The Real Zombies of Nature

By: Scientific American

Narrated by: Suzie Althens

The zombie has had a bit of a renaissance over the last decade. Hollywood churns out films like World War Z and TV shows like The Walking Dead, and communities throughout the country hold zombie runs and races. So what’s driving the zombie obsession? Where did the fear of this creature originate?

In this audiobook, The Real Zombies of Nature, we look at the myth of the zombie versus real instances of zombification in the natural world and engage in some scientific speculation about what would happen if myth ever became reality.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc. Scientific American is a registered trademark of Nature America, Inc. (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

You mean they are real?

I don’t really understand the fascination with zombie movies. But I can imagine the fear that I would have if such a thing were true and can sort of understand the struggle in knowing that you need to kill the zombie attacking you even when it might have been someone who had been a good friend or family member not long before. I just can’t get into something that is so far from reality.
Or are they? This is just an interesting short audiobook about the zombies that actually do exist in nature from parasites that take over an insect to wasps that lay the egg inside another insect so that their young can slowly eat their host from the inside out. While it might not be a book to listen to while eating your lunch, it is interesting in its own way.

I had to work at it.

I wanted to learn about parasitism and this book had plenty of information. But I couldn't keep up with the myriad details. I had to put it down and return to it later.