With part two of the three-part series finale of The Walking Dead just having premiered, it is impossible to avoid zombie fever. If you’re a fan, waiting a full week for a new episode is just plain difficult—or is that just me?
Because I’ve got a bit of zombie fever, I set out to find a variety of Audible titles that have similar aspects as the show. If you’re hooked on the conspicuous terror and ingrained thrills of The Walking Dead, check out the list below—I bet there's something here that is wonderfully creepy, gory, or apocalyptic enough to satisfy your cravings.
Save this list to your Collections Library now.
The apocalypse has occurred, and Darcy and her sister, Hope, are among the survivors living in an old castle in Britain. Not only are they living through the end times, but they must now find a way to survive the creatures that have risen from the darkness. Battle-ready Darcy is considered one of the best hunters, and will do anything she can to protect her sisters. Impact Winter includes sound effects that not only make you feel like you're a part of a Walking Dead episode, but will have you having all the feels (primarily fear, of course). This sci-fi horror feels like a zombie thriller, even though it is all about vampires, and is sure to keep you attached to your headphones until the last sentence.
Pro tip: listen in a dark place for an added thrill.
Martial Law? Zombie outbreak? Zombies that can run, climb, and smell healthy people...
Well... We're definitely not in Georgia anymore.
It's rare to find a zombie story where we see how different nations would respond to a zombie crisis. World War Z is a documentary style "history of the zombie war.” The title is a collection of interviews, featuring perspectives from different countries, races, and backgrounds, covering the time span from its initial outbreaks to Z-Day (defeat day). Similarly to TWD, the actions taken by people in order to survive are brutal—and gory to say the least. If you're a fan of zombies and TWD, this updated narration is lead by The Walking Dead's creator Frank Darabont, and is the perfect listen because not only does it continue to add to the "Hmm, What if?" that stays in your mind after watching The Walking Dead, but it makes you think: what if we actually found ourselves in this situation?
Imagine waking up in a hospital with zero recollection of how you came to be there—anyone else getting Rick Grimes vibes yet?—only to find out that there are zombies all over the place blended in with the rest of society. Oh, and one last thing; now you’re one of them, too. This is how My Life as a White Trash Zombie begins. We find Angel, a woman with a troubled past having woken up from a horrible accident, that happened while she was under the influence. Angel finds that she has a mysterious benefactor that has not only turned her into a zombie, but has also aligned a job for her at a morgue. This already wild ride takes a turn when bodies without brains, begin to arrive at her job. Only just embarking on her new life, Angel is now in the middle of a murder mystery that threatens not only her meals, but her way of life. My Life as A White Trash Zombie has zombies as protagonists, and is not post-apocalyptic, which we don’t see often. Angel’s relationship with her father, headstrong attitude and fast thinking give off full-on Maggie Greene energy that kept me hooked to the six book series until the last sentence.
The 7 Habits of Highly Infective People is not your traditional post-apocalyptic, zombie story. The first noteworthy thing about this story is that it is set in two timelines. We arrive into the first-person inner monologue of Bosley Coughlin, who using mystically enhanced drugs, manages to spread his consciousness into a girl (Ocean) that lives in a dreadful future where zombies rule, and the remaining humans fight for scarce food. The story switches between the present and the future, and finds Bosley trying to stop the zombie outbreak from happening to begin with. He will do anything he can in the present to protect Ocean in the future, even murder. This refreshing take on the zombie theme will have you hooked by the end of the first chapter. This title is a must listen for all those who enjoy an engaging and twisty plotline that is lead by an anti-hero (think our favorite TWD anti-hero Daryl Dixon). Similarly to the show, Seven Habits of Highly Infective People has horror, which is immediate and tense, and will have you attached to the book until the end.
In his debut novel, Reedus, who portrays fan-favorite character Daryl Dixon on the show, writes a harsh and gritty account of very different people struggling in life. This wild and unpredictable story follows three characters who hit the road for different reasons and run into life-threatening situations and try their hardest to overcome them by doing the right thing. This is a story hope, growing up, and becoming more self-aware and while there are no zombies directly involved, you may find that some of life threatening situations, and actions just as enthralling as a TWD episode.
This title is a bit different than the other titles on this list in that the Zombie breakout has not happened yet. Patient Zero focuses on Joe Ledger, a detective and former Army Ranger (giving off some Shane vibes) that gets recruited by the government to find, and destroy a terrorist group, whom is threatening to release a bio-weapon that turns its victims into vicious zombies. While Patient Zero does not have as much horror as TWD, the beautifully written grand protagonist, undead fights and thrilling scares do an amazing job of keeping us engaged through the entire listen.
