Books Like How I Started The Apocalypse

Books Like How I Started The Apocalypse

The mere mention of "zombies" is enough to conjure up images of shambling undead monsters with an insatiable desire for brains. These creatures have dominated the horror genre for years and could be found in popular franchises, such as The Walking Dead and Resident Evil. As a result, the zombie apocalypse concept has also become a horror genre staple. However, since the late 2000s, there has also been a rise in novels where zombies are portrayed in a more sympathetic light. Some of these novels have even gone as far as making zombie characters the protagonists. For example, in How I Started The Apocalypse by Brian Pinkerton, the protagonist is a zombie named Chaz who has retained all of his humanity and intelligence. For more stories where zombies step into the leading roles, check out the following books like How I Started The Apocalypse.

I, Zombie

by Hugh Howey

I, Zombie by Hugh Howey

I, Zombie is a 2012 novel by Hugh Howey about typical zombies that chase down the living to rip them apart and eat them. However, the tale is told from the perspective of the zombies, who are not the mindless creatures that they appear to be. Instead of being unthinking and unfeeling, these zombies are aware of everything they are doing and feel every injury inflicted on them. Unfortunately, as much as their actions horrify and disgust them, they are unable to control them. The book even features flashbacks for some of the zombies that chronicle how they were turned and what their lives were like before. Overall, I, Zombie is a horrific look at the lives of zombies that might leave you looking at them in a new light.

River of Souls

by T. L. Bodine

River of Souls by T. L. Bodine

River of Souls is a 2019 novel by T. L. Bodine about a world where undeath is a manageable condition. While the undead can still become violent, mindless walking corpses, a miracle life-extension drug called Lazarus counters these effects. Believing what the media says, Davin Montoya signed his alcoholic father over to the government's Lazarus House for treatment when he drank himself to death. Unfortunately, this left Davin with no choice except to drop out of college to take care of his teenage sister, Zoe. Things don't go according to plan, though, and Davin ends up dying himself due to an accident. To keep his sister out of foster care, Davin has to keep his death a secret, but this requires him to find access to Lazarus in the underground society of Unregistered Undead.

Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead

by Scott Kenemore

Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead By Scott Kenemore

Zombie, Ohio is a 2011 novel by Scott Kenemore about Peter Mellor, a rural Ohio college professor. Peter dies in an accident during a zombie outbreak but returns as a member of the living dead. Although he is somewhat amnesiac, Peter is a highly intelligent zombie. Unfortunately, Peter is also inconveniently addicted to brains, which doesn't endear him to humans who try to kill him at nearly every opportunity. This leaves Peter to wander around with other zombies while seeing society crumbling around them. However, when Peter discovers his accident was not as accidental as he thought, he sets out to solve his own murder.

Warm Bodies

by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies is a 2011 novel by Isaac Marion and the first book in the series of the same name. The story follows "R," a zombie with no memories, no identity, and no pulse. Although he still eats people occasionally, "R" is not like the other zombies. Instead of doing typical zombie things, he collects souvenirs from the ruins of civilization, which he stores in the cozy 747 he calls home. Then, "R" encounters a girl named Julie, who ends up becoming his reluctant house guest. Instead of eating her, "R" protects her, so an unlikely bond begins to form between them. Warm Bodies was turned into a movie of the same name starring Nicholas Hoult as "R" and Teresa Palmer as Julie.

Diary of a Zombie

by Sergi Llauger

Diary of a Zombie by Sergi Llauger

Diary of a Zombie is a 2015 novel by Sergi Llauger about a desolate world where a massive pandemic has driven humans to the brink of extinction. Erico Lombardo is a zombie who finds himself wandering the wasteland of post-apocalyptic Barcelona with a feeling of deep and sinister emptiness inside him. For some reason, Erico has kept his human consciousness and free will after he died and transformed into a zombie. Unfortunately, everyone else sees him as a monster, which has made Erico cold and cynical, but then he meets a lonely and mysterious 8-year-old girl. Befriending the girl, who could be humankind's last hope of survival, also causes Erico to regain memories and feelings he thought were lost when he became a zombie.

Dust

by Joan Frances Turner

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Dust is a 2011 novel by Joan Frances Turner that explores the life of the undead. The story is told from the perspective of Jessie, who returns as a member of the undead after dying in a car crash at age 15. Nine years later, she is part of an undead gang called the Fly-By-Nights, who hunt and eat together. Although her memories of being alive haunt her, Jessie has embraced her new way of life. It's not exactly a picnic being a zombie, with the decay being a particular nuisance, but Jesse makes the best of her situation. However, she is faced with a difficult choice when a mysterious illness appears that threatens the existence of both zombies and humans.

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

by S. G. Browne

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne

Breather's: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne is a 2009 novel that zombies can go hand in hand with dark humor. It is the story of Andy Warner, who returns as a zombie after a car crash that also kills his wife. Life is not easy for zombies as they are shunned by society, banned from working, and frequently targeted by humans who want to destroy them. Andy ends up living in his parents' wine cellar, but his life changes when he befriends two other zombies, Rita and Ray, at a support group.

Glen Dawson - A Satirical Wake-up Call
FEATURED AUTHOR - After graduating from Duke University, Glen Dawson owned and operated a flexible packaging manufacturing plant for 23 years. Then, he sold the factory and went back to school to get his Master's degree in biostatistics from Boston University. When he moved to North Carolina, he opened an after-school learning academy for advanced math students in grades 2 through 12. After growing the academy from 30 to 430 students, he sold it to Art of Problem Solving. Since retiring from Art of Problem… Read more