by D.L. Snell
Adapted from the publisher: Kim Paffenroth's nonfiction title, Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor University Press, 2006), connects American social and religious views with the classic American movie genre of the zombie horror film. For nearly forty years, the films of George A. Romero have presented viewers with hellish visions of our world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls. This study proves that Romero's films, like apocalyptic literature or Dante's Commedia, go beyond the surface experience of repulsion to probe deeper questions of human nature and purpose, often giving a chilling and darkly humorous critique of modern, secular America.
Snell's blurb: Finally, a scholar who takes zombie movies seriously. In his nonfiction masterpiece, Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth, Kim Paffenroth explores how legendary filmmaker George A. Romero uses the living dead to criticize American society, covering topics from racism to materialism, from individualism to theology. Paffenroth describes and analyzes each movie in separate chapters, and makes comparisons to Dante's Inferno. But most disturbing, he indicates parallels between Romero zombies and humans; I've long known the sharp teeth that can undercut our hearts and consciences, but nothing has exposed our fangs quite like Paffenroth's deft scalpel of analysis. A must read for zombie fans and for those elitists who demean horror movies as thoughtless escapism--Paffenroth has taken a huge step in proving these critics wrong.
D.L. Snell has written horror stories for anthologies such as Cold Flesh and Chimeraworld #3. His novella, "Skin & Bones," will debut in Permuted Press' zombie anthology, The Undead: Skin & Bones. For more information, such as free articles and free ad space for your own work, visit Snell's website, Exit66.net.
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