A killer monkey. Suburban witchcraft. Motorcycle jousting. A cockroach invasion. Despite this enticing list of other subjects, George A. Romero is best known for the genre-defining 1968 film Night of the Living Dead and subsequent zombie films. The non-zombie films in his decades-long career have gotten varied degrees of critical examination but they remain underexamined compared to the Dead flicks. This book focuses on Romero's "other" work, highlighting lesser-known films such as There's Always Vanilla (1971) and Bruiser (2000), as well as more popular films such as Martin (1977) and The Crazies (1973). It examines how his body of work participates in social critique by delving into issues such as capitalism's pitfalls and excesses, domestic and racial power imbalances, and our patriarchal culture's expectations of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality.

In 1968, George Romero's film Night of the Living Dead premiered, launching a growing preoccupation with zombies within mass and literary fiction, film, television, and video games. Romero's creativity and enduring influence make him a worthy object of inquiry in his own right, and his long career helps us take stock of the shifting interest in zombies since the 1960s. Examining his work promotes a better understanding of the current state of the zombie and where it is going amidst the political and social turmoil of the twenty-first century. These new essays document, interpret, and explain the meaning of the still-budding Romero legacy, drawing cross-disciplinary perspectives from such fields as literature, political science, philosophy, and comparative film studies. Essays consider some of the sources of Romero's inspiration (including comics, science fiction, and Westerns), chart his influence as a storyteller and a social critic, and consider the legacy he leaves for viewers, artists, and those studying the living dead.

In Living with the Living Dead, Greg Garrett shows that the zombie apocalypse has become an archetypal narrative for the contemporary world, in part because zombies can represent a variety of global threats, from terrorism to Ebola, from economic uncertainty to mental illness. But paradoxically this narrative also offers human beings a chance to find emotional and spiritual comfort; these apocalyptic stories about individuals facing the imminent prospect of grisly death also offer us wisdom about living in community, present us with real-world ethical problems, and invite us into a conversation about what it means to survive.

Dr. Farnham had thought to help the world with his invention, instead he released a plague upon it.

Hunting parties from an elven village are mysteriously disappearing. Similar mysteries plague a dwarven settlement on the far side of the mountains. Each side blames the other. Only a band of tried and true heroes can root out what sinister force manipulates these normally peaceful people. But can they conquer that evil before the tribes go to war?

Serafina Raider did not volunteer for the job of ghost hunter. Instead she was murdered and magically returned to her body to take up the role of defending the world against evil spirits. She doesn’t want the job, or her partner, Devan Nolan, the man who killed her. But in Black Snow she does accept the task of hunting down a serial killer even if ghost hunters are specifically forbidden from interfering in mortal affairs. In Bad Wolf, Serafina must take on the escaped ghost she has tracked and trapped before. Only this time the danger is worse. The ghost has attached itself to a werewolf and is forcing the haunted creature to murder innocent humans. In Caged Glass, Sera knows she must finally defeat the ghost of her mother. Sera would rather be running a restaurant instead of ghost hunting with her partners, Devan and Tony. But defeating the ghost with traditional methods proves impossible. Sera has to learn to use magic and must put her trust in a pair of witches who are also the grandparents who abandoned her when she was a baby. The need to protect those she loves, along with dire threats concerning her ownfuture from the forces of Heaven, push Sera to do whatever she must to defeat the dangerous ghost of her own mother.

Colonized since the 1600s, Taiwan is largely a nation of settlers. Yet within its population of 23 million are some 500,000 Aboriginal people. Genetic research has permeated both the political and popular spheres as Taiwanese nationalists and Chinese nationalists argue over the significance of migration theories and as the media proliferates genetic theories on predispositions to alcoholism. As this book demonstrates, genetics serve, on the one hand, to reinforce claims to a unique national identity and, on the other hand, to reinforce anti-Aboriginal prejudices. Increasingly, genetic research on Aborigines is being integrated into biotechnology planning, both in the country and through controversial US patent applications. The legacy of this work has been mass violations of the rights of Taiwanese Aborigines. Examining a troubling revival of racially configured genetic research and the questions of sovereignty it raises, Living Dead in the Pacific details a history of exploitation and resistance that represents a new area of conflict facing Aboriginal people both within Taiwan and around the world.

Horror fiction is an important part of the popular culture in many modern societies. This book compares and contrasts horror narratives from two distinct cultures--American and Japanese--with a focus on the characteristic mechanisms that make them successful, and on their culturally-specific aspects. Including a number of narratives belonging to film, literature, comics and video games, this book provides a comprehensive perspective of the genre. It sheds light on the differences and similarities in the depiction of fear and horror in America and Japan, while emphasizing narrative patterns in the context of their respective cultures.

Remembering the dead is a topic which connects various cultures and traditions. The reception of the African tradition of ancestorship is a theological enrichment in the ecumenical discussions all over the world. In our time, the exchange of gifts plays a great role in promoting unity of the Churches. Especially the concepts of African theology with the incomparable special position of Jesus Christ as "proto ancestor" are important for the interconfessional dialogues. The veneration of the ancestors in Africa can be a help to begin ecumenical discussions in this regional context on the question of the veneration of the saints. According to African tradition the ancestors also have influence on the process of purification. Therefore, the veneration of the ancestors contributes to providing answers to the ecumenical controversies about the understanding of the eschatological purification. Sentus Francis Dikwe SDS, born in 1980 in Morogoro, Tanzania, ordained priest of the Salvatorian Congregation. He attained doctorate in theology 2020 in Munster, Germany.