Zombie Horror

Last week I read the novel Monster Island by David Wellington. I found this novel to be a nonstop thrilling read. This novel opened up concepts such as human primal survival, death, morality, and sacrifice. Human beings have always been fascinated with the ideas of rapture and the supernatural. The rapture and the supernatural create familiar reactions in an unfamiliar state of events.

Using zombies as a medium, this genre of novel brings an interesting take on humanity's reactions in their desperation to survive. Modern human society is often portrayed as civilized. When zombies take over and they start replacing the scarce human's who are trying to survive, it brings out humanity's true primal nature. For example In one scenario, the uncomfortable issue of euthanasia is brought up where a girl is bitten by an infected cat. The solder having locked her up has to ultimately shoot her to prevent her from infecting other people. In an instant, friends can become foes. While the girl is suffering, she still begs to be spared because she is fearful of death. The soldier isn't able to kill her and ultimately lets her suffer until death. Then when she becomes a zombie he was able to put a bullet through her brain.

In current society, euthanasia is a legal practice. People who are in vegetated states may have their lives ended for them out of pity. In the novel, zombies are portrayed without a human mind and they are just moving hungry entities in a human shell. In an instant when friend becomes foe, would one have the courage to put a bullet through the once friend's skull?

The author presents the main character's in moments of immense desperation. In the novel, a character is guaranteed a ticket to return to freedom at the sacrifice to another life. Being faced with an army of the undead, he is forced to make a tough decision. The character doesn't take the easy way out and devises a plan in an attempt to save them all. This courageous act suggests that humanity in dire situations can still act with morality.

I found that when humans are thrown in desperate situations, it truly reveals what type of person they really are. Does influences of society still persevere, or is all hope abandoned?