ABSTRACT
The IS Field is at the forefront of information systems in organizations. Excitement about what is to come should dominate, but concerns about academic legitimacy and the future have long been features of the field. We date the field at half a century, not old by academic standards, yet despite its youth the field is familiar with the literary device of The Undead. We use this device to explore rigor/relevance, design, and the ecology of the field, and to compare staying alive with truly living. We do not recommend the literary custom of killing The Undead, but suggest that the field get to know them better. Truly living means going against academic orthodoxy, but that is not new to the field.
