This page gathers some zombie short stories that take place at the beginning of or during a zombie outbreak. As you’d expect, most of them focus on survival, but a few take another angle. You’re sure to find a great zombie story here. I was surprised by how many zombie collections and anthologies there are, and many of them are linked to on this page.
Short Zombie Stories
“Alone, Together” by Robert Kirkman
Timothy was married four years before the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse. His wife died shortly after. Now he’s with Alicia. They’re the last two left from their group. She’s not the kind of woman he would have been attracted to before, but he feels like he’s falling in love again. They’re close to a grocery store; they’re going to check it out tomorrow.
“Alone, Together”, by one of the co-creators of The Walking Dead, can be read in the preview of The Living Dead 2.
“Rising Generation” by Ramsey Campbell
Heather, a teacher, is escorting her young students to a cave under a castle. It was Miss Sharp’s idea, and she has seniority so they’ve come. Heather knocks on the door of the guide’s hut. His appearance is off-putting. She asks him not to say anything about the legend; it’s not really suitable for the children.
This story can be read in the preview of The Mammoth Book of Zombies.
“Defenseless: A Story of Death & Decay” by R. L. Blalock
Dylan’s mother drops him off at his dad’s place. He goes to play with his friend Ben, who lives in the same complex. They go into the connected back yards, and also explore the trees nearby. They come across a woman who looks likes she’s been hurt.
This story can be read in the preview of Undead Worlds: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Anthology.
“Biters” by Mark Morris
A bus is stopped at the gate of the Moorbank Research Facility. A guard checks Mrs. Keppler’s pass and then sends them through. Her class is touring the grounds. Mr. Letts, their facilitator, is going to show them around. It’s been decades since people started turning into “biters”. Society has recovered, but scientists still haven’t found a cure for the R1 virus.
“Biters” can be read in the preview of 21st Century Dead: A Zombie Anthology.
“The Afflicted” by Matthew Johnson
A woman is headed for a camp, the last stop on her circuit. She tested herself after waking up. She keeps her rifle ready. The camp is full of pale, filthy people with scars or fresh wounds. She examines Horace, who has a cut on his face. She gives him a test.
“The Afflicted” can be read in the preview of Zombies: More Recent Dead.
“Dead Song” by Jay Wilburn
A voice actor is in a studio, working on a documentary about Tiny ‘Mud Music’ Jones, a musician who traveled around after the zombie outbreak, collecting music where ever he could find it. He braved the zombies and was admitted into many isolated groups. He recorded many of the most notables artists from that era.
“Dead Song” can also be read in the above preview of Zombies: More Recent Dead.
“The Herd” by Tyler Keevil
A man spots a herd of deadheads in the distance. They’re looking for food, as is he and everyone else. Farther back, there’s a wolf stalking the herd. The man gets into his skis and follows them both.
This story can be read in the preview of Dead North: Canadian Zombie Fiction. (18% into preview)
“I Am Dead” by Steven Jenkins
The narrator’s body aches and his head pounds. He’s rotting. He remembers the old world but not his old self. Flesh is all he can think about.
“I Am Dead” is the introductory story in Rotten Bodies: A Zombie Short Story Collection. It can be read in the preview along with the first chapter of the second story, “Room 503”.
“Christmas Tree” by Shaun Phelps
The zombies came before Christmas. The narrator’s neighbor knocked at the door, but not in his usual way. When he opened the door, his neighbor lunged at him.
“Christmas Tree” can be read in the preview of Zombie Stories for People with Short Attention Spans. (first story)
“Twisted” by Kevin Veale
Two men experience withdrawal while driving past Kalamazoo. They’re rationing their remaining drugs. Their community uses drugs as a defense against the zombies, but they’re running low. They’re on a quest for more.
“Twisted” can be read in the preview of Zombies: The Recent Dead.
Zombie Story, Cont’d
“Alone Together” by David A. Simpson
A man and woman sit next to each other outside a makeshift club. Many people have been torn up by the horde. He’s one of the few soldiers left. They don’t say anything.
This story can be read in the preview of Tales From the Zombie Road: The Long Haul Anthology. (38% into preview)
“A Family Matter” by Phoebe Jackson
Jewels, her young kids, and her mother are hiding out in a little farm house. They have to keep quiet to avoid attracting the undead. Jewels’ husband Dale is on his way back home. Jewels’ mom goes into the garden to gather some food, while Jewels keeps watch from the balcony.
This story can also be read in the preview of Tales From the Zombie Road. (50% into preview)
“Revolution Shuffle” by Bao Phi
A man and woman rest for a while at the top of a hill. They talk about the food they miss and prepare their guns. Below is the prison camp and the huge metallic pistons. Inside are the inmates who maintain the hydraulics. Outside, attracted by the noise and the bodies inside, are the zombies.
This story can be read in the preview of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements. (29% in)
“The First One” by John A. Russo
A scientist expounds on the history of the zombie outbreaks, starting with the first one from 1968. He has to admit the outbreaks are still a mystery. However, he has been able to make certain deductions from a case study—Roger Dowman, a vicious serial killer and the first man known to turn.
This story can be read in the preview of Rise of the Dead: An Earth-Shattering Anthology of Zombie Terror. (22% in)
“Home Cookin'” by Tyson Blue
Everyone agreed that Wilmer Warner, a lawyer, deserved to die the way he did. It all started when a client, Luther Mullis, was arrested on a DUI. He almost ran over a reanimated corpse, and then fled, went over an embankment, and was arrested by a deputy who was having none of his wild story.
This story can also be read in the above preview of Rise of the Dead: An Earth-Shattering Anthology of Zombie Terror. (44% in)
“Vindica” by Ann Christy
Gordon is cleaning up after another survival party, celebrating sixty days since the doors were closed. He and a few others are responsible for doing all the work at the underground residence, having not paid their full fees before the outbreak. He gets a call from Paul, the organizer of the establishment, to come clean up another mess. Gordon fumes over his situation, but tries not to let on.
This story can be read in the preview of The Z Chronicles. (24% in)
“Home Delivery” by Stephen King
Maddie Pace lives on a small island. She’s pregnant, and her husband has recently died in a boating accident. She’s always relied on others. There’s a report that the President and other notable officials have been attacked by zombies.
This story is in The Living Dead, linked below.
“Death and Suffrage” by Dale Bailey
After a national political campaign, the narrator is dejected. As the campaign’s director, he’s being blamed for his candidates loss. He also knows that’s probably true. Dead people showed up to vote.
Most of “Death and Suffrage” can be read in the preview of The Living Dead.
“Before Safe Haven: Losing the Battle” by Christopher Artinian
Doctor Lucy Blair is called out for the usual procedure—collection and checking on the others. She boards a military ambulance along with soldiers, men in hazmat suits and a nurse. The mood is serious. When they reach their destination, something is different.
This story can be read in the preview of Undead Worlds: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Anthology.
“When Granny Comes Marchin’ Home Again” by Elizabeth Massie
The matriarch of the family, Granny Mustard, calls two of her granddaughters to her place. She needs some help. There’s a big metal bowl on the table full of chicken parts. Granny Mustard says she’s not planning on dying. She takes out a moonshine jar with a special concoction in it. She pours it over the chicken.
Some of this story can be read in the preview of Appalachian Undead.
“Villainous Origins” by Jessica West
A woman is making her nightly walk home through the woods. A man attacks her, but she defends herself. He’s undeterred. She thinks about the time she met someone she called Justice. It was in the woods about twenty years earlier, when she was attacked by her stepdad. Justice was accompanied by a zombie.
This story can be read in the preview of World Domination: A Supervillain Anthology.
Zombie Story, Cont’d
“38th Street” by Micah Ackerman
Saban is getting a blood test at the clinic, as are a long line of other sickly people. He was bitten yesterday afternoon by a crazed homeless man. Now, the news is reporting these people are dead but somehow still walking.
This story can be read in the preview of Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors. (17% in)
“Flashlight” by Griffin Carmichael
There’s a lot of screaming during a blackout, even though the lights have only been out a few minutes. A woman looks for a flashlight so she can see what’s going on.
This story can also be read in the above preview of Stories on the Go: 101 . . . (73% in)
“Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson
Brit is tending to Eileen in the infirmary. She has a tumor and doesn’t have much time left. Brit has to go. She’s almost due, and the zombies have caught her scent. They’ll be converging on the enclave soon. She and Marigold prepare to leave for the birthing hideout.
“Bitter Grounds” by Neil Gaiman
The narrator is dead in every way that counts. He starts driving. He throws away his cell phone and withdraws all the money he can. After staying over at a motel, he meets a man in the lobby who’s waiting for a cab. He offers the man a ride.
The Walking Dead
If you’ve never read The Walking Dead comics, or it’s been a long time, they’re now available in huge compilations. The Walking Dead Compendium One gathers issues 1-48.
I’ll keep adding zombie stories as I find more.