Book picks similar to
The End Begins by James D. Dean


zombies
horror
zombie
post-apocalyptic

Into The Darkness


Doug Kelly - 2013
    Dylan Smith was over a thousand miles from home when an enormous coronal mass ejection collided with Earth. The ensuing electromagnetic pulse devastated the power grids of the world and sensitive electronic equipment. Dylan, and a small group of men, must devise a way to return home through a world in which modern technology was abruptly stripped away. During their long journey home, they witness the civilized world transcend into anarchy and are forced to struggle with the morality of the decisions they make to survive. Into the Darkness is a remarkably convincing portrait of ordinary people facing the nightmare of survival in an apocalyptic world. The story concludes in its sequel, Fade To Black.Book 1: Into The DarknessBook 2: Fade To Black*

Broken World


Kate L. Mary - 2014
    Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl. While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

Cattle


Joseph Duncan - 2014
    In this 10,000 word horror story, set in the same fictional universe as his zombie novel Mort, newlyweds Rachel and Charlie Carlson find themselves trapped in the basement of a rural farmhouse, surrounded by the walking dead. It's not much by way of honeymoons, her dying husband admits, but sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.And sometimes the bad, as Rachel is about to find out, is really... really... bad.

Z-Minus I


Perrin Briar - 2014
    The virus becomes us.But the process takes eight hours.If you only had eight hours left to live, what would you do?For Chris Smith, that decision has been made for him. He’s infected, and returns home to find the rest of his family undead or missing, save his youngest daughter Maisie. He’s never been much of a father, but can he make up for it now in the final few hours of his life and find somewhere safe for her to survive?Z-MINUS. Let the countdown begin.

In The End: Their Fight for Survival is Only the Beginning


G.J. Stevens - 2018
    So when his New Year's Eve attempt to unwind descends into chaos, he's the first to realize it's no joke. After Logan and his friends miss the evacuation transport, he's given a choice: lead the group to safety or watch all of his friends come back from the dead…When Logan discovers the military and government have no interest in saving them, making it to sanctuary alive may be their only hope. And after he learns his party of survivors might hold the key to a cure, the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders. But saving his species could mean sacrificing himself…Can Logan stave off the end of the world or will one wrong decision doom humankind?In The End is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic zombie thriller. If you like nightmarish settings, reluctant heroes, and action-packed adventures, then you’ll love GJ Stevens’ spine-chilling novel.

Fuel


Nathan Jones - 2015
    When a major attack cripples the US's oil refining capabilities and destroys a significant portion of US fuel reserves, the nation practically runs out of gas overnight. It's time to see if the preparations he and his cousin Lewis Halsson have made in their hometown of Aspen Hill are enough to carry them through the disaster. His friend Matt Larson isn't quite so fortunate, caught unprepared and unaware of the grim reality of the situation when a society completely dependent on fuel runs out. He finds himself struggling to adjust as everything falls apart around him, fleeing one step ahead of the chaos to reach Aspen Hill. Now he must depend on his own strength and ingenuity and the help of family and friends to see him through. Yet even Matt can consider himself lucky compared to most. The vast majority of people living in the nation's cities are on the move, fleeing population centers in all directions with no food and nowhere to go as starvation looms. Meanwhile emergency services scramble to stay ahead of the disaster with insufficient resources, faced with the impossible prospect of aiding tens or even hundreds of millions of desperate refugees. A number of those refugees are making their way to Aspen Hill, which presents a crisis of its own for a town that has nothing to spare and is struggling to care for its citizens.

Cry Havoc


A. American - 2016
    There’s war and rumors of war. There’s the false recovery of the economy. Failing faith in the US economy is extremely high. Foreign banks have either slowed their purchases of Treasury Bonds or, in a few cases, begun unloading them.We have a current election that is rife with corruption, extreme partisanship and outright fraud. It would appear the left in the country is ready to do about anything to see their candidate elected. While this is very concerning today, what does it mean to the election process as a whole? What will the next one look like? Does anyone believe they will actually improve? Or will the next batters up to the ultimate Homeplate simply make it even worse, take it even further down the rabbit hole?In reality, it matters not who wins. They can only be there for eight years. But the election sets precedent for the next one; and the next one will push the limits even further, if there is one. We’ve all heard of the spooky bank holiday. This sort of thing usually happens on a weekend, and on Monday morning you simply cannot access your account. You have no access to your money. Don’t think it can happen? Neither did the people of Greece. Or Germany when they were limited to fifty Euros a day. What would you do? Do you keep cash on hand? Do you trust your bank? If you put twenty thousand dollars into the bank and then ask for ten thousand back, you have to fill out forms and justify your need for it. Then they tell the government about it and you face further sanctions.Here in America, we think we’re free. Well, we are currently listed as number twenty on the scale of freedom. Think about that. Number twenty! Chile is ahead of us! But we have our guns and all of those other countries don’t. And indeed we do, for now. But what if, if, they were to take those away? What do we do then? And before you say you would take to the streets and fight back, think for a minute what that really means. Then watch a few videos on Syria or Ukraine. It’s all fun and games until someone puts a tank main-gun round through your house.What follows is just one idea of what this could look like. I’m not saying this is the way it would go. It’s just some thoughts on it. On how people could act. What the government may do in response and how people might respond in turn.

Red Hill


Jamie McGuire - 2013
    Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

Dead Hunger


Eric A. Shelman - 2011
    In an effort to save his younger sister, Flex re-connects with perhaps the strongest woman he knows - Gem Cardoza, his former girlfriend. Together they take his six-year-old niece Trina, the only uninfected survivor of his sister's family, and his infected sister Jamie, and make a run from central Florida back to his isolated home in Lula, Georgia. As they head north, they encounter another uninfected, Hemphill "Hemp" Chatsworth. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Hemp is British, and extremely smart. He holds a degree in Epidemiology and Mechanical Engineering, both of which this group will need. Along with the crossbow-wielding Charlene "Charlie" Sanders and a pregnant Great Pyrenees dog, this small group uses street smarts, book smarts, and technology to defend against the new "Abnormals" that walk the earth. But Hemp is also compelled to learn how they got this way, and if possible, how to reverse the condition and save Flex's sister. So grab your machine gun and take a ride in their fortified vehicles and mobile lab; you're going to want these people on your side when the Dead Hunger... (Please note: This book contains strong language.)

Wormwood


Micah Ackerman - 2014
    Regularly suffering from panic attacks triggered by news reports of world catastrophes, he can barely handle his everyday life even when rationally, the events should not affect him. Nate becomes a prepper to help him cope with the anxiety, stocking a makeshift shelter. So when nuclear disaster actually strikes home, Nate must employ truly heroic courage or fold to his fears. But in the aftermath of the bombs, it quickly becomes apparent that surviving the attack is just the beginning—there is far worse yet to come. Wormwood is a taut, post-apocalyptic thriller told from the perspective of three main characters: flawed hero Nate; Jeanette, his intelligent love interest; and Simon, the unstable leader of their survivor community.

The Horror Squad: An Apocalyptic Tale


T.J. Weeks - 2016
    With the world now plagued by rotters, it's up to my team and I to take care of the living and take out the dead.

Hater


David Moody - 2006
    Christened “Haters” by the media, the attackers strike without warning and seemingly without reason. Within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people become frenzied, vicious killers. As the carnage mounts, one thing soon is clear: everyone, irrespective of race, gender, age, or class, has the potential to become either a Hater or a victim. At any moment, even friends and family can turn on one another with violent intent. In the face of this mindless terror, all McCoyne can do is secure his family, seek shelter, and watch as the world falls apart. But when he bolts the front door, the question remains: Is he shutting the danger out or locking it in?

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End


Manel Loureiro - 2007
    But he never expected that his anonymous blog would ultimately record humanity’s last days.The end of the world has begun…Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called “Safe Havens” are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, a lone survivor will give mankind one last chance against…Apocalypse Z

Dead Days: Episode One


Ryan Casey - 2013
    A little hard-of-luck and going through a rough time at work, but nothing he can't handle.That was until the creatures rose. The dead, walking. Feasting on human flesh, their hunger insatiable. The police are gone. The government has collapsed. The world as Riley knew it has changed, forever.In this new, terrifying world, Riley is forced to think quick and act fast in order to survive. His morals will be pushed to the very limit, forcing the question: can humanity survive the onslaught of the dead, not only on the outside but on the inside?There will be blood. There will be tears. In the Dead Days, nobody is safe.In the first episode of Dead Days, a six-part zombie apocalypse serial launching every Thursday, Riley's world is turned upside down when the dead start to walk. Barricaded in his flat with his layabout friend, Ted, the pair are forced to think outside the box to escape, as well as come to terms with the carnage surrounding them.Download the first episode now and start your emotional and terrifying journey through the zombie apocalypse.

Hunter's Rain: A John Chase Novella


Dirk Patton - 2016
    Warlords are seizing control of a central African nation and what had begun as a limited conflict is quickly ramping up to full-scale genocide. On orders of the President, he leads a Delta Force team to join up with a squad from the Australian SASR who are already on the ground. Together, they have one mission. Stop the wholesale slaughter of innocents by any means necessary. But, things are not as they seem. John is accompanied by a CIA agent who has a personal issue with him, as well as a mysterious specialist from USAMRIID, the US Army's laboratory for medical and biological defense research. Together, they encounter horrors that can only come from generations of tribal hatred. After witnessing unspeakable atrocities, none of the men will ever be the same. For those readers who are familiar with the V Plague series, this is the story of John and Lucas Martin that was referenced in the novel Recovery: V Plague Book 8. This story is set before the time of the V Plague and can be read before, during or after without spoiling any events in the series. While Hunter's Rain is by definition of word count a novel, it is published as a novella.