I imagined some novel (to me) scenario twists on the whole zombie craze - suitable for movies, games, whatever.

* smart zombies - a variant on "fast" zombies, where the afflicted don't lose their intellects. They remain afflicted by an overwhelming urge to devour the living, but that's only when they smell them nearby. Heroic acts of willpower may allow them to refrain for long enough to get far enough out of range to regain their wits, with which they plot how to hide from the living as they attempt to survive the less disciplined.

Eventually, as the living reckon with, and, ultimately, get the infestation under control, the "smart" zombies will be confronted with bio-warfare-equipped military forces (or militias?) who will be bewildered by lucid zombies actively negotiating to be spared, rehabilitated ("treated"?) respected, and re-integrated into society - perhaps only to have their bodies decay and give out on their own. The primitive physical struggle we all pine for, which is probably what makes the zombie scenario so appealing, becomes the old, familiar, complicated, subtle, social struggle we all wanted to escape with the zombie scenario in the first place.

Not having a human being degenerate into a faceless, soulless, hapless devourer seems to take away one of the core quandaries of the zombie zeitgeist: can you shoot your own mother after she goes? But that's only at first glance. I think having them remain lucid (if super-motivated) actually amplifies the quandary.

I could even see this as a Team Fortress Mod. Heh.