What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Walking Dead
Robert Kirkman · Book · 2014
If you loved The Walking Dead, start with The Walking Dead (Frank Darabont, 2010) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Walking Dead across media.
What hooked you in The Walking Dead was the brutal exploration of how human morality fractures when society completely collapses.
Start with the source
The source
The Walking Dead
Frank Darabont · Series · 2010
Adaptation
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
David Zabel · Series · 2023
Adaptation
The Walking Dead: Dead City
Series · 2023
Films on the same thread
Dawn of the Dead
George A. Romero · Film · 1978
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
Like The Walking Dead, this film examines the loss of humanity through a claustrophobic lens, using a contained environment to highlight how survivors sacrifice their values for basic security.
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero · Film · 1968
Explores: Societal Collapse, Government Incompetence, Fear of the Other.
This foundational classic mirrors the group dynamics of The Walking Dead, focusing on how internal tension and distrust among survivors are just as dangerous as the undead outside.
Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright · Film · 2004
Explores: Underdog Protagonist, Slacker Comedy, Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances.
While tonally different from The Walking Dead, this film captures the same feeling of ordinary people thrust into an extraordinary nightmare where survival requires quick, desperate, and often messy decisions.
28 Days Later
Danny Boyle · Film · 2002
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
Much like the bleak journey of The Walking Dead, this story explores the rapid breakdown of social order and the harrowing lengths individuals go to protect their small groups.
Series on the same thread
The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
Fans of The Walking Dead will appreciate how this drama centers on found family and moral ambiguity, forcing characters to make impossible choices in a world stripped of modern civilization.
The 100
Jason Rothenberg · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
This series reflects the leadership struggles found in The Walking Dead, exploring how the pressure of keeping a community alive forces young people into difficult, life-altering moral compromises.
All of Us Are Dead
Chun Sung-il · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with The Walking Dead: Survival.
If you valued the high-stakes survival scenarios in The Walking Dead, this series provides a visceral look at how teenagers navigate the same breakdown of ethics during a crisis.
Rick and Morty
Dan Harmon · Series · 2013
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Existentialism, Dark Humor.
While comedic, this series shares the existential dread found in The Walking Dead, presenting a cynical worldview where the universe is indifferent to the survival of the individual.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2026
Explores: civilizational collapse, human nature, moral ambiguity.
This podcast provides a real-world look at the civilizational collapse and power dynamics that you enjoyed in The Walking Dead, grounding the fiction in the harsh reality of history.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
This series mirrors the darker, sociological observations of The Walking Dead by examining how tragedy and isolation impact small communities and the people who inhabit them.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch The Walking Dead and its spin-offs?
You can start with the original series, The Walking Dead, which began in 2010. After completing the main show, you can explore the expanded universe by watching the 2023 spin-offs, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, to follow specific characters in new locations.
Is The Walking Dead book related to the 2010 television series?
Yes, The Walking Dead book released in 2014 by Robert Kirkman shares the same core narrative as the 2010 television series. Both versions follow Rick and his group of survivors as they navigate the challenges of their environment and engage in intense conflicts against groups like Negan's base.
How long has The Walking Dead franchise been airing on television?
The Walking Dead television franchise began in 2010 with the original series. The universe has since expanded to include newer titles released in 2023, such as The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, which continue the stories of survivors following the events of the main series.
Should I read The Walking Dead book if I have seen the show?
Reading The Walking Dead book provides the source material for the adaptation. The 2014 book details the strategic struggles between Rick and Negan's base, offering a deeper look at the tactics used by both sides during their conflict, which serves as the foundation for the television series.