This picture is from Night of the Living Dead, a 1968 American independent horror film.
Guest post by Nosizwe:
“The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls- no matter what their label. These somnambulists are the greatest threat to humanity. Other than humanity itself. To call the predators and us pray would be inaccurate. They are a plague, and the human race their host. The lucky victims are devoured, their bones scrapped clean, their flesh consumed. Those not so fortunate join the ranks of their attackers, transformed into putrid, carnivorous monsters. Conventional warfare is useless against the creature, as is conventional thought. The science of like ending development and perfected since the beginning of our existence, cannot protect us from an enemy that has no “life” to end”
This extract was taken from The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
I chose this extract because it widens our knowledge of Zombie Fiction Novels. Having talked about writing zombie Apocalypse I found this as a great Extract. What can you say about the form of writing, the tone, metaphors, writers purpose and the vocabulary used here?
Mexican Silver 
When it comes to the vocabulary i find it rich because of words such as “somnambulists”. You can also easily tell that the tense used here is present tense throughout the whole passage ,which i also think the tense used also affects the tone in such a way that you can tell the writer shows confidence in the way he is speaking. Another thing i observed is that is that this is informative about zombies. Thank you
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I found that the writing itself was not very poetic and rhythmical, which actually suits the theme of the extract just right, as it is about Zombies. The fact that it does not flow in an orderly fashion, makes me think about the fact that Zombies can in fact appear from anywhere and so, the writer is trying to show that in the way it is set out. The language used is remotely exquisite as it suites the genre perfectly! It gives an element of science language, which indicates that perhaps a lot of research went into this novel. I do believe that the Figures of Speech used could have been more interesting and perhaps the writer could have included some more rhetorical questions to include the reader more.
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Good Jess! Your observations about the rhythm is excellent! It also suits the form, which is in the guise of very straightforward survival tips for a Zombie Apocalypse! I also like how you’ve thought about what language choices would include the reader a little more. Very good!
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The vocabulary used helps to achieve the writers purpose and the words suit the genre. The metaphors used clearly show the differences between humans and zombies. The zombies are said to be a “plague” which shows they are an infestation and cause damage. The extract is quite informative which helps also helps achieve the writers purpose.
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Good Danielle! I particularly enjoy your observation about the “plague”. The informative nature of the writing is emphasised, don’t you think? I think this suits the writer’s tactics here, because he’s supposedly giving very informative tips to survive a Zombie apocalypse. Excellent!
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The tone used is very formal and serious. This is shown by the description of the zombie. The vocabulary used helps improve the tone, form, writers purpose and genre. The writers purpose is to inform people about zombies. The writer also uses oxymoron when he says “lucky victims.” We are also told that the bones are scrapped clean, this tells us that the zombies are greedy they don’t leave food fot each other. The word devour shows us that the zombies ate their meals very quickly and hungrily. The extract shows us how cruel and scary zombies are.
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Excellent Nothi! Your comments on these different effects are very well noted. I particularly enjoy how you’ve articulated how the language depicts the zombies as voracious. Well done!
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I find this extract interesting because I love sci-fi and horror. Therefore, the genre is sci-fi as it talks about zombies. firstly the writer says ” the lucky victims are devoured”. This makes the tone very ironic, in addition his purpose is to make the reader laugh and at the same time scare them. The vocabulary used in this extract is amazing because it perfectly suits the genre for example carnivorous monsters.
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Very good, Tanastwa! I like how you’ve noted the irony of “lucky victims”. Doesn’t it also develop a sense of how dire the situation is in a zombie apocalypse, where is might be easier to just become a zombie?
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I enjoy how the writer described the Zombies and the scientific references they use.. I think it compliments the genre well, as well as the descriptive words they use.
I agree with what other class members referred too.. Most of what I say would be a repition of what others have already said.
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Good Cameron!
Does this extract correlate with what we’ve discussed of the zombie genre in class?
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Firstly, I really found this passage exciting because it caught my attention from the beginning ” The dead walk among us.” from the start it clearly informs us about what the passage is about and the genre is quickly picked up, sci-fi. Secondly the writers use of metaphors for example,”They are a plague and human race their host.” This directly visualizes the zombies as parasites that are feeding on the humans.Thirdly,the writers choice of words,they are amazing they give a clear description of the zombies looks and depicts them as ugly and atrocious,”Transformed into putrid, carnivorous creatures.”And finally what I really enjoyed was the fact that the writer wrote in the present tense and because of this it felt as if I was there in this “zombie apocalypse.”
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The piece has very dramatic words such as ‘carnivorous’ and this just amplifies effect. The writer implies that these zombies(if I read and understood correctly), are probably normal,everyday people who are transformed into vicious,evil creatures in the night. This creates an atmosphere of suspense and fear. It implies that the zombies could be anyone…Scary but fantastic.
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Excellent, Nobandile. I think you’ve noted something that lies at the heart of what makes zombies scary and fascinating: the fact that this is a fate that can befall anyone and the fear of contagion.
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