Bookshelf
How to Make a Zombie: The Real Life (and Death) Science of Reanimation and Mind Control
The search for the means to control the bodies and minds of our fellow humans has been underway for millennia, from the sleep-inducing honeycombs that felled Pompey's army to the famous voodoo potions of Haiti. But recently, science has taken up the quest.
Science punk Frank Swain digs into the reality of zombies: dog heads brought back to life without their bodies; secret agents dosing targets with zombie drugs; parasites that push their hosts to suicide or sex changes; bulls and rats commanded by remote control; city streets designed to quell violent thoughts; interrogation techniques used by the military; and viruses that take over the body and won't let go. Packed with untold stories moldering in the corners of archives and labs, How to Make a Zombie is a mind-bending, entertaining excavation of incredible science.
Featured On Episode #228
Monster Mash
This week, we’re telling spooky stories about monsters both real and imagined. We’ll speak to science writer and blogger Frank Swain about his book How to Make a Zombie: The Real Life (and Death) Science of Reanimation and Mind Control. And we’re joined by science writer Matt Kaplan to discuss his book The Science of Monsters, about the possible real-world inspiration for some of fiction's most enduring creatures.