Zombie FAQ's by Mike

I was recently sought out by two of my Dweller-pals to answer a few questions about zombies. They regarded me as the resident expert on the subject, and I was happy to help. My answer satisfied them so that I thought it would be helpful to further elaborate for the world to see.

James: What happens when zombies eat everyone? What will they eat if there aren't any humans left?

Zombies are forever cursed with hungering after warm flesh. When someone dies and rises as a zombie, a part of their brain is instantly drawn to the living Man. This idea of a tumor-like development within the zombie brain is discussed by many in the field of zombie entertainment. George Romero, the father of the entire zombie sub-genre (despite the fact that he always thought of them as "ghouls" instead of "zombies"), coined the classic phrase "destroy the brain or severe the head" which describes the best way to stop a zombie. Their primal urges all stem from their brains, or as Michael Arnzen in his poetry book "Rigormarole" calls it, their Resurrectal Cortex-- the thing that makes them hunger.

That said, being that the zombies are already dead, they don't necessarily need to eat humans to live. In fact, they don't have to eat to survive. What's going to happen to them if they don't eat? Are they going to die? No. They'll just hunger. Because that is part of the zombie plight, that is their eternal punishment: they have to roam the earth forever wanting some grub. It's like eating an unbelievable steak while on vacation. You may never get back to that vacation spot to eat a steak like that again, but the want for another steak like that could always remain in the back of your head.

There are a few instances in what I call "the good zombie films" where one sees what happens to zombies when they don't eat: nothing. They simply continue to shuffle around, moaning and occasionally knocking things over. The guys who asked me this question had just finished watching the re-make to "Dawn of the Dead". In the film, as with the first version, when the zombies aren't chasing their living meals, they are just walking around the mall (like they used to do while they were living). They aren't falling over because of starvation. And in the new film, it doesn't even appear that they care about dogs.

So as a final answer: Nothing will happen to zombies if they don't feed on humans. However, something will happen to you if you get too close to one.

Ben: Do zombies need to sleep?

This question sort of relates to the first question. Because zombies do not need food to survive, they technically don't need sleep either. Some of the most basic functions that keep humans alive don't even apply to zombies (and as we've seen in "Land of the Dead" they don't need oxygen either). And so while zombies don't need to sleep, they might be able to reach something close to that.

There is some good evidence in a few zombie films that show zombies sort of "vegging out" or slipping into a sort of daze. They aren't necessarily dipping into the dream world, but instead just close their eyes and stand still, waiting for someone to come by and startle them. You'll sometimes see a character walk into a room filled with dead bodies, and think that he or she is safe... only to find that hidden amongst the bodies are some zombies who appear to have been taking a nap. It may be one of those things that just sort of happens to zombies because they feel the human urge. Since there are so many memories and feelings left within zombies, reminding them of what they used to do as humans, it makes sense that they would "feel" like they should pretend to sleep.

So as a final answer: No, zombies don't need sleep, but they can sometimes veg out.