tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23449634.post43673489801314181..comments2024-03-28T00:08:13.399-07:00Comments on Taliesin meets the vampires: Vamp or Not? Kabaneri of the Iron FortressTaliesin_ttlghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10105263634442191232noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23449634.post-55714043335546838312016-12-22T23:26:48.723-08:002016-12-22T23:26:48.723-08:00Hey Stephen. thanks for the comment and I didn'...Hey Stephen. thanks for the comment and I didn't think it facetious at all.<br /><br />Staying with the definition of a zombie being the one of the modern (Romero) type, the differences are indeed slim in places. This type of zombie was popularised (at least) in Night of the Living Dead - and they weren't termed as zombies in that but as ghouls. However Romero (and John Russo, who co-wrote the screenplay) have said they were at least part inspired by Richard Matheson and his novel I am Legend; a vampire novel... so zombies would seem to be in part derived from the vampire genre.<br /><br />Its interesting that you mention "To me, modern zombies ARE vampires, just without the symbolic trappings" as the I am Legend novel (and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it) did have the trappings of (fear of) mirrors, crosses, garlic - but gave a secular and scientific reasoning for it.<br /><br />I do think they evolved into a genre in their own right and there are some differences (but it isn't hard and fast, and counter-examples can always be found).<br /><br />Vampires tend to not be physically corrupted/rotten (at least after feeding) - zombies will consistently rot.<br /><br />A lot of vampire stories tend to use a variant of the sunlight trope - most zombie films do not.<br /><br />Most vampire stories have the vampire develop fangs - zombies rarely do.<br /><br />The rules around turning can be convoluted for vampires (this is definitely not hard and fast) - zombie films tend to have a bite and turn policy. This, in turn (pardon the pun) means that vampires tend to be portrayed as fewer in number, rather than exponentially spreading zombie population but again there are examples of zombies who don't increase their numbers and vampires who do.<br /><br />Some people build a case that vampires stick to drinking blood, zombies eat flesh but that really is a thin one and there are plenty of flesh eating vampire examples.<br /><br />To me the biggest one is vampires are shown as sentient thinking creatures who can rationalise and plan - zombies are shown as unthinking and driven solely by instinct. Again this can be challenged depending on the film.<br /><br />So... not so easy... hence I do, where the distinction is very grey in a particular vehicle, use the term zompire.<br /><br />Also I do tend to be more liberal with interpretation of the vampire at times (for instance I have been repeatedly challenged for calling the energy vampires in the centre of the TV series Heartless vampires... surely they are succubi (as sex is a primary feeding method) but they are, in my mind, vampires as there is little distinction within that vehicle.)<br /><br />I hope that explains my thinking but I do believe there to be merit in your position that "modern zombies ARE vampires"Taliesin_ttlghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10105263634442191232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23449634.post-65566578288030130422016-12-22T16:53:55.496-08:002016-12-22T16:53:55.496-08:00I have never really understood the difference betw...I have never really understood the difference between vampires and the creatures now called zombies - not to be confused with actual zombies, the undead slaves of a sorcerer - because both involve dead people rising, feeding on the living and turning their victims into creatures like themselves. To me, modern zombies ARE vampires, just without the symbolic trappings. Take away crosses, garlic and blood drinking and there's not much of a distinction. As the expert, how do you determine the difference? If this seems facetious, it's not. I genuinely do not understand how to tell which is which sometimes. Stephen Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05244078116779511353noreply@blogger.com