Dear Zombie Master: Are Vampires Zombies?

by A.P.
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Dear Zombie Master,

My Girlfriend and I got into a heated debate regarding Vampires and Zombies. She says that technically by definition, a Vampire is a Zombie (a reanimated corpse that preys on the living). I agree with her in part; however, I argue that there are too many differences between them, and while they both fall under the ‘undead’ category, they are distinguished as two completely different creatures.

What is your opinion on this?

Thanks,

A.P.

A. P.

You can tell your girlfriend (though not in an 'I was right, you were wrong' kind of way) that you were right and she was wrong. That would be like saying David (The Lost Boys) and Edward (Twilight) are vampires because they both drink blood. Just because one or two characteristics match doesn't mean we can broad-brush the group.

There are several members of the 'undead' category (zombie, ghoul, mummy, vampire, etc.) that have very different characteristics and it is these characteristics that require the separation. The most important (IMHO) being the cause of 'permanent' death. Drive a stake through the heart of a zombie and you will have a zombie walking around with a stake in his heart. Likewise, shoot a vampire in the head and he/she will just laugh at you while he is chasing you down.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master