Zombies arent just the stuff of nightmares. Explore the fascinating world of real-life insect zombification.
Zombies are all around us—insect zombies, that is. In Rise of the Zombie Bugs, Mindy Weisberger explores the eerie yet fascinating phenomenon of real-life zombification in the insect class and among other invertebrates. Zombifying parasites reproduce by rewriting their victims neurochemistry, transforming them into the "walking dead": armies of cicadas, spiders, and other hosts that helplessly follow a zombifiers commands, living only to serve the parasites needs until deaths sweet release (and often beyond).
Through vivid descriptions and captivating storytelling, Weisberger explains the sinister mechanics of natures most cunning survival strategies, including the biological marvels and evolutionary intricacies behind zombie ants, mind-controlled beetles, and the fungi and viruses that reprogram their hosts behavior. Blending scientific rigor with a flair for the macabre, Weisberger takes readers on a global journey—from Brazilian rainforests to European meadows—to uncover the dark secrets of parasitic manipulation.
Her examination of these creatures seeks to answer fundamental questions of their existence: why is a bugs world full of zombies, why are arthropods so susceptible to this zombification, and could the creators of zombie bugs ever evolve to do the same to people? Perfect for fans of horror and science alike, Rise of the Zombie Bugs offers a chilling yet enlightening look at the hidden world of parasites. Its a must-read for anyone curious about the true terrors lurking in natures undergrowth and the unnerving beauty of evolutions darker side.
Mindy Weisberger, a science writer and media producer, is a senior science editor at Scholastic. Her work has appeared in numerous outlets, including CNN.com, Live Science, and Scientific American.
Introduction: Puppetmasters, Puppets, and What Makes a "Zombie Bug" 1. Zombifiers: An Origin Story 2. Zombifying Fungus: Zombie Ants 3. Zombifying Fungus: Zombie Flies, Beetles and Millipedes 4. Zombifying Fungus: Zombie Cicadas 5. Zombifying Viruses: The Attack of the Ooze 6. Zombifying Wasps: The Original Chestbursters 7. Zombifying Wasps: Zombie Spiders, Roaches and Ladybugs 8. Zombifying Flies: Ant Decapitators and Rise of the ZomBees 9. Zombifying Worms: What Lies Within 10. Our Zombie Future Acknowledgements Bibliography Notes
Zombies arent just the stuff of nightmares. Explore the fascinating world of real-life insect zombification.
In this absorbing, richly researched book, Mindy Weisberger has created a one-of-a-kind work of art and science—a fascinating, funny, and terrifying examination of one of natures most interesting evolutionary quirks, the zombifying parasite. Its Charles Darwin meets George Romero in this strange and beautifully written study of one of the most obscure corners of our natural world.
—Jay Bonansinga, coauthor of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor
Horror movie zombies are frightening and fun to contemplate. But imaginary zombies pale to blandness when you meet the real zombies: the in-the-wild, virus-driven, six-or-more-legged (and sometimes winged!) zombies that Mindy Weisberger so lovingly, appreciatively affixed to these pages.
—Marc Abrahams, cofounder/editor, Annals of Improbable Research
Rise of the Zombie Bugs is an excellent—and terrifying—read. Weisbergers extensively researched science writing is complemented by her command of zombie films in pop culture. This book will forever change your perspective on what it means to be successful in the natural world. Parasites are the original zombie maker—and its fantastic to see them so well represented!
—Carin Bondar, author of Wild Moms: Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom
As Mindy Weisbergers fascinating book Rise of the Zombie Bugs demonstrates, weve been looking for zombies in all the wrong places. And her successful quest to find the tiny real-life versions is a testament to how wonderfully complicated—and totally weird—life on this planet really is.
—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
Deeply researched, deeply disturbing, and deeply fascinating. The world of real-life parasitic behavior-altering organisms that Weisberger leads us through is captivating, and well worth filling your brain with . . . while its still yours to control.
—Ryan North, author of How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain
