Any Zombie novels with a 'twist'? - Page 2

pwalker8 · 05-16-2018, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I tend to prefer my zombie stories without the twist. George Romero got the formula right in my opinion.

Having said that, one very popular zombie book is Brian Keene's The Rising. I abandoned it, but I appear to be in the minority.

A father is hunkered down, trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, as you do. His wife and son are out and he's given them up for dead until he receives a phone call that sends him on the road to find his son.

Another one that is different is David Wellington's Monster Island. It's basically Escape From New York if the prisoners were zombies.

If you don't mind reading comics, you might like iZombie. The series deals with Gwen Dylan, a zombie gravedigger in Eugene, Oregon and her friends Ellie, a 1960s ghost, and Scott, a were-terrier.

Gwen can pass for a regular girl, but she needs to eat a brain once a month to keep from losing her memories and intelligence. When she consumes their brains she "inherits" part of the deceased's thoughts.

iZombie was turned into a TV series, but I never watched it.

Zombie books seems to be one of those genres that is dominated by the indie movement. Correa's Monster Hunter International is the best known publishing house series that has zombies and that started as an Indie. John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series is by far and away the best treatment that I've read from a publishing house (or Indie for that matter) and you also have Max Brooks Z books. Past that, I can't think of any.

I agree with you on the George Romero comment. Give me shamblers any day!

Past the MHI and the Black Tide Rising series, I really haven't found any zombie books that I really loved and would recommend (I thought that World War Z was just ok). Every so often, I get the urge and try the first book from different series (long time original Night of the Living Dead/Dawn of the Dead fan. Didn't care for the remake though). Most of them are in the "ok, but don't really care to get the rest of the series" category. There were a couple where I did get the next book in the series, but those fizzled out pretty quickly.

Pablo · 05-16-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fidney

For a different take try "The Girl With All The Gifts" by M.R. Carey.

I second "The Girl with all the gifts" and also suggest (though not exactly zombies, but close) Jan Strnad's "Risen"

jviscosi · 05-17-2018, 11:28 AM

I really liked Zone One, by Coulson Whitehead, which focuses on a small squad of volunteers that's helping to clean up Manhattan after a zombie outbreak. Although a lot of people seem to hate it over on Goodreads ...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10365343-zone-one

Lusitanic · 05-17-2018, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Yes, The Reanimation of Edward Schuett by Derek Goodman. I have it available to loan to one person on Amazon (If you don't want it Glen, then the first person who requests via PM). I also have the audiobook, but I don't know how lending works with Audible.

This guy has been a zombie for 50 years and then, amazingly becomes human again.

YES! I loved this book! Please read it asap! If you want a zombie story with a twist...this is it!

Good thread by the way! I also miss some good old zombie action haha.

darryl · 05-17-2018, 08:03 PM

"The Girl with all the Gifts" is something special. The next book in the series, "The Boy on the Bridge", is also very good.

Owen Baillie's "Invasion of the Dead" series is also worth a look.

Blas · 05-17-2018, 10:01 PM

Stephen King has two books that are kinda related to "zombies" stuff or at least pos apocalyptic things.

Cell
Pet Sematary

I read both of them and Pet Sematary was the one that I liked the most.

darryl · 05-17-2018, 10:22 PM

Pet Sematary was really good. I didn't read it for a long time simply because of the title. I can see where you are coming from, but I would not really classify it as involving Zombies.

Morelli · 05-18-2018, 03:46 PM

Mindful zombies are an extraordinary turn on the great equation. It's so difficult to have a zombie as a hero, yet Diana Rowland pulls it off phenomenally with her White Trash Zombie arrangement. Will Angela Crawford have the capacity to oppose her recently discovered want to eat brains? Will she discover love? This urban dream adds southern appeal and silliness to an irregular zombie story.

GeoffR · 05-19-2018, 09:58 AM

One I liked, and probably the closest thing to a zombie story I have read recently, was Tade Thompson's Rosewater. Zombies are not really the central theme of the story though, they just come about as a consequence of other more interesting events.

ZodWallop · 05-19-2018, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Zombie books seems to be one of those genres that is dominated by the indie movement. Correa's Monster Hunter International is the best known publishing house series that has zombies and that started as an Indie. John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series is by far and away the best treatment that I've read from a publishing house (or Indie for that matter) and you also have Max Brooks Z books. Past that, I can't think of any.

I agree with you on the George Romero comment. Give me shamblers any day!

Past the MHI and the Black Tide Rising series, I really haven't found any zombie books that I really loved and would recommend (I thought that World War Z was just ok). Every so often, I get the urge and try the first book from different series (long time original Night of the Living Dead/Dawn of the Dead fan. Didn't care for the remake though). Most of them are in the "ok, but don't really care to get the rest of the series" category. There were a couple where I did get the next book in the series, but those fizzled out pretty quickly.

A zombie series that I enjoyed that is without a twist is Joe McKinney's Dead World. It's also not an indie series as it's published by Pinnacle.

ZodWallop · 05-19-2018, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blas

Stephen King has two books that are kinda related to "zombies" stuff or at least pos apocalyptic things.

Cell

Oh yeah! I meant to suggest Cell as well. It's sure not my favorite SK novel, but it IS a zombie novel with a twist.

pwalker8 · 05-20-2018, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

A zombie series that I enjoyed that is without a twist is Joe McKinney's Dead World. It's also not an indie series as it's published by Pinnacle.

Hadn't heard of that one before, I picked up a copy of book 1 and will give it a try.

mewmartigan · 05-21-2018, 03:58 PM

I just finished "The Reality Dysfunction" which is book 1 of Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy.

Zombies in space!

sealbeater · 05-25-2018, 03:02 PM

Anything by David Wellington.

Monster Island series was good. So was Patient Zero.

BenG · 05-28-2018, 08:49 AM

Colson Whitehead, who won the Pulitzer for Underground Railroad, wrote a zombie apocalypse novel called Zone One.

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05-17-2018, 11:28 AM	#18
jviscosi Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 2563362 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: California Device: Inkbook Focus, Nook Glowlight 4/4+, Inkbook Obsidian, Kindle Keyboard	I really liked Zone One, by Coulson Whitehead, which focuses on a small squad of volunteers that's helping to clean up Manhattan after a zombie outbreak. Although a lot of people seem to hate it over on Goodreads ... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10365343-zone-one

05-17-2018, 08:03 PM	#20
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	"The Girl with all the Gifts" is something special. The next book in the series, "The Boy on the Bridge", is also very good. Owen Baillie's "Invasion of the Dead" series is also worth a look.

05-17-2018, 10:01 PM	#21
Blas Ulica Guy Posts: 85 Karma: 43686 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Croatia Device: Kobo H2O and Motorola XOOM 2(for comics)	Stephen King has two books that are kinda related to "zombies" stuff or at least pos apocalyptic things. Cell Pet Sematary I read both of them and Pet Sematary was the one that I liked the most.

05-17-2018, 10:22 PM	#22
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	Pet Sematary was really good. I didn't read it for a long time simply because of the title. I can see where you are coming from, but I would not really classify it as involving Zombies.

05-18-2018, 03:46 PM	#23
Morelli Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: 1383 Carter Street Stlouis, IL 63101 Device: v4	Mindful zombies are an extraordinary turn on the great equation. It's so difficult to have a zombie as a hero, yet Diana Rowland pulls it off phenomenally with her White Trash Zombie arrangement. Will Angela Crawford have the capacity to oppose her recently discovered want to eat brains? Will she discover love? This urban dream adds southern appeal and silliness to an irregular zombie story.

05-19-2018, 09:58 AM	#24
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	One I liked, and probably the closest thing to a zombie story I have read recently, was Tade Thompson's Rosewater. Zombies are not really the central theme of the story though, they just come about as a consequence of other more interesting events.

05-21-2018, 03:58 PM	#28
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	I just finished "The Reality Dysfunction" which is book 1 of Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy. Zombies in space!

05-25-2018, 03:02 PM	#29
sealbeater Banned Posts: 666 Karma: 1752814 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 : Onyx Boox Max : Sony PRS-900 : Onyx Kepler Pro	Anything by David Wellington. Monster Island series was good. So was Patient Zero.

05-28-2018, 08:49 AM	#30
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Colson Whitehead, who won the Pulitzer for Underground Railroad, wrote a zombie apocalypse novel called Zone One.