Now, there are many different Zombie scenarios, but I can understand why you see Zombies corresponding to a fear of loss of technology. Although I always took the fascination with Zombies as:
(besides being the "post-apocalyptic scenario" where you have to figure out how to survive)
- a fear of losing individuality/being slave to society, or the sort.
- people feeling others in society are some sort of "monster" or "animals" consuming each other,
- which makes people feel frustrated, creating a schism between wanting to see it all destroyed (especially if you're a "forever alone"), but at the same time seeing those that reflect what you are/were and your friends and loved ones, becoming something else; join them or psychically "kill" them ("disconnecting" the bond).
And the end product (hitherto): stories about it (or a proletarian revolution?).
Regarding "Also note whose skills become fearfully useless in the Zombie apocalypse - the programmer."
Dude. If the dead starts walking and your worries are finding a job then maybe your problems lies elsewhere.
I think you're right that the feeling others in society are some sort of "monster" is really key. I heard a podcast of This American Life that interviewed Mr. Rogers, and I remember this moment where he's asking a man why they don't talk with their neighbors, and he has this way of making them open up like they're a kid. And the guy responded something like, "I'm afraid they won't BE like me. Like a monster or something."
And that's where our modern monsters come from (and maybe always have): these unspoken, emotional, real-life fears. Like the fear of 'Others', I would suggest that the fear of finding a job is probably weightier than the fear of Zombies, and if they DO start walking... it will be a relief to stop worrying about losing/finding a job. :)
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:) I like how you outlined the discussion.
Now, there are many different Zombie scenarios, but I can understand why you see Zombies corresponding to a fear of loss of technology. Although I always took the fascination with Zombies as:
(besides being the "post-apocalyptic scenario" where you have to figure out how to survive)
- a fear of losing individuality/being slave to society, or the sort.
- people feeling others in society are some sort of "monster" or "animals" consuming each other,
- which makes people feel frustrated, creating a schism between wanting to see it all destroyed (especially if you're a "forever alone"), but at the same time seeing those that reflect what you are/were and your friends and loved ones, becoming something else; join them or psychically "kill" them ("disconnecting" the bond).
And the end product (hitherto): stories about it (or a proletarian revolution?).
Regarding "Also note whose skills become fearfully useless in the Zombie apocalypse - the programmer."
Dude. If the dead starts walking and your worries are finding a job then maybe your problems lies elsewhere.
... Code. Need to code...
I think you're right that the feeling others in society are some sort of "monster" is really key. I heard a podcast of This American Life that interviewed Mr. Rogers, and I remember this moment where he's asking a man why they don't talk with their neighbors, and he has this way of making them open up like they're a kid. And the guy responded something like, "I'm afraid they won't BE like me. Like a monster or something."
And that's where our modern monsters come from (and maybe always have): these unspoken, emotional, real-life fears. Like the fear of 'Others', I would suggest that the fear of finding a job is probably weightier than the fear of Zombies, and if they DO start walking... it will be a relief to stop worrying about losing/finding a job. :)