9 Infectiously Good Zombie Books

9 Infectiously Good Zombie Books

Common Zombie Tropes

There are plenty of fresh and original takes on zombies out there, but there are still a lot of tried-and-true themes, characters, and plot devices that writers come back to again and again. Here are a few of the most popular tropes used in zombie stories:

• The apocalypse
• Destroying the brain or decapitating the zombies
• An army of the dead
• Ragtag group of survivors
• Zombies being slow and stupid
• A virus that infects the world

8 Great Zombie Movies

1. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
3. World War Z (2013)
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
5. 28 Days Later (2002)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
7. Warm Bodies (2013)
8. Dead Snow (2009)

Why Do We Love Zombies?

In Depth

Stories that take place in post-apocalyptic and zombie-ridden worlds often feature desperate protagonists who have to face insurmountable odds in order to survive. People enjoy reading books like these because they offer nonstop action and suspense, and usually leave readers glued to their seats, anxious to see if their favorite characters will make it out alive. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of nine infectiously good zombie books. Take note that this list is done in no particular order.

First up, at #1, we have "Zom-B." Written by Darren Shan, it's the first entry of his eponymous series, and it introduces readers to B Smith, a teenager who lives with her abusive and racist father. Because of her upbringing, she befriends a group of troublemakers and gains a reputation for being a bully. When zombies attack her school, she and a group of fellow survivors have to work together to escape. It's a fast-paced story full of blood and gore, and it also deals with a lot of sensitive topics, such as racism and domestic abuse.

Next, at #2, is "Whistlers" by Mark Tufo and John O'Brien. It's a collaboration between the two authors, and it features the main characters of their respective zombie apocalypse series. Michael Talbot and Jack Walker come from two different worlds ravaged by the undead. One day, they both find themselves transferred to a reality that's slightly different from their own, where they encounter a threat much worse than they're accustomed to. Together, they have to figure out why they were sent here and hopefully find a way back home.

One day, they both find themselves transferred to a reality that's slightly different from their own, where they encounter a threat much worse than they're accustomed to.

At #3 is "Positive" by David Wellington. Finn is one of the Positive, which are people who are infected and could potentially turn into a violent zombie at any time throughout the virus' twenty-year incubation period. On his way to a special facility that keeps his kind away from the rest of the population, the caravan he's traveling with is attacked. Now, Finn has to find his own way to safety, making new friends and enemies along the way.

Next up, at #4, we have "Generation Z" by Peter Meredith. Set twelve years after the initial outbreak, it revolves around a girl named Jenn, who lives in a small and superstitious community known as the Coven. When some of their people are injured, Jenn sets out to find a legendary doctor who can provide them with antibiotics. It's an action-packed tale that shows how the people who grew up after the apocalypse learn to live in this harsh new world.

Next, at #5, is "Day by Day Armageddon" by J.L. Bourne. It's a story presented as an unnamed soldier's account of the zombie apocalypse. Through his journal entries, readers get a closer look at how the zombie plague was first discovered and spread throughout the globe. As the outbreak worsens, the protagonist is forced to leave his home and travel from one safe place to another, meeting fellow survivors along the way.

It's a story presented as an unnamed soldier's account of the zombie apocalypse.

At #6 is "The Enemy" by Charlie Higson. It's the first book of his eponymous series, which takes place in a world where a deadly virus has turned everyone over the age of fourteen into mindless cannibals. The story, which is set in London, follows a group of children who are hiding out in a supermarket. With their supplies running low, they decide to take up another group's invitation to travel to Buckingham Palace, a safe haven full of other survivors.

Next, at #7, is "The Fury" by Alexander Gordon Smith. One day, for no apparent reason, teenagers around the world are attacked by their friends, relatives, and even complete strangers. When some of these teenagers decide to band together in order to figure out what's going on, they learn that there's a powerful being threatening to destroy the entire world, and only they can stop it. It's a long, action-packed story with a supernatural twist, and it features unconventional zombies who are basically just normal people when the main characters aren't around.

Next up, at #8, we have "Underground" by Kat Richardson. During one of her cases, private investigator Harper Blaine was rendered clinically dead for two minutes. When she comes back to life, she learns that she's become a greywalker, someone who can see and enter the dimension of the supernatural. This novel, which is the third entry of the "Greywalker" series, follows Harper as she tries to track down a rampaging monster and figure out why zombies have started appearing at the underground city beneath Seattle.

During one of her cases, private investigator Harper Blaine was rendered clinically dead for two minutes.

Finally, at #9, we have "The Last Ones" by T. Michelle Nelson. Evie Stone is a small-town girl who left her home in order to study in college. When a zombie virus sweeps the world, she's forced to go back to her hometown in West Kentucky. When she gets there, she finds out that it's been overrun by zombies, and the only organized group left is a dangerous biker gang.