I feel like a lot of zombie fiction where characters know what zombies are and the dangerous of getting bitten end up being semi-satirical comedies. Movies and shows where the idea of zombies didn’t previously exist seem to be a bit more serious from what I’ve experienced. I don’t know if it’s the aura of suspense and mystery or because it leads to more pandemonium.
There’s a very great FOSS zombie game called Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead and one can read a Zombie Survival Guide just for fun, learning and aquiring nothing but better mood for some hours (crafting works faster with better mood). CDDA could be more serious, sure, but the monster/zeds are gruesome as hell sometimes.
Example:
Wretched Hatchery
Wretched hatchery
Description:
Lethargically resting on its back, this hideous mass of sagging flesh and writhing organs, which used to be a child, twitches feebly as its midsection churns. Almost bursting from its skin, the child’s ribcage has arched outward, forming a hive-like construct covered by severely stretched epidermis. Through the wretched organism’s taut abdominal flesh, you witness small forms swarming within its ribcage—its guts roiling as new beings are sculpted from pilfered flesh and bone. The creature’s limbs rest haphazardly on the ground, contorted in ways that suggest the absence of bones or any interior construct.