Zombies never stay dead.
Winter Hawk is on day three of a five-day cruise when the zombie infection decides to make its appearance.
She’s seen her share of bad days, but nothing compares to the fact that the people around Winter are dying and coming back to life in droves.
Winter has to get off of the cruise ship and away from the infection, no matter what it takes. Armed with a first aid kit, a couple of water bottles, and a few unlikely companions, she embarks on a journey that will change everything.
If she can manage to survive.
Zombie Books Like The Last of Us
If you enjoyed playing the video game The Last of Us, you might be wondering if there are any zombie books like The Last of Us.
The Last of Us is a game that features survivors in the midst of the zombie apocalypse. Like many video games about the zombie apocalypse, The Last of Us features fighting, survival elements and tactics, and of course, zombies to fight and destroy.
One of the most fantastic and interesting elements of The Last of Us are the different relationships that are expressed throughout the game. A lot of the relationships are things gamers can relate to as they play through The Last of Us.
So, if you’re looking for zombie books like The Last of Us and you’re hoping to find some books where the relationships between the survivors are strong, here are a few you can check out.
The Stay Dead series by L.C. Mortimer
The survivors of a zombie cruise ship don’t care what started the zombie apocalypse – they just need to survive in it. If you’re looking for a book that features Black protagonists, senior citizen survivors, and a whole lot of traveling, check out this particular series.
Currently, there are five books out with more on the way.
Feed by Mira Grant
Feed is one of the most well-known zombie books of our time. It’s a story that is vastly different from many other zombie books because of its technology. In this book, survivors aren’t just trapped in isolation without a way to communicate. Instead, there are a lot of media elements that readers will be familiar with, including blogs.
Comes the Dark by Patrick D’Orazio
This book features a strong male lead who will do anything to protect the people he cares about most. But what happens when fate has a plan that isn’t exactly fair? And what is he supposed to do when he loses everything he values most?
Zombie Books With Themes Like The Last of Us
Before you can choose the best zombie books like The Last of Us, let’s discuss some of the most important themes in The Last of Us.
This game has a lot of important themes that any zombie reader is sure to enjoy. When you’re playing a zombie game, just like when you’re reading zombie novels, it’s easy to become fully immersed in the zombie world.
There are some really important elements and themes that are touched upon in The Last of Us, including:
- Loyalty
- Death
- Friendship
- Loss
- Grief
- Fatherhood
- And more
Consider choosing a book that has the theme of loyalty.
One example is the book Outbreak by L.C. Mortimer.
In this book, the main character struggles with remaining loyal to herself while her new companions deal with an inherent loyalty to one another.
Sometimes the best zombie novels are the ones that make us think.
It’s okay to need to read stories that offer us more than just entertainment. A lot of readers enjoy stories that have a moral or that present us with realistic problems we can tackle along with the characters in the story.
If you’re looking for a zombie novel like The Last of Us that features the theme of grief, you’re in luck.
Most zombie novels do deal with grief on a very personal level.
This is because regardless of who the characters are, they’re likely going to experience loss on a personal level.
After all, during the zombie apocalypse, everyone dies.
Here are a few zombie novels where the characters experience grief:
Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse
As you read through various zombie novels, you’re sure to find the best zombie novels for your needs and to find stories that remind you of one of your favorite zombie video games – The Last of Us.
December 2022 – Best Zombie Novels New Releases
If you’ve been looking for new release zombie books in December 2022, you’re in luck!
Each month, new zombie books are released that are designed to help you immerse yourself in a story with fighting, survival, and of course, the undead.
This month, we’ve got quite a few new zombie books hitting the market.
Zombabe from author I.S. Belle and features a paranormal romance story that takes place within the world of zombies. Check it out if you’re looking for something a little different from your usual zombie fare.
Zombies on the Block is a new story that you’ll definitely want to check out. This one is more of a thriller, so it’s going to have some twists and turns you might not expect in a zombie novel.
L.C. Mortimer just released a boxed set with three Stay Dead novels. These books feature diverse zombie characters, including a main character who is in her 70s, as well as POC main characters.
Regardless of what you usually like to read, make sure you check out diverse zombie books this month.
Finding the best zombie novels can sometimes be tricky, but with some careful searching, you’re sure to find something that features characters and plotlines you love and enjoy.
Check back next month for the best zombie novels of January 2023!
November 2022 – Diverse Zombie Reads
Finding diversity in zombie books isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve been finding book after book that seems to feature the same plotline and the same type of protagonist.
What if you want something different?
What if you’re looking for a story that stands out from the rest?
Looking for diverse zombie books is a fantastic way to find new and interesting things to enjoy while you’re reading.
You can find diversity in books by choosing stories with:
- POC main characters
- Characters with disabilities
- Characters with unique backstories
- Authors who are queer, BIPOC, or women
- And more
One of the best ways to diversify your reading is to start making a conscious effort to try to find something new and unique each month to read. Even if you love reading about a rugged mountain man with a can-do attitude, try picking up a book where the heroine uses a prosthetic leg. You could opt for a story about a deaf woman who has to survive the apocalypse on her own. Maybe you could choose a book where the main characters have been adopted.
There are many different ways to incorporate diversity into your reading.
That said, here are some of the best new zombie novels in November 2022.
CHASE THE ZOMBIES – This book features Black main characters, characters with disabilities, and LGBTQIA characters.
DESPAIR OF THE DEAD – This book doesn’t come out until next year, but make sure you pre-order it now. This book features characters with disabilities, LGBTQIA characters, Black main characters, and more.
CHAOTIC UNDEAD – This book is still a pre-order, but make sure you grab it so you can read a story written by a queer author who writes characters with various backgrounds, including older main characters (70+).
October 2022 – Best Diverse Zombie Novels
If you’ve been doing a lot of reading this autumn, you might be wondering whether there’s anything new that can catch your interest.
The great news is that there is!
The right zombie novel can make a great difference in your reading options. Finding new and dystopian zombie novels to read in the autumn can be difficult, but it’s not impossible.
Check out these reads.
October 2022 Zombie Novels With Diverse Characters
Zombies never stay dead.
It’s been a month since the zombie infection took hold of humans everywhere. One month and six days and still we don’t know what started the infection or how far it’s spread. All we know is that we’ve got to take this thing one day at a time if we want to stay alive.
And trust me: we want to stay alive.
Our little group has found ourselves in the heart of an undead city. Trying to make our way around the city didn’t work so well. We finally decided to just try to make our way through. We’re searching for other survivors. We’re searching for food. We’re searching for anything that can help us get Greta home to her family.
None of it is going to matter if the zombies claim us before we make our next move, though.
None of it’s going to matter if we can’t make it home.
Broken Undead features: POC main characters (Winter, Isaiah), an older main character (Greta), and touches on the topic of mental health and wellness, including depression.
Zombies never stay dead.
Winter has seen a lot of terrible things since the start of the apocalypse, but the trouble isn’t even close to being over.
After surviving the most horrific farmhouse filled with creepy dolls – why do those even exist? – the group continues on their journey.
Then their car breaks down.
Then one of their members faces an injury.
Then they have to decide whether facing a mob of zombies is worth it to save themselves.
Winter just wishes that the dead would stay dead in Fear the Undead.
Author’s note: this is the fourth book in the Stay Dead series and should be read in order.
Fear the Undead features Black characters, senior citizens, and characters with allergies.
Choosing Zombie Books
When you’re looking for the best zombie books with diverse characters, make sure you take the time to check out dystopian authors who write creatively. There are a lot of dystopian zombie novels available that will help you come up with ideas for surviving the apocalypse and living at the end of the world.
If you’re looking for additional apocalyptic stories, check out these dystopian novels from Amazon.
Zombie, apocalyptic, and dystopian novels will make a huge difference in the way you experience the world and the way you view things around you. Great zombie novels can help you relax while encouraging you to think in new and creative ways.
Zombie Books to Read in August 2022
Are you looking for something new to read?
Luckily, there are plenty of zombie books out this August that are sure to delight, entice, and maybe even scare you.
Check out any of the books above for fun new zombie reads. August 2022 zombie books offer you a chance to explore a world of the undead without ever having to leave your house.
Are there any zombie books with diverse characters?
Zombie books offer a couple of wonderful things to readers.
First off, they’re a lot of fun. In most zombie books, characters do anything from exploring abandoned cities to saving lost children to catching stray cats.
In some zombie books, the characters focus on things like finding good weapons, building new settlements, and even trying to solve the cause of the zombie apocalypse.
If you’re reading a lot of zombie novels, though, you may ask yourself whether it’s possible to find anything with a diverse cast of characters.
For example, are there any books featuring gay survivors? What about characters who aren’t white? Are there any zombie books about characters who are older than, say, 25?
The answer to all of these questions is yes.
Your first stop when looking for diverse zombie books is going to be author L.C. Mortimer. Mortimer’s work tends to be diverse, unique, and most of all, very fun.
Mortimer’s books err on the side of less gore and more character development, so if that’s the type of thing you’re interested in, then it’s time to pick up a couple of books by this American zombie novelist.
Start with a standalone like Beyond Rainbows to experience the zombie apocalypse in a new way. In this book, the characters we experience are living in a treehouse, which would definitely be a fun way to survive the apocalypse. They’re a ragtag bunch of survivors who spend most of their time trying to avoid fighting and instead want to find ways to live with the apocalypse.
Unfortunately for our characters, “normal” died a long time ago.
Once you’re done with Beyond Rainbows, make it a point to read something else by Mortimer, such as her Stay Dead series.
In the first book of the series, Wild Undead, we’re greeted with zombies almost immediately. The main character is just hanging out, trying to enjoy a much-needed vacation, when everything goes wrong. In fact, total hell breaks loose on board the ship.
Right away, we don’t know who is going to live or die, and we certainly don’t know whether they’re going to be able to make it through the rest of the apocalypse.
The next book, Lost Undead, follows our main characters. We get to see them landing on an island and figuring out what’s going to happen next.
Book three has the saga continue. During that book, our team ends up in a city that is all but ruled by the undead. It’s while they’re there that we get to see what comes next for the survivors.
Will they keep trucking on?
Or is this the end of the line for our heroes?
In the Stay Dead series, we have a diverse group of characters, including a bisexual Black female character, a Black male character, an older main character, and a white male character who is allergic to just about everything under the sun.
The most important reason to seek out diversity in books is that representation is important.
Not every person in real life has the same backstory, the same life experiences.
Here are a few diverse characters and where you can read their stories:
Gregory – orthodontist (Beyond Rainbows)
Winter – Black female lead (Wild Undead)
Kyle – asthma (Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse)
Mark – PTSD (Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse)
Greta – older lead (aged 70ish) (Wild Undead)
Isaiah – Black male lead (Wild Undead)
Genevieve – uses a wheelchair (The Chasing of Zombies)
Eshe – lesbian (The Chasing of Zombies)
If you haven’t branched out and tried reading something with characters who are diverse, start with these books.