In Jonathan Maberry’s Dead of Night series, zombies were created based on a series of biological agents that manifested into a single corpse, one that had expressed the desire to spread the disease across the world. However, in Laurel Black’s His Grey Eyes, it was black magic that caused zombies to be created, all through one man’s grief. In the movie World War Z, scientists managed to isolate a pathogen that had caused the zombie virus to spread, and to eventually come up with a vaccine that could potentially save humanity. 

The creation of zombies has been a topic used in various literature and movies. From a simple biological agent gone wrong, to a mutated plant that infected humans, to even a small animal that had gotten out, it’s these situations that we’ve pictured over and over and over again to be the epitome of our zombie plights. Still, especially within the horror genre, there are ways to classify these agents. Some involve the use of science, others black magic, and even still, monsters from another world. But however different these agents may seem, in the end, we still suffer from the same outcome. 

Science 

Usually, zombies are created with the use of a biological agent. This usually comes in the form of a pathogen or an infectious disease that has mutated enough to paralyze the corpses. However, there were other times where it can be plant-based. For instance, in the game The Last of Us, the zombies are caused by a fungus that had managed to mutate itself to a point where humans are no longer dominant, where nature has taken back its course. There’s usually a biological component to these explanations, and oftentimes requires different explanations to try to understand them. 

Magic 

Magic, especially necromancy, has been used to raise the dead. These zombies usually bend to the will of the user, and as such, can also produce a variety of different curses and the like. This magic, however, transcends humanity, and deals with aspects like religion and beliefs. What’s more, the consequences include but aren’t limited to trapping souls in places like Purgatory or Hell, and having the souls the users have trapped drag them down into the abyss. An example of this is Joseph Delaney’s The Last Apprentice series, where many malevolent individuals cast spells and bind souls in order for the victims to do their bidding. In the game, Skyrim, necromancy is often frowned upon because of how this interferes with the cycle of life and death. 

Monsters 

There are times when zombies can be made based on the interference of other creatures. For instance, in the TV show Parasyte: The Maxim, a strange creature invades humanity and traps them as a part of a host, thereby killing whomever stands in their way. This can also be symbolized in humanity as well; many scholars have labeled followers of authority as “zombies”, who refuse to think for themselves, and oftentimes go with that authority figure simply because it might be “cool” at the time. They don’t question that authority figure either. 

Of course, many people have endeavored to dissect the zombie phenomenon. The law school at Arizona State University endeavored to investigate the tax consequences of a zombie outbreak. Meanwhile, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has asked us time and time again whether we’re ready for a zombie outbreak. Even so, it’s important for us to be aware of the legacy zombies have left behind, as well as the sources that they come from. After all, the source of the zombie outbreak is always how we stop the outbreak soon.