Why am I passionate about this?

Chris Philbrook spent almost two decades figuring out he didn’t want to use his business degree for business, and his psychology degree for mental health. Instead, he started writing books about zombies, several of which went on to hit bestseller status, and life has been far better as a result. He has authored over 25 books now, spanning multiple genres.


I wrote

Dark Recollections

By Chris Philbrook,

Book cover of Dark Recollections

What is my book about?

Dark Recollections follows a middle-aged man named Adrian Ring. Adrian wakes up to the sound of a shotgun going off…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Zombie Fallout

Chris Philbrook Why did I love this book?

Mike Talbot is the main character in Mark Tufo’s series, and he’s beloved by the hundreds of thousands of people who have read the sixteen-book epic. Mike’s story follows his survival in the wake of a botched vaccine spreading an undead plague, but as we discover, there’s far more happening beneath the surface of his reality. There are companion novel series’ connected to Zombie Fallout, and they expand on the events in this core saga. But, telling you their titles might spoil some of the world development. If you enjoy brutal survival, with powerful emotional realism and sarcastic humor that will have you holding your sides, this is a premier series in the zompoc genre.

By Mark Tufo,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Zombie Fallout as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Zombie Fallout It was a flu season like no other. With fears of contracting the H1N1 virus running rampant throughout the country, people lined up in droves to try an attain one of the coveted vaccines. What was not known, was the effect this largely untested, rushed to market, inoculation was to have on the unsuspecting throngs. Within days, feverish folk throughout the country, convulsed, collapsed and died, only to be re-born. With a taste for brains, blood and bodies, these modern day zombies scoured the lands for their next meal. Overnight the country became a killing ground for the…


Book cover of Autumn

Chris Philbrook Why did I love this book?

Autumn is a two-stage apocalypse story that spills out the horror of the world ending from a mysterious infection, followed up by a second, species-crushing wave of terror as the dead return to life to finish the job the infection began. Autumn is dark, and brutal, and is an older book in the genre, but a refreshing take on the trope of zombies. It’s filled with beautiful imagery and characters with depth and runs into a six-book series.

By David Moody,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Autumn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In less than twenty-four hours a vicious and virulent viral epidemic destroys virtually all of the population. Billions are killed, within minutes. There are no symptoms and no warnings; within moments of infection each victim suffers a violent and agonising death. At the end of ten minutes, only a handful of survivors remain. By the end of the first day those survivors wish they were dead. By the end of the first week, as the dead get up and walk, they know they are in hell. AUTUMN, the classic free underground novel finally bursts into the mainstream. It is cold,…


Book cover of Until the End of the World

Chris Philbrook Why did I love this book?

Sarah Lyons Fleming has an almost supernatural ability to create human tension amongst powerfully real characters. In her four book series she creates a tremendous amount of terror and melancholy amongst her troupe of friends as they travel through unending hordes of the dead. Sarah’s series crosses seasons and years, bringing in the effects of weather, and the environment, and expands the terror of the monsters into a blood-soaked boomerang that Keeps. Coming. Back.

By Sarah Lyons Fleming,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Until the End of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

★Named one of BookBub's 14 Can't-Miss Zombie Series★ ★One of Popsugar’s 68 Books to Read While Social Distancing★

Cities fall. Worlds end. Zombies never die.
Join a group of friends on a journey that takes them to places they never imagined.

Cassie Forrest isn't surprised to learn that the day she’s decided to get her life together is also the day the world ends. After all, she’s been on a self-imposed losing streak since her survivalist parents died: she stopped painting, broke off her engagement to Adrian, and dated a real jerk. Self-improvement can wait, however. First, Cassie and her…


Book cover of Animals

Chris Philbrook Why did I love this book?

Zompoc novels that involve kids are a tough pill to swallow, but David and Wesley have done something totally different with their story of a field trip gone awry in the early days of the apocalypse. One part Lord of the Flies, one part Night of the Living Dead, the three books in the Feral Children series sees school kids surviving the zombie apocalypse trapped in the city zoo, and it follows them as they befriend the animals there, and then step out with those animals at their backs. The Feral Children gives you the opportunity to read about clever kids surviving the horrors of the undead, as well as getting the chance to read about what a bear might do when faced with the undead.

By David A. Simpson, Wesley R. Norris,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Animals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bears were hungry and the panther was pacing her cage.

It was supposed to be a fun field trip to the zoo. Instead, it turned into a nightmare of blood.

The zombie virus spread like wildfire. By noon, they were all alone. Abandoned. Safe inside the fences, a group of school kids are the only survivors. Like the animals, they’ve spent their whole lives being cared for and fed, pampered and loved. Now they have to learn how to survive, how to hunt, and how to kill.

A wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your…


Book cover of Rot & Ruin

Chris Philbrook Why did I love this book?

Rot & Ruin picks up late in the apocalypse, so late, in fact, it’s solidly in the post-apocalyptic period of the end of this world. This is the only book amongst these recommendations that are advertised and listed as being for a young adult audience, but as an adult, I enjoyed this book and series thoroughly. Rot & Ruin’s two main protagonists—the Imura brothers—are endearing, and sweet, and tough, and are fun to follow as they try to make a difference that’s been irrevocably destroyed by the undead plague. It’s filled with equal parts dread, and hope, and is a standout in the genre.

By Jonathan Maberry,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Rot & Ruin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

'This is anything but another zombie novel... exciting, full of action, and curiously thoughtful' Charlaine Harris, author of the True Blood series
'A thought-provoking thriller that still delivers a good dose of action and gore' The Bookseller

The perfect read for fans of The Walking Dead, from an award-winning author.

Nearly fourteen years ago, a freak virus swept across the world - turning those infected into the undead. Benny Imura has grown-up never knowing anything different; his last memory of his parents was of them becoming zombies. Now Benny is fifteen, and joining his brother Tom in the 'family business'…


Explore my book 😀

Dark Recollections

By Chris Philbrook,

Book cover of Dark Recollections

What is my book about?

Dark Recollections follows a middle-aged man named Adrian Ring. Adrian wakes up to the sound of a shotgun going off just outside his condo, and things don’t get better as the day goes on. People have started dying, but they aren’t staying that way, and Adrian soon finds himself desperately fighting for survival, and figuring out what the future could possibly hold in a world overrun by pure evil.

You might also like...

Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

Book cover of Falcon's Call

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

What is my book about?

An alien starship appears in the Solar System! Humanity faces a glorious future, or total extinction, and only Joe Falcon can make the choice. Never would Joe have imagined it would fall to him to make the decision that would alter the destiny of two worlds, launching humanity towards a glorious future, or to extinction.

Falcon's Call is an action packed dive into the unknown, written in the style of the great, classic, science-fiction stories. If you like surprising plot twists, compelling characters and a hero who actually cares, you must read this new novel by Mike Waller.

Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

What is this book about?

Reader's Favorite Gold Medal winner 2019
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree 2019
Chill With A Book Premier Award 2019

In a heart-pounding battle for humanity's survival, one man holds the key to a glorious future or utter extinction.

In a race against time, Earth and Mars race to claim a derelict alien ship as it enters the Solar System, both aware that whichever planet succeeds might in so doing achieve technological advantage over the other. But who should they send? Joe Falcon, an unlikely candidate, never saw himself as the "right" person. Accompanied by a crew of misfits, each fleeing their own…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in zombies, survival, and the apocalypse?

Zombies 139 books
Survival 202 books
The Apocalypse 85 books