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"[I]t's our game; that's the chief fact in connection with it: America's game; it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions, fits into them as significantly as our Constitution's laws; is just as important in the sum total of our historic life." — Walt Whitman

See, books can keep you safe from zombies. (image via flickr)

You're in a situation where a zombie apocalypse is imminent, and we have the technology to band together a literary A-team to fight them off. But putting together a ragtag band of badasses isn't going to cut it, because as tempers rise, so does danger to the group. It needs to be a crew that can work together while kicking some zombie butt. 

I've selected a team of nine heroes who, together, can put an end to every zombie that strays in their path. They won't stand a chance.

At once a staple in cult horror films and an icon to mainstream culture, zombies have gone through many reincarnations in recent history. The origin of zombies in popular culture goes back as far as the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1881. Frankenstein's monster isn't exactly what we'd consider a zombie these days, but Shelley was influenced by the history and folklore of the undead. Now, zombies are practically a genre of their own and annual Zombie Walks are held in every major North American city.

Everyone has a movie or a book or a video game that first introduced the wonderful world of zombies. I'm quite nostalgic about Zombies Ate My Neighbors… but more about that game later. There are hundreds, quite possibly thousands, of examples of zombies in pop culture, but I've put together a collection of the ones from recent history with the most artistic and social impact.

Whether it’s filled with sweet nothings or directions to the nearest zombie-secured manor, everyone needs to write a letter now and then. Transform your standard writing paper into a treasure when you age it yourself! This paper will be great for creating beautiful handwritten notes, like the kind Lizzie Bennet would write to keep in touch with Jane about family drama and zombie preparedness strategies.

Remembering loved ones nowadays means sharing photos online, but for folks in Regency-Era England, keepsake images were a little harder to come by. One of the many skills that could establish a young lady as thoroughly “accomplished” – aside from weapons use and hand-to-hand combat with the undead – was drawing. Drawing a silhouette was an affordable way for even young ladies without family, connections or fortune to keep a likeness of a friend or family member.

In Jane Austen’s time, silhouettes were made by shining light on a person in profile against paper, tracing the lines, and using that outline for cutting paper. In this modern version we simplify the process so anyone can immortalize a loved one as they are… or as a zombie!