Table of Contents
Popular Culture and Philosophy Series Editor: George A. Reisch
VOLUME 1
Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Bookabout Everything and Nothing (2000)
VOLUME 2 The Simpsons and Philosophy: TheDoh! of Homer (2001)
VOLUME 3
The Matrix and Philosophy:Welcome to the Desert of the Real (2002)
VOLUME 4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer andPhilosophy: Fear and Trembling inSunnydale (2003)
VOLUME 6
Baseball and Philosophy:Thinking Outside the Batters Box (2004)
VOLUME 9
Harry Potter and Philosophy:If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (2004)
VOLUME 12
Star Wars and Philosophy:More Powerful than You CanPossibly Imagine (2005)
VOLUME 13
Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth,Justice, and the Socratic Way (2005)
VOLUME 17
Bob Dylan and Philosophy: ItsAlright Ma (Im Only Thinking) (2006)
VOLUME 18
Harley-Davidson and Philosophy:Full-Throttle Aristotle (2006)
VOLUME 19 Monty Python and Philosophy:Nudge Nudge, Think Think! (2006)
VOLUME 23
James Bond and Philosophy:Questions Are Forever (2006)
VOLUME 24
Bullshit and Philosophy:Guaranteed to Get Perfect ResultsEvery Time (2006)
VOLUME 25
The Beatles and Philosophy:Nothing You Can Think thatCant Be Thunk (2006)
VOLUME 26
South Park and Philosophy:Bigger, Longer, and MorePenetrating (2007) Edited by Richard Hanley
VOLUME 28
The Grateful Dead and Philosophy:Getting High Minded about Loveand Haight (2007) Edited by Steven Gimbel
VOLUME 29
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy:How to Philosophize with a Pairof Pliers and a Blowtorch (2007) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad
VOLUME 30
Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Carefulwith that Axiom, Eugene! (2007) Edited by George A. Reisch
VOLUME 31
Johnny Cash and Philosophy:The Burning Ring of Truth (2008) Edited by John Huss and David Werther
VOLUME 32
Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy:Darkness on the Edge of Truth (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug Anderson
VOLUME 33
Battlestar Galactica andPhilosophy: Mission Accomplishedor Mission Frakked Up? (2008) Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin
VOLUME 34
iPod and Philosophy: iCon of anePoch (2008) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
VOLUME 35
Star Trek and Philosophy: TheWrath of Kant (2008) Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker
VOLUME 36
The Legend of Zelda andPhilosophy: I Link Therefore I Am (2008) Edited by Luke Cuddy
VOLUME 37
The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy:Wicked Wisdom of the West (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Phillip S. Seng
VOLUME 38
Radiohead and Philosophy: FitterHappier More Deductive (2009) Edited by Brandon W. Forbes and George A. Reisch
VOLUME 39
Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy:The Porpoise Driven Life (2009) Edited by Erin McKenna and Scott L. Pratt
VOLUME 40
Transformers and Philosophy (2009) Edited by John R. Shook and Liz Stillwaggon Swan
VOLUME 41
Stephen Colbert and Philosophy:I Am Philosophy (And So CanYou!) (2009) Edited by Aaron Allen Schiller
VOLUME 42
Supervillains and Philosophy:Sometimes, Evil Is Its Own Reward (2009) Edited by Ben Dyer
VOLUME 43
The Golden Compass and Philosophy:God Bites the Dust (2009) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison
VOLUME 44
Led Zeppelin and Philosophy: AllWill Be Revealed (2009) Edited by Scott Calef
VOLUME 45
World of Warcraft and Philosophy:Wrath of the Philosopher King (2009) Edited by Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger
Volume 46
Mr. Monk and Philosophy: TheCurious Case of the DefectiveDetective (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
Volume 47
Anime and Philosophy: Wide EyedWonder (2010) Edited by Josef
Steiff and Tristan Tamplin
VOLUME 48
The Red Sox and Philosophy: GreenMonster Meditations (2010) Edited by Michael Macomber
VOLUME 49
Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy:New Life for the Undead (2010) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad
VOLUME 50
Facebook and Philosophy: Whatson Your Mind? (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
VOLUME 51
Soccer and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Ted Richards
IN PREPARATION:
Manga and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman
The Onion and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Sharon M. Kaye
Martial Arts and Philosophy: Beating and Nothingness (2010) Edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young
Doctor Who and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Paula J. Smithka and Court Lewis
Dune and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Jeffrey Nicholas
Dexter and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Richard Greene, George A. Reisch, and Rachel Robison
Breaking Bad and Philosophy (2011) Edited by David R. Koepsell
For full details of all Popular Culture and Philosophy books, visit www.opencourtbooks.com.
A New Lease of Life for the Undead
The Undead have held a firm, icy grip on the public imagination since Bram Stoker first used the word in his novel Dracula over a hundred years ago. Stokers introduction of this term applied a catchy label to an idea that has always fascinated humans. But Stoker could hardly have conceived of the intensity of popular interest, both in his own vampires and in the very different zombies, which would be attained in the twenty-first century.
Vampires and zombies are just everywhere. Dont turn aroundtheres probably one behind you right now. Only someone stuck in his coffin for quite a while could have missed the recent outpouring of vampire stories: the Twilight books and movies, Let the Right One In, HBOs True Blood, and Thirty Days of Night, to mention just a few.
Rachel Robison (Chapter 20) gives some pointers to the deathless appeal of vampires, and Joan Grassbaugh Forry (Chapter 19) disinters the vampire aesthetic. While popular culture has been preoccupied with vampires, the vampires themselves have been thinking about popular culture, and the ways they are depicted within it. And so, this volume climaxes with truly amazing revelations from the private correspondence of two vampires, as documented by Randall Auxier and Eileen Townsend (Chapter 21).
At the same time, were in the midst of a full-fledged zombie invasion. Just as with vampires, so with zombies: zombie movies, books, comic books, and videogames are everywhere.
Like all living things, vampires and zombies continually evolve. Todays vampires are as different to the Buffyverses Spike or Angel as those remarkable characters were to Count Dracula. In the case of zombies, traditional horror narratives survive and proliferate. Theres still a big market for movies in the mold of
