Matt Mogk’s new book Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Zombies ($14.00, Gallery Books) is a remarkable new resource for fans of the undead.

The creator and curator of the Zombie Research Society, Mogk (rhymes with “coke”) may well be the leading authority on zombies alive today.  He has engaged with the greatest living writers, filmmakers, and thinkers to explore the medium.  Moreover, while Mogk’s knowledge of zombie literature and film is staggering, it is eclipsed only by the sheer enthusiasm for the topic that comes through in his writing.

Among the most engaging–and useful– sections in EYEWTKAZ is Mogk’s “Zombie Litmus Test.”  Why are certain things that are like zombies not zombies?  Mogk uses historical precedent (and common sense) to explain why Jesus is not a zombie, and other important conundrums.

Mogk cites filmmakers, writers, and other zombie experts throughout this text as he carefully and thoughtfully makes the case that zombies can be defined and known, and their habits and ways cataloged and understood.  Romero, Brooks, and Schlozman (and Kenemore!) are repeatedly cited in this remarkable tome, as Mogk uses examples from extant zombie works to solidify– from the often endless cultural morass of zombie culture– a coherent and definitive set of answers about the walking dead.

This is a remarkable book, and it will be a pleasure for any zombie fan.