Zombies in the Academy: Living Death in Higher Education

The theme of zombies is topical and provocative, with the potential to appeal to a wide range of readers. This book is an engaging call for recognition of the conditions of contemporary humanities research, teaching, and cultural and labour practices. The zombie trope offers an unusual perspective into discussions about the current crises in higher education, and the proposed structure of the book allows for the 3 editors to open up interdisciplinary discussion (with their 3 sections covering corporatisation & zombification, digital media & moribund content distribution, and zombie literacies & pedagogies). "Zombies in the Academy" taps into the current popular fascination with zombies and brings together scholars from a range of fields, including cultural and communications studies, sociology, film studies, and education, to give a critical account of the political, cultural, and pedagogical state of the university through the metaphor of zombiedom. The contributions to this volume argue that the increasing corporatization of the academy - an environment emphasizing publication, narrow research, and a vulnerable tenure system - is creating a crisis in higher education best understood through the language of zombie culture: the undead, contagion, and plague, among others. "Zombies in the Academy" presents essays from a variety of scholars and creative writers who present an engaging and entertaining appeal for serious recognition of the conditions of contemporary humanites teaching, culture, and labour practices.