Boston Zombies

We're undergoing an onslought of the undead these days -- zombies, vampires, werewolves, and their ilk. According to author Daniel W Drezner, it's just one more crime to shovel onto those responsible for 7/7 and 9/11. 

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I was in the Boston area the other day and picked up Theories of International Politics and Zombies on display at the Harvard Coop. It's a tongue-in-cheek, but serious, mash-up textbook published by Princeton University Press. This small tome's also an excellent way to brush up on your political theory while ruminating over  zombie culture.

Theories tackles the authorities' reactions to infection across the political spectrum -- from Western democracies to police states. Its author predicts American neocons to lobby for an attack on their old standby, Iraq as well as setbacks caused by civil rights groups demanding protection for their formerly human compatriots.

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The book also provides a humorous  review of  the popular zombie literature and movies. Not unsurprisingly, not all zombies were created equal. In early appearances, the undead, such as those in Night of the Living Dead (1968, B&W; 1990, colour), were portrayed as dumb as doorknobs and deathly slow. But by the time they hit London in 28 Days Later (2002), they're faster, and much angrier. And, at least some of the American afflicted in Zombieland (2009) have acquired the ability to open doors -- potentially a big improvement over the old smash-and-grab standby.

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Infection rates have always been close to a standard 100%, although incubation times vary from a few seconds (eg, 28 Days Later [2002]) to several hours (eg, Night of the Living Dead [1968, B&W; 1990, colour]). Human responses to the ghouls are expected to vary, based on factors such as motivation and nationality. For example, the zombification of a former loved one my be hidden or denied. And Americans are generally more vociferous upon discovery of an infestation that the British, who tend not to want to cause a bother. However, whatever their nationality, when push comes to bite, ordinary humans, such as Shawn in Shawn of the Dead (2004) and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, generally manage to take charge and organize a resistance against the zombie menace.

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One theme that remains unchanged throughout the zombie literature is organizational incompetence. Especially in government organizations. Most are incapable of thinking outside the box, or even acknowledging that they face an situation requiring a non-standard response. For example, in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, when a general is stricken and a soldier takes the initiative of killing this new zombie, he is killed before he can carry out the task. 

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Perhaps the worst behaviour is saved for those to whom government tasks are outsourced. In Resident Evil, while the army quickly loses contol of a new outbreak, despite draconian control measures, the infection is spread, even though the Umbrella Corporation has a cure available.

Why not check Theories of International Politics and Zombies out? It may spur you into reading Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, whose film version is expected to be released next year. Or you may want to take in a few movies, some of Romero's Dead franchise, or one of the two 28s. 

Books mentioned:

• Theories of International Politics and Zombies
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Mashups - Get Serious

With so much to read and so little time, who wants to read fluff? It took me about a year to fork over the cash for a mashup book. On a whim, I'd picked up Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters after seeing Jane Austen's letters at the  Morgan Library and Museum.

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It's been decades since I read any Austen, and Sea Monsters was a fun way to reconnect with an old friend with a twist. Retaining much of its early 19th century feel, I recognized the storyline of Sense and Sensibility (1811), and enjoyed the anachronistic Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1869) style touches, and other Sea Monsters additions for the light-hearted fluff they were. Although the aquatic monster theme is absurd, it should be remembered that Austen lived during the periods of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The threat of an invasion from the sea was uncomfortably real.

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Although it too retained the original's storyline and much of it's period feel, Jane Slayre doesn't shy from anachronism. My favourite is the stake-o-matic, Jane's mechanized stake-in-the-heart vampire dispatcher. The Bronte-based Slayre is correspondingly darker than the Austen tales, but the spin is a more amusing Shaun- than a gory Dawn of the Dead. It's the book's refusal to take itself seriously that makes the stake-o-matic and friends work.

Revisionist history can be absurd, and revisionist fictional history even more so. If you're a proponent of the concept of a multiverse of possible worlds along with with a taste for the silly, Henry VIII: Wolfman might be just what the doctor ordered. Not too heavy, in several senses of the word, this tome is an enjoyable companion when you need a pick-me-up. Historians have a variety of explanations for Henry's well-known alteration in behaviour. Wolfman is simple, there's only one. 

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As expected, Thomas More is martyred, but this time it has more to do with nasty co-workers (especially Thomas Boleyn) and enthusiastic entrepreneurship (Witchfinder and Wife). Anne becomes Queen, but this time, Henry's insistence that they're soul mates is much easier to swallow. The history books tell us that Henry was torn between his personal life and his role as king. Whatever you feel about the real man, Wolfman hammers home the terrible dilemma faced by this wolf-man. He really couldn't help himself.

One of the things I liked best about this volume is the political humour. A really Bad Guy, an emissary from Belgium (yes, Belgium); selfish and nasty nobles; Vatican meddlers seriously out of their depth; and a truly fiendish conspiracy. A light and humourous take on a deadly serious slice of history.

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♥ ♥  Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters A fun way to spend a few hours getting re-acquainted with Jane Austen and some creatures more successful than the French.


♥ ♥  Jane Slayre Light-hearted Charlotte Bronte-style vampires and friends with some bizarrely modern twists.


♥ ♥  Henry VIII: Wolfman Finally, revisionist history we can all agree upon. Henry really was a monster.

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Books mentioned

• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• Jane Slayre
• Henry VIII: Wolfman

Mash Up a Cure for Rage

Cell phone rage, checkout-line rage, air rage, road rage, wrap rage, IT rage -- "rage" is all the rage these days. In restaurants, museums, even libraries, so-called adults throw public tantrums.

Euphemism's magic wand may pretty things up, but can't transmogrify rudeness and its ilk into acceptable behaviour. Brains. Use yours; don't act like a two-year-old. 

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

It takes brilliance to come up with the series of well-reasoned put-downs that comedians Rick Mercer and Charlie Brooker call rants. Nothing is sacred and the bloodthirstier, the better. What people forget is comedy is an act -- not a model for social interaction.

Rick's advocating for kids here, not emulating one:

Rick Mercer ranting on killjoy, anti-snow-day, wet 

blankets. Hasn't he learnt that T.O.¹ gets slush, not snow?

Yes, infantile behaviour is enough to give a person rage rage.

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I see the problem as a blurring of the line between private and public life. As sociologist Erving Goffman would have put it, between on- and off-stage behaviour. Written in the 1950s, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, continues to speak to us. It may not be a page-turner, but it's sometimes compelling reading.

Presentation's basic premise is that we all play a variety of roles; we're not the same person at work, at home, or with our friends. Would you expect restaurant staff to behave the same way in the kitchen as in the dining room among the customers? Imagine what life would be like if we all played a single role. Not pretty. No fun either.

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So, what to do when you feel the next bout of gallery rage or even Stendhal's syndrome descending?

Here are a few suggestions:

(1) Seek consolation in philosophy.

(2) Lose yourself in a mashup book. Each a new storey built on a multi-layered old favourite. Think of these spun classics as you would spun sugar: light and airy with a bit of a crunch.

"What makes these novels so funny is that the characters will be going along, acting in their Victorian way, then suddenly bust out with swords (and heads) flying, and afterward simply tidy up the mess and continue on with their uptight lives." Literally Booked

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Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters takes the Regency romance to a new level -- sea level -- and gives a new definition to seafood. A tentacle-faced Colonel Brandon, underwater cities and the notorious Devonshire Fang-Beast. Blood and gore, Jane Austin style. By an author attacked by the plural of octopus. Fancy a visit to the seaside?

"It’s hard to say, in the end, if this is an homage, an exploitation, a deconstruction, or just a 300-page parlor trick. Although the sea-monster subplots, considered independently, rarely rise above pulp clichés, the book’s best moments do achieve a kind of bizarro symbiosis." Sam Anderson (New York Magazine)

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Louisa May Alcott's classic Civil War tale, Little Women gets a new slant with the incorporation of werewolves. In a climate of speciesism, the poor March girls of Little Women and Werewolves,  take on another burden by promoting interspecies understanding. In addition to the danger of consorting with werewolves, they face the xenophobic intimidation of vigilantes known as The Brigade. Marches marching between a rock and a hard place?

"3/5. By turns heartwarming and blood-curdling, this rejuvenated classic will be cherished and treasured by those who love a lesson in virtue almost as much as they enjoy a good old-fashioned dismemberment." GoodReads.

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Ever wish you would wake up one day to discover you were the long-lost child of royalty? Tired of living in the dark, the young Jane Slayre is being raised by vampires. Fed up with her cousins' murderous threats, she knows she was meant for better things. The stake-o-matic², for one. For some people, it's in the blood.

"I’m not a fan of the literary mash-up ... I'm unlikely to read many more in the genre but I would recommend Sherri Browning Erwin’s Jane Slayre as a great way to enjoy the best the genre currently has on offer." Gerard Wood (Science Fiction World)

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We've all heard that history is [re]written by the victors³. The historically revisionist Henry VIII: Wolfman, puts an entirely new spin on this enigmatic king. Discover the real reasons for Henry VIII's bloodthirsty reputation, Thomas More's downfall and what Henry found so special about Anne Boleyn. And why did that special envoy, with the underworld ties, hail from an anachronistic Belgium?

"7/10. [T]he cutting humour of The Thick of It – Moorat's Cardinal Wolsey is very much an ancestor of Peter Capaldi's spin doctor Malcolm Tucker. Couple that with some well-told moments of lupine mayhem, and conflicting urges within a werewolf, and you've got a highly enjoyable novel." Paul Simpson (Total Sci-Fi OnLine)

(3) Get some exercise. Go for a walk. Take some time off. A change of air often puts things into perspective. Watch Rick Mercer bond with budding engineers. If these were real-world conditions, there would be cracks in the cement and rebars rotten with road salt rust. Watch and see how many racers finish their run. As a bonus, learn the transgendered French for "Good Luck!"

Is concrete tobogganing an improvement over the traditional wood?

Now, take a deep breath, try to relax, and get on with life. Mañana⁴.

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Notes

¹ Toronto. You can tell from his pronunciation that Mercer's an out-of-towner. "Toe-ron-to". Good grief.
² One of Jane's inventions. Efficient and effective.
³ Churchill, maybe. Or maybe not. It depends upon who you ask and if you're willing to accept variations (eg, Machiavelli, attributed to Napoleon, and Eric Blair.)
⁴ Spanish for "tomorrow". When on holiday, rather than driving yourself crazy waiting for an overdue tour bus, guide, or be what may, repeat this word to yourself. Remember, you're supposed to be relaxing and having fun, not a heart attack. If it works, see if it transfers successfully off-holiday. Best of luck!

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Books mentioned

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• Little Women (original)
• Little Women and Werewolves (mashup)
• Jane Slayre
• Henry VIII: Wolfman