So yes, I watch a lot of movies but I like to read a lot too and I love a good zombie fiction :) The best beach reads! Unfortunately, it's an oversaturated market with a lot of duds so here's a list of a few recommended ones....
First up, the As the World Dies trilogy from Rhiannon Frater. I LOVED this trilogy. I wasn't sure at first, it was a bit cheesy but The First Days was also one of the first zombie novels I'd ever read. After reading others I realized how great these books are. The main thing I appreciate about Frater's writing is that she really takes the time to describe her characters so you have a really clear vision of them in your head. The 2 main characters in the book are women as well :) The zombie action is intense and believable and you really get involved in the story. I devoured these books and highly recommend them. I've heard via Frater's facebook page that the series has been optioned for television (or a movie series? can't quite remember) which I think would be fantastic! This would make a great mini-series! (I'm all about mini-series and don't think it's an option that's utilized nearly enough!)
Next up, one of the more recent zombie novels I've read: Fiend by Steven Larson. This one is a bit unique as the survivors in the story are junkies and apparently their respective habits have enabled them to be immune to whatever outbreak has affected the rest of the world. It's a bit of a mash up of Breaking Bad and Walking Dead. I thought it was refreshing and fast paced and completely entertaining. I read that Larson was actually a junkie himself so also an interesting take on a biography of sorts? Again, highly recommended!
Next is the Autumn series by David Moody. I'm actually reading the last book, Aftermath, right now and it's pretty good. I definitely don't think these are the best the genre has to offer but they're entertaining and the action and descriptions of the dead are really good. However, now that I'm on the end the descriptions of the liquid, putrefied remains are starting to get a little much. One major beef I have with Moody is one of the things I like about Frater, character descriptions. He hardly describes any of his main characters (which change throughout each book, converging in the last one) and I hate that. It helps to have a description to keep characters straight in your head, bring them to life visually and his writing falls very short of that. Regardless, it's enjoyable and I recommend for the die hard zombie lit fan. The first book was actually made into a low-budget movie in 2009. I started to watch and please, spare yourselves! It's terrrrrrrible. To bad as it could have been done better.
And lastly (for now) we have Joe McKinney. Another Texan zombie writer (Rhiannon Frater is also Texan). Something about that state and the dead... His Dead City series are still ongoing, the latest being The Savage Dead, 2013). I really like this series. McKinney is a former Police Detective and his stories are mostly based around military and police involvement during a zombie outbreak which occurs during a string of hurricanes in Texas which destroys the land and thus, the dead rises. The stories, while not linked directly at first, are all in the same world. He does a good job with character building and you do become invested in each of them. I haven't read the entire series yet (I like to stretch things out so I don't run out) but I've enjoyed the first four very much and am sure the next will be just as good. I like that the storms and the resulting chaos are just as scary and dangerous as the zombies. The dead are almost an after thought, a cherry on top of a post-apocalyptic shit sundae. Love them!
That's all for now! I'm planning a post on different horror/thriller books later :)
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