What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Walking Dead
Frank Darabont · Series · 2010
If you loved The Walking Dead, start with The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman, 2014) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Walking Dead across media.
What hooked you in The Walking Dead was the way the breakdown of society forces ordinary people into brutal moral compromises.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
David Zabel · Series · 2023
Adaptation
The Walking Dead: Dead City
Series · 2023
Books on the same thread
The Road
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2007
Explores: Parent-child bond, Moral ambiguity, Existential dread.
Like The Walking Dead, this story strips away civilization to reveal the raw, desperate struggle for survival and the heavy burden of protecting those you love most.
The Stand
Stephen King · Book · 1980
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
If you enjoyed the epic scale of community building in The Walking Dead, you will appreciate how this plague-ridden world forces survivors to choose between opposing moral paths.
The Gunslinger
Stephen King · Book · 2003
Explores: Quest for redemption, Moral ambiguity, Obsession.
Much like the journey of Rick Grimes, this story follows a wanderer through a desolate landscape, emphasizing the same grim moral ambiguity and obsession with finding redemption.
The Dead Zone
Stephen King · Book · 1979
Explores: Precognition, Moral Dilemma, Political Corruption.
The Walking Dead examines how leaders handle impossible pressure, and this story mirrors that intensity by placing a man in a position where his choices dictate humanity's future.
Films on the same thread
Dawn of the Dead
George A. Romero · Film · 1978
Shares 3 threads with The Walking Dead: Survival, Zombie Horror, Survival Horror.
This film is a direct ancestor to The Walking Dead, capturing the same claustrophobic tension of survivors barricaded together while grappling with the loss of their humanity.
Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright · Film · 2004
Explores: Underdog Protagonist, Slacker Comedy, Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances.
While tonally different, this film echoes the core premise of The Walking Dead by showing how an average person suddenly adapts to a violent, post-apocalyptic reality.
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero · Film · 1968
Shares 3 threads with The Walking Dead: Loss of Innocence, Survival Horror, Zombie Horror.
This classic establishes the prototype for the societal collapse seen in The Walking Dead, focusing on how fear and isolation turn survivors against one another under pressure.
The Shawshank Redemption
Frank Darabont · Film · 1994
Explores: wrongful imprisonment, hope, institutional corruption.
Directed by the creator of The Walking Dead, this film shares the show's focus on the psychological toll of imprisonment and the enduring power of hope amidst corruption.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
Just as The Walking Dead is fundamentally about a makeshift community navigating crisis, this drama explores the intricate, long-term social dynamics of people living in a shared environment.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
The Walking Dead succeeds because it treats its characters as real people, and this podcast captures that same depth by documenting the raw, personal stories of the human condition.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch The Walking Dead universe shows in?
You should start with the original 2010 series The Walking Dead to understand the post-apocalyptic world. After completing that, you can watch the newer spin-off titles such as The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, which both premiered in 2023.
Is The Walking Dead based on a book?
Yes, there is a book version of The Walking Dead released in 2014. While the 2010 television series created by Frank Darabont follows the story of Sheriff deputy Rick Grimes waking up in a world of zombies, the book provides another way to experience the same narrative.
How long has The Walking Dead franchise been running?
The Walking Dead franchise began in 2010 with the original television series. It has continued to expand over the years with various adaptations, including the 2014 book and the 2023 spin-off series titled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Are there new series to watch after finishing The Walking Dead?
Yes, fans of the original 2010 show can watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City. Both of these television series were released in 2023 and continue to explore the post-apocalyptic world established in the original series created by Frank Darabont.