Zombies are no longer just for fans of the horror genre alone, from the ultra-popular The Walking Dead to movies such as World War Z and I am Legend there is no denying that the zombie genre is alive and well.

Zombies, that once would only appear in horror films seem to keep popping up in all types of movies these days. They are in everything from scary films, to comedies, and even in the occasional drama. What makes zombies so widely appealing? After all, zombies are not usually their own individual characters such in the case of vampires, werewolves, and other villains. In fact that leads me to the next question, are zombies even conscious?

There is a lot to love about the zombie narrative. These are just a few of my personal favorite reasons why our society is so attached to the modern zombie.

The Post-apocalyptic Genre

The world is over as we know it, so nothing really matters anymore right? Pretty much every zombie movie I’ve ever seen, no matter what the the plot or storyline may be, takes place surrounding the idea of an apocalypse. And who doesn’t love a good tale about surviving the apocalypse? Zombie films fall instantly into this classic edge-of-your-seat genre.

The Hypothetical Situations

When you watch movies do you ever pretend like you are one of the characters and think about how you would solve their problems if you were in their situation? I know I do. I love that in pretty much all zombie stories, there are a countless number of "they should just do that," or "I wouldn’t have done that" and so on. The characters are virtually always trapped in situations with limited resources, weapons, and ideas. With survival being the main goal. When I watch these shows I can’t help but think of ways that the characters could try to get out of the next impossible situation at hand.

The Philosophical Aspect

Recently I have been noticing quite a bit of philosophy in relation to the very idea of the zombie. What do zombies represent? Unlike vampires whose themes are similar across all most representations, I have been noticing that a zombie tends to vary as to what it alludes to. As far as themes go, life and death are commonly explored in the zombie narrative, but there are also a wide variety of themes uniquely explored in each story.

Most zombie shows have a great deal of character-based plots in them. The key aspects of the plot are not really about the human vs. zombie aspect, but about humans vs. humans set in a zombie apocalypse world. The imminent threat of the zombies and the need for survival provide a great platform for some intense writing on human nature.

The Fun and Gore of Zombie Hunting

My personal favorite reason as to why I love watching zombies, is that they make for some first-class entertainment. They are some of the most enjoyable types of movies to watch. Whether you are a hardcore horror fan, or simply someone who likes a good fight scene, there is no denying that shows are a lot of fun. And the best part about watching these zombie killing scenes that you don’t have to feel bad about it because the zombies are already dead.

Written by Melissa Chan, designer and founder of the online store for book lovers Literary Book Gifts. Use the exclusive code BuyZombie20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on your order. This coupon code does not expire.

Why do you love zombies? Share your answers below!