World War Z
Score Modern
What it's about
Presented as an oral history collected after humanity barely survived a zombie pandemic, World War Z tells the story of the war through interviews with survivors around the world: soldiers, doctors, politicians and ordinary people, from the first outbreak in China to the turning of the tide.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. Its documentary format makes it far more chilling and thoughtful than most horror, a satire of how the world responds to crisis.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stand, The Road or Station Eleven
Good to know
It's very different from the film, which shares little but the title. The audiobook, with a full cast, is excellent.
Quick answers
Is World War Z worth reading?
Yes. It spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,113 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is World War Z about?
Presented as an oral history collected after humanity barely survived a zombie pandemic, World War Z tells the story of the war through interviews with survivors around the world: soldiers, doctors, politicians and ordinary people, from the first outbreak in China to the turning of the tide.
How long does it take to read World War Z?
About 9 hours (354 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after World War Z?
If you liked it, try The Stand by Stephen King, The Road by Cormac McCarthy or Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2009.
Where it ranks
- #21 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #585 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #1113 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2009
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
