Zombies on the braaaaaain
I promise you, I did not intend this week to be zombie themed. It just happened! I got all of these zombie-related e-mails and tweets, and today is even George Romero's birthday!
Also, Dave encouraged me. That's right, he pretends to be all proper and writes post about One Maryland, One Book; meanwhile, he's sending me this little tidbit from the New York Times' book blog, Paper Cuts.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. See how I was set up? It wasn't even fair.
The Times' Jennifer Schuessler points out the amazing opening line: “It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” and I couldn't help but wonder what other books could be improved, or at least gored up a bit, with a few zombies.
As I told Dave earlier, I feel Holden Caufield would gain a lot more sympathy from me if he were battling the undead instead of his own teenage angst. And can you imagine Scarlett O'Hara flirting with a few land-owning zombies?
"Well, his flesh may be rotting, but imagine the dresses!"
So, hit me with your own fantasy zombie remix, and get a chance to win Rigor Mortis. And bonus points for specific zombified scenes.
Comments
There are so many great options! After all, I think Harry Potter and his friends could take out a ton of zombies if Hogwarts was under siege! Or a totally different take - I can imagine Nero Wolfe, holed up in his brownstone, while Archie Goodwin battles the zombies and Fritz protects the orchids from zombie attack.
Or finally, something else from the classics - the well-bred ladies and gentlemen of The Decameron, hiding out from the Black Plague in the country estate. What if the Black Plague turned its sufferers into zombies? Great literature for the zombia apocalypse.
Posted by: Lisa | February 5, 2009 11:00 PM
Napoleon makes a deal with Toussaint L'Overture, and acquires the services of skilled houngans in exchange for the Haitian leader's release. It'll end up making the retreat from Moscow unnecessary (zombies would actually do better in the cold), and War and Peace a very different book.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 6, 2009 9:30 AM
Roaming the moors, Heathcliff mourns his dead Catherine. In the full moonlight, a dainty, pale hand emerges from the soil. Catherine has returned, and she wants Heathcliff's heart...to eat!
Wuthering Frights--it's the other book Emily Bronte novel Charlotte was afraid to publish.
Posted by: Selena | February 9, 2009 10:58 PM
Lisa, an undead Black Plague is brilliant!
And a Zombie War and Peace? I could definitely get behind that. That's just the type of thing I'd expect Napolean to do.
But Selena, the punny title puts your entry over the top. I feel zombification would be a fitting end for those emo kids.
Posted by: Nancy | February 11, 2009 8:52 AM
Well, I couldn't resist, but it would be hard to have any sympathy for them.
Zombie War and Peace would be amazing, for sure.
Posted by: Selena | February 11, 2009 10:18 PM