I wanted to feature a few more novels before I ended the Zombie Fiction Overload series, partly because they've recently been added to my personal "wish list" and partly because I didn't feel as if the series was really complete until I had at least mentioned some of these. 

The Walking Dead is a graphic novel series by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (later replaced by Charlie Adlard).  It chronicles the story of a group of people trying to survive a Zombie apocalypse.  It was on the majority of the lists of Zombie Fiction that I looked up, all over the web, and appears to be an interesting series.  Some say it starts off very similar to 28 Days Later.  It's been well received by critics, and there are rumors of plans to adapt the graphic novel series into a television series that's supposed to air on AMC in October of 2010.   (The image to the left, and the link to the book on booksxyz.com is for the Vol. 1 collection).  You can read a blogger review of The Walking Dead over at Josh on Comics. 

Stephen King's novel Cell, is an entirely different take on zombies, and I'm not really sure they're "technical" zombies, but King's novel creates a similar feeling to zombie fiction and many people categorize it as part zombie fiction so I'm including it anyway.  The basic plot of the story is that a mysterious signal is boradcast over the global cell-phone network and turns the majority of humanity into vicious mindless zombies. The main character is a comic book artist who is in Boston trying to negotiate a deal when the event survivors call "The Pulse" occurs. Described by Publishers Weekly  as "a glib, technophobic but compelling look at the end of civilization" and full of  "jaunty and witty" sociological observations it's a book to add to any zombie or apocalyptic collection.  I read it so long ago that I don't remember a lot of it, but I do remember it having that surreal and very creepy vibe that characterizes a lot of King's fiction (probably why I'm such a fan, that and I inherited my love of King from my dad). 

A great collection of Zombie Tales is Zombie Tales, Vol 1.  An award-winning undead anthology with writers such as Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), the collection includes comedy, thrillers, dramas, and some social commentary it combines Zombie Tales #1, Zombie Tales: Oblivion and Zombie Tales: The Dead.  If you're looking for some short fiction to feed your Zombie addiction this is a great way to read some short tales before you drift off into Zombie-land each night, read while you wait for the train or a flight, that pesky doctor's visit or to throw into your Zombie Apocalypse survival kit. 

S. G. Browne's Breathers: A Zombie's Lament is a brand new take on the Zombie problem.  A zombie-comedy-romance novel it centers around the life of Andy who is a zombie.  He has to attend Undead Anonymous meetings, he's in love with another zombie, he has to drink formaldehyde, and is strictly forbidden from eating human flesh.  The synopsis claims that it is "Darkly funny, surprisingly touching, and gory enough to satisfy even the most discerning reader, Breathers is a romantic zombie comedy (rom-zom-com, for short) that will leave you laughing, squirming, and clamoring for more." And I don't doubt it is.  If for no other reason I'd pick this up just to read something that is from the Zombie's point of view, and I think it has to be pretty hilarious.  This review by HorrorScope pretty much sold me on buying Breathers and adding it to my collection.

Steampunk fans will enjoy Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.  Set in the early days of the Civil War a machine made to mine through Alaska's ice accidentally destroys several blocks of downtown Seattle, unearthing a subterranean vein of gas that turns everyone who breathes it into zombies.  The tale focuses on the teenaged son of the inventor who created the machine and his plan to rewrite history.  gumOnShoe says "Suffice to say it has drug addicts, indian princesses, steampunk tech, air ships, air pirates, zombies, gun toting women and a host of lovable and hatable characters in addition. It gets a bit gory, but what zombie story doesn't?"  Which is about all the convincing I need to order a copy with my next paycheck. 

There's plenty more Zombie fiction out there, I've just skirted the edges of the available Zombie Fiction.  It's a genre that I don't think is going to fade away anytime soon, and with the recent intrest in undead characters I only expect an upswing and some truly great, inspiring, and creatively different novels to come.

Tell us what your favorite Zombie novel is in the comment section, or at readers.booksxyz.com.

Part I of this series can be found here and Part II here.