As times change, so do people’s appetites for different types of horror. During the turmoil of the 60’s and 70’s, occult horror was the dominant trend. This seemed to reflect the mood of a nation engulfed in political and economic turmoil. When I ask people who were alive during that time, many will say it felt like the devil was alive and well. This dystopian mood of those two decades would also correlate with the success of George Romero’s first two zombie classics. 
The economic boom and party atmosphere of the 80’s brought with it a new emphasis on supernatural horror and the rise of the slasher flick. Who can forget such greats as Poltergeist and The Entity. And as teens partied their way through the decade of excess, Jason and Freddy were there to put a squash on their premarital sex and recreational drug use. Zombie movies were still around but were more comedic (Return of the Living Dead). Day of the Dead, although my favorite of the series, saw little success at the box office. 
As the 90’s came around, Freddy and Jason took a back seat while Hannibal Lecter ushered in the serial killer craze. The 90’s came to a close, and the horror genre remained quiet until the birth of the post 9/11 torture porn. These movies reflected the anger, fear, and helplessness of a nation faced with massive tragedy and a seemingly undefeatable enemy. The nation marched off to war, and people looked to reclaim the nostalgia of bygone days, and Hollywood was more than happy to oblige with numerous remakes, reboots, and tribute films. 
Just as things were looking better, the nation became terribly divided, and another economic collapse, coupled with crippling unemployment, sent the nation into survival mode. For a decade, people escaped into the world of survival horror, and again fell in love with the zombie genre. The popularity of “The Walking Dead” reflects the mood of a divided, weakened, and struggling nation. The country sympathized with the characters, and felt that Rick Grimes and his band of survivors were part of our family, struggling to find a place in a world collapsing. Their hardships were our hardships, and although we weren’t fighting zombies or scavenging for supplies, many of us were fighting to keep our jobs and scavenging for a few extra bucks to pay the gas and electric bills. 
But now, despite the news reports, the future is looking brighter. Two consecutive quarters of 3% GDP and a booming stock market are sure signs that the dystopia of he past decade is coming to an end. And as economic conditions get better, I believe the zombie genre of horror will slowly die out. What will replace it? That remains to be seen, but our flesh eating friends will be phased out in the same way grunge replaced hair bands.