The Zombies by Donald Barthelme

"There are good zombies and bad zombies. Gris Grue said so."

If there is another author other than Ray Bradbury who can help me get out of this severe reading and writing slump, it would probably be Donald Barthelme. I didn't want to pigeon-hole myself into only reading scary horror short-stories this month. The horror comedy subgenre doesn't nearly get enough recognition but is even more difficult to pull off effectively. Sure, there have been several great movie/tv horror comedies over the years like Shaun of the Dead or What We do in the Shadows, but I don't recall coming across many memorable horror comedy short-stories. 

"The Zombies" by Donald Barthelme is so unique, absurd, clever, surreal and just pure vintage Bartheleme in all his satirical glory. This is no mere subversion of a familiar horror archetype, this is an author at the height of his imaginative powers, giving us something that feels less like a story and more like a bizarre, darkly funny thought experiment. Barthelme doesn’t just invite us to laugh at the undead—he compels us to empathize with them, turning our typical expectations on their heads and laughing at his own genre-defying creation along the way.

The story thrives on absurdity but never feels gimmicky like it’s trying too hard, which is what makes Barthelme such a master. He takes a concept as overplayed as zombies and breathes fresh, strange life into it with humor that’s as silly as it is profound. There’s a delightful dissonance here, where disturbing moments meant to chill instead make you chuckle, and the existential crisis of these undead characters is treated with a levity that somehow makes it hit harder.

Barthelme’s prose is the real highlight, like a jazz musician on a caffeine kick – unpredictable, sly, and filled with deadpan humor that’s at once clever and totally ridiculous. This shouldn't work and would be a mess in lesser hands yet, somehow it all works. Each sentence has a punchline simmering beneath it, and his zombies don’t stumble so much as philosophize their way through their humdrum existence. The narrative is spiked with satirical digs at modern culture, social conventions, traditions, relationships and media with a touch of literary madness that makes you want to double-check if you've really just read what you thought you did.

Ultimately, "The Zombies" is a reminder that horror can be many things—it can unsettle, amuse, even philosophize. Barthelme does it all with a wink and a smile, making this story a must-read for anyone looking to shake up their usual horror fare. This is the kind of story that leaves an impression, the sort you’ll think about long after you’ve read it, chuckling to yourself and wondering just how Barthelme pulled it off so effortlessly.

You can read this story HERE.