Log 1: Know Thy Enemy

Sun Tzu advises to “know thy enemy,” but he fails to mention how to go about knowing an enemy who does not yet exist. I knew there were three ways to answer this question: watching weeks of horror films, playing months of survival horror games and scrubbing the internet. Luckily I have done plenty of the former two, at least enough to know the basics of what we are going to be dealing with.


6 Ways to Spot a Zombie

1. Worn, tattered appearance – This is one of the hardest to decipher but train yourself because it will be the one to save you most. White or cloudy irises and disturbingly sunken eyes are always a telltale sign.

(New parents and students during finals are among the many types of people who can be mistaken for a fresh zombie so make sure you first try to make contact before beheading)

2. Physical Injuries (mostly fatal) – No one should be walking around with an ax lodged in their skull. Enough said.

3. Covered in Gore – If they are covered in buckets of blood and body chunks and not screaming that means they have just had a snack.

4. Smell of Decay – Decomposition, a raw meat diet, and a lack of general hygiene means you can usually smell a zombie before you see them.

5. Incoherent – Zombies “communicate” in grunts, moans and gurgled roars.

6. The Shuffle Scuffle – For the most part, our undead enemy is a slow walker. Scuffles are always a sign of danger as zombies haven’t the inclination for picking up their feet (for fear they'll fall off?)

Getting a Visual
It is good to “see” what you are looking out for too. Google is always a good place to find images of these signs. A perfect example is as follows (viewer discretion is advised):

This weeks homework: watch George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968)


Next Lesson: Types of Zombies and the Three Rules of Thumb.

*see resources for the official guide.