Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)With plenty of blood sucking, flesh eating, seduction, grunting and more gore, (and some philosophy), this is one of the more interesting "Popular Culture and Philosophy" instalments from Open Court. Nineteen essays and more zombies than you can smash with a baseball bat.
Although there is some overlap, the first part deals main with Zombies, drawing heavily from the Romero zombie films, along with some others. The second half of the book seems to focus more on the vampires, with particular focus on the novel "Dracula", (no surprises there), and also heavily from Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire", including the movie itself. I am not sure of this separation was intended, but it works well and there are some unique features to each of these groups.
I found the first couple of essays, mainly those dealing with the nature of personhood and continued existence, a bit tough to get my head around. They were mainly in connection with zombies. If one finds it the same, wade through and persist, as it soon calms down and the essays are not only accessible overall, but very interesting and though provoking. I mean, I had never even considered a vampire who was not intrinsically evil to be a possibility. Some aspects of the "philosophical zombie thought experiment" left me a bit puzzled, as well.
I did not agree with everything the contributors concluded, (such as the vegetarian essay), but I have to say that the essays were all well-written and presented. I enjoyed the wander through a genre I do not generally get into. The only zombie film I have ever seen is Shaun of the Dead.
The elements of philosophy range from existentialism, (big bits on Heidegger and Neitzsche), through phenomenology and epistemology and more. This is a very thorough and varied book.
For fans of the series and new readers alike, this is definitely a "must have". A great book on a great topic.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless (Popular Culture and Philosophy)
Though Bram Stoker coined the term, the undead have stalked the human imagination for eons, appearing in the myths and legends of nearly all cultures. The concept of people, or unpeople, interacting with others while devoid of humanity provides a wealth of material for philosophical speculation. Encompassing George Romero's radiation-spawned Living Dead, the "infected" of 28 Days Later, as well as more traditional zombies and vampires, the essays in The Undead and Philosophy ponder questions such as: Is it cool to be undead, or does it totally suck? Is a zombie simply someone with a brain but without a mind? Are some of the people around us undead, and how could we tell? Can the undead be held responsible for what they do? Is it always morally OK to kill the undead? Served up in a witty, entertaining style, these and other provocative questions present philosophical arguments in terms accessible to all readers.
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