thought it was boring on top of terrible.
Now keep in mind that my favorite horror movie OF ALL TIME is the orignal NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. If you look at the sheer numbers, I believe Zombies probably make better fodder for movies while vampires seem to make for beter reading. EXCLUDING Breathers of course!
Now if only someone would write a vampire vs zombies novel!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I hit for both teams. I like Zombie and Vampires.
Both are products of communicable diseases just with very different physical side effects. Think of them like STD’s of a supernatural variety.
One makes you pretty and strong, the other makes you rot but they actually have a lot in common.
They infect you through bites and fluid swapping.
Once infected you are technically dead.
Both require less than appealing nutritional requirements.
Depending on weather conditions both can result in eternal life.