Zombie apocalypse stories in TV, film, etc. deal with "survival" in some way or form. How do stories like The Walking Dead, Resident Evil, World War Z, Shaun of the Dead, The Girl With All the Gifts and others deal with this theme in thought-provoking ways? Are zombie apocalypse stories defined by a basic need to survive, or can we approach them in new, creative ways?
I think an interesting way to take this, at least in regards to "the basic need to survive" in these shows, would be to examine the ways in which the survival narratives can align with or oppose certain capitalist imperatives. while it isn't a zombie apocalypse story, Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" very intentionally aligns imperatives of survival with capitalism, and perhaps similar stories that also feature zombies could do something similar. whether or not this ends up condoning/promoting or dissuading viewers from follows this ethos of survival, and what that means, might be an interesting way to take this topic. – ees7 years ago
It’s useful to consider what the point of survival is. Is survival about continuing the human race? Is it about finding a solution to the problem (like in I Am Legend)? We all know that we have a survival instinct. Evolution explains it with our innate desire to keep the species going. It would be interesting to consider this from different viewpoints, particularly a Christian one. – tclaytor7 years ago