David Moody is a noted horror writer who enjoys writing suspense-laced stories, often involving zombies and end-of-the-world narratives. His first book, the self-published zombie novel, Autumn (2001) follows a band of survivors struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, torn apart by deadly disease, and was made into a film by Steven Rumbelow in 2009.
He also wrote the Hater series, whose film rights were picked by Universal Pictures, with big names like Guillermo del Toro and Juan Antonio Bayona all involved in the project.
In addition to his Autumn and Hater novels, he’s also published a variety of genre fiction, blending thrillers, horror, and science fiction, including the latest Shadowlocked (2024), a trippy supernatural psychological thriller about a couple getting into a road accident. So, whether you’re an avid horror fan or a genre aficionado with a love for compelling narratives and complex characterization, you’ll have a fun time with David Moody’s books!
Autumn
Lets start with his first book, Autumn. Though the “Z” word is never mentioned, Autumn is essentially a zombie horror novel where majority of the population is dead within a day, and the remaining minority must find a way to survive against the rapid onslaught of the quick-rising undead.
Filled with claustrophobia and suspense, Autumn is a rather disturbing yet engaging page-turner. Initially self-published, it was traditionally republished in 2010 by St. Martin’s Press, and you can catch its riveting film adaptation as well, starring Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine!
Hater
Another one of Moody’s big hits, Hater is a refreshing take on both zombies and dystopian fiction. In this book, our protagonist Danny McCoyne is sick of his dead-end job and annoying family until things get significantly worse for him in a matter of days—with the world sharply divided into “Haters” (people who’ve suddenly turned into frenzied killing machines) and their unfortunate “Victims”.
As society crumbles into carnage, Danny McCoyne must find a way to protect his family and survive against all odds. Probing into what it takes to become a monster and mankind’s tenacity to survive, Hater is a thoughtful and exciting read that will hopefully become a major motion picture soon.
Moreover, 2026 marks the book’s 20th anniversary, so expect an all-new edition with some bonus content coming your way!
Dog Blood
The thrilling follow-up to Hater, Dog Blood unfolds in a world divided into the “Haters” and the “Unchanged” with Danny McCoyne frantically searching for his young daughter Ellis who surely is not dead yet—or so Danny hopes.
This one delves deeper into the psychology and thought processes of one of the Haters—they aren’t just mindless killing machines, yet there’s a cold rationality to their actions.
Well-paced and compulsively readable, you might just finish Dog Blood in a day or two, and eagerly move onto the rest of the books in that series.
One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning
While the follow-up to Dog Blood, Them or Us neatly wraps up Danny McCoyne’s storyline and the first Hater trilogy, David Moody returns to the same dystopian universe with One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning, the first entry in a second trilogy.
This one takes place in an isolated tiny island somewhere in the North Sea where a bunch of corporate employees are enjoying a team-building retreat organized by a company specializing in extreme sports and outdoor recreation experiences until one of them is found dead and the blame is placed on a co-worker claiming to act in self-defense. Soon their numbers start to decrease while requests for aid off the mainland all go unanswered.
Even if you haven’t read the previous Hater books, you can easily dip into Moody’s writing with this one, especially if you have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic survival horror and fast-paced genre reads.
All Roads End Here
Another quick and entrancing read, the storyline of All Roads End Here runs parallel to the events of Dog Blood and introduces readers to a new protagonist to root for, Matthew Dunnes who has managed to develop the skill of predicting “Hater” behavior—making him a valuable asset and also the target for frenzied violence.
Filled with unexpected twists and characters forced to make hard choices, All Roads End Here is an utterly memorable roller coaster ride that stands on its own, even as the series comes to a close with the follow-up, Chokehold.
Shadowlocked
In the standalone thriller Shadowlocked, Moody veers away from his usual zombies and apocalyptic stuff and focuses more on atmospherics and characterization. It follows the tragic story of Adam and Lucy who are involved in a road rage accident—with Adam surviving but Lucy drowning.
Yet Lucy seemingly returns from the dead and together they must find out what exactly happened that night else Lucy will remain “shadowlocked”—neither living nor dead. A powerful character study with an intriguing plot, Shadowlocked is a sure-fire entertainer.
Featured image via Canva.
