The Best of Zombie Fiction #1

Welcome to my best of zombie fiction! I read a TON of zombie stuff from traditionally published and self published authors, authors who offer free stuff on the internet or who have published with indie publishers. I will try most zombie stuff especially if it is free and over the last few years I have found some great reads. Now it is time to start sharing them with you! You may have read some or all of them but it's a good excuse to talk about them...

1) Plague of the Dead by ZA Recht

This was one of the best zombie or horror books that I ever picked up. We are following a couple of groups of survivors right through the zombie apocalypse-people that you actually care about. The tension is high at all times, You never know what to expect as our people go from one crisis to another. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and  all three books were a fantastic standard. 5 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46723.Plague_of_the_Dead

2) The Return Man by VM Zito 

Henry is one of the only people alive in the zombie wasteland, hired to find people and lay them to rest. Now the government are forcing him to look for a doctor in an overrun prison, a suicide mission. This had a ton of tension and zombie action and a human story of Henry looking to put his wife to rest if he finds her during the mission. Great read! Would love a follow up! 5 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13038001-return-man

3) The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak

A zombie outbreak in her old hometown forces Layla to lead people into saving the town from the undead. Sound familiar? Oh but this book is totally different with a plot twist that will take the reader by surprise. We have the paranormal zombie element, a mystical spirit side story, Layla confronting her ex lover who broke her heart and a bone chilling surprise that I didn't expect. Really enjoyed this! Have since read the novella companion Midway which was equally good. 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22020894-the-harvesting

4) Day by Day Armageddon by JL Bourne

A military man goes AWOL with a neighbour to escape the zombies, picking up other survivors en route. This was written in diary form which I don't normally like but I enjoyed this. I liked the characters, it was fast paced and there were encounters with zombies and human psychos to enjoy! And there is a cute greyhound...What more can you ask for? This was another 5 star read. The rest of the trilogy for me didn't hit the heights of this first book though I still liked them.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6667772-day-by-day-armageddon

5) The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Two women are thrown together as the zombie outbreak begins and have to rely on each other to survive a scary roadtrip as they seek sanctuary. There are exciting zombie moments, well developed characters and we also explore how being in a small confined survivor community affects a range of different people. The book is well written and I liked it in spite of a whiny MC that needed a slap! 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9648068-the-first-days  

6) Slow Burn by Bobby Adair 

What happens to you when you are infected by a zombie bite but haven't turned yet and don't know when or if you will? You are of less interest to the zombies which might improve your chances but the other survivors don't trust you and the government want to either kill you or use you for experiements...This was a great twist on the usual zombie apocalypse story and the anti-heroes are interesting characters. Still to read the rest of the series. 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18243819-slow-burn

7) Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux 

Allison and her friends are trapped at work when the outbreak begins and the only thing that keeps her sane is planning her escape and blogging her experience to other survivors online. I was surprised that I liked this one but there was action, zombies, great characters and a few different things like a women's religious cult that are just as dangerous as the zombies. I actually liked the blog entries which includes the comments from other survivors. It was well written and an enjoyable zombie romp! 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11254148-allison-hewitt-is-trapped 

8) Voyage of the Dead by David P Forsyth 
This was a bit more of a fun zombie romp. A lotto winner with a huge cruise ship full of food, weapons and fun toys like speedboats, becomes a haven for survivors as the zombies attack. Launching missions onshore to save friends and family are their priority which leads to some interesting zombie action. I found it to be a fun read if you put aside the convenience of Scott having every toy needed to do what he wants. 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13450189-voyage-of-the-dead 

9) Resident Evil: Genesis by Keith RA DeCandido
This is the novel based on the brilliant first film in the series and it kept true to the story once the SWAT team arrive at the mansion, which I liked. But I loved the fact that it also added in what we also see as brief flashbacks-Alice plotting with Lisa to bring down the company, the relationship between Alice and Spence, and also the fact that it was Matt who had the idea to put Lisa inside. It gave good back story to our characters and I liked that their story was fleshed out a bit. Good zombie action. 4 stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221274.Resident_Evil 

10) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Mary is safe behind fences that keep the dead out but she can't help wondering if there is something more out there other than zombies. When the fence is breached she and her friends have to take their chances in a world they know nothing about. So excited that they have confirmed the film for this book at last! I'm planning a reread to refresh my memory so my rating may change. 3 stars. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6595466-the-forest-of-hands-and-teeth 

 

 

 

So have you read any of these books? Do any of them sound like your kind of thing? Do you have them on tbr or wishlist? Let us know in the comments bit below! I have another list coming very soon...