"Any good zombie NOVELS out there?" Topic

Just wondering if there are any good novels (preferably not novelizations of a movie) that aren't just poorly written gore fests or adolescent crap?

I'm wondering if there are any serious explorations of what would happen to society if the dead rose up and walked.

I've heard good things (writing wise) about World War Z.

Not to blow my own trumpet or anything;

link

World War Z is fun. There are a lot of collections of short stories which range from cool to horrible. I have not really read any "zombie novels" I actually liked. They always seem to get too stupid in the end.

I have not read Matt's but now I guess I will have to. Although it sort of sounds like the Dan Abnett book Fell Cargo (which I actually did not enjoy- and I normally like him a lot).

I just finished Cell by Stephen King and, although not exactly zombies, it sure seems like it. The novel takes off from the begining and is excellent all the way through. Currently, I am reading World War Z, another excellent read.

Another thumbs up for World War Z. If you are ambitious, you can do a TMP archive search for it. It's discussed in several topics.

How about Wet work by Philip Nutman.
It features CIA type operatives getting caught up during the zombie outbreak. Some zombies retain memories and skills and use them to hunt fresh meat. Unfortunately it has a very bleak ending.
Mike

World War Z sounds interesting, but is it actually a novel, or just a series of first-person narratives? And I'm more itnerested in CIA operatives.

MongooseMatt: Congrats on the novel, by the way, but I'm looking for something more contemporary.

Ooops! Man, that post above got garbled. I meant to say, I'm more interested in normal people than in CIA operatives.

Be sure to get The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks (he also wrote World War Z). I have yet to get World War Z, byt the Survival Guide is a great read.

Mike

I have found The Walking Dead graphic novels well done. Like most well done apocalypse works, they are more about human relations in times of extreme stress than about violence. The first four are quite good. The fifth went off in a bit of a different direction. Sixth comes out soon.

World War Z is very well done, especially if you have read Studs Terkel's The Good War. The Zombie Survival Guide is fun, if you have ever read those Worst Case Scenario books.

OTOH, I would not suggest Xombies or The Risen and its follow-up (City of the Dead?). The first just did not work for me. The second could have been better but tries to shock the reader too much. These all went the used bookstore for credit.

Joe Lansdale wrote a cowboy western, Dead in the West, IIRC. It is typical Lansdale. Personally, I thought the subplot about how the main character came to be a wanderer totally unnecessary; actually I pretty much thought it ruined the book. I'll be trading this in for credit too. IIRC, I read somewhere there is a graphic novel with cowboys and zombies. Dead West, maybe. Have not read that one yet.

There is a Robert E. Howard Zuvembie story in one of the University of Nebraska reprint series. I think it is the one with the Mike Mignola cover. (BTW, this series has also reprinted REH's westerns too.)

That should be a start.

The Autumn series (4 Books) by David Moody.

An excellent modern day Zombie series.

Mysterioso: Thanks for the tip. I've got Dead West, and it's just okay (think Americans doing a Spaghetti Western in Manga style, and you've got it -- unimaginitive layout and a few places where I can't tell what the heck the drawings are supposed to represent, but in general it's an okay comic).

I'll take another glance at Walking Dead graphic novels, but wasn't impressed when I first saw them. Also, that whole Marvel comics Zombie crap-fest looked like a waste of ink and paper to me.

Thanks for the tips, guys.

Anyone else read the Autum series mentioned by Steve Dean?

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Mysty: I'll check out those REH western stories. Fortunately, I have most of the rare paperback reprints from the early 1970s, but maybe there's something my collection is missing.

Blood Crazy , Simon Clark- very cool book with zombie-like horror.

There was a short story collection called BOOK OF THE DEAD by an assortment of authors (in which "Wet Work" appeared, as well as a goodie by Stephen King). Durned if I can remember who edited it, though, but it turns up at used bookstores from time to time. I highly recommend it.

The Walking Dead is incredible. The fifth and six books take a different turn, especially the sixth as it's getting very graphic and pretty gruesome, but it's a great series that's more about the characters and the toll surviving takes on them.

It's the closest thing you're likely to find, I think.

WWZ is very good; although not a traditional novel, in that each "chapter" (~6 to 8 pages) is an interview with a different survivor, as a whole they do tell the story of the war pretty chronologically. A really good book, it should be in any "zombie enthusiast's" library IMHO.

Never heard of David Moody / Autumn before, but apparently the first book is free online:

djmoody.co.uk

Autum seems to be originally a free web novel- website: link

I would say thouigh, if I could read ANY zombie book, my first choice would be WWZ. Do not let the (non-novel) fool you.

Book of the Dead 1 & 2 were editted by John Skipp and Craig Spector. The first one is really good the second one a bit less so. Lansdale's On the Far Side of the Caddilac Ranch with Dead Folks is a must read to be certain.

Personally I liked the Resident Evil novels by SD Perry. Not the novelization of the two movies which are not by Perry. Good fun reads with lots of action and good pacing.

These may be a little off-topic but I'm including them because I can personally recommend them as great horror fiction

The first is Jinn by Matthew B J Delaney
WW2, Present day thriller with a Horror twist – I don't want to give too much away.

The second would be the Un-Dead cop books by Laurell K Hamilton. A whole series of books of which I have read three. Modern day, hard nose cop whose job it is to deal with the un-dead.

Hope that this helps.

Oh one final book and another favourite is
Shadows over Baker Street
a compilation of Sherlock Holmes Horror stories, by various authors. Now this is a bit like Sherlock Holmes meets HP Lovecraft, but because they are short stories by various authors the pur brilliance is fantastic – one of the few books I would read twice.

Tony

Day by Day Armageddon was interesting.

I Am Legend – basically spawned the horror survival genre.

I've read the Autumn books and found them ok. It was nice to have a Zombie tale set in Dear Old Blighty. That said
some of the locations and characters reminded me of Day of the Triffids for some reason.

Also, the Reign of the Dead series might be worth checking out. This is your typical Romeroesque story but a good read never the less.

Finally the All Flesh collections of short stories have some intereting takes on our rotten mates.

No, I have found that Zombies are just terrible writers and have not read a decent novel written by a zombie yet.

Jake

oh yeah- while not exactly a zombie book, certainly if you have not read I am Legend you have to read that. Its a very cool book.

Gotta agree with Mysterioso about Xombies. The story just didn't do it for me either. Luckily I only paid $2 USD for it.

visitdeadends.com

This is an "interactive" online Zombie novel by Nate Piekos. He is also responsible for the excellent

realmofatland.com

probably one of my favorite web comics of all time. Give it a whirl.

Monster Island and Monster Nation by David Wellington. The first hangs together better as a narrative, I think, but the second is loads of fun and has some great scenes in it.

Monster Nation is a prequel, but don't read it first.

Still awaiting the forthcoming Monster Planet, but you can apparently read it serially online at wellington's web site thirteenbullets.com

Another vote for World War Z here …

Dave

I'll join the chorus for World War Z – the "documentary" style worked really well. The author has obviously thought very hard about how a rising of the living dead could threaten the entire world in the 21st century, and has researched real-world cultures and military strategies well.

The different viewpoints are for the most part handled very well (I thought the modern day "samurai" were a little cartoony for my tastes, but I still enjoyed reading the chapter), and all are presented in convincingly distinctive "voices".

The book is very satisfying on a number of levels – a great read (I defy you to stop once you've started!), and a fantastic resource and "ideas mine" for your own zombie gaming scenarios.

World War Z is excellent, but I suspect not what mmitchell is looking for at the moment. The structure of the book is a series of oral interviews the author did with survivors after the War was won (but mopping up operations continue). It is a very good book, very well thought out. But it is not at all in the format of a traditional novel.

CPT Jake: Thank you! ROTFL. That was FUNNY.

Read "I am legend" back in high school. I'm a big fan of Richard Matheson's work.

I will glance around for these titles you guys mentioned (I may consider giving World War Z a try, based on the glowing recommendations here). At lunch I went out and picked up the Marvel Comics ESSENTIAL TALES OF THE ZOMBIE collection, as well as the ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR collection (Son of Satan, Ghost Rider, Satana, etc.). And I'll keep my eyes open for the Walking Dead graphic novel collections…

Thanks guys, I'll keep you posted on what I pick up.

twilight of the dead

down the road

monster island

monster nation

plague of the dead: the morningstar strain

wwz

day by day; armageddon

dead rising

the rising

city of the dead

reign of the dead

reign of the dead; apocalypse end

hope that helps.
cheers Hal

I would second the Autumn series, a new and fifth one is on its way

Currently reading WWZ very well done

I am also partial to Reign of the Dead, again a third book is on the way

Check this out:
link

One person's opinion, and I am not familiar with most of them.

I would urge everyone to stay away from The Rising and City of the Dead. I still have nightmares about those books. Well, about how bad they were, not the story.

I agree in part Hastati, the concept was quite a good twist

zobie animals – very frightening being attakced by flocks of zombie birds and considering all these super bugs today are said to originate form avian or animals

Also the demon thing is cool but just doesnt gel for zombies

This is a bit off topic (not zombies but vampires) but I really, really liked the graphic novel, The Wicked West (Todd Livingston, et. al.). I see on Amazon that there is a second volume now. I'll be ordering tonight.

Also, World War Z has been done in audio book format, with different actors taking on different characters. Might be the way to go if you have commuting as a part of your life. Even though I blasted through it on a plane ride, I will be listening to it as I have heard the audio book is well done.

And to cross into another genre, On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers has been recommended on the pirate board.

For anyone wishing to buy World War Z – in my local Border's (Watford) they have it in their half price sale so it's only £6.49. Just thought I'd pass the info along.

Hastati: "I would urge everyone to stay away from The Rising and City of the Dead. I still have nightmares about those books. Well, about how bad they were, not the story."

I second that! Those books were horrible. The first was not so great but some what tolerable. The second just was garbage. I just have this thing about finishing the books I start reading. It was quite torturous.

I would recommend the Walking Dead graphic novels.