Your generic zombie trend story template

Both Chuck Klosterman and Johann Hari wrote zombie trend stories this week. This comes on the heels of a prior batch of these essays — and I know there’s gonna be at least a few of these in the future. As a public service for writers contemplating these kinds of essay, here’s the generic template ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

Both Chuck Klosterman and Johann Hari wrote zombie trend stories this week. This comes on the heels of a prior batch of these essays -- and I know there's gonna be at least a few of these in the future. As a public service for writers contemplating these kinds of essay, here's the generic template for the "Zombies are hot. Why?" story:

Both Chuck Klosterman and Johann Hari wrote zombie trend stories this week. This comes on the heels of a prior batch of these essays — and I know there’s gonna be at least a few of these in the future. As a public service for writers contemplating these kinds of essay, here’s the generic template for the "Zombies are hot. Why?" story:

Section 1: Set up premise that zombies are culturally hot right now. Mention The Walking Dead/zombie flash mobs/spike in movie releases/Minnesota court case. Ask why. Note: try to put as many references to "shambling," "shuffling," etc. as possible.

Section 2: Compare zombies to vampires. Mock Twilight series. Point out that vampires = sex and zombies = death. Observe that zombie renaissance is surprising, because individual zombies are not interesting characters like vampires. Note: if artsy essay, be sure to name-check White Zombie.

Section 3: Propose that interest in zombies is a metaphor for something else that’s rotting through American/global society. Possibilities include:

a) Brainless political discourse;

b) The deadening consumerism of everyday life;

c) The plethora of daily irritants we want to destroy like so much of the undead.

Section 4: Conclude that the current era stinks, and only when things improve will these zombies disappear. Note: try to end with joke.

[And how is this template different from your book?–ed. Um… footnotes. Footnotes and international relations theory. The ingredients for a smash hit! — ed.]  

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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