#and various other early 2000s vampire romance

[no-1-rosalind-lang-apologist]

No but like why does Rosalind’s transformation into Fortune read like a vampire transformation what is up with that

[angstics]

In 2002, the official My Chemical Romance website had a frequently asked questions tab. This was written sometime before May 2002 (question 4). Below the cut is all 10 questions and answers. This is the archived website.

We get a lot of questions about certain things... so here are some answers.

What's the significance of the name of the band? Mikey came up with the name My Chemical Romance. It works on a lot of different levels for the band. At the root of it, the name refers to the works of Scottish author Irvine Welsh. A "chemical romance" is the genre he has created in works such as The Acid House, Filth, and of course Trainspotting. Mikey added the word "my" to it to add a personal dimension to the name. In essence, it means a romance with chemical substances.

So are you saying you guys do drugs? No. My Chemical Romance does not do drugs or condone the use of drugs. However, the band is not straightedge and likes to party like everyone else.

How long have you guys been a band? It seems like you guys came out of nowhere... As a fully functioning band, My Chemical Romance has been together since Jan of 2002, when Mikey was officially added to the roster as bass player. Matt and Gerard started the band in November 2001, with Matt playing drums and Gerard singing and playing guitar, but Gerard isn't that good on guitar and he wanted a guitarist so he could just sing, jump around, dance and do other things like "unleash the bats," "hump the sky," and "exorcise the demons." Ray then joined the band and they had a hard time finding a bass player until realizing they should just train Mikey, who ended up making them all look like bitches when he learned the set in a month. Other than that all of the members of the band have been making music together for years in various bands and have been a part of the scene in various ways. Until now, the music and the combination of musicians never fit perfectly and could best be chalked up as a learning experience. We've recently Frank Iero as another guitarist, and the band now finally feels complete.

You guys have a record coming out on Eyeball Records? How and When? Eyeball Records is a label we respect and love, and we're thrilled to get the offer to do our first record with them. They have a long history, have put out and worked with a lot of bands we love, and have given us 100% creative freedom to make this album however we wanted. They are as excited about the record as we are. We record the first week of May '02 and expect the record to have a summer release. The album entitled "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" will feature all of the songs from our set, including a final mix of "Vampires Will Never Hurt You". From then on we will tour and support the album for a long time while working on new songs.

What are your influences? Everything. We listen to lots of different music but if we had to list some bands and artists that have been a big influence on our sound we would have to say: Iron maiden (it doesn't get any better than these guys), At The Gates (except these guys), The Pixies, The Misfits (Danzig years) and Samhain, The Smiths, Morrissey, The Haunted, Pulp, Blur, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fernando Sor, Queen, Guns and Roses, Helloween, and the list goes on and on...

Are Mikey and Gerard brothers? Yes. Mikey and Gerard are loving brothers that enjoy rocking out together. But they consider Ray and Matt their brothers too, only Puerto Rican and French ones.

What kind of equipment do you use? Ray plays a Session guitar. A Session is a knock off of a Gibson Les Paul from around the early 80s. I asked a vintage guitar store owner some information about Session seeing as how Ray won't play anything else and he said, "It's a piece of shit. It was made in the Philippines in the '80s and Sam Ash used them to sucker people into buying a cheap guitar. Worst guitar ever. And the factory blew up". Ray also uses a 100 watt Marshall JCM 2000 head, a Laney Cabinet, and assorted stomp boxes. Mikey plays a Fender American Jazz bass with obnoxious silver sparkle finish. Matt uses Pearl drums, Zildjian cymbals (a lot), and an enormous Gibraltar drum cage. If you've ever seen us live then you understand how big this thing is. Gerard uses an SM58 Shure mic. The mic of choice for Bruce Dickinson.

I want a T-shirt! Any merch soon? We have some buttons and we're running out. We just invested in a button maker so we can have all sorts of self-indulgent crazy buttons you can wear for cheap. The band has finally decided on 2 designs that are being drawn up as we speak and they love them, so expect them soon.

What's all this nonsense about bats??? The band likes bats. Who doesn't? If you've seen the band live you might have heard Gerard mention something about turning into one or unleashing some sort of swarm of them. "Unleash the fucking bats" is something they say to each other seconds before starting the set to get themselves pumped up. This all started back in Jan '02 when the band finally came together and started playing together with an intensity none of them had ever known. That fateful night they rocked together so hard that a "rock portal" opened up and out flew a swarm of giant bats. No shit.

I heard you guys cover Morrissey... why? We cover a B-side called Jack The Ripper. Basically we wanted to cover it because we knew we could do a really rocking version of this song. It rocks as it is but we felt if we added a little "kick" to it and did like we do all of our others it would be something special. If you've ever seen us play this live we absolutely can't control ourselves while we're doing it, and its a good warm-up for "Vampires Will Never Hurt You."

[meganmackieauthor]

I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me - Ch 3

Chapter 3

He was as gorgeous in real life (if this was real life) as he had been on the screen with short, white hair, an angular face, and a T-shaped body. There were plenty of scenes in the game that would show all of that off at dramatic movie-style angles.

Yet, if she was being honest with herself, it wasn’t his looks that attracted Evangeline to him. Of course, no one in her online friend group who also played the game believed her. The argument had always been that if he had been an ugly half-orc or something, he wouldn’t have been nearly as appealing to her. 

The truth was, she had hated him the first time she played the game. It wasn’t until he started talking about things that were real that her insides began to quiver. Things she recognized and understood about being used and attacked and forgotten. About being broken. 

Even now, as she gazed across the tavern room at him, leaning back in a chair with a goblet of wine in one hand, his other arm draped dramatically over the back of his seat, she saw the lie that his confident posture was. 

“Excuse me? Are we doing this deal or not?” the impatient voice said before her. “Jurli, you said she was a professional.”

“I assure you, boss…”

It didn’t matter what the henchman was going to say. This was just the opening tutorial mission. In fact, every class had one in the same tavern. As she turned about to sweep her gaze over the room, she could see each station at the various tables or in alcoves, like it was some kind of high school lunchroom. Rangers were at the bar, wizards in a corner amidst a small forest of their staves, druids were back-to-back with witches underneath the boughs of an actual living tree incorporated into the wall of the tavern, and so on. It was all very organized. 

Special Power: Meta Knowledge—activate.

And unnecessary. All of this was skippable in the game, but it wasn’t like she could just hit a command button to make it all go away. She was actually here. Actually, living it now. 

And, if you succeeded in this tutorial mission, you get a very good piece of starting gear, she thought. A +1 dagger, which getting an enchanted item this early in the game had made so many things so much easier. And all of its specialization slots were still open, so she could add more magic to it later when that became possible. 

“Alright, gentlemen and ladies,” Evangeline said, addressing the table as she pulled out the seat waiting there. “I don’t really want to spend a lot of time on this. You want the phoenix egg, and you are willing to pay well to get it. Along with everyone else in the room.”

“Are you sure we can trust her?” she said at the same time as the ‘boss’ character. 

“Like I said she’s a professional,” she also said along with the recruiter.

Both people blinked at her when they did it. 

She grinned mischievously. “Like I said boys and girls,” she said, leaning into the devil-may-care rogue character in the way she never would in real life. “I’ve heard and seen it all before. I’ll take your job.” 

Somewhere a chime sounded, but Evangeline seemed to be the only one who could hear it. 

“Excellent,” the boss said, leaning on the table with his hands folded. “This job will pay a thousand gold, half now and half upon delivery.”

Evangeline chuckled. She knew this part so well. “Right, and this is when I will say, ‘that’s not enough,’ and you will offer slightly more, then I’ll say no give me 2000, then you’ll say 150 and I’ll take it, so why don’t we just jump to the 150 reward and not waste both of our time. But if you give me a third of it now, and that special dagger I know you have, we’ll call it a deal.”

She sat there smugly, only to realize that everyone at the table stared at her in stony silence. They weren’t automatically going into the dialogue choices. 

Did I break them by skipping ahead? she wondered. She met each of their eyes and realized that there was nothing about them that felt … artificial. These were living breathing people, and all her false bravado bled away. 

Oh, crap. What did I do? she silently panicked. 

Then the boss laughed. 

Then the table laughed. 

And Evangeline’s shoulders dropped with relief. 

“You were right,” the boss said, slapping the recruiter saying words Evangeline definitely hadn’t heard before. “I like this one.” He reached into his belt and pulled out the dagger, a beautiful silver piece with a slight curve and a bronze-colored edge. The handle and pommel had swirly ruins that were supposed to be “elfish” in design. 

The table oohed and aahed at it, clearly more for the boss’s benefit than because they were truly amazed or anything. There had been a lot of these creatures at her job sucking up to the supervisor, but she did not want to think about that whole situation right then. 

Instead, she smiled with the group and leaned her elbow on the table like she knew this was what was going to happen. The boss slapped the knife on the table. “Then we have an accord, lady,” he said. 

She took up the dagger. I’m going to need to get a sheath, she realized, only to discover that on her belt was a sheath she wasn’t entirely sure was there a moment ago. Still, when she slid her new knife into it, it fit perfectly. “And the gold?” she said. 

The boss’s laughter dimmed to a chuckle that didn’t reach his eyes. He hadn’t liked being reminded. But every coin of that money would be useful in about five minutes. 

And sure enough, just as he set the bag to clink on the table, the room exploded. 

Get the latest chapters by signing up for my newsletter at meganmackieauthor.com

[gerarchive]

My Chemical Romance FAQ

☠︎ What's the significance of the name of the band?

Mikey came up with the name My Chemical Romance. It works on a lot of different levels for the band. At the root of it, the name refers to the works of Scottish author Irvine Welsh. A "chemical romance" is the genre he has created in works such as The Acid House, Filth, and of course Trainspotting. Mikey added the word "my" to it to add a personal dimension to the name. In essence, it means a romance with chemical substances.

☠︎ So are you saying you guys do drugs?

No. My Chemical Romance does not do drugs or condone the use of drugs. However, the band is not straightedge and likes to party like everyone else.

☠︎ How long have you guys been a band? It seems like you guys came out of nowhere...

As a fully functioning band, My Chemical Romance has been together since Jan of 2002, when Mikey was officially added to the roster as bass player. Matt and Gerard started the band in November 2001, with Matt playing drums and Gerard singing and playing guitar, but Gerard isn't that good on guitar and he wanted a guitarist so he could just sing, jump around, dance and do other things like "unleash the bats,""hump the sky," and "exorcise the demons." Ray then joined the band and they had a hard time finding a bass player until realizing they should just train Mikey, who ended up making them all look like bitches when he learned the set in a month. Other than that all of the members of the band have been making music together for years in various bands and have been a part of the scene in various ways. Until now, the music and the combination of musicians never fit perfectly and could best be chalked up as a learning experience. We've recently Frank Iero as another guitarist, and the band now finally feels complete.

☠︎ You guys have a record coming out on Eyeball Records? How and When?

Eyeball Records is a label we respect and love, and we're thrilled to get the offer to do our first record with them. They have a long history, have put out and worked with a lot of bands we love, and have given us 100% creative freedom to make this album however we wanted. They are as excited about the record as we are. We record the first week of May '02 and expect the record to have a summer release. The album entitled "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" will feature all of the songs from our set, including a final mix of "Vampires Will Never Hurt You". From then on we will tour and support the album for a long time while working on new songs.

☠︎ What are your influences?

Everything. We listen to lots of different music but if we had to list some bands and artists that have been a big influence on our sound we would have to say: Iron maiden (it doesn't get any better than these guys), At The Gates (except these guys), The Pixies, The Misfits (Danzig years) and Samhain, The Smiths, Morrissey, The Haunted, Pulp, Blur, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fernando Sor, Queen, Guns and Roses, Helloween, and the list goes on and on...

☠︎ Are Mikey and Gerard brothers?

Yes. Mikey and Gerard are loving brothers that enjoy rocking out together. But they consider Ray and Matt their brothers too, only Puerto Rican and French ones.

☠︎ What kind of equipment do you use?

Ray plays a Session guitar. A Session is a knock off of a Gibson Les Paul from around the early 80s. I asked a vintage guitar store owner some information about Session seeing as how Ray won't play anything else and he said, "It's a piece of shit. It was made in the Philippines in the '80s and Sam Ash used them to sucker people into buying a cheap guitar. Worst guitar ever. And the factory blew up". Ray also uses a 100 watt Marshall JCM 2000 head, a Laney Cabinet, and assorted stomp boxes. Mikey plays a Fender American Jazz bass with obnoxious silver sparkle finish. Matt uses Pearl drums, Zildjian cymbals (a lot), and an enormous Gibraltar drum cage. If you've ever seen us live then you understand how big this thing is. Gerard uses an SM58 Shure mic. The mic of choice for Bruce Dickinson.

☠︎ I want a T-shirt! Any merch soon?

We have some buttons and we're running out. We just invested in a button maker so we can have all sorts of self-indulgent crazy buttons you can wear for cheap. The band has finally decided on 2 designs that are being drawn up as we speak and they love them, so expect them soon.

☠︎ What's all this nonsense about bats???

The band likes bats. Who doesn't? If you've seen the band live you might have heard Gerard mention something about turning into one or unleashing some sort of swarm of them. "Unleash the fucking bats" is something they say to each other seconds before starting the set to get themselves pumped up. This all started back in Jan '02 when the band finally came together and started playing together with an intensity none of them had ever known. That fateful night they rocked together so hard that a "rock portal" opened up and out flew a swarm of giant bats. No shit.

☠︎ I heard you guys cover Morrissey...why?

We cover a B-side called Jack The Ripper. Basically we wanted to cover it because we knew we could do a really rocking version of this song. It rocks as it is but we felt if we added a little "kick" to it and did like we do all of our others it would be something special. If you've ever seen us play this live we absolutely can't control ourselves while we're doing it, and its a good warm-up for "Vampires Will Never Hurt You."

[mychemicalficrecs]

any good frerard fics that take place before the 2000s? so like anywhere from the 1990s-1600s or whatever it doesn’t matter to me :)

Hi Nonny!

There's a great variety of Historical AUs, have fun with these!

Frank/Gerard Historical AUs

You Sparkle Like My 6 Gun by jet6black6feeling6, 7k, Explicit. Gerard does drag at a prohibition era night club that mafia boss Frank owns. Duh.

The Heart I Left Behind by gloomboyz, 8k, Mature. Various scenes of how Gerard and Frank find each other throughout history.

Sincerely (Yours) by Tezy, 34k, Explicit. (Late 19th century AU) Frank is the son of a merchant, with no money, and no title. But he's smart, and he enjoys teaching, so when the opportunity arises for him to help with the two children of a particularly wealthy family, he decides it is worth the risk. The children are precocious, outspoken and they quickly become his favourite students. Their slightly peculiar uncle, however, is the real mystery for him.

timelines and sceneries by daydreamsago, 42k, Teen And Up Audiences. "My brain wants everything to be figured out so it can stop worrying about what life will be like in ten years or so," Frank admitted. "Time is such a weird thing, because one moment, you're young and dependent on your parents, then... boom. You're graduated and everything matters all at once. Time is consistent. It doesn't slow down, or speed up at all; our perception of it does."

Line-Crossing by orphan_account, 12k, Explicit. When Frank finally gets up on his feet, he finds a job taking care of the greenhouses in a manor house. He hopes this new beginning will help him forget and allow him to heal. Moving into the country, Gerard hopes he'll finally be left alone by all the people back home who can't seem to stop criticizing everything about him. He also hopes to find some peace and maybe even (yes, he actually dares to be that optimistic) happiness.

Shadows Fall Behind by anoceanmonster, 39k, Explicit. Just before the turn of the twentieth century, the Iero household experiences it’s second devastating loss. When Edward Iero, world renowned architect, replaces the recently deceased and much loved head of staff, Donald, with his eldest son, Gerard, no one knows if anything will work out. Frank is a book loving recluse who rarely sees the outside of his study, but when Gerard enters his house and his life, he gets a love story all of his own.

A Lovely Apparition (or, The One Where Gerard's A Crossdresser in the 1790s) by wordslinging, 22k, Mature. Michael didn’t seem particularly shocked when Gerard approached him with the idea, but then, Gerard had never seen his younger brother look particularly shocked at anything. He merely looked at Gerard, blinked once or twice, and repeated in a flat tone, “You want me to help you dress up like a woman.” “It’s the stays in particular I think I’ll need help with,” Gerard told him. “Well, and buttoning the dress, and perhaps the wig.”

A World So Small by wordslinging, 31k, Mature. When Frank, a sickly young man, is advised by his doctors to leave London for the country, he makes arrangements to stay with his friend Michael, who just so happens to be in possession of a large, old, and somewhat creepy manor house. What Frank has no idea of at the time is that Michael has an older brother, whose presence in the house he conceals. Gerard is an eccentric recluse who spends most of his time hiding in the attic and avoiding any kind of interaction with people, but he finds himself fascinated with Frank, who in turn realizes that the house has secrets, and becomes determined to uncover them. When he finally does discover Gerard, their first meeting is only the beginning of their story.

Vampire AU by Andromedas_Void, 26k, Explicit. Mister Francis Anthony Iero, Junior, Your presence is requested this evening at 221 Upper Birch Lane, North London. A carriage will be awaiting you at 3:00 pm sharp. Cordially yours, Gerard Arthur Way, Esq.

Riot Grrrl!Gee by my99centdreams, 7k, Explicit. It’s the fourth party she’s been to this week if the one Taylor Kennick threw for herself while her parents stayed in their room counts (it probably doesn’t but whatever, the point is she’s been far too social lately and is just about ready to revert back to her hermit ways). Seriously, if it gets to the point where Mikey breaks out the password they created for emergency situations, and by emergency situations she means their lives have turned into a body snatchers movie, then she knows it's time to put on her pajamas, lock herself in her room, and eat ice cream straight from the carton.

This Tornado Loves You by theopteryx, 44k, Mature. 1933. Frank's been on the run a long time and he's forced to stop in his old hometown. At first things are about what he expects - old friends, unpleasant memories, and a less-than-desirable home life. Everything changes one night when he stumbles on an old hedge maze hidden in the woods. It's not the hedge maze that intrigues him the most, though, but the secrets of the house hidden inside.

NASAverse by fleurdeliser, 22k, Explicit. The second basement of Building Six at the Kennedy Space Center is not, Frank reminds himself, straightening his shoulders and stepping out of the elevator, one of the more intimidating offices in the NASA compound. It is, in fact, just one workshop out of many, where fabricators test out designs that come from the engineers upstairs--where Frank works.

Variations on a Fugue by mrsronweasley, 36k, Explicit. Frank Iero is a young nobleman currently living with his parents in the Lake District, where he plans on leading a quiet life away from London and its temptations. However, temptation moves into his neighbourhood in the face of one Gerard Way. (Early Edwardian AU.)

Public Enemy by tabulaxrasa, 21k, Explicit. In 1932, Gerard Way has been making a name for himself robbing banks up and down New Jersey. Frank Iero, analyst for J. Edgar Hoover's Division of Investigation, is determined to catch him.

Against the Wind by theopteryx, 21k, Explicit. Frank is the tutor for the two young children of Michael and Alicia Way. He has always been sickly, but when he begins to fall seriously ill he tries to hide it from his employers, terrified he will lose his position and have nothing. When Michael’s older brother Gerard unexpectedly returns from the continent, however, his problems only grow.

Can Never Wrong this Right by theopteryx, 24k, Explicit. Written for the hc_bingo challenge, for the square of 'forced soul-bonding.' It's 1949 and Dr. Way is a professor of Archeology and Frank is his constantly exasperated (and secretly pining) assistant. When their latest trek takes them to South America to locate the fabled Blood Stone, however, they both find more than they bargained for.

Love and Other Cliches by two_ravens, xaritomene, 29k, Not Rated. Bob Bryar is the best witch in the whole damn scene, even if he does say so himself. Which is just as well, because he's got responsibilities, most of which involve his charge, Gerard. Mainly, Bob's supposed to keep Gerard from falling down a well, or losing his sketchpad - little things, but Bob is a conscientious guardian. But when it becomes obvious that Gerard and Frank are hopelessly, silently in love with each other, Bob suddenly has bigger things to worry about. Nothing he's tried has ended in the declarations of love he'd been aiming for (not the fireworks, not the sunsets, not even the four hours they'd spent in locked in a closet). In a last, ditch attempt, he resorts to real spellwork, the epic, Cinderella kind, and now Frank and Gerard are stuck in a romance novel... with only one way out.

What Ships Are For by mwestbelle, 22k, Explicit. A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships are for. -William Shedd Gerard is most concerned when he finds that, while away at university, his father has taken in a new ward of his own brother's age. But upon his return home, he finds the young man to be particularly enchanting; unfortunately, according to the High Society he lives in, not only is Frank entirely too poor to be considered, but they might as well be brothers.

Like a Horse and Carriage by mwestbelle, 9k, Mature. Frank was raised wild, on a merchant vessel that sailed all around the world. When he returns home, an orphan, he is wed to a man with money and name that he has never met. A Victorian AU.

Illyria (King and Country) by tabulaxrasa, 57k, Explicit. Today, they'd woken up and Gerard was King of Illyria. Frank hasn't really been a stable boy since he ended up in the archduke's bed, but now Gerard's exile is over and he's king. Frank has to survive court, politics, and scheming nobles to figure out exactly what he is now.

[ctl-yuejie]

For the untamed ask game 5, 8, 10, 17, 16, 19, 21 35, 46 and 55

5. Biggest WTF momentThe golden core reveal in the book! ( read it before the drama so I don’t know how much I’d have been surprised without prior knowledge watching the scene in the series). Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention, but from what I remember I wasn’t even sure that Wei Wuxian had lost his Golden Core at that point. So I was extremely shocked by the reveal and also very excited because it made his past actions much more understandable and his dynamic with both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji got even more interesting. 

8. Most Confusing Part In The Storyon my first read i had a hard time remembering all characters so i think i zoned out a lot when the story didn’t focus on wangxian, so not necessarily a particular part of the story that confused me but i was just not paying enough attention. also: the timeline is random af.

10. Favourite Fanfic Set-Up Uhhhh!!! I love me powerful Yiling Patriarch stories where he survives the second sunshot campaign and anything and everything that focuses on the Yunmeng brothers relationship after canon. Also: every fanfic about the WangXian family regardless of universe.some great “bamf!wei wuxian survives the second sunshot campaign and adopts everyone”

16. Favourite Habitwei wuxian talking non-stop about lan wangji after they’ve met. so much so that the whole jiang family (read: jiang cheng) is super annoyed by it.

17. Purer Cinnamon Role Than Wen Ning (sorry for all these typos in the ask game) hmmmm…Wen Ning is pretty much peak pure cinnamon roll, but from the younger generation Ouyang Zizhen might even out-perform him. sure he is loud and direct, but also doesn’t know how to act in most social situations because the world is such a happy place for him and did you know that Hanguang-Jun and Senior Mo are dating and they’re not as dramatic about it as I want them to be but still super cute, and wtf Hanguang-Jun is now married to the Yiling Patriarch and all my dreams have come true, i have no idea why Lan Qiren looks so constipated maybe that’s because of Jingyi…..19. Cinnamon Role Meme (4 Characters) 21. A Fanon You Like hmmmm….this is pretty much canon but WangXian adopting everyone and everything while roaming the country & Wei Wuxian managing to cultivate MO Xuanyu’s core.and the lan wangji played inquiry for 16 years fanon. not because i think lan wangji would try and bind wei wuxian’s spirit to him but more so to find out whether he’s at peace and at some point it becomes this tiny remembrance song he plays for wei ying once a year.

35. Who Is The Biggest Disaster many disasters in this one but maybe Jin Zixuan??? i think he is so lucky for Jiang Yanli to be persistent in her love for him and MianMian intervening to clear up some misunderstandings…left on his own he really is a sad disaster.

but there’s some tough competition from wei wuxian, jiang cheng, jinling and more…

46. Favourite Fanfic / A Fanfic You Want To Recommendprepare yourself! (if not stated otherwise it’s wangxian)

since then i am because you are by sarahyyy (very short, fluff, oblivious wei wuxian & marriage)

overcast by willowcatkin (middle-length, canon divergence, role revearsal, accidental child acquisition)

and so my heart beats wildly by lily_winterwood (long fic, modern au with cultivation as an olympic sport, wangxian are competitors)

The (Several) Convenient Kidnappings of the Chief Cultivator by the Yiling Patriarch by misscam (short, some silly sexy fun)

your heart, two doors down by ficklish (middle-length, modern au, wangxian are neighbours, single parent! wei wuxian)

A Little Happiness by Suspicious_Popsicle (middle-length, post-canon, lan wangji turns into a child, everyone panics & wei wuxian just wants him to be happy)

asymptotic by chinxe (middle-length, canon divergence, lan wangji plays inquiry, that is how he encounters wei wuxian for the first time, beautiful but it also hurts)

transcendent by hyunbyun (short, wei wuxian is insecure about being in mo xuanyu’s body, domestic fluff)

Continuation by thefaceofno (long fic, post the untamed canon, hair brushing, some more pining but happy end)

i’d be all right (if i could just see you) byThirtySixSaveFiles (long fic, college au, wei wuxian is an idiot and takes lan wangji to a party)

Libation by BastetCG (middle-length, gods au, tentacle sex but in a very innovative way)

a lot can come from being in love with your captain bythefaceofno (long fic, part of a series, star trek au, various pairings, action & romance)

How Wei Ying Went from Oblivious Idiot to Shameless Boyfriend in Three Days by misscam (middle-length, college au, wei wuxian is oblivious but tries to be oh so helpful when lan wangji seems to have a crush on someone)

Adventures in Solitude by etymologyplayground (short, hurt/comfort, the untamed episode 16 canon divergence, lan wangji tries to come to the aid of yunmeng)

every time we kiss i swear i could fly by sarahyyy (short, kissing booth college au, lan wangji has a misunderstanding and is sad but all is well)

The Last Three Feet by etymologyplayground (middle-length, wangxian are oblivious, domestic downtime in cloud recesses with sizhui)

A Start on How by misscam (middle-lenght, college au, sleepovers!!, lan brother feels)

critical path analysis by chinxe (long fic, b99 au, hilarious perfection, it is scary how well the characters fit)

dirty politics by sarahyyy (short, politics au, wangxian are in a secret relationship but oh so wonderful together)

Rumor Doesn’t Have It (But Wei Wuxian Is Determined to Change That) by misscam (middle-length, post the untamed canon, everyone is weighing in on the relationship of the yiling patriarch and the chief cultivator, maybe wei wuxian should make some of the rumours come true)

Found Family by tulirepo (short, hurt/comfort, lan wangji finds ah-yuan on burial mounds, all the found family feels)

i want your heart to be for me by ThirtySixSaveFiles for sealdog (middle-lenght, wangxian soulmate au  but set in canon, usually not a soulmate au reader but the concept is tied in super nicely into the story here)

to recollect and long for by mme_anxious (middle-length, all the found family and ah-yuan feels, hurt/comfort)

Grand Pianos Crash Together by etymologyplayground (long fic, post canon, wangxian find back together: an epic)

grief; the stages of by synonemous (sussiekitten) (long fic, the whole story in a modern setting, stuck in early 2000 wei wuxian is hilarious)

Sleeping in Paradise by daiki (middle-length fic, thematic fic, wei wuxian survives the sunshot campaign, jiang yanli lives, jin rulan’s relationship to the mysterious sleeping person at lotus cove)

What Rests on Tea by Gotcocomilk (long fic, yunmeng feels, jiang yanli & jin zixuan live, inventor!wei wuian, some great hurt/comfort)

and i will go this way by detention_notes (long fic, post-canon, wangxian write each other letters, wei wuxian travels with lesbians and harrasses friends and family on his roadtrip)

Not Just Netflix and Chill (Or Lan Zhan’s Lack of Grasp of Euphemisms) by misscam (short, modern au, lan wangji is the cutest and wei wuxian is helplessly in love)

These Things Stay the Same by notevenyou (modern au, war zone/disaster zone journalist! wei wuxian, sizhui feels!!!!!)

works in progress (they are all very, very good)

a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke (long, almost finished, arranged marriage to save the yiling patriarch, yunmeng bro feels)

Death of a Ghost by Gotcocomilk (long, wei wuxian materializes as a ghost after his death, major yunmeng feels, he raises all the children)

Flowers of Blood and Bone by Sakurafubuki (AriasOfSnow) (long, vampire/vampire hunter au, a lot of action, great world building, crafty!wei wuxian, vampire!lan wangji)

I will surrender (myself to this moment in time) by Naamah_Beherit (long, post-canon, wei wuxian wakes up in gusu but has no idea how he got there, angst (with promised happy ending), lan sizhui calling wei wuxian father feels, wei wuxian gets confronted by the darkness in his life)

Lying on the Edge of a Star by Suspicious_Popsicle (long, slow-burn, wei wuxian falls into young lan wangji’s courtyard who is falling fast and deep, pity that to wei wuxian humans are but a fleeting existence)

please forgive my most passionate disruptions by pumpkinpaix (scribogenesis) (long, modern college au, wei wuxian is a stripper, lan wangji binds himself by his family’s old customs, marvelous character study, all the lan/yunmeng/wen sibling feels)

The storm comes and goes (and I keep walking) by Naamah_Beherit (long, wei wuxian survives the second sunshot campaign and roams the country as a rogue cultivator, he adopts all the children)

55. A Story-Arc That Haunts Youdefinitely the yi city arc!!!! i both love and loath it because it is just so sad and horrible but also has some stunning visuals, wei wuxian being a badass kindergartner and some big reveals for the main plot.

The Untamed / MDZS ask game

[genomynt]

An anime you would recommend to everyone?

BRUH I HAVE LOTS. I CAN'T CHOOSE😢😢

I don't have decent connection as I answer this (I'm on a bus) so I'm sorry if I don't have visuals😅

Depends on what genre you would prefer~

For some action and long running ones, I suggest:

Naruto *FINISHED* (Feels, ninjas, comedy, action, plot twists, hella fillers)

One Piece *ON-GOING* (pirates, dumb squads, adventure, friendship/nakamaship, plot twists, feels, complicated timeline)

Gintama *FINISHED (manga)* (Action, comedy, fourth-wall breaking, friendship, feels) Set during the Edo Period but it's invaded with aliens that's why there's a touch of modern technology. Samurais are dorks and badass at the same time.

Fairy Tail *FINISHED* (feels, adventure, friendship, implied romance, dumb squad, fantasy) Different people with different dreams... It's like Harry Potter but they're adults and with matured themes.

Attack on Titan *ON-GOING* (feels, action, plot twists, thriller, psychological) titans munching humans to humans killing humans as well.

OTHER SHOUNEN ANIMES

My Hero Academia *ON-GOING* (Just like Naruto but with a twist of X-men setting LMAO)

Kimetsu no Yaiba *ON-GOING* (Feels, action, comedy, thriller, dumb squads) a bunch of kids killing demons with a demon cinnamon roll™💖

BONGOU STRAY DOGS (action, thriller, mafia, based on real-life characters that are literary writers, and such)

Full Metal Alchemist (FEELS. DON'T FORGET. OCT 3. Action, feels, comedy, thriller)

Soul Eater (Action, thriller, comedy) it's like Hogwarts but you need to kill people and witches.

Blue Exorcist (Action, thriller, religion) 2 lads adopted by a priest and lne of them is the son of Satan killing demons.

Noragami (Action, thriller, comedy, implied romance, Japanese mythology) Gods doing random stuff and meddling with humans.

SPORTS

Kuroko no Basuke

- Basketball anime played by rainbow heads with different personalities.

Haikyuu!!

- Volleyball anime played by dorks

Yuri!!! On Ice

- Gays doing Figure Skating

Cheer Danshi

- Cheerleading anime

ROMANCE

Wotakoi

- ROMCOM. It's about a childhood friends turned lovers in their workplace as they were both geeks💖 The boy is a Gamer™ and the girl is a Fujoshi™

Kimi ni Todoke

- ROMCOM. Various ships in one Highschool. Sawako, our heroine is being bullied as the "Sadako" in their school due to her eerie vibe, until she met her badass friends who helped her with her love life and her make over.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-Kun!

- ROMCOM. Various ships in Highschool also. A grade-concious student is having trouble with this deliquent guy with a dark past within his family.

Kiss him! Not me!

- ROMCOM. Just a girl who is an otaku and a Fujoshi who later loses her weight because her anime crush died. Later, her schoolmates were outstanded by her new look and starts a reverse harem with her, but instead, she ships them so hard.

Ino x Boku SS

- ROMCOM, ACTION, THRILLER Japanese mythical creatures romances and daily lives.

Kami-sama Hajimemashita

- ROMCOM, Japanese mythical creatures harem with a human girl

COMEDY

Hetalia.

-Historical. This made majority of the tumblr weebs during the early 2000s. Just some Japanese stereotypes to different countries historically and present.

Osomatsu-san

- A re-imagined anime from the 1960s Osomatsu-kun! After decades, the sextuplets are now in their 20s, unemployed, and with different signature personalities living in one roof with their parents as they showed their daily lives ad dumb brothers. (MAY CONTAIN FEELS)

Daily Lives of Highschool boys!

- That's it. That's the plot it self

Nichijou

- Same as above, but it's Highschool girls.

Sakamoto Desu Ka?

- Daily life of Sakamoto of him how being cool and wholesome guy.

POP TEAM EPIC

- Random slapstick presented by two Highschool girls.

THRILLER/GORE

Tokyo ghoul

- Kaneki Ken had a date... then his date ate him; making him half-human, half-ghoul.

Corpse Party

- HORROR. A bunch of kids played a forbidden game that were trapped in a haunted school

Mirrai Nikki

- A survival game that requires you a phone. A psychopathic girl in love with a normal, pure boy.

Blood +, Blood C

- Highschool girl named Saya, killing vampires.

Others:

Bananyan!

Asobi Asobase (comedy)

Squid girl (comedy)

Azumanga Da yo! (Comedy)

Yamato Nadeshiko (ROMCOM)

Diabolik Lovers. (ROMANCE, THRILLER)

Ouran Highschool Host Club (ROMCOM)

Special A (ROMCOM)

Sanrio Danshi (slice of life)

Free! (Sports, swimming anime)

Sokugeki no Soma (Culinary anime)

Working! (comedy, slice of life)

Shakugan no Shana (Action, comedy, romance)

Fate series (various genres)

Ranma 1/2 (Retro anime, Comedy romance)

Owari no Seraph (action, thriller, angst, tragedy)

Honey and Clover (slice of life, romance)

Dokyuusei (Gay romance)

[rqt1351]

City Pop Presentation (featuring DJ Van Paugam), 2020, Online presentation

Script

[Play Plastic Love Intro]

[Ryo: Introduction] Originally from Miami Beach and currently based in Chicago, DJ Van Paugam specializes in 70s and 80s Japanese Disco, Funk, and City Pop. He claims the title of the first DJ on Youtube who used only vintage Japanese records as sources of his mix, that had rarely been heard outside of Japan. Credited with resurrecting the genre online, he influenced dozens of other Youtube Channels and Radio Streams. Having achieved 100k subscribers on Youtube, he lost his channel on February 14th 2019 due to a dispute with the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Despite losing his Youtube channel, he continues to DJ live and create new original content focused on expanding the influence of the music to inspire a contemporary and cosmopolitan minded audience. Please join me in welcoming Van Paugam.

[Van] In 1980s Japan, a particular genre of music called “City Pop” sprang from the financial boom. It drew influence from many styles including Rock, Jazz, Pop, and Disco. At that time the thriving economic “miracle” propelled Japan into the global stage as a top contender in technology, science, and business. It generated prosperous cosmopolitan lifestyles, and the City Pop sound was the perfect match for the mood. With the advent of advanced car stereos, it became typical to hear City Pop while driving through urban landscapes and sprawling highways encircling metropolitan areas. Now that Japanese music is becoming more appreciated globally, City Pop is once again being heard, this time mainly by listeners outside of the country. City Pop can evoke a strange sense of familiarity as it borrowed various elements from other genres and mixed them together with a different sensitivity. It seems like remembering a distant memory too obscure to make out completely in your mind, but still comforting enough to keep you hooked from beginning to end. City Pop has been described by many as incredibly nostalgic, even by those too young to remember the era.

Its imagery and themes often reflect the social paradigm of the times; excitement for the future, romance and heartbreak, optimism and an overwhelming urge to enjoy life.

The genre presents a time capsule into the collective psyche of those who benefited the most from the economic bubble.

It reflects the care-free, breezy perceptions of a newly cosmopolitan generation of savvy business people, socialites, and lovers of luxury.

[Ryo] In Van Paugam’s opinion, the years 1978-1985 produced the best City Pop songs, since after that era the music started sounding too commercialized. In 1985 there was a pivotal moment in Japanese economy called Plaza Accord. The accord was signed between Japan, the UK, France, West Germany, and the US, aimed at reducing the imbalance in trade between the countries. At that time, Japan had a huge trade surplus, as the Japanese yen was weaker against the US dollar, while the US suffered from a consistent trade deficit. The accord was partially due to complaints by the US regarding the imbalance in the exchange rate between the yen and the dollar. Most Japanese imports had cheaper prices relative to their quality than the domestic products due to the weaker yen. This sudden, steep appreciation in the yen arguably caused the asset price bubble from 1986 to 1991, and its subsequent burst in 1992.

[Van] Like all dreams, Japan’s economic bubble of the 80s popped going into the 90s, resulting in the country’s commercialistic paradise being perceived with sharp disdain as much less euphoric times loomed on the horizon. City Pop records, and all their fantastical neon hopes and dreams were nothing more than a remnant of a time many no longer remembered, and most would rather forget as evidence of a country’s collective recklessness and disillusionment. The genre had long been relegated to the dust-bin of Japanese cultural importance, except for the few who kept the records alive. Thanks to the internet, the genre eventually found a new home online in the mid-2010s. It is once again being shared and appreciated for its finely crafted melodies, soaring arrangements, and evocative imagery of hopeless romanticism, innocent joviality, and promises of a bright future.

[Ryo] Here are some YouTube comments on some popular City Pop songs: [Van] - Anyone get false nostalgia listening to 80's music? I feel like I remember memories of the 80's yet I was born in 95'. Its so weird [Ryo] - You remember that time we were working as police detectives in Tokyo during the 80's, and we were at this little bar in Yokohama chatting up this cute waitress when the yakuza busted in and we had to fight them to this song? [Van] - Damn, takes me back to a trip to Egypt with my grandfather, a frenchman, a school boy, an arabian and a dog to defeat a meterosexual vampire. Good times. [Ryo] - This comment section is flooded with shit like this and I can't help but have similar fake memories too. What the fuck is this magic?! [Van] - It was a good time. I went to middle school through college in Tokyo metropolitan area in 80s. We followed new video clips from MTV Japan, every week. I went to Michael Jackson’s concert in Tokyo Dome, which was a best and newest venue at that time. Everything was hopeful and I was truly happy to be living in Shonan area where we had beach heavily influenced by American West coast culture. Every morning, I was passing by surfers who parked their pink “Beatle” on the way to my high school. The beach culture, night club culture in Roppongi and Nishiazabu, Italian restaurants in Daikanyama, Towe records in Shibuya... those are the things we liked and feel privileged. [Ryo] - I think the reason we’re all nostalgic for a time we weren’t even alive in is that we are nostalgic for that happy go lucky feeling, that feeling of the summer breeze and no worry too difficult to overcome. An optimism that was popular in the Japanese roaring 80s, and in our childhoods in the 90s-early 2000s in contrast to today, where technology is more advanced and the news is rampant with corruption, death, and disease. I don’t care what no one says, I’m making this decade my roaring 80s [Van] - I'm a Japanese who spent the 80s as a teenager. This is like going back to the old good days with lots of foreign friends I've never met. [Ryo] - 1980’s Japan was living in the future

[Ryo] Japan’s younger generations generally feel indifference or even disdain or resentment toward the culture of “bubble generation” as they cannot relate to such an optimistic outlook because all they have seen growing up is a slow decline in their economic opportunities. Therefore they are cynical about nostalgia felt by the older generation who experienced it in real time. The City Pop phenomenon is an example of how global capitalism and nostalgia work together to produce wants, needs and desires as one comment says, “I didn’t realize I needed it until I found it, thanks YouTube algorithm.”

[Play Plastic Love outro]

[mitmediarepid-blog]

Love Stories in Western Culture: Duplicating Desire

The inclusion of desire in narratives within Western media has played an integral role in captivating audiences for centuries. The concept of desire depicted in Western culture has gradually taken on a rather hyperbolic identity, with the symptoms of desire becoming synonymous with the symptoms of insanity. The intimate, personal, and unique phenom that regularly occurs in the world has been bastardized, partly due to the consistent representation of desire in mainstream television and films. Most notably, romantic works of literature can be credited as the main culprit behind the reputation that desire has gained in modern times. Upon analyzing works of romantic fiction, it becomes clear why desire has turned taboo, and lost much of its integrity as a natural human emotion and expression.

Vampires and Emily Brontë? Despite the difference in decades, the leading man in Twilight is very similar to the original dark and mysterious antihero from Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff (L), played by Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights (1939), beside Edward Cullen (R), played by Robert Pattison in Twilight (2008). 

When analyzing works of fiction, author Catherine Belsey states in her 1994 novel, Desire, that the presence of desire promises “satisfaction, pleasure, and fulfillment” for readers (Belsey, 22). Here, Belsey alludes to the level of expectation that consumers familiar with the genre of romance hold when beginning to read a new novel; despite variety in characters and settings, readers can expect romance novels to follow a formulaic and structural approach. There is a tangible feeling of comfort that comes with knowing exactly what is going to happen next, and it is that feeling that the readers themselves desire. Belsey points out common tropes used in romance plots to prove the power that similarity holds over readers. For example, the “beautiful, sensuous, and witty” young heroine is often in pursuit of the “dark [and] striking” hero, who is usually identifiable by his high social standing or economic power (21). 

Belsey states that readers are not necessarily deterred by the sameness present in romances, as they buy romantic novels for the purpose of entertainment. Writers understand that audiences do not want to be challenged. As such, romances are certainly dynamic, but never chaotic to the point where there is no sound resolution. While the chance to live happily ever after is a luxury enjoyed solely by characters existing between the pages of romantic literature, a “satisfactory resolution” is accepted by audiences, as it has become “synonymous for love” (22).

Yet, if romantic narratives have become so predictable, why are they still so prominent in Western media? Love stories are important because they are written in a language that is has been universally understood for many years. As Belsey states, “the source of our knowledge [about romance] is intertextual” (31). Past forms of literature have formulated our understanding of the world, dating back to traditions of oral storytelling shared amongst early humans. One could argue that there are no new ideas found in mainstream entertainment in Western culture. Books, television shows, and films successful today gain attention because they are built upon the foundations that have been set by past popular pieces. Belsey references various examples of nineteenth-century gothic romances, such as Gone With the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, and Jane Eyre, as classical literature that has been recycled and reproduced throughout the years. Belsey even goes as far as to dissect how the 1939 film adaption of Gone With the Wind became known as one of the most recognizable modern love stories to ever appear on screen.

Surprisingly, Belsey does not really reference many of the plays written by William Shakespeare, despite him being one of the most highly regarded and studied authors in Western culture. Western society has an infatuation with Shakespeare’s works. This infatuation is warranted, as the plots in Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies have become the framework for creative narrative writing in the West. While Shakespeare’s theatrical works varied in content, they shared an abundance of similarities which audiences became familiar with. For example, all of Shakespeare’s comedies rely on complicated romantic plots that involves confusion between lovers, but ultimately can be identified as a comedy if a wedding occurs in the end. The consistent appearance of a wedding scene allowed for Shakespeare’s audiences to identify the genre, and learn to expect similar scenes in future productions. Shakespeare’s plays have become staple educational tools in Western schooling. However, Shakespeare’s writing is not studied because it is revolutionary by today’s standards, but rather because it provided clear cut formulas for other authors to follow. In this way, romance novels mimic Shakespeare’s use of patterns and structure. 

Much like romantic novels, Shakespeare’s work is not wholly original either; there are many elements of Shakespeare’s writing that can be traced back to ancient entertainment. Greek epics are comparable, as their narratives are also consistent and recognizable to audiences. Heroes were expected to embark on journeys and encounter unfathomable tragedies.

The aspect that has allowed for the work of the Greeks, Shakespeare, and romance authors of the nineteenth-century alike to remain relevant today is that their work revolved around emotions that are innately human and universally understood. That is the reason why stories from the past are able to be reworked into modern-day adaptions that maintain relatability with new audiences. For romantic narratives, the sheer presence of desire, as expressed by characters, encourages audiences to engage in the story. Every person has experienced the feeling of wanting before, even if it was not a romantic or erotic desire. People can then identify that same feeling of desire in someone else and empathize, whether it be in ink, on stage, or onscreen.

There is hope for the genre to evolve as of yet. Certain archetypes, such as the brooding, mysterious, and reclusive male lover has not evolved greatly from the likes of Heathcliff in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to Edward Cullen of Twilight. Still, many modern examples of re-vamped romance give hope to the future of romances. Screenwriting duo Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith are credited with creating some of the most popular teenage romantic comedy films from the 2000’s, by using well-know tropes, characters, and clichés as tools to counter outdated discourses. Lutz and Smith are best known for expertly reworking Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew into the 1999 hit 10 Things I Hate About You. Lutz and Smith recognized how strongly the wills of characters from The Taming of the Shrew could resonate with audiences if presented in a more modern time. They also adapted Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night into the romantic comedy She’s The Man (2006). The success of their adaptions of William Shakespeare into popular romantic films aimed to please audiences in the 21stcentury alone proves that there is success to be found in regurgitating romantic narratives in the past. 

Amanda Bynes pictured as Viola Hastings (R) in the She’s The Man (2006), a modern adaption of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. In the film, Viola dresses up as her brother Sebastian (L) to continue her dream of playing soccer, which differs from the original text greatly. 

Belsey is correct in saying that romance is “widely held in contempt in Western culture”, and due to the plethora of clichés that plagues the genre today, it will likely remain as such for years to come (32). However, desire acting as driving force in romance narratives has allowed the genre to continue thriving as “harmless escape” for audiences over many generations (31). Romantic pieces of fiction have survived by presenting real human emotions and human issues in easily digestible formats. Western society should care about love stories, because regardless of being subjected to mass production, stories about desire will always resonate with human audiences. 

If it isn’t broken, there is no need to fix it. 

[emmagreen1220-blog]

New Post has been published on Mythology.net

New Post has been published on http://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/zombie/

Zombie

What is a Zombie?

Zombies are all the rage in today’s horror and dystopian fiction. Their presence in book stores and movie theatres is inescapable, so you are probably already familiar with Zombie basics. They are undead. Mindless. Near invincible. And bloodthirsty.

Characteristics

Physical Description

Zombies come in all shapes and sizes. As long as the look is gruesome, there’s probably a Zombie to match!

Early, folkloric Zombies resembled a cross between ghosts and the Zombies we know and love today. They had the best of both worlds: solid, physical bodies without signs of decay. Still, they were often disheveled and had un-focused eyes.

After Hollywood got a hold of Zombies, they began a series of rapid transformations.

In the 1960s, the Zombie image was dominated by a single franchise: Night of the Living Dead. For the first time, Zombies began showing signs of decay and oozing wounds. Their skin was pale, with sunken eyes, and they moved stiffly and slowly, with their arms outstretched in front of them.

In the 1990s, video games gave zombies a makeover. These zombies, usually infected with a viral disease, had gorier wounds than their ancestors, and their eyes glowed blue or white. They still moved slowly, but their movement was more fluid, with lolling heads and swinging limbs.

The early 2000s saw yet another reincarnation of the Zombie. This time, they were rabid monsters with inflamed skin and bloodshot eyes. They moved quickly and jerkily, appearing to be in a state of frenzy.

The latest Zombies have shrunken into a skeletal form, with yellowing skin, shriveled up to expose the muscles and fibers below. Despite sporting the goriest wounds of all time, these Zombies are faster and stronger than ever. They can run, climb, jump, and tear you apart limb from limb.

Personality

Zombies have always been mindless creatures, with no emotions or complex thoughts, but they have not always been the murderous terrors that we know today.

The very first Zombies were tragic figures. They were bodies left behind by souls who were trapped between heaven and earth, usually a result of violent death like murder or suicide. Without their souls, they had nothing to give them direction, so they were enlisted into slave labor.

After slavery was outlawed, the Zombies needed new masters. They were adopted by Voodoo leaders, called bokors, who claimed that they themselves had created the Zombies. The Zombies themselves did not change much. They were mindless, but not particularly dangerous (unless a bokor wanted you dead).

Hollywood added the bloodthirsty spin to the Zombie’s personality, morphing them into monsters whose only master is instinct and whose strongest instinct is hunger.

Special Abilities

Even if they aren’t the masters of their own actions, Zombies are still powerful creatures with a variety of bloodcurdling talents.

Hollywood’s Zombies live to hunt, and like any hungry predator, they have finely tuned senses that help them detect prey. Early Zombies depended on vision and hearing, much like humans, but as Zombie-lore evolved, many of them lost their vision and began to rely heavily on their superb sense of smell. The emergence of nocturnal Zombies created a new breed with a talent for seeing in the dark.

Most Zombies hunt to eat, but when they ravage a town, the victims who get eaten are actually the lucky ones. Victims who are bitten, but not devoured, have a grislier fate. They have been exposed to the Zombie contagion, and unless they are executed by their friends, they will transform into mindless monsters as well. Because Zombies carry this plague, their numbers can quickly swell into an apocalyptic horde.

So why not nip a Zombie outbreak in the bud, before it has time to spread?

Taking out a single Zombie is next to impossible. You can shoot them, rip off their limbs, crush them, and they will still crawl towards you, longing to sink their rotting teeth into your flesh. If finishing off a single Zombie takes that much energy, imagine being caught in a cluster of four or five Zombies. You will probably end up being eaten or infected rather than putting a dent in the Zombie population.

Cultural Representation

Origin

The first germ of Zombie-lore came from Africa, where the native people of Gabon and the Congo believed in dead spirits called ndzumbi or nzambi. The original role of these spirits is unclear.

Belief in these pre-zombies spread during the 1500s, when the Atlantic slave trade began transporting millions of African people to the Americas. Belief in undead spirits became common in many South and Central American countries, but the most famous of them was Haiti.

After enduring years of brutal treatment, Haitian slaves rose up and overthrew their masters. In 1804, they were declared the first free, African republic, and unlike Africans in surrounding countries, Haitians were free to practice their own spiritual beliefs. Unfortunately, their original beliefs had become muddled with various other world religions during the years since they left Africa. Out of this mix, a new religion was born: Voodoo. Voodoo absorbed many ancient, African ideas, including the undead “zombi,” but it also put a new spin on the legend by claiming that zombis were created and controlled by Voodoo priests. Haitians believed that these zombis were used as personal slaves to the priests, but the western world, quick to slander Haiti, spread the idea that everything associated with Voodoo must be bloody and terrifying.

In 1915, forces from the United States of America began an occupation of hate. Since the western world had a tradition of demonizing Haiti, American soldiers were prepared to find horrors galore in this new country. Instead, they found nothing more than ghost stories about witchcraft and zombis (which Americans began calling “Zombies”). They added some extra gore to these stories and brought them back home, where they were turned into pulp fiction magazines and a few small-scale horror movies.

Eventually, the exotic appeal of Zombies began to wear off, and they began to fade out of fiction—until they were re-imagined in Night of the Living Dead, a 1968 breakthrough film that many people consider the debut of the real, red-blooded American Zombie.

Modern Appearances

Night of the Living Dead opened the floodgates for Zombie films, books, and games. Today, they are some of the world’s most iconic monsters, along with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and mummies.

Naturally, Zombies were immediate superstars in horror films, but they also helped to spawn a whole new genre of dystopian/apocalyptic fiction, which offers the audience a glimpse at the world’s grisly end. Landmark productions include The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later, World War Z, Zombieland, Dawn of the Dead, and The Horde.

Zombies have also popped up in some unlikely genres, like comedy (Shaun of the Dead and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and even romance (Warm Bodies).

Finally, Zombies are immortal favorites of the video game genre. They have been with video games since the beginning, back when the “zombies” were just “z”s that you had to dodge as they swarmed around a blank screen. They were popular in pixelated arcade games, and they have helped new styles of video games (like first-person shooter and multiplayer role-playing) find their footing in the market. Some of the biggest Zombie hits are Resident Evil, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Dead Island.

Zombies as Cultural Metaphors

You don’t have to be a fan of horror movies or shoot-em-up video games to be fascinated by Zombies. Many psychologists and sociologists have used Zombies as a way to track the evolution of cultural fears over time.

While confined to Haiti, early Zombies were a clear metaphor for the horrors of slavery. The original undead spirits were pitied because they were unable to return to lan Guinee, an afterlife that resembled the slaves’ homeland. Instead, they were forced to wander the foreign plantations forever. After slavery was abolished, Haitians continued to fear that they could be forced back into slavery—as shown by their dread of Voodoo priests transforming them into mindlessly obedient zombies.

Meanwhile, the world beyond Haiti demonstrated their fear of Haitian freedom by casting Zombies as terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters, instead of pitiful servants.

Eventually, the Zombie’s connection to Haiti was lost to time, and Americans began projecting their own, unique fears onto Zombies.

In the 1940s, Zombies were popular in comics, where they were seen working as German spies, then fighting outright with the Nazis. Eerily, many of the Zombies around this time could only be killed with atomic weapons.

In the 1960s and 70s, amid sweeping civil rights reformations, Zombies emerge as members of the white establishment. They wear tattered business suits and police uniforms, and they attack minorities or poor, overcrowded urban areas. In some cases, their victims are almost as brainwashed as the mindless Zombies. Those who are lulled into a false sense of security (asserting that the government will save them or delighting over the chance to loot an abandoned shopping mall) are the first to die.

In the wake of numerous global health scares, including Ebola, AIDS, and SARS, the 1980s ushered in viral zombies. Survivors lived in dread of exposure to the Zombie contagion and had to make difficult decisions about executing loved ones who had become carriers.

The latest incarnations of the Zombies have highlighted “us vs. them,” mentality. Staged in a lawless, post-apocalyptic world, these films make human-human conflicts just as dangerous as human-zombie conflict. They also introduce the idea that curing the Zombies and reuniting humanity is the only way to save the world.