Zombie immersion

The zombie apocalypse is upon us.

Or so you might believe if you’ve noticed the legions of zombie fans driving an overwhelming uptick in zombie-themed fiction, films, comic books, video games and television.

The fourth season of The Walking Dead premiered with nearly 16 million viewers last fall. The zombie fiction genre is so popular that it’s begun to sprout subgenres like romantic zombie, comedy zombie and zombie parody. Topeka has its own Zombie Walk, in which gory-costumed zombie enthusiasts assemble to lurch together through the streets. It’s fun to speculate about why our culture is obsessed with the re-animated dead, and plenty of scholars have already studied the zombie phenomenon from a societal perspective. Whatever the cause, one thing is certain: zombies are all the rage.

The library’s huge zombie collection pre-dates the recent fad, but we also have a wealth of new items available to download or check out. You can do zombies marathon-style with seasons 1-4 of The Walking Dead. If you haven't watched the series, be careful -- it's infectious! You'll wind up at least a Walking Dead fanatic if not a zombie fanatic. Here's the trailer for season 5, which just premiered its first episode last weekend :

If the series makes you squeamish, go the literary route and read the Walking Dead graphic novels by Robert Kirkman.

The library has over 100 zombie fiction books, over 30 ebooks, dozens of DVDs, even a book of poetry dedicated entirely to zombies.

We also have our own zombie librarian, Kyle Moreland, who has won “Best Adult Male Zombie” at Topeka’s Zombie Walk three years running for his grisly costume and makeup.

“I’m an award-winning zombie,” Kyle humbly admits.

Kyle recommends the popular Max Brooks title, The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. In its introduction, the author states, “Every lesson in this book is a historical fact.” The text is styled as non-fiction, making its subject even more eerie, or amusing, depending on your gore threshold.

“The zombie apocalypse is a cool concept, and a possible concept,” says Kyle. “You have to prepare yourself.” It’s hard to decipher whether or not he is kidding.

Ready to meet the living dead? Go access an ebook or search the catalog for zombie stories in formats ranging from board books to large print.

Leah Sewell

Books