The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

by Richard V. Greene

Book Overview

Since 1968's Night of the Living Dead, zombie culture has steadily limped and clawed its way into the center of popular culture. Today, zombies and vampires have taken over TV shows, comic books,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812696018
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Open Court
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Do the undead have rights?

Do we have the right to kill the undead? Do Zombies have the right to life? Should vampires be punished for doing evil if they are evil? Is becoming one of the undead a fate worse than death? That's right, philosophy, ethics and morals when dealing with the undead. Should they be protected by the law? Are zombies really just another form of the lower class? Is a cricket bat a valid weapon to use against zombies? The folks in this book cover the Good, the Bad and the Undead. Get it, live it..er...and enjoy it.

Brilliant, useful, and fun

If you're a fan of philosophy, zombies, or vampires, or if you just like to think about how we view the world through our cultural touchstones, then this is the book for you. I used it for the class I teach on zombies at the University of Alabama, and it was incredibly useful and well-received by the students. I will use it again and I highly recommend it for both academics and for the casual reader.

Deathly and Warm

With plenty of blood sucking, flesh eating, seduction, grunting and more gore, (and some philosophy), this is one of the more interesting "Popular Culture and Philosophy" instalments from Open Court. Nineteen essays and more zombies than you can smash with a baseball bat. Although there is some overlap, the first part deals main with Zombies, drawing heavily from the Romero zombie films, along with some others. The second half of the book seems to focus more on the vampires, with particular focus on the novel "Dracula", (no surprises there), and also heavily from Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire", including the movie itself. I am not sure of this separation was intended, but it works well and there are some unique features to each of these groups. I found the first couple of essays, mainly those dealing with the nature of personhood and continued existence, a bit tough to get my head around. They were mainly in connection with zombies. If one finds it the same, wade through and persist, as it soon calms down and the essays are not only accessible overall, but very interesting and though provoking. I mean, I had never even considered a vampire who was not intrinsically evil to be a possibility. Some aspects of the "philosophical zombie thought experiment" left me a bit puzzled, as well. I did not agree with everything the contributors concluded, (such as the vegetarian essay), but I have to say that the essays were all well-written and presented. I enjoyed the wander through a genre I do not generally get into. The only zombie film I have ever seen is Shaun of the Dead. The elements of philosophy range from existentialism, (big bits on Heidegger and Neitzsche), through phenomenology and epistemology and more. This is a very thorough and varied book. For fans of the series and new readers alike, this is definitely a "must have". A great book on a great topic.

Deep thoughts for the Dead.

I am a fan of horror fiction. In particular I have been extremely fascinated with both movies and books related to zombies lately. Vampires are another lesser fascination for me. Overall, the undead and the darkness they represent to humanity is a intriguing subject. For years I have pondered the significance of the movies of Romero and the societal implications of his great works. Apparently I have only scratched the surface compared to the varied philosophical thinkers that delve into the concept into this book. Lets get beyond asking whether or not the undead exist, lets ask whether they have the right to exist, to feed on human beings, if they are morally responsible for their actions and what we as human beings should accept from those who have returned from the grave. This books dives right in with a wide variety of philosophical pundits. Never before have I experienced the broad range of analysis on the undead and their meaning to us as human beings: why there is a need to create such revenants, how they reflect our own desires and needs, and what role they play in our lives. While the authors do tie the undead discussion in with a tremendous range of significant thinkers of the philsophical world, this is definitely not dry text book material. It is extremely topical and certainly would be a subject for a class I would be in line to take if I were once again a college student. The storybook and movie references range from Bram Stoker's Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the blood-sucker side of the house and Romero as well as several of the zombie spin-off movies and books. I was impressed at the knowledge demonstrated-references to a variety of books and films were made that I certainly would not have expected. Very informative and often profound, this book gave me a great deal more appreciation for topics that I felt I already had a tremendous respect and fondness for. Now when one of my friends who feels that more "mainstream" movies and books have more societal relevance I can dazzle them with key topics of discussion mulled over in this remarkable work and blow their minds with debates that are just not possible with just us mere mortals in the equation.

A healthy dose of solid philosophical reflection.

The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless is a recommended pick for both philosophy and general reading sections: it blends popular culture with philosophy - something rarely seen in a genre which tends to rehash interpretations of old-time philosophers - and here also blends in a dose of fantasy in its survey of the idea of the Undead and its underlying messages of morality, ethics, and philosophy. From 'deserving' to be a vampire and the paradox of damnation to issues of vampire accountability, The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless is a light-hearted look at vampires which does include a healthy dose of solid philosophical reflection. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch