In my debut novel, Fantastic America, zombies are one of the first threats to emerge when magic returns to the Earth. They are dangerous not only because they spread their condition to the living, but because they can appear anywhere the dead can be found. Cemeteries, hospitals, and funeral homes are risky places to be without special precautions.
Of course, zombies are only one kind of undead creature. Legends of vampires, ghouls, and ghosts may have some basis in fact as well. With so much conflicting information since the return of magic, who knows what dangers lurk in shadows?
One thing is certain, the undead are proof that the world we’ve known has changed. If the dead are restless, people can expect other changes, other horrors to rise up in this new world. The reality humans have known for the last six thousand years is no longer a reliable guide. Fear mounts day by day.
Yet life goes on. Even in the face of the unimaginable, people work, worship, fight, and love just like they did before monsters, miracles, and magic. Fear may be more widespread, but it hasn’t paralyzed the world entirely. Fear has slowed the pace of progress, and certainly made nights more dangerous. Each sunrise gives people a chance to go on with their daily routine, to celebrate their good fortune, and continue pursuing their hopes and dreams.