Growing up in Chicago, I’ve always had a fascination for history, (even if it was sometimes a bit gory!), from Capone and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre to reading about monsters and the unique worlds created by favorite author Stephen King. So, it’s probably not too surprising that I combined both interests and offered a new solution to the infamous Lizzie Borden axe murders of 1892 in my own book series. I enjoy reading, and writing, the serious to the not-so-serious, often incorporating touches of humor, or at least the absurd, where and whenever I can.
One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy, and greed. But what if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become… zombies?
Thrust into a horrific world where the walking dead are part of a shocking conspiracy to infect not only Fall River, Massachusetts, but also the world beyond, Lizzie battles to protect her sister, Emma, and her hometown from nightmarish ghouls and the evil forces controlling them. Read the continuation in Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall!
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Whatever your take on politics and elections, I thought this was a truly original addition to the zombie world. Funny, and often true-to-life in an alternate reality, this book offers another interesting and sometimes horrific view of the crazy world of politics in a year that was far from the norm.
I can’t recommend a more fun and imaginative book than this one where lawyers Thomas Brock and Evelyn Love represent the new (and sometimes newly dead) supernatural residents of San Francisco’s famous Haight-Ashbury district. I love the touches of humor and the unique monsters, from ghouls to zombie-like creatures, ghosts, and even a talking gargoyle! Who’d think the law could be so interesting and even funny? But even the dead (or undead) deserve justice! Love these characters!
If you love reading about English royalty and history as I do, then it’s not too hard to let go of reality and let the legendary Queen of England, Queen Victoria, take on an even larger role in her vast empire. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see keep the kingdom free from zombies and demons than a strong-willed Queen willing to vanquish evil with her scepter.
While there are better-known vampire novels from the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker, to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, this was a story that mesmerized me with a perfect combination of history, music, and vampires. In this story of one vampire’s unquenchable desire to possess a particular violin, I found the supernatural elements and historic details as riveting as the haunting music this priceless violin is said to make.
5,215 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about vampires, zombies, and journalists.
We think you will like Handling the Undead, The Living and the Undead: Slaying Vampires, Exterminating Zombies, and I Am Legend if you like this list.
From T.L.'s list on with zombie main characters.
Lindqvist already reimagined vampires with Let the Right One In, and Handling the Undead is his answer to the zombie apocalypse. Unlike some of the other books on this list, where the zombie protagonists are sympathetic and mostly retain their humanity, the characters who come back from the dead in this book are deeply unsettling. The main focus is on the still-living family members whose lives are turned upside down by the dead coming to life. Following multiple story threads as many families throughout Stockholm struggle to cope with their newly resurrected loved ones, this book is equal parts heartfelt and utterly chilling.
From Brian's list on the history of horror and science fiction.
Before you can understand contemporary manifestations of zombies and vampires in shows like The Walking Dead or The Strain, it helps to know the long and varied cultural history of these monsters. Gregory Waller explores how each generation imagined and interpreted zombies and vampires, both in print and on-screen. How do they speak to our fears and prejudices, or even desires? I found it very helpful in writing Planet Auschwitz.
From Jay's list on dystopias: putting the fun in dysfunctional society.
I Am Legend, Matheson’s dystopian horror/sci-fi novel from 1954, imagines a world where a pandemic has decimated society, killing the majority of the population and turning the rest into flesh-eating creatures who just happen to have an unhealthy relationship with the sun, but at its heart, I Am Legend is one of the most impactful stories of human loneliness ever told. We watch our protagonist, Robert Neville, slowly lose hope of ever curing the disease that has ravaged the world while also feeling his pain as every chance of meaningful contact is ripped away from him. Scary, exciting, and utterly hopeless, it somehow leaves you with a slight smile as you read Neville’s ultimate fate. It’s a good thing that a pandemic like that could never happen in the real world. Wait...well no, I haven’t read the news in a while. What’s been going on?
