Not Really Dead

Although there is something eerie about wasp larva taking over a spider host to force it to carry out the larva's bidding, and although it is unsettling that salmon begin to deteriorate even before their deaths, that does not mean these creatures can be qualified as zombies. What the spider experiences shows much more resemblance to the idea of mind control than that of the living dead. Typically, zombies are portrayed as creatures with little motivation other than the desire to attack humans, and certainly to not seem to be driven by another creature. Some might argue that zombie's are driven by a virus they host. However, even in that case, zombies are usually mindless and inefficient, while the wasp larva's control of the spider is purposeful and effective. The salmon are another matter. They may decay as they face the hardship of making it back to the place they were born, but they are not technically dead. They are still able to produce the necessary ingredients for reproduction before they cease to live altogether. They do not seem to be the living dead, just quickly deteriorating life.