The only thing more voracious than a zombie’s cravings for flesh and brains is the zombie lover’s hunger for zombie fiction. This is a list of the best zombie book series. You’ll notice some of the best zombie books are not on this list simply because they are not a part of a series, a series being defined as three books or more. This is the reason you won’t find zombie classics such as World War Z, Cell, or The Reapers are the Angels on this list. While they are terrific books that every zombie fanatic is sure to enjoy, they didn’t make the 3-book minimum cutoff. Also excluded are anthologies, short-stories, novellas, and comics/graphic novels (sorry Walking Dead), except those that are part of a longer series. While there are many great zombie entries in short-form and illustrated fiction, that is a discussion for another day.
This collection is dedicated to zombie fans who want to devour the best zombie books filled with hours upon hours of zombie gore, or listen to the best zombie audiobooks whilst they’re forced to waste the day away with mindless chores. There are plenty of zombie series that didn’t make the list, so if you don’t see a beloved zombie series on this list, shoot me a message to let me know. I’ll add the them to my own personal to-read list.
Since the early forays into the zombie genre paved the way for future progression within the genre, this list is ordered chronologically, based off the date of publication for the first book in each series. This does not mean I believe they are necessarily the best, but the early zombie authors deserve recognition for shaping the zombie genre as we know it.
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What to expect: One of the earliest entries in the zombie apocalypse genre and still one of the best. The first couple books are written like journal entries pulled straight out of the main character’s personal diary while the third book, Shattered Hourglass, shifts away from the journal approach to a third-person perspective that explores the bigger picture of the zombie outbreak.
Available on audio? Yes. Jay Snyder does a swell job with the narration.
Day by Day Armageddon (2004) – Book 1
Beyond Exile (2010) – Book 2
Shattered Hourglass (2012) – Book 3
Grey Fox (2013) – Book 3.5
Ghost Run (2016) – Book 4
What to expect: Told in first-person narrative from the perspective of a Texan police officer, expect a fast-paced story focusing on action and horror.
Available on audio? Yes. Michael Kramer does the narration for the first book, and Todd McClaren takes over narration duties for the rest of the series.
Dead World (2006) – Book 1
Apocalypse of the Dead (2010) – Book 2
Flesh Eaters (2011) – Book 3
The Crossing (2011) – Book 3.5
Mutated (2012) – Book 4
Dead World Resurrection (2014) – Book 4.5
What to expect: With Plague of the Dead, Z.A Recht delivered an early entry in zombie fiction and it so happens to be another one of my personal favorites. It’s told in third-person perspective but mostly follws military personnel as they respond to the zombie outbreak. Sadly, Z.A. Recht died at the age of 26 before publication of the third book in the series. Thom Brannan picked up writing details and finished Survivors, but unfortunately there is a noticeable shift in writing styles. That’s not to say the writing declines, but do expect a few loose ends. Brad Munson wrote book 4, Healers, Dawn Peers wrote book 5, Hunters, and then both of them teamed up and wrote book 6, Heroes.
Available on audio? Yes. Oliver Wyman does the narration for all six books, which helps with the continuity since four authors had a hand in the six books.
Plague of the Dead (2006) – Book 1
Thunder and Ashes (2008) – Book 2
Survivors (2012) – Book 3
Healers (2016) – Book 4
Hunters (2018) – Book 5
Heroes (2020) – Book 6
What to expect: First-person perspective told through a series of blog posts as the zombie apocalypse strikes Europe.
Available on audio? Yes. Nick Podehl does the narration for all three books in the series.
Apocalypse Z: he Beginning of the End (2007) – Book 1
Dark Days (2010) – Book 2
The Wrath of the Just (2011) – Book 3
What to expect: One of the first zombie books following a female protagonist.
Available on audio? Yes. Cassandra Campbell does the narration.
The First days (2008) – Book 1
Fighting to Survive (2009) – Book 2
Siege (2009) – Book 3
After Siege (2020) – Book 4
The Last Days (2022) – Book 5
What to expect: Expect a story that is more thriller than zombie apocalypse, but one that should grab you at the first line of Patient Zero.
Available on audio? Yes. The excellent Ray Porter does the audio.
Patient Zero (2009) – Book 1
The Dragon Factory (2010) – Book 2
The King of Plagues (2011) – Book 3
Assassin’s Code (2012) – Book 4
Extinction Machine (2013) – Book 5
Joe Ledger: Special Ops (2014) – Book 5.5
Code Zero (2014) – Book 6
Predator One (2015) – Book 7
Kill Switch (2016) – Book 8
Dogs of War (2017) – Book 9
Unstoppable (2017) – Book 9.5
Deep Silence (2018) – Book 10
What to expect: Told in first person from a female perspective, expect a story that is equal parts dystopian and post-zombie apocalypse.
Available on audio? Vane Millon does the audio for book 1, Tara Sands for book 2, and Allyson Ryan for book 3.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009) – Book 1
The Dead-Tossed Waves (2010) – Book 2
The Dark and Hollow Places (2011) – Book 3
What to expect: Expect lots of action and plenty of sardonic humor.
Available on audio? Yes. Sean Runnette perfectly captures the main character, Michael Talbot.
Zero (2016) – Book 0.5
Zombie Fallout (2010) – Book 1
A Plague Upon Your Family (2010) – Book 2
The End (2011) – Book 3
Dr. Hugh Mann (2011) – Book 3.5
The End Has Come and Gone (2011) – Book 4
Alive in a Dead World (2012) – Book 5
’Till Death Do Us Part (2012) – Book 6
For the Fallen (2013) – Book 7
An Old Beginning (2014) – Book 8
Tattered Remnants (2015) – Book 9
Those Left Behind (2017) – Book 10
Etna Station (2018) – Book 11
Dog Dayz (2019) – Book 12
The Perfect Betrayal (2019) – Book 13
The Trembling Path (2020) – Book 14
Sifting Through the Ashes (2020) – Book 15
Hiraeth (2021) – Book 16
The Lost Journals (2022) – Book 17
Altered Destinies (2022) – Book 18
What to expect: Plenty of wry humor and told through split first-person male/female perspectives, it’s a zombie series that is as much about media and journalism as it is about the zombie apocalypse.
Available on audio? Yes. Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein narrate book 1 and 3, and Chris Patton and Nell Geisslinger narrate book two .
Feed (2010) – Book 1
Fed (2012) – Book 1.5
Deadline (2011) – Book 2
Blackout (2012) – Book 3
Feedback (2016) – Book 4
What to expect: Told in third-person perspective, it follows a fifteen-year-old Benny Imura as he learns there are things more terrible than zombies.
Available on audio? Yes. Brian Hutchinson narrates the first four books and Ray Porter takes up narrating duties on the final two books.
Fight Night Memories (2012) – Book 0.5
Rot & Ruin (2010) – Book 1
In the Land of the Dead (2011) – Book 1.5
Dust & Decay (2011) – Book 2
Dead & Gone (2012) – Book 2.5
Flesh & Bone (2012) – Book 3
Tooth & Nail (2013) – Book 3.5
Fire & Ash (2013) – Book 4
Bits & Pieces (2015) – Book 5
Broken Lands (2018) – Book 6
Lost Roads (2020) – Book 7
What to expect: Don’t expect a zombie apocalypse, but do expect a comical urban fantasy told from the perspective of a fresh zombie, who is also a white trash chick from the trailer park.
Available on audio? Yes. Allison McLemore does great with the narration duties.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie (2011) – Book 1
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues (2012) – Book 2
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse (2013) – Book 3
How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back (2014) – Book 4
White Trash Zombie Gone Wild (2015) – Book 5
White Trash Zombie Unchained (2017) – Book 6
What to expect: An EMP kills the electronics, setting the stage for all sorts of factions, including an army of zombies.
Available on audio? Yes. Katherine Kellgren does the audio for the entire trilogy.
Ashes (2011) – Book 1
Shadows (2012) – Book 2
Monsters (2013) – Book 3
What to expect: With realistic fights with lots of action and gore, the Remaining series is sure to quench your thirst for zombie action.
Available on audio? Yes. Christian Rummel does the audio for the entire series and he really nails the character.
The Remaining (2012) – Book 1
Aftermath (2013) – Book 2
Refugees (2013) – Book 3
Fractured (2013) – Book 4
Trust (2014) – Book 4.5
Faith (2014) – Book 4.6
Allegiance (2015) – Book 5
Extinction (2016) – Book 6
What to expect: Angsty zombies, dark humor, and poetic prose, this is the only series on this list that earned a major motion picture adaptation.
Available on audio? Yes and No. Kevin Kenerly does book 1. Jaques Roy does book 2. Candace Thaxon narrates book 1.5. Bok 3, The Living, is not available on Audible.
The New Hunger (2013) – Book 0.5
Warm Bodies (2012) – Book 1
The Burning World (2017) – Book 2
The Living (2018) – Book 3
What to expect: Follows an elite military team as they fight to save the last survivors from zombies that evolve. Don’t go in expecting open and closed story arcs, but one long continues story told through several small books.
Available on audio? Yes. The great R.C. Bray narrates the entire series.
Genesis (2013) – Book 0.5
Fortress Britain (2012) – Book 1
Mogadishu of the Dead (2013) – Book 2
Three Parts Dead (2013) – Book 3
Maximum Violence (2013) – Book 4
Exodus (2013) – Book 5
The Horizon (2014) – Book 6
Death of Empires (2014) – Book 7
Empire of the Dead (2014) – Book 8
Nemesis (2015) – Book 8.5
Cataclysm (2015) – Book 9
The Flood (2015) – Book 10
Deathmatch (2015) – Book 11
Carnage (2016) – Book 12
The Siege (2017) – Book 13
Endgame (2018) – Book 14
Fickisms (2018) – Book 14.5
Odyssey (2018) – Standalone Book
Last Stand (2019) – Standalone Book
What to expect: A action packed story with impossibly strong zombies that can think, heal, and reproduce.
Available on audio? Yes. Eric A. Shelman narrates.
The Fall (2012) – Book 1
Survival (2012) – Book 2
Sacrifice (2013) – Book 3
Rage (2014) – Book 4
Decisions (2014) – Book 5
War (2015) – Book 6
Hope (2016) – Book 7
The War Years: Countdown (2022) – Book 8
The Wars Years: Uno (2022) – Book 9
What to expect: A fast-paced and action packed tale of second chances.
Available on audio? Yes. Narrated by husky-voiced Richard Ferrone.
Omega Days (2013) – Book 1
Ship of the Dead (2014) – Book 2
Drifters (2015) – Book 3
Crossbones (2015) – Book 4
The Feral Road (2016) – Book 5
Red Queen (2019) – Book 6
What to expect: An action packed and humorous bromance with a surprising amount of heart.
Available on audio? Yes. Phil Thron does a fantastic job with narration duties.
Zero Day (2013) – Book 1
Infected (2013) – Book 2
Destroyer (2013) Book 3
Dead Fire (2014) – Book 4
Torrent (2014) – Book 5
Bleed (2014) – Book 6
City of Stin (2015) – Book 7
Grind (2015) – Book 8
Sanctum (2016) – Book 9
Firestorm (2021) – Book 10
What to expect: A journal-style retelling of the zombie apocalypse with realistic dialogue and lots of gruesome action.
Available on audio? Yes. James Anderson Foster narrates the first 11 books and DJ Leone narrates Dead Cities and Ghosts.
Dark Recollections (2013) – Book 1
Alone No More (2013) – Book 2
Midnight (2013) – Book 3
The Failed Coward (2014) – Book 4
Wrath (2014) – Book 5
In the Arms of Family (2014) – Book 6
The Trinity (2015) – Book 7
Cassie (2014) – Book 8
The Dealer of Hope: Adrian’s March Part One (2018) – Book 9
The Last Resort: Adrian’s March Part Two (2018) – Book 10
No God: Adrian’s March Part Three (2020) – Book 11
Dead Cities: Adrian’s March Part Four (2021) – Book 12
Ghosts: Adrian’s March Part Five (2022) – Book 13
What to expect: From start to finish, this is probably my favorite series on the list, and you can expect an action-packed military thriller with several different types of zombie variants.
Available on audio? Yes. Bronson Pinchot narrates the entire series, which is probably why he is one of my favorite narrators.
Extinction Red Line (2018) – Book 0.5
Extinction Horizon (2014) – Book 1
Extinction Edge (2015) – Book 2
Extinction Age (2015) – Book 3
Extinction Evolution (2015) – Book 4
Extinction End (2016) – Book 5
Extinction Aftermath (2016) – Book 6
Extinction Lost (2017) – Book 6.5
Extinction War (2017) – Book 7
What to expect: A first person account of a recluse being forced out of house and home.
Available on audio? Yes. Eric Bryan Moore narrates the first book while Matthew Crow narrates the rest.
Hell on Earth (2016) – Book 1
Road of the Damned (2017) – Book 2
The Ark (2017) – Book 3
I Kill the Dead (2017) – Book 4
Red Runs the River (2018) – Book 5
What to expect: A zombie infested road trip.
Available on audio? Yes. Eric A. Shelman narrates the entire series
Convoy of Carnage (2017) – Book 1
Bloodbath on the Blacktop (2017) – Book 2
Rage on the Rails (2017) – Book 3
Road to Redemption (2018) – Book 4
Terror on the Two-Lane (2018) – Book 5
Highway to Heartache (2019) – Book 6
Tragedies in Time (2019) – Book 7
What to expect: Set in Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s Extinction Cycle series, this story focuses on civilians as they fight to survive in the apocalyptic aftermath caused by the variants.
Available on audio? Yes. Bronson Pinchot narrates the entire series.
Lost Valley (2019) – Book 1
Satan’s Gate (2019) – Book 2
Cost of Survival (2020) – Book 3
Warrior’s Fate (2020) – Book 4
What to expect: More stories from the world of Extinction Cycle.
Available on audio? Yes. The excellent R.C. Bray narrates all four books.
Extinction Shadow (2019) – Book 1
Extinction Inferno (2019) – Book 2
Extinction Ashes (2020) – Book 3
Extinction Darkness (2020) – Book 4
What to expect: Zombies! Lots of zombies.
Available on audio? Yes. Mike Thomas narrates all seven books.
A Small World (2019) – Book 1
Against the Current (2019) – Book 2
Violence Solves Everything (2019) – Book 3
Nowhere to Hide (2019) – Book 4
Greater Love Hath No Man (2020) – Book 5
Hold the Line (2020) – Book 6
Still Standing (2020) – Book 7
Honorable Mention
What to expect: The only reason this early entry into the zombie genre didn’t get an official spot on this list is because it only has two primary books and a couple of novellas set in the same universe. However, it is not to be ignored and a must read series for fans of zombie horror.
Available on audio? Yes. Joe Hempel narrates.
The Rising: Deliverance (2010) – Book 0.5
The Rising (2003) – Book 1
The Rising: Necrophobia (2004) – Book 1.5
City of the Dead (2005) – Book 2
Did I miss any of your favorites? If so, drop me a line and let e know which zombie series I'm missing out on, and why I should read it. Until then, hopefully you've found your next favorite zombie series.
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