Zombology, or the study, development and classification of
zombies, is a rich and interesting field, with a long history.
Although zombology has existed for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
years, in the form of magical or religious ceremonies which raised
the dead, modern zombology did not take form until about
1912.
In 1912, Dr. Otto Standish, known as the Father of Modern
Zombology, published Mechanisms and Characteristics of the Undead,
a treatise which raised zombology from the level of folklore and
myth to a science. Standish spent several years in the field,
studying the voodoo rituals which produced the undead, and their
effects on undead physiology.
More on Dr. Otto Standish
Growth of the Field
Modern Research
Zombie Classifications
More on Dr. Otto Standish
Otto Standish was the son of missionaries, and spent much of his
childhood in the Caribbean. It was there that he developed his
lifelong fascination with the undead. This fascination lasted even
after his parents perceived an "immoral interest in the black arts"
in their son, and decided to move back to America.
Standish attained a medical degree, but was frustrated by the
inability of modern medicine to explain the re-animations he had
witnessed in his youth. Eventually, he returned to the Caribbean to
apply the scientific method to this phenomenon.
With the cooperation of voodoo practitioners, Standish performed
various experiments with zombie subjects so that he could
accurately record their physical and mental characteristics. He
described his procedures in great detail, so that even though his
research was limited to voodoo-animated zombies, his methods were
later used to study other kinds of zombies as well.
Growth of the Field
After Standish's book was published, he was ousted from the medical
community. Nevertheless, some that read his book intending to
denounce it were intrigued by his ideas, and impressed by his
thoroughness. The book circulated quietly for a while, and then
interest died down. Standish moved back to the Caribbean in 1919
and disappeared.
Re-animation was brought back to the public interest after the
movie "Frankenstein" came out in 1931. There was some demand for
copies of Standish's book to see if he made any references to
electricity in his research. Although Standish did not cover this
method of re-animation, readers were again impressed by his methods
and thoroughness. Covert research into other methods of
re-animation began, and the field of zombology began to grow.
With the advent of the atomic age, even more methods of
re-animation were proposed and researched. Eventually, of course,
this explosion of research got noticed by the military. After a few
ventures which ended badly for most involved, the military decided
that the use of zombies in combat was too unpredictable and
abandoned the idea, with a few notable exceptions. However, even
without government assistance, the field of zombology continued to
quietly flourish.
Modern Research
There are many different branches of zombology today. They can be
seen in this basic chart.
Although thriving within it's own community, zombology continues to
be beneath the level of awareness of most of the world. That does
not mean that there are not opportunities for enterprising young
folk, though. There are always replacements needed in field
research, and there is even a growing interest in zombological
theory.
One thing to be aware of when entering this field is that it is not
very financially rewarding. Commercial, industrial and military
applications for zombies continue to go awry, when tried at all.
The last such attempt was "My Li'l Voodoo Kit", marketed by the
Farley Toys corporation in 1982. CEO and founder William Farley was
shortly thereafter put out of business by the various lawsuits
resulting from various uses of the kit by children. When asked
later to explain his actions, Farley said "Well, when I was little,
I raised the dead all the time, and it never got out of
control."
At any rate, grants for zombological research are few and far
between, so it is not an easy field to make a living in. Many
universities still do not recognize zombology as a valid science,
so there are no faculty positions available at this time. However,
many zombologists will tell you that it is the most rewarding work
they have ever done.
Zombie Classifications
Alien Zombies (Zombus Xenus)
This species of possessed zombie is typically used by aliens as a
means of warfare. The body is either inhabited by an alien
intellect, or controlled indirectly.
Biological Zombies (Zombus Biologicus)
These zombies are re-animated by some form of chemical. Application
of the chemical restores some basic brain functions, and
occasionally memories of previous lives. Zombies of this type
appear to have suffered some sort of mental defect which
pre-disposes them to misanthropy and cannibalism. There is a
variant of Biological Zombie where the re-animation is introduced
through a disease-bearing pathogen of some sort. In these cases,
anyone who has caught the pathogen will become a zombie after they
are dead.
Demon Zombies (Zombus Demonicus)
This second species of possessed zombie behaves under basically the
same principles as the Alien Zombie, except that the intent is
usually more malicious in nature, with no clear purpose other than
to cause suffering.
Electrical Zombies (Zombus Electricus)
This re-animation of this rare species of zombie is brought about
by applying a large electrical charge to a corpse. Bolts of
lightning provide sufficient charge, but there are further
intricacies involved which have prevented this type of zombie from
being common. The only persons able to reliably produce Electrical
Zombies were Baron Frankenstein and one of his descendants.
Mummified Zombies (Zombus Mummificus)
Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead, and then placed curses to
take vengeance on those who disturbed the tomb. This combination
has been known to produce re-animation in rare cases. Attempts to
reproduce the curses have not been successful, so this re-animation
is very uncommon and difficult to study.
Radioactive Zombies (Zombus Atomicus)
Radiation has also been known to restore basic brain function to
corpses. The resulting zombie is very similar to the Biological
Zombie. There are those that argue that these two zombie types are
the same species, and that the manner of re-animation is
irrelevant. This continues to be a divisive issue in zombology
today.
Satanic Zombies (Zombus Satanicus)
These zombies are re-animated by powers that are satanic in origin,
such as from a ritual read from a book of dark magic. They are
distinct from Demonic Zombies in that these zombies have self-will,
and are not merely possessed shells. They are typically malevolent
in nature. Those who cast the spell of re-animation are sometimes
in control of the zombies, but more often than not, the zombies
merely awaken and begin wreaking havoc.
Voodoo Zombies (i) (Zombus Caribbeanus Mortis)
Zombies from this species are closely related to Satanic Zombies.
Magic is still used in the re-animation process, but the power
stems from a human agent who has much more control over the zombies
after they come alive. For those who wish to produce zombies, this
has been established as the most effective method, simply because
the zombies will almost always do the bidding of their
creator.
Voodoo Zombies (ii) (Zombus Caribbeanus Vivus)
There is a variant of Voodoo Zombie where the zombie is produced
from a living person, usually through the forced consumption of
mind-destroying drugs. These zombies are relatively useless in
combat, since they are both slow-moving and can be killed like a
normal living person. For menial household chores, though, they are
quite useful.
