Nom-nom-nom....Zombies

Zombies have never really been my thing. Neither has horror, for that matter. But over the past few months, I've found myself itching to delve into their world. Maybe it's because I've recently been exposed to a number of board games like Rise of the Zombies and Pandemic. Or perhaps it's because in order to catch up on the two seasons I've missed, I'm re-watching The Walking Dead from the beginning. Or it could be that I've realized I seem to have a penchant for writing horror--not something I ever expected of myself.

Whatever the reason, I find myself trying to figure out a spin--not a new one, necessarily, but mine--on zombies. What caused the condition initially? Is it, like in so many stories, some sort of highly contagious virus? Or is it something else? Are the zombies completely mindless, knowing only their need to feed? Or does some small spark of life still exist, buried deep within them? Are the zombies the characters of the story? Or rather, just the setting?

I'm looking forward to finding out.

Not sure when I'm going to get around to it, as the deadlines for other projects keep creeping ever so slowly closer, but that's not a problem. Gives me plenty of time to let the ideas percolate.

So tell me: what's your favorite zombie tale? Book, story, movie, TV show, whatever--which ones do you like best, and why?