The Three Best Zombie Fiction Series

Something has come over me and I must tell about my three most favorite zombie series out there today. Because you see, I was never a fan of zombies, until these authors convinced me just how good a zombie story can be.

Carrie Ryan and her Forest of Hands and Teeth series. Seriously, I love Love LOVE this world Ryan has created. Each one feels like a punch to the gut, a burning image in my brain. The world is fairly simple, and yet very sophisticated as well. The dead are called The Unconsecrated, and the villages are set up in a manner very similar to religious group compounds. Her story-telling is beautiful. But perhaps the best part about this series is that these are all separate stories connected with the same characters. In other words, they do not follow the same characters in each book, but rather they follow relatives and acquaintances of the characters. This creates a spin-off feel, which I totally enjoyed and can't get enough of.


Sophie Littlefield and her Aftertime series. Another author who can keep me up late into the night because it's so hard to put down her books once I have started them. My favorite part about these stories is the tenderness that is so rampant among such horrors. All books follow Cass and her family, which makes reading them all together even more rewarding. The zombies are called Beaters in this world, which dehumanizes them more than the other zombie series I like so much. But it also serves to make the life the characters lead bleak and sparse, which in turn makes what they have feel rich. I don't want this series to end!


Jonathan Maberry and his Benny Imura series. This series came as quite a surprise to me. Neither the cover nor the premise of the first one really caught me. It was a recommendation from another trusted reader that made me pick up the book, and then once I started reading, I couldn't stop singing Maberry's praises. These are more of a boys story, but I am still completely hooked. There is a large underlying theme of morality in a world of Zoms, and it makes for a very thoughtful and absorbing read. I always recommend this series to YA male readers, but I too look forward to more of Benny, Nix, and Lilah.