Guest Post by Sir Frederick Chook: "We Need to Talk Zombies"

We Need to Talk about Zombies by Sir Frederick Chook
Penned upon the 13th of June, 2009
First appeared in FrillyShirt (www.frillyshirt.org).

 

Zombies, you see. Zombies and pirates. Now, I love zombies and pirates as much as anyone – anyone could tell you that. At this point, though, I think zombies and pirates have contributed as much to our culture as they possibly can – at least, without a long period of contemplation and re-imagination. Therefore, I’m proposing replacing them.

Now, I know for a fact I’m not the first person advocating such a move. I hope, though, that you’ll hear me out. I firmly believe it’s time for zombies and pirates to step down, in favour of werewolves and Napoleonic soldiers.

I know; I’ll be sorry to see zombies go, too. But, when Pride & Prejudice & Zombies appeared, we realised it was time to move on – everyone knows the natural accompaniment to Austen is malevolent roving weather balloons. Werewolves have been out of the limelight (and the moonlight) for some time, though – they deserve their chance at fame.

Where zombies shuffle down the street, being all “we represeeennnt modernity’s failinnnngs” and “urrghhh we are the underclass created by commerce, science, industry and military” and “braiiins,” werewolves could be “grrrr arrgh I am the temptation to live a rewarding but immoral life” and “I am humanity’s struggle with the concept of evil arooooooooo.” Plenty to work with there, don’t you think? There could be Werewolf Lopes, we could all tuck fur in at our collars and cuffs, put on big prosthetic eyebrows like in that one ridiculous Wuthering Heights adaptation…

Pirates, too! Pirates, at the moment, are all “an imagined history of an era of personal freedom, of rough but fair justice enacted with one’s own hands, realised through a West Country accent, Jimlad.” I think, socially, that doesn’t represent our mindset as it once did. Napoleonic soldiers could take us to a different level, more of a “building up a new age of Reason” and “though we die, the Code shall prevail” and “for France!”

Plus, you can wear those tall hats. And epaulettes! And your nephew can build public works, install a city-wide system of pneumatic messaging-tubes, and violently suppress the communists. I don’t at all see how this could fail to catch on!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sir Frederick Chook is a foppish, transcendentalistic historian who lives variously by his wits, hand to mouth, la vie bohème, and in Melbourne with his wife, Lady Tanah Merah.

When not reading Milton and eating Stilton, he writes, ponders, models, delves into dusty archives, and gads about town. He has dabbled in student radio and in national politics, and is presently studying the ways of the shirt-sleeved archivist. He is a longhair, aspiring to one day be a greybeard. He has, once or twice, been described as “as mad as a bicycle.”

FrillyShirt is a compilation of articles, essays, reviews, photographs, artworks, question-and-answers, promotions, travelogues, diatribes, spirit journeys, cartoons, ululations and celebrations by Sir Frederick, his friends and contributing readers. Irregularly regular features include Teacup in a Storm, an etiquette column, and How to be Lovely, advanced speculations on the aesthetics of the self.

Other topics that pop up include fun things in and around Melbourne, art, nature, history, politics and schnauzers. Sir Frederick’s favorite color is all of them. Enjoy his writing? Drop him a telegram at fredchook@frillyshirt.org.