I am a pretty happy guy, because of that I think that I naturally gravitate towards shows that are happy. I like those that have a twist, but even though with suspense typically have a fairly happy streak in them.
An interesting contract between me and most people that are into Zombies and other stuff that I like is that I am not really into the Horror genre the way that they are. I am not really a big fan of scary movies, don't really watch them much. There are a few things that I like, like Zombie movies, but stuff that is designed 100% to simply make you jump and scare you really doesn't do it for me. Suspense is much more important than simply adding some tension inducing strings into the soundtrack and throwing in some loud noises randomly or flashing things on the screen.
I will watch something "horror" as long as it is more based on the story and actually has a real plot. It is also a plus if the end is actually happy rather than simply a resolution. I don't know if it is because the story sticks with me after the movie is over, or if I simply dwell on it afterwards, but it just isn't enjoyable.
An awesome contrast to this is the Walking Dead. Not only is it actually an awesome story, but it isn't afraid to push the limits. Every successive episode takes it even farther, showing that they really aren't afraid to make their point and tell their story at any cost.
I think that my favorite thing about it is simply its realism. It took the basis of the Zombie lore, and laid it over 100% reality. They don't have any weapons that aren't realistic, the stakes are real, even their control over the situation is realistic. I have some slight issues with the story, such as an unrealistic representation of the Undead vs. Living population. I think that if the Undead were to take over like they did in the show their numbers would be far greater than indicated. Literally every person that they killed would turn into a Zombie, there wouldn't hardly be any "dead." There would either be the "Undead" and the living, that's it. Considering the population of the Georgia alone, where the show takes place, if we only see a handful of people that are alive, that would mean that the millions of others that were in Atlanta would all be the "Undead."
So, that single point aside, it is awesome. Any show that started off showing its main character blowing away a little girl Zombie, means business. The second episode pushed it even farther, and 4 episodes in I watched a sister have to shoot her own infected sister in the head to spare her the agony of turning into the "Undead" fully on her own after being bitten.
It pushes the limits, but it is still entertaining. It isn't scary, but the reality that is being laid out on the screen is definitely frightening. It is this skirting of boundaries that makes me really consider writing something that is a different genre than what I typically think about. I know that I am not going to start writing just to scare, rather than entertain, but it does make me think that I can push the limits and subjects that I would normally think about to include things that are emotionally charged on a difficult level.
Tucker Max isn't a fiction writer, but the maxim that he clings to the most fiercely, the one that makes him so popular, is his unflinching honesty. He says everything he feels, everything he wants, and everything that he did; he does it regardless of how it makes him look or the impact that it has on everyone. Oddly enough, even though he talks of the repulsive things that he does with such blatant honesty, he seems to gain more respect for simply telling it exactly like it is than he loses for saying what he says. I think that same honesty can be applied on a fictional level in its dedication to the truth of the emotions of those involved. That is the feeling that I get when I watch the Walking Dead, and hopefully I can learn to apply those same principles and unwavering dedication can inspire others from my work the way that I have been inspired by those qualities in others.
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