Zombies . . . Vampires . . .

"Avoid sending us zombie stories...we get way too many of those and they aren't all that original." - Golden Visions Magazine, submission guidelines. 

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I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of zombie and vampire stories.  They're everywhere.  I mean, seriously . . . do you remember the vampires of the '90s--how cliche the idea was to be this ultra-gothic, sexually demonic, mysterious entity with some clever stage name like Drake Alexander.  

I mean seriously, everyone comments on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series, but that's nothing compared to the past twenty years or so . . .

Not to mention the countless movies and musical acts centered around vampirism.  I won't even list the number of vampire-goth-black-metal bands that took the stage with fangs and long, black, sharpened finger nails.

But today it's zombies.  Zombies, zombies, zombies . . . everywhere!  Zombies!  The apocalypse is truly upon us!  Just look:



Zombies!  They're everywhere!  A countless number of short stories, novels, humorous books, comics, movies, illustrations, conventions--not to mention zombie walks (a public display where numerous individuals dress up in zombie costumes and linger about public places such as malls, parks, city centers)--and the list just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.

Annoying.

Could we perhaps, I don't know, move on to something else?  What about mummies?  Why isn't there a mummy craze?  What's so special about zombies anyway?  And for that matter, vampires?

I must admit that I have read my fair share of vampire novels, even loved a few.  Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls definitely ranks number one on my vampire novel list.  And I've read a few zombie stories, including Max Brook's Zombie Survival Guide, which I admit was insightful and comical.  But still . . . WHEN IS IT GOING TO END?! 

Zombies . . . vampires . . . vampires . . . zombies . . . vampires . . . zombies . . . zombies . . .