The (undead) rise in the Zombie genre

I think the zombie genre is popular mainly due to the fact that it's a type of monster genre where the humans feel as if they have some sort of chance of pulling through. The whole idea of a monster that is obviously vulnerable yet can still be deadly (in numbers) provides for an interesting experience. Because of this, the story can be told through the perspective of a soldier, businessman, photographer, and just about anyone else while still seeming somewhat believable. Survival skills play a huge roll in survival compared to most other horror stories. Also, the idea of a mass pandemic causing the global zombie outbreak is not too farfetched in our world where every new disease causes hysteria within the general public.