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Surviving the Dead Books in Order

Part ofJames N Cook Books in Order

Browse Surviving the Dead books in order by James N Cook, with summaries, series background, and help starting this long-running zombie saga.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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Surviving the Dead books in publication order

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12 books

1

No Easy Hope

by James N Cook

2011

Once wealthy and comfortable, Eric Riordan thought he had prepared for the end of the world. When the dead rise, he must cross a ruined landscape and reach the Appalachian mountains, where his friend Gabriel may be waiting.

2

This Shattered Land

by James N Cook

2012

Two years after the Outbreak, Eric Riordan and Gabriel Garrett leave their Appalachian refuge for Colorado. With supplies dwindling and enemies closing in, their journey west brings unexpected allies, old friends, and deadly new threats.

3

The Passenger

by James N Cook

2013

A man infected during the Outbreak dies, then awakens two years later trapped inside the monster he has become. Sergeant Ethan Thompson follows a dying madman's trail into a grim pursuit where vengeance has no easy answer.

4

Warrior Within

by James N Cook

2013

The Free Legion wages war on the survivors of Hollow Rock, pulling Eric and Gabriel into a fight for their home. Gabriel must become a leader, while Eric confronts the weight of everything he has done to survive.

5

Fire in Winter

by James N Cook

2014

As civil war threatens his new home, Gabriel Garrett finds that old secrets still have consequences. After his life is shattered, he crosses a dead-filled land on a ruthless path of vengeance against a formidable enemy.

6

Savages

by James N Cook

2015

Eric Riordan thought he understood the worst of the post-Outbreak world. When the Midwest Alliance threatens civil war, he joins an elite team on an assassination mission that could decide the fate of an entire nation.

7

The Darkest Place

by James N Cook

2015

Caleb Hicks has hidden the truth about his childhood training and extraordinary abilities for years. After the catastrophe gives him a chance at love, he must finally face the painful past he has worked so hard to bury.

8

The Killing Line

by James N Cook

2016

Gabriel, Eric, and their allies leave Hollow Rock for Colorado Springs, but the journey across the plains turns deadly. Raiders, divided loyalties, and a brutal struggle to protect vulnerable travelers put every mile at a cost.

9

Storm of Ghosts

by James N Cook

2017

North Korean, Chinese, and Russian exiles have terrorized post-Outbreak America's western coast for years. Gabriel Garrett and his allies join resistance fighters to free hostages from internment camps, using a weapon even the government feared to deploy.

10

Quick Killer and the Iceman

by James N Cook

2019

In Hollow Rock, a young woman is kidnapped while local authorities are unable to act. Eric Riordan and Lincoln Great Hawk take on a dangerous rescue mission, seeking help from an unlikely ally before time runs out.

11

War Without End

by James N Cook

2021

Colorado Springs believes it is safe behind the remnants of federal power. When the Storm Road Tribe strikes with a devastating new weapon, Eric Riordan is drawn into an investigation that exposes a threat far larger than one city.

12

Absolute Zero

by James N Cook

2024

Gabriel Garrett escapes a ruthless gang only to uncover a conspiracy aimed at everything he has fought to protect. His hard-won skills are tested again as he searches for answers in a world that never stays safe.

Surviving the Dead books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "No Easy Hope"

    No Easy Hope

    by James N Cook

    2011Surviving the Dead, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "This Shattered Land"

    This Shattered Land

    by James N Cook

    2012Surviving the Dead, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Warrior Within"

    Warrior Within

    by James N Cook

    2013Surviving the Dead, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Passenger"

    The Passenger

    by James N Cook

    2013Surviving the Dead, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Fire in Winter"

    Fire in Winter

    by James N Cook

    2014Surviving the Dead, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Darkest Place"

    The Darkest Place

    by James N Cook

    2015Surviving the Dead, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Savages"

    Savages

    by James N Cook

    2015Surviving the Dead, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Killing Line"

    The Killing Line

    by James N Cook

    2016Surviving the Dead, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Storm of Ghosts"

    Storm of Ghosts

    by James N Cook

    2017Surviving the Dead, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Quick Killer and the Iceman"

    Quick Killer and the Iceman

    by James N Cook

    2019Surviving the Dead, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "War Without End"

    War Without End

    by James N Cook

    2021Surviving the Dead, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Absolute Zero"

    Absolute Zero

    by James N Cook

    2024Surviving the Dead, Book 12

Series background & context

James N. Cook's Surviving the Dead begins with one man's attempt to outlast a zombie outbreak, then steadily grows into a larger story about friendship, communities, and the messy work of rebuilding. The first book, No Easy Hope, introduces Eric Riordan, a wealthy man whose carefully prepared life means little once civilization collapses and the dead begin hunting the living.

Eric's closest ally is Gabriel Garrett, a former Marine with deep experience in combat and survival. Gabriel knows more than most people about what is coming, but knowledge does not make the outbreak easier to endure. Together, the two men face the basic problems of the new world, finding supplies, choosing whom to trust, and reaching a place that might offer safety.

The dead are only part of the danger.

In This Shattered Land, Eric and Gabriel leave the Appalachian mountains as they look west toward Colorado. Along the way, the series adds new allies and enemies, and the survivors begin to form communities rather than simply moving from one crisis to the next. Hollow Rock becomes an important home base, but a defended settlement is never the same thing as a secure one.

As the books continue, the story broadens. Warrior Within puts Hollow Rock under pressure from the Free Legion. Fire in Winter follows Gabriel through a deeply personal campaign of revenge. The Darkest Place steps closer to Caleb Hicks, whose past and unusual training make him one of the series' most guarded figures. Each book adds people with different skills, loyalties, and reasons for keeping on.

The later novels bring the survivors into bigger regional conflicts. Savages and The Killing Line move through political tensions, hostile territory, and dangerous travel. Storm of Ghosts takes the fight to the western edge of post-Outbreak America, while War Without End and Absolute Zero show that even a rebuilding government can be vulnerable to determined enemies.

It is a long-running series, but the heart of it remains practical and personal. People need food, medicine, shelter, and someone watching their back. They also have to decide where the line is between protecting a community and becoming the threat they fear.

For the best experience, start with No Easy Hope and read in publication order. The Passenger, written with Joshua Guess, fits after Warrior Within as a darker companion novel that follows a different path through the same outbreak.

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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