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Find the Roadtrip Z books by Lilith Saintcrow in order, with concise summaries, zombie-series background, and a practical guide to starting the trip.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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Roadtrip Z books in publication order

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4 books

1

Cotton Crossing

by Lilith Saintcrow

2017

Librarian Ginny Mills watches phones, power, and ordinary order fail as the infected overrun Cotton Crossing. With Lee Quartine and a small group of survivors, she gathers supplies and searches for a way out before the town closes around them.

2

In the Ruins

by Lilith Saintcrow

2017

Ginny's group heads toward her family as winter deepens and packs of infected crowd the roads. They have barely crossed a state line, yet failing supplies and dangerous strangers make every mile feel like hostile territory.

3

Pocalypse Road

by Lilith Saintcrow

2018

The survivors press toward New York through winter, wrecked infrastructure, zombies, and people willing to prey on travelers. Rumors offer direction, but Ginny must keep the group moving when no route or refuge can be trusted.

4

Atlanta Bound

by Lilith Saintcrow

2019

New York is overrun, but rumors of a cure and organized government point toward Atlanta. Ginny, Lee, and their companions turn south, risking another long journey for the chance to find family and a future.

Roadtrip Z books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Cotton Crossing"

    Cotton Crossing

    by Lilith Saintcrow

    2017Roadtrip Z, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "In the Ruins"

    In the Ruins

    by Lilith Saintcrow

    2017Roadtrip Z, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Pocalypse Road"

    Pocalypse Road

    by Lilith Saintcrow

    2018Roadtrip Z, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Atlanta Bound"

    Atlanta Bound

    by Lilith Saintcrow

    2019Roadtrip Z, Book 4

Series background & context

Roadtrip Z follows librarian Ginny Mills and a small group of survivors after infection turns ordinary American towns into killing grounds. The series begins in Cotton Crossing, where phones fail, power becomes unreliable, and familiar streets fill with the dead. Ginny is not a soldier or chosen savior. She is observant, practical, and forced to learn quickly because the people around her need a plan.

The first goal is simply to get out.

In Cotton Crossing, Ginny and Lee Quartine gather what they can and join other survivors trying to escape town. The danger comes from infected bodies, collapsing services, panic, and the uncertainty of who can be trusted. Food, fuel, weapons, medicine, and transportation matter as much as courage. Every choice has weight because a wrong turn can strand the group.

In the Ruins follows their attempt to reach Ginny's family while winter closes in. The survivors have barely crossed a state line, yet the trip already feels endless. Large packs of infected make travel dangerous, and the people they meet can be as unpredictable as the dead. The group has to decide when to help strangers, when to hide, and how much risk a promise is worth.

The road continues through Pocalypse Road, where New York remains the destination and worsening weather narrows their options. Rumors, damaged infrastructure, and hostile survivors keep the journey from becoming a straight route. In Atlanta Bound, New York is no longer a safe answer. Reports of government activity and a possible cure pull the group south toward Atlanta, turning the trip into another test of endurance and family loyalty.

The series is less about solving the outbreak than living through its daily consequences. Vehicles break. Supplies run low. People argue, grieve, fall in love, and make decisions while exhausted. Ginny's librarian habits, including gathering information and thinking ahead, become survival tools. Lee and the others bring different strengths, but no one can carry the group alone.

Read the four books in order, starting with Cotton Crossing. The route, relationships, and accumulated losses matter from one volume to the next. Expect zombies, winter travel, improvised communities, and a grounded focus on ordinary people trying to reach loved ones without losing the small rules that still make them human. The group's destination changes as new information arrives, which gives the series a believable sense of improvisation. Survival is never a fixed checklist; it is a moving problem shaped by weather, rumor, and who is still alive.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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