In Night of the Living Dead (the 1990 remake), we see a female zombie holding a baby doll; this presumably represents the infant daughter she may have eaten and replaced with the toy. In Dawn of the Dead (1978), a “gun nut” zombie is fascinated by rifles and can be distracted from attacking by handing him one; this happens twice in the film. The poor zombie never does figure out how to fire it.
Not so in the sequel, Day of the Dead (1985). In that film, after being “civilized” by a mad scientist, “Bub,” a former military veteran, not only remembers how to shoot, he can actually hit a target! Also in that film, we hear stories of zombies driving cars and doing other half-remembered activities from their human lives―all with disastrous effect. And in Land of the Dead (2005), we see a whole town full of zombies going through the motions of their old lives, from a gas station attendant to an entire brass band.
INCUBATION TIME
The incubation time for the zombie virus is one to six hours, with three being average (feel free to change this to fit your story). The more wounded a victim is, the faster the infection sets in. This may be due to having had more of the virus introduced into the body, or simply because a severely wounded subject is less able to resist the effects.
Within three to six hours of infection, symptoms begin to appear: fever, nausea, joint pain and swelling. These vary in both severity and onset by the overall health of the subject. They will not appear all at once but sneak up gradually. According to Dawn of the Dead (1978) and most zombie lore, no one has ever lived longer than three days after infection.
Infected people should be considered immediately contagious and reasonable precautions taken when handling them, especially near any bite areas. The virus could potentially seep out through their pores when they sweat, through their tears when they cry, when they kiss you, etc. However, to the best of my knowledge, no one in any zombie material I've seen has passed the virus on in this way. That doesn't mean they can't do it in your zombie story. It might be a nasty twist that makes saying goodbye even harder for people who can't even hug or kiss their loved ones goodbye. Yet another part of their life the virus has stolen from them.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE INFECTED
Most people will try to help the infected individual, even when they know there is nothing they can do but keep them company and make their last moments comfortable. Other more pragmatic (or ruthless) individuals will argue for killing the infected outright, “before they have a chance to turn.” Or they will insist on abandoning them, perhaps with a gun and one bullet so the infected can die on their own terms without fear of coming back as an undead monster.
The disagreement between those who want to do what they can for the infected―not what is best for the group―and those who don't want to share the same shelter with them is a powerful scene. Be sure to play it out with plenty of raw emotion. These types of disputes are ripe for creating rival factions to form within a group. It's also a chance for the group to split up.
PROGRESSION OF SYMPTOMS
The following timeline assumes a non-lethal bite where the bleeding is stopped and first aid applied. Feel free to use or modify this schedule as needed.
Immediately After Infection: If the bitten area is amputated quickly, this might be enough to prevent the virus from invading the rest of the body. We see this tactic save a life in both Day of the Dead (1985) and The Walking Dead, Season 3, Episode 1, “Seed.” Obviously, this only works with arms and legs.
Day 1 (1-6 Hours After Being Infected): The bite area is swollen, red, and infected. The infection may or may not appear to be briefly slowed by antibiotics and proper wound hygiene, but ultimately, these tactics are insufficient to stop the infection from spreading and killing the host. Subject begins to experience a slight fever and the beginning of a headache as well as joint pain. They may also suffer mild dissociation, broken sleep, and nightmares.
Day 2 (Morning): Wake with a splitting headache. Fever worsens; the infected feels like they are “burning up.” Cold sweat. Become restless. Thoughts disordered, sometimes sad, sometimes angry. Bite area worsens and infection spreads in all directions.
Day 2 (Afternoon): Fever breaks. Individual is cold, clammy. Can't get warm. Headache has dulled now, but brain feels numb. Subject is lethargic, depressed, has difficulty thinking or staying focused on a task or subject. Needs to sleep but still suffers nightmares. Infection now covers most of their body. Everything hurts. Weaker individuals may slip into a coma at this point; stronger ones can hold on and remain lucid, but not much longer.
Day 2 (Evening): Most subjects slip into a coma at this point and die quietly some hours later. Stronger ones may fade in and out of consciousness before dying. A “lucky” few resist the coma and even make it to the next day.
Day 3 (Variable): If the subject wakes up, they are barely able to move or function. Their thoughts are hazy, hallucinations rampant. Some may insist on getting up to accomplish one last task or grand gesture, though they are probably incapable of following through. Body temperature is the lowest possible. Everything is numb. Organs are shutting down. Senses grow dim and confused. It feels like all their thoughts are in slow motion. At some point, they simply can't go on. They slip into a coma and die.
After Death (Variable): The virus assumes control and reanimates the corpse as a zombie. In some movies, this happens in seconds, in others minutes, and for some, hours. Rather than a one size fits all reanimation timetable, you can vary it by the individual, based on whatever criteria you want. In other words, you let the needs of the story dictate who turns when. However, you need to be careful with this. If the reanimation times are wildly inconsistent, it will seriously hurt your story's credibility.
ZOMBIES AS CARRIERS OF OTHER DISEASES
The primary method of transmission for other diseases zombies carry comes from being in close contact with them or areas covered in whatever mess they leave behind.
As walking piles of decay that tend to be covered in the rotting flesh and blood of their victims, zombies may carry other types of communicable diseases: some deadly, some not. The worst include bubonic plague, cholera, smallpox, and typhus. Also, any creatures that feed on them (crows, flies, rats, vultures, worms, etc.) could spread the disease.
The Walking Dead examined this in Season Four, Episode 2, “Infected.” In that episode, humans and zombies become infected with swine flu after eating sick wild boar. Swine flu is a zoonotic infection (one capable of spreading from species to species, in this case, from pigs to people―including zombies). The swine flu kills people (turning them into zombies) and also makes confronting “flu zombies” even more dangerous. That's because unlike the zombie virus, swine flu is airborne. Now it's not just the undead characters have to worry about, it's any contact with infected humans as well.
At least with bites, you can see who's infected and know who's going to turn; with flu, you can't know, at least not for several days. And there's no guarantee the infected are going to die. Abandoning or quarantining the sick until they recover or perish are the best methods to limit infection, but these can cause moral dilemmas as survivors argue over which option is right.
The incubation for regular flu is one to four days, with two being average. Infected people can be contagious from one day before symptoms manifest through five to seven afterward. With swine flu, those numbers change: the infected are contagious for one day before the first symptoms appear through a full week after. After exposure, swine flu takes an average of five days to kick in. Plenty of time for people to think they're in the clear and infect others.
In a hostile post-apocalyptic world without access to modern medicine and antibiotics, let alone proper nutrition or hydration, any infection can be serious.
✓ Important Tip: Fleas, ticks, and mosquitos do not feed on the dead and will never target zombies. However, they may feed on the blood of infected living humans and transmit the virus that way, similar to how they spread malaria or Lyme disease.
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br /> ZOMBIE CHARACTERS
ZOMBIES as full-fledged characters are rare. Most are walk-ons that barely warrant a line or two of description before getting their brains blown out. That's because unintelligent zombies aren't that interesting. What makes them work as villains is either the human (or intelligent zombie) commanding them, or that they exist as a force of nature to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the human characters―the ones they are trying to convert into mindless undead.
One quick and easy way to inject a little personality into your undead is for the human characters to give them nicknames. These can be funny, rude, affectionate, etc. This usually only applies to zombies that aren't going to be immediately killed and likely to stick around for some reason (see Dawn of the Dead's 2004 remake for an exception where characters give zombies the names of celebrities they resemble before shooting them). Zombies or types of zombies that deviate from their normal behavior are also likely to be named.
Example “pet” names for zombies: Assface, Barf-breath, Cyclops (missing an eye), Dr. Tongue (missing lower jaw so tongue hangs out), Eddie (inspired by Iron Maiden’s mascot), Gollum, Pusbag, Stinky.
INTELLIGENT ZOMBIES
In order to be a true point of view character, a zombie must have some semblance of sentience and emotion remaining to give the reader something to relate to. Ask yourself, “Why is this zombie special?”
Was the zombie “civilized” by an authority figure or scientist as “Bub” was in Day of the Dead (1985)?
Is the zombie controlled by an invention to “civilize” it, such as the shock collar in Fido (2006)?
Does the zombie even know it's dead? Does it continue to more or less think and act like it's alive, finding excuses and rationalizations to justify its altered appetite as well as its mental and physical state? “New Years' Day,” an episode of Fear Itself (TV, 2008) explores this, as well as my own short story, “Two Girls, A Guy, and the End of the World.”
Is the zombification process so slow or different that the zombie retains its intelligence and personality for an indefinite period as in Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)?
Was the zombie the result of a scientific experiment like in Monster Island (Novel, 2004)?
Did the zombie receive a vaccine with unexpected side effects like Z Nation (TV, 2014-present)?
Is the zombie a mutant? How and why did the virus mutate? What makes this zombie different?
Intelligent zombies may be driven to interact with humans only as sources of food, amusement, or obsession (typically love or revenge). They may hate the living and lash out at them as a way to mourn their own lost humanity, or as a way to justify their superiority, or give meaning to their existence. However, they usually keep their interactions with the living to a minimum, both as a form of self-preservation and to limit any sense of loss from watching loved ones age and die while they go on forever.
Intelligent zombies having relationships with humans are usually restricted to romantic horror comedies: My Boyfriend's Back (1993), Warm Bodies (2013), Burying the Ex (2014), and Life After Beth (2014). However, there's no reason you can't explore a relationship that's more serious in tone, like Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993).
ZOMBIE GOALS AND MOTIVATIONS
As former humans, intelligent zombies have many of the same needs as the living: food, shelter, security. Where they differ is in the nature of that food. The zombie may have different needs for the kind and number of companionship it requires, as well as desire for a mate (that is, if it still has a sex drive and ability to perform).
What does the zombie character want beyond basic survival? To be left alone? To gain power? To fit in? To find a cure? A zombie that can control its appetite could be a valuable asset to a human group:
The zombie could scout ahead and not be eaten.
The zombie could spy on other humans who do not realize it is intelligent.
The zombie could convince other zombies to attack a hostile location with supplies its friends need.
The zombie is the perfect guard, never needing sleep.
The zombie might be able to prevent or at least slow down an attack on its friends by other zombies.
How concerned about decomposition and the deterioration of its mental and physical abilities does the zombie character need to be? It is unlikely to feel pain or fatigue, which can be a blessing and a curse. If the zombie can't feel its injuries, it won't know it needs to stop or correct its course of action before damaging itself further.
If it's dead, how can the zombie heal? The answer is it probably can't, so it must bind and sew up its wounds and cosmetically hide its decay in some manner. Does it have a “human” disguise and how effective is it? Is it waterproof? Does it only disguise its visible skin? How much makeup does it use and how much of a supply does it have? What happens when it can no longer disguise what it is?
FRIENDLY ZOMBIES
Friendly zombies will initially be extremely loyal to any humans willing to take them in. They desire a return to normalcy, to companionship, to everything they used to have. Yet living with humans is hard. Not just suffering their suspicion and prejudice, but the zombie must control its own desire to eat their living friends and allies. A zombie that feels abused or mistreated may betray or attack the group, but only if no other option for relief presents itself.
HOSTILE ZOMBIES
Hostile zombies are likely megalomaniacs, undead versions of The Walking Dead's Governor or Negan. They may see themselves as the next stage of evolution. To protect themselves and enforce this belief, they will seek to raise a zombie army.
Hostile zombies who aren't megalomaniacs may instead be motivated by old feuds and twisted desires, but this is hate and revenge on an individual scale. They may employ other zombies as cover and helpers, but they have no grand ambition beyond satisfying their immediate goals.
ZOMBIE CHARACTER RESOURCES
For stories told entirely from a zombie's perspective, watch Colin (2008) and “New Years' Day,” an episode of Fear Itself (TV, 2008).
“Bub” in Day of the Dead (1985) and “Big Daddy” in Land of the Dead (2005) are examples of zombies evolving semi-sentience and retaining elements of their human personality and profession.
For domesticated zombie servants, watch Fido (2006).
More advanced but conditionally sentient zombies can be seen in Warm Bodies (2013) and Freaks of Nature (2015).
For fully sentient zombies, watch iZombie (TV, 2015-present). Also read the novels Monster Island by David Wellington (2004) and The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey (2014, also a 2016 film).
For half-human/half-zombies, watch the transformation of “Murphy” throughout the first three seasons of Z Nation (TV, 2014-present). Over time, he learns he can telepathically control zombies and mind control the people he bites, which also makes them immune to the zombie virus.
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TYPES OF ZOMBIES
MOST ZOMBIES ARE MINDLESS MONSTERS created from dead bodies. They come in five types, including those brought back to life by:
Demons
Psychic energy
Science
Viruses
Voodoo (or other magic)
Most are slaves (“hosts”) to whatever force reanimated them.
A sixth type of zombie are not undead, but living infected; I call these zombies “virus maniacs.” They are people or animals infected with a virus or other toxic substance (perhaps radiation) that does not kill them, but reduces them to a crazed, violent, often zombie-like state. These types of zombies can be seen in films like 28 Days Later, I Drink Your Blood, Night of the Comet, and Pontypool. They can be found at the end of this chapter, lurking just on the edge of your sanity…
So which type of zombie is right for your apocalypse? That’s up to you. Each presents a unique opportunity to put a fresh twist on the end of the world. Choose wisely, but feel free to tinker and tweak. Who knows what you can come up wit
h? Maybe you can combine two or more types of zombies into one, or mix and match different strengths and weaknesses. For example, 28 Days Later made fast (but living) zombies, while the Dawn of the Dead remake took that idea and simply made its undead zombies fast. There’s no reason you can’t do something similar…
DEMONIC ZOMBIES
Demonic zombies are reanimated corpses that blend cunning, cruelty, and super-strength. Some can teleport or transform their bodies into terrifying shapes. They may appear alive until they attack.
These zombies may or may not eat human flesh; their primary purpose is to torment, infect, and murder the living, with bonus points for damning the souls of their victims while creating another host body to possess. Those killed by them may or may not reanimate. Whether or not they do depends on the rules you create:
Is it a psychic or spiritual virus that requires victim consent to kill its host as in a traditional demonic possession movie? Then not every corpse reanimates, only those too weak to resist the demon’s evil.
Is it a physical virus with a psychic or supernatural component that does not require victim consent? Then it will automatically kill its host, as in a traditional virus zombie movie.
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