Inspired by horror films of the past, such as George Romero's 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, zombies have come lurching back into the forefront of the public imagination with books such as the Jane Austen parody Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, video games such as Left 4 Dead and blockbuster movies like Zombieland. The living dead have never been so popular! We all know that zombies are by no means a modern phenomenon but where did this zombie fascination come from, and where did people like Romero get thier inspiration? Zombies takes a look at all aspects of this gruesome entity and delves into the less well-known mythological and historical side of this fascinating subject.