20 Best-Selling Zombie Apocalypse Books: Where Have All the Zombies Gone?
Zombies and the undead of all sorts have been well-documented in various literary sources and oral traditions from just about every country throughout human history. More recently and partly thanks to the booming popularity of The Walking Dead and The Twilight Saga film series, everyone seems to develop a new and refreshed fascination with stories of the undead or a zombie apocalypse. With that in mind, it is a good thing that no one will ever run out of good books on zombie apocalypses anytime soon. Some of the best-selling Zombie Apocalypse Books are listed below.
Cell by Stephen King
Some might say that prolonged use of cell phones can cause cancer. In “Cell,” the same thing can turn users into mindless zombies with a taste for human flesh. Mobile phones have become an effective tool of destruction, and no one can call for help.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
The unique storytelling approach makes World War Z an easy book to recommend for all zombie fans, young or adult. The collection of tales is told from survivors’ perspectives all across the world, with details on the social and political impact of the apocalypse. It is about what happens to humanity amidst a zombie outbreak.
The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell
Human civilization has been reduced to few colonies hiding inside enclosed territories. Zombies run rampant outside the shelter. A woman named Temple doesn’t remember her time and life before the zombies. Now she has to wander back and forth between the savage world beyond the meager enclave and the remnants of humanity inside.
Monster Island by David Wellington
Rich nations collapse amidst a zombie apocalypse. Human society is virtually non-existent, except in a few places where people have easy access to automatic rifles and high-powered weapons. New York City is overrun by the undead. One of the infected has somehow managed to retain his human intelligence, although at times he cannot resist the urge to engage in cannibalistic behaviors.
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
Melanie might look like any ordinary little girl, but she is born from a zombie-infected mother. There are other children like her, living inside a fortified underground prison/research laboratory guarded by military personnel. Her real story begins when the undead makes their way into the windowless bunker. Some want Melanie alive, but there are others who think she must be sacrificed and dissected.
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Benny has to accept that America is now a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested wasteland. All teenagers, including Benny, must find a job soon or their rations will be cut in half. The only job available during such hard time is “kill zombies for money.” He doesn’t want to be a killer, but there doesn’t seem to be any other better option.
Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield
Cass wakes up in a quiet place only to realize that her daughter, Ruthie, is missing. Everyone else has turned into zombies. Across the wasteland of California, an area full of brutal cannibals, Cass has to make the journey of her life to reunite with Ruthie.
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Some students take refuge in Cortege High following a zombie outbreak. No one dares to come out as it only takes one bite for a zombie to kill you and turn you into an undead. Sloane Price doesn’t seem to be bothered. Just six months ago, her world crumbled all around, and she lost all reason to live. A zombie apocalypse can be a perfect opportunity to abandon hope forever.
The Passage by Justin Cronin
A failed government experiment turns human test subjects into cannibalistic undead with super agility, strength, and psychic power. Amy is a rare case; she is immune to the unexpected side effects. Although she can survive the new brutal world, it is impossible to stop society from crumbling.
Feed by Mira Grant
Humanity has advanced enough that there is now cure for the common cold and cancer. However, all the medical research and the clinical studies that discover the breakthrough have inadvertently created new strains of the lethal virus. Any person infected with the virus develops an insatiable appetite for destruction.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
A zombie apocalypse has rendered most of the country uninhabitable. Although the outbreak has stopped, the streets are still full of the undead. The few remaining survivors organize a task force to get rid of them and take back the cities. As it turns out, zombies might not be humanity’s biggest problems.
Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo
People wait in line to get their dose of H1N1 vaccine. They have no idea that the vaccine has not been fully tested. It might cure them from bird flu, but the side effects are even more terrifying than the disease itself. Soon after receiving the vaccines, they transform into mindless killers with a taste for human brains.
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
It is a collection of stories taken directly from the widely popular The Walking Dead TV series. The book offers more than 1,000 pages to retell the journey of Rick Grimes and other survivors through the quiet zombified America. The stories might not offer something entirely new, but it should make for a good beach read.
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
A detective named Joe Ledger comes to the realization that he has just killed the same person twice. He figures there must be something terribly wrong with the whole phenomenon. Joe is right; the person he killed had been infected by a zombie virus. To make things worse, the terrorists themselves get their hands on the biological weapon.
Devil’s Wake by Steven Barnes
A strange (in a good way) mixture of extraterrestrial threat and zombie apocalypse, Devil’s Wake is a creative approach to two established sci-fi subgenres. The real villain is an alien race attempting to eliminate humanity and take over the Earth via a zombie virus. The book is essentially a fun take on a familiar horror trope.
Autumn by David Moody
The virus outbreak in David Moody’s Autumn is probably the fastest-moving plague in the history of sci-fi genre, as it kills 99% of the population in just 24 hours. Gradually, the victims regain consciousness and the real horror begins.
Slow Burn: Zero Day (Book 1) by Bobby Adair
Zed Zane finds his mother lifeless in the living room. His zombified stepfather is also there. The plotline in Slow Burn: Zero Day follows a generic formula of a zombie apocalypse story. That said, the action begins right at the beginning and continues through the end without the author slowing down the pace.
The Rising by Brian Keene
It is a story of determination and perseverance in a post-apocalyptic world. Despite the zombies roaming everywhere, a father has to scour the land to look for his missing son. The Rising provides a brave insight into what a father can and will do, against all odds, to reunite his family.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Think of the “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” as M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, and then remove all the notions that the outside world beyond the fence is safe. There are zombies all around. Everything is safe and Mary has few worries, until the shelter is breached.
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
It is not a book about a zombie apocalypse, but a (non) fictional guide on how to survive a zombie apocalypse should the time come. The guide begins by talking about the origin of the virus and what the zombies are. It is followed by multiple survival scenarios, and a practical list of what to do and not do in any given situation. It is horror and comedy packed in a fully illustrated book.
You just can’t talk about the end of the world in any depth unless you bring in the zombie apocalypse topic. A lot of folks think (perhaps incorrectly) that for a story to be apocalyptic, it must contain zombies. What do you think? Are you a zombie fan? let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know about.
What places would be the best to hide during a post-apocalyptic event?
According to businessinsider.com there are several. Here is a list for your survival preparations. Go to this website to read about the reasons you might want to go there. It’s called 14 places to go if the world is going to end. Authors are Gus Lublin and Will Martin.
Iceland
Tristan da Cunha (an island chain in the south Atlantic)
Guam
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Denver
Antarctica
Pancak Jaya, Indonesia
Cape Town, Africa
Bern, Switzerland
Necker Island
Tierra del Fuego, South America
Yukon
Kansas City
The Isle of Lewis (North Atlantic Ocean)
What are some modern-day viruses that have developed multiple strains?
According to google there are many in our modern time. snesplores.org is a source that has much information about viruses and the strains that can occur.
Ebola
SARS
Influenza
Corona virus
Rotavirus
Rabies infections
Encephalitis (EEEV)
Hepatitis C
Papillomavirus
What professions would be the most needed during an end of the world event?
According to careeraddict.com there are jobs that could still make money during a zombie apocalypse. Here are 10 that you can read about on this website.
