This book attempts a cultural analysis of the emergence of the zombie myth in modern culture. Despite its relatively petite format, it covers a staggering interpretative space. Rutherford traces the various iterations of the genre, from established classics such as George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) to modern iterations, such as Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland (2009). Besides the exhaustive range of source materials considered, the book also offers a broad range of interpretation, from the zombie as a reflection of humanity’s violent past, through to modern anxieties about eroticism and globalisation.

The analysis takes its departure from the most common thread of all zombie narratives, those of a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has been nearly eradicated. The zombie takes over the place of humans, making them redundant. It is as though individuality becomes superfluous in mass society. On a different interpretation, the zombie horde becomes the collective identity of the fans – the collective ‘we’ that stands against the Other, whatever this ‘Other’ might be. Despite the original mythic origins of zombies, as an allegory for enslavement, the modern zombie has broader appeal. It connects us with a primeval instinct for survival, where the only pleasures to be experienced are the pleasures of the body.

Jennifer Rutherford’s fine book is an excellent introduction to zombies for those who wish to go beyond mere enjoyment of modern zombie narratives towards a deeper understanding of the hermeneutic implications of the genre.