- Max Brooks
- The Zombie Survival Guide
- The_zombie_survival_guide_compl_split_009.html
Unknown
Historical Analysis
Until the late twentieth century,
those who studied the living dead were convinced that the frequency
of outbreaks remained constant throughout time. Societies that
suffered more attacks than others appeared so only because they
kept the best records. The most commonly held example was ancient
Rome compared to the early Middle Ages. This theory was also used
to calm “alarmists” by stating that, as humanity as a whole relied
more and more on the written word, it would appear as if outbreaks
were becoming more and more common. This way of thinking, although
still common, has been falling into disfavor for some time. The
world’s population is growing. Its center has shifted from rural to
urban zones. Transportation has linked the planet with increasing
speed. All these factors have led to a renaissance of infectious
diseases, most of which were thought to be eradicated centuries
ago. Logic dictates that Solanum can flourish in such a ripe
environment. Even though information is being recorded, shared, and
stored as never before, it cannot hide the fact that zombie attacks
are on the rise, their frequency mirroring the “development” of
this planet. At this rate, attacks will only increase, culminating
in one of two possibilities. The first is that world governments
will have to acknowledge, both privately and publicly, the
existence of the living dead, creating special organizations to
deal with the threat. In this scenario, zombies will become an
accepted part of daily life—marginalized, easily contained, perhaps
even vaccinated against. A second, more ominous scenario would
result in an all-out war between the living and the dead: a war you
are now ready for.