  Horror/Scary
This week: They want YOUR brains!!!! Edited by: darkin
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Invoking fear is the reason writers write horror. And what is more terrifying than Zombies? They are the perfect killing machines, never stopping until they take that one bite that turns their victim into something just...like...them!
My name is darkin and I'll be your undead editor for this edition of The Horror/Scary Newsletter. |
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ZOMBIES!!!
They're coming to get you, Barbara, there's one of them now!!!!
~Johnny, Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Warning: If you are easily disgusted by zombies do not read this article. But if you want to know more about these wonderful characters and how to use them in a story, then keep on reading. I promise not to get too graphic in my discussion.
Of all the monsters are in literary and movie history, none are as frightening as the zombie. Think about it. You have the perfect killing machine; all it does is follow its food - you - and try to eat it. That is pretty scary in my book. The following is my take on zombies, based on what I have read in books and seen in movies. This is not reality, but fiction. Unless you think you hear the distinct moaning of a hungry zombie through your closed door one night.
You may be asking yourself, what is a zombie? The dictionary defines them as: a reanimated corpse that hungers for, well, us. They are not indestructible beings, but usually they are in large enough numbers that fighting back is difficult. Zombies come in many shapes, sizes and degrees of decomposition. But they all have one thing in common.
They are hungry.
There are many different literary ideas on how a zombie is created. The most common storyline is they are created by a virus. Since viruses require circulation to move through the body, it is assumed only people who were infected prior to death will actually become a zombie. This theory makes sense, but there is no scientific proof to back it up.
Usually, there is no cure for the infection, so when a person is bitten by a zombie it is pretty much over. There are several stages people go through if infected by a zombie. Remember, every character is different, so the amount of time it would take to "turn" can vary.
The person will first start to feel like they have a cold or the flu. Fever, chills, nausea, and pain in joints are symptoms of infection. As time progresses, numbness of the arms and legs, dementia, and poor muscle coordination can also occur. Eventually, paralysis, slowed heart rate, coma and death will happen. Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for the final stage to take place - total reanimation of dead flesh. At this point, the person is no longer human and should be dispatched quickly.
Once a person has been changed, their higher brain activities shut down. No longer do they recognize family or friends. All they think about now is feeding their insatiable hungry. They think of nothing but finding food. And yes, as I said earlier, that is you. In the beginning, they have all the abilities they had before they died. They can run, jump, and are as strong as before. Zombies do not have super human strengths or talents other than living after their death.
After they have been around for a while, zombies should start to slow down. Rigor mortis, along with decomposition will go to work on their bodies. There is a belief among the zombie writers that the virus which created them will slow this process down. Which is the reason, in most movies, older zombies tend to walk slower and have a harder time keeping up with a running human. In all honesty, your character's best bet is to keep a lot of distance between the character and approaching zombies whatever the stage they are in. Your character's very life could depend on it.
Research these horror monsters before you begin writing about them. Watch the zombie master's movies, read books on the subject so you can write about them effectively. You want your work to be believable and realistic. You want your reader to say he could not put your story down even though he was terrified to keep reading. |
Here are some items I found while shambling through the back alleys of WDC. Enjoy...if you dare......
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#1672864 by Not Available. |
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Thank you for taking the time to read, and hopefully learn a bit more about those wonderfully disgusting creatures. It you have questions, comments, or just want to share your version of the Zombie, please feel free to send me some feedback. I look forward to reading what you have to say.
darkin
Here is some of the comments I received on my last newsletter. Thank you all for your suggestions and kind words!
By: blue jellybaby 
Hey!! I found this newsletter to be really fun and quite inspiring really. I was thinking, perhaps, if you have not already planned your newsletters of the future, that you could do a more in depth look at Cryptozoology. Maybe including some unknown animals that Cryptozoologists believe in? Just a thought! jo
That is a wonderful idea. I'll work on that for my next newsletter. Thank you!!
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By: BIG BAD WOLF is Howling 
There was a movie on the Sci-Fi channel about a Cryptozoologist who had captured the Chupacobra and was using a cruise ship to take it back to the States- Sadly, things didn't go as planned.
Yep, saw that movie and I loved John Rhys-Davies in that, even if he wasn't dressed like a dwarf. 
~~*~~
By: Lorien
Darkin, sounds like you and I saw the same SyFy channel movie! Great newsletter.
I bet we did. I loved the guy who played the Cryptozoologist in that one. He was a riot!
~~*~~
By: dejavu_BIG computerprobs
Great Newsletter, Demon ! What an interesting character... and the Cryptids also sparked my muse like a taser blast. Thank you for featuring my story, 'The Cleansing'- now maybe it'll get a sequel ! 
Sweet, I'm glad I could inspire a story with my newsletter. Thank you for reading, and let me know when you finish the tale, I'd love to read it!!!
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Horror/Scary: February 01, 2012 Issue [#4857]
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