FWR Episode 012: Left 4 Dead
In Episode 012, Shawn Rider assumes 1/3 of the hosting duties here at FWR. For his first official episode, we talk about Left 4 Dead, the differences between fear produced by games as compared to other mediums, and contrasts between zombie games, films, and comics. We ask why zombie fiction has resurfaced in American culture, looking at some of the social and political parallels that accompany its rise as a popular horror narrative. We look at the motivations and emotional qualities behind zombie narratives, and finally decide that all of the characters in Left 4 Dead are doomed because their plane/helicopter/boat is clearly destined to end up in a situation at least as bad as the one it takes off from. Unlike Bill, Zoey, Louis, and Francis, we escape from this episode with most of our limbs and sanity intact, if only barely. Thanks for listening.