Trying to understand... can you give me a hand?

So, what's the deal with all the Zombie stuff? I mean, liches made being dead again cool, but no, now Sci-Fi has to take it and steal the idea from Fantasy people. I mean, not only are liches dead themselves, and powerful dead people, but they are also necromancers who can create and entire army of the dead... these so-called "zombies". Now, which sounds more terrifying:

1) a group of unorganized, unorthodox, brainless zombies who are slow, and can be killed again by destroying their brain

OR

2) An army of undead, controlled by one, usually relatively smart person, because it takes a certain level of intelligence to pull of becoming a lich, that can't be killed unless they are completely destroyed, and the lich can't be killed either, unless you destroy it's phylactery, which is usually very difficult find.

Reason one that Fantasy is better than Sci-Fi

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It's all in the approach...and in how the details are woven together. I love reading both SF and Fantasy for different reasons. Sometimes I want the magic of Fantasy, and others I want the scientifically-driven detail of SF. I admit, your number two scenario sounds scarier, but that assumes all things are equal. As in the character and plot development, as well as the overall feel of the piece. Honestly? I think it just depends on the individual story and the caliber of the writer behind it. :)

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@xxButterflyKissesxx Yes, yes, I get that, but honestly, sometimes the thing about sci-fi is so off the top.. I mean, at least with Fantasy you get to be liberal. Fantasy can be ANYTHING your heart desires, but I really don't want to read about how in a hundred years Earth is overrun by ginormous mutant bugs, and people live underground. I mean... seriously.. the likelihood of that happening is ridiculous.

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@ophelia_bumps Lol Fantasy, by definition is also a bit of a stretch, wouldn't you say? ...Not all SF is giant bug or cave related. There is some really amazing stuff out there. You do have to dig for it a bit and also figure out what style/styles you like, but I would say there is something out there for everyone...That being said, you are entirely within your rights to have nothing to do with it.

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@ophelia_bumps I can give you a hand... but I probably purpose fully misunderstood that title. Anyway, since I met Kangaxx the Lich, my entire image of undead changed. That was the moment when I thought to myself, "I wanna be like that some time..." Opposed to that, I would never, ever, want to turn into a zombie. I mean that's almost like being part of the decadent imperialist capitalist entertainment industry... a horrible thought.

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@ophelia_bumps *Points up at @JohnS_2* Right there is an SF writer whose work you may enjoy. :) They are coming to you now. ;)

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Interesting thought @ophelia_bumps, zombies are just a trope, a common device that can be dropped into several kinds of stories, although sf-based survivalist stories tend to be more popular than fantasy themed necromancer stories.

I think the driving fear in your scenario #1 isn't the zombies themselves, but rather the troubles with trying to live in a version of the "real" world where civilization has collapsed. I guess that frightens me more since it plays to fears of economic, social and environmental collapse (although none of those scenarios feature zombies). That said, I can see how having a story with a controlling Lich-King-Necromancer-person in charge can be fun and it provides a focus for zombies to be actual antagonists as opposed to being a more environmental type of threat.

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