If orange is the new black, then zombies are the new orange.
Seriously, there’s been a huge explosion of zombie love since around the early 2000’s. Science fiction books certainly aren’t new to us, but the focus on the living dead has definitely increased the past decade and we’re soooo excited that it has.
Whether you’re new to the zombie world or a big fan of all the latest titles and authors, we’ll highlight our list of the best zombie books for you below.
Before You Select
You could pick up any old zombie book and start reading. Perhaps your favorite authors haven’t got anything new lined up and you’re ready for the next adventure.
The problem is that mixed in with all of the great zombie books, there are also a lot of not-so-great ones. Hey, every new publication has to start somewhere and every book needs that person that gives it a chance. That’s how great authors are discovered!
We want to offer you a few tips that will help you understand what to look for when approaching a new zombie book so you can avoid wasting your time on the duds:
- Quality Writing. This may be a bit of a no brainer, but we wanted to say it anyways: keep your standards high when it comes to the quality of the writing.
It should flow
- Ask Your Zombie Loving Friends. Book discussions are always fun and engaging, so if you have some friends out there who are knowledgeable about the books, find out which title and authors they like.
Die-hard fans will be able to tell you about the latest and greatest breakthrough authors in the genre, so use your resources to help you find a good title.
Top 10 Zombie Books Table
| Picture | Name | Price | Rating (1-5) |
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1. Rot & Ruin | $ |
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2. Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book 1 | $ |
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3. The Reapers Are the Angels | $$$ |
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4. Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Collection | $$$$ |
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5. The Last Bastion of the Living | $$$$ |
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6. Day by Day Armageddon | $$ |
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7. The Zombie Survival Guide | $$$ |
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8. Slow Burn | $$ |
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9. The Last Survivors | $$$ |
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10. World War Z | $$ |
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Our Favorite Authors
Some of you may like reading books by the same author since you enjoy their style of writing so much. We know, because we do this ourselves.
Here are some of our favorite authors:
- Jonathan Maberry. This guy has a massive amount of writing experience and he is one of the most well established writers on our list. His book Rot & Ruin just happens to be our top choice below, so be sure to pick it up and read if you haven’t already. Definitely our favorite author.
- Max Brooks. Some of you might remember a certain Mel Brooks (actor, comedian, filmmaker, songwriter). No? Maybe from his film Young Frankenstein? Anyways, this is his son.
He has been writing zombie novels since 2003. He’s HUGE in the zombie world, so naturally, we love him for it.
- Mira Grant. Mira Grant is actually her pseudonym. Her real name is Seanan McGuire but however she is called, we really enjoy her style of writing.
She’s witty, creative, loves horror films, her cats and is a smart businesswoman. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook for a more comical view of her daily happenings.
- L. Bourne. He brings a unique, realistic vibe to his stories. How many military men do you know that are also wildly successful zombie book writers? He’s also pretty interactive on social media with his readers. A very straightforward guy.
We’d drink a beer with him and swap zombie stories.
Top 5 Best Zombie Books Reviews
1. Rot & Ruin
We’re not going to give you a summary of the book because you can read that for yourself. We’re just here to tell you that it is an excellent zombie book and that you need to read it.
The story is centered around a young teen named Benny, so if you were wondering if this would be an appropriate book for a teenager, we’d definitely say that it is. It’s not a raunchy, steamy zombie book. It has a great storyline that is fast-paced yet intelligent. He puts a new perspective on the zombies that really speaks to the reader.
Already read it 10 times and need some other suggestions? Scroll on down to the next books on our list.
2. Diary of a Minecraft Zombie
The love of the zombie world has to begin somewhere, and thanks to books like this, it gives younger readers the opportunity to get a head start on their zombie fetish.
Here two worlds come together: that of Minecraft and that of zombies. Kids who love playing the Minecraft game will love having an inside look at the mind of a 12-year-old Minecraft zombie.
The book is told from the point of view of a child who just happens to be a zombie. He has the same problems that human children face in the pre-teen years: annoying parents who always boss him around and order him to do this and do that. The fact that the voice is that of a zombie makes it quite comical for younger kids to read.
If you have a little Minecraft fan in the family, then they’ll really enjoy reading this book. Oh, who are we kidding, it’s a good read at any age!
3. The Reapers Are the Angels
Like Riot or Ruin, this is a coming of age story but features a heroine rather than a male lead. The books grabs you and pulls you in and makes you feel a million different emotions: sad, excited, shocked, angered…
It has an interesting twist that will peak your interest but not all zombie book fans are a fan of this one. It’s a pretty powerful book and rather violent, so it may not be the best choice for younger readers.
If you read and liked The Passage or The Forest of Hands and Teeth, then this is another one to check out.
4. Rise
In early summer 2016, Mira Grant (er, Seanan McGuire) published a complete collection of her coveted Newsflesh Collection. That’s all eight short stories together PLUS two new ones! Drool.
Diehard fans may already know about this, but if you’re new to the zombie world, then make sure you read the first three in the trilogy (Feed, Deadline, and Blackout) before you read Rise. They’re all in this book, but since Rise contains spoilers, you’ll want to save it for the very end.
The stories are highly satisfying to read, especially once you get some of the answers you had from the first three stories in Rise.
Definitely one of the best zombie books on our list from an author who has been wowing us with her writing for the past decade.
5. The Last Bastion of the Living
We had mixed feelings about this book after reading it, but ultimately, it made the cut.
It was interesting to see how romance and zombies were intertwined and the heroine of the story is a mixture of a badass and a real person.
We felt that the book was lacking in the quality department in terms of grammar and structure (we noticed a few inconsistencies). Quality, as we mentioned above, is something important to take into consideration before choosing a book.
Somehow, after all of that, we still ended up liking the book and think that it’s worth a read for those of you looking for a new perspective on zombie storylines. If you are picky about zombie books you read, then this might not be the right one, however, some absolutely love it.
We all have different expectations!