The 10 Best Zombie Books

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This wiki has been updated 18 times since it was first published in March of 2018. When the apocalypse comes, it will have teeth — and an insatiable appetite for your gray matter. If that sounds like fun to you, then you'll love the brilliant zombie books on our list. Our selections offer a mix of pulse-pounding action, macabre humor, and stomach-turning gore, ensuring that the dead won't be the only ones coming back for more. Be sure to dig out your nightlight before bedtime. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.

1. World War Z: An Oral History

2. The Girl With All The Gifts

3. The Walking Dead: Compendium One

Editor's Notes

October 26, 2019:

After much consideration, we have decided to replace The Last Bastion of the Living with Stephen King's Cell. Although neither is a literary tour de force for the ages, King is the better writer — and casual fans of horror books, King, and/or zombies might not realize he's dabbled in the genre. But when it comes to the top spot, we feel World War Z has not been dethroned yet. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys the undead, in other words, and in fact, many return to it again and again for pleasurable re-reading.

And in a perhaps controversial move, we've opted to keep Zone One. It's not a light, enjoyable read for everyone, simply because it's on the more highbrow side, and that's not what many readers are looking for in this subgenre. On the other hand, fresh perspectives are welcome in an area where many novels are simply clichés strung together; this means for readers who are willing to do a little work, it can be quite refreshing.

4. Extinction Horizon

5. Patient Zero

6. Zombie, Ohio

7. Raising Stony Mayhall

8. Stephen King's Cell

9. Zone One

10. Newsflesh: Feed


Melissa Harr
Last updated by Melissa Harr

Melissa Harr is a language-obsessed writer from Chicagoland who holds both a bachelor of arts and master of arts in English. Although she began as a TEFL teacher, earning several teaching certificates and working in both Russia and Vietnam, she moved into freelance writing to satisfy her passion for the written word. She has published full-length courses and books in the realm of arts & crafts and DIY; in fact, most of her non-working time is spent knitting, cleaning, or committing acts of home improvement. Along with an extensive knowledge of tools, home goods, and crafts and organizational supplies, she has ample experience (okay, an obsession) with travel gear, luggage, and the electronics that make modern life more convenient.


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