[DominusPisces]

Okay so most of us are in agreement that the ZA is pretty much hard to really imagine happening in today's day and age with all our technology without some very bad strings of luck. What eras do you think the ZA COULD conceivably happen? What time frames could have necessary population density to allow decent sized cities with the appropriate close quarters required to allow zombies to reanimate attack and then repeat before burning itself out by running out of population centers before funerary rights adapt to include lobotomizing the recently dead? Where technology is around that allows SOME form of defense for survivors and not so advanced that we have to have a coma victim to bypass an unrealistic society crumbling stage?

I'm going to say the best eras would be Ancient Rome, The Dark Ages with the Black Death and Victorian era Europe.

[BigEd]

Pre-Prohibition 1933. News traveled slowly, and everyone did not have radios.

What time frames could have necessary population density to allow decent sized cities with the appropriate close quarters required to allow zombies to reanimate attack and then repeat before burning itself out by running out of population centers before funerary rights adapt to include lobotomizing the recently dead?

Long incubation period. 24+ or more hours before the dead walk. That way, the body could be transported to another area, with greater targets of opportunity.

Where technology is around that allows SOME form of defense for survivors and not so advanced that we have to have a coma victim to bypass an unrealistic society crumbling stage?

The greatest form of defense is one's own will to survive. The will to survive is dictated by one's ability to adapt. And Adaptability is one of the greatest defense measures one can have to survive. The living can learn, the dead do not. If the living exploit it, the dead do not have a chance in the long run.

Society crumbling really depends on TIME, community, location, and humanity.

[Mac Tire]

That's an oddly-specific amount of characteristics.. I'd be interested to see old school feudal Japan hold their own. The place was tiny, a bunch of dudes with very sharp swords and a very pretty landscape. Might make a good novel in its own right that tickles the fancy of katana-smitten Westerners.

[doc dynamo]

The tradeoff is in ancient socieities you have less of a technological edge against zombies, but you have more people used to killing and fighting hand to hand and a greater ruthlessness in society generally.

Before the 20th century, most people had experience killing animals, and alot people were willing and able to apply these skills to killing people. So in ancient Rome there would be hand to hand dynamos like Tyrese all over the place. The authorites would not also be ruthless in dealing with outbreaks, if they had to burn sections of Rome to kill off the zombies, they'd do it.

[Mac Tire]

The tradeoff is in ancient socieities you have less of a technological edge against zombies, but you have more people used to killing and fighting hand to hand and a greater ruthlessness in society generally.

Less people, too. I think before the 20th century, there would be a good chance of eradicating the outbreak considering the population density of most societies. Once modern medicine and technology appeared, though, the population skyrocketed and contagious disease spread rates increased exponentially.

[Valleyaggie]

Doc is right. Back then, people were brutal in efforts to protect themselves from disease. A perfect example is Mary Kings Close. Now THAT was a creepy place!!