Zombies, a question

[krispos42]

I just finished watching "Dawn of the Dead" (2004) for the second or third time, and I have a question.

Do zombies rot? Do they otherwise die somehow?

I mean, they are dead, so presumebly the bacteria in the human body would start to run amok, digesting all the tissues, right?

So then if you or a group of people are able to take refuge someplace and be secure from the zombies, isn't it a matter of time before the zombies become non-ambulatory?

They do feast on human flesh, so they have some sort of hunger that needs to be filled. That would imply a starvation point, right?

It would seem that if the survivors waited long enough there would be a point where it would be safe to venture forth and rebuilt civilization.

Thoughts? Comments?

[DarkTirade]

1. That really depends on the rules of the individual fictional universe each zombie is in.

In the case of something like Dawn of the Dead, where there's no explanation as to how the zombie plague happened, we don't know. In the case of something like Resident Evil, where it's a virus that energizes the cells, one would presume that decay would stop, as the body is in a sort of psuedo-life state. Of course, since it is biological rather than magical in nature, one would presume that yes, eventually they would run out of energy and die once more if they can't find food. However if the zombies are mystical in nature (can't think of any movies that fit that bill offand, but then again, I don't watch many zombie movies. :) ), then they could probably be sustained as long as the magic itself is sustained.

[krispos42]

3. Well, that's what I mean

Zombies don't procreate, so their numbers are fixed unless they get new people to infect. If they don't die at any point in the reasonable future, they the surviving humans would have to kill all of them. Billions of them.

Sounds like a tough job.

[Mojambo]

2. I'm going to take this opportunity to throw out a book suggestion.

http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Z-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-3514229-7281406?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187861940&sr=8-1

Awesome book, whether you like zombies or not.

[DarkTirade]

4. I found an interesting zombie comic online recently

http://www.lastblood.net/

which, oddly enough, seems to be down right now... or maybe that's just my internet being wonky. It has a rather interesting premise as to the origin of the zombies though.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. Oh man, this is going to kep me entertained for a while after I get home from work.

Thanks!

[DarkTirade]

6. I'm always willing to share

I think I read more online comics than books these days.
That reminds me... I need to renew my library card. :)

[Tripper11]

7. good question and a great opportunity for me to promote...

a movie some friends and I have been working on.

Unfortunately I have not been able to work on it as much I would have liked.

Link to the movie, blog etc.

http://thebookofzombie.com/