Surviving the Evacuation Books in Order

The Ultimate Recommended Reading Order

Frank Tayell's post-apocalyptic world is a sprawling web of survival, politics, and humanity. While the main series is set primarily in a ravaged Great Britain, two companion series—Here We Stand and Life Goes On—expand the focus to North America and the Pacific. Because these stories eventually intersect and characters cross over, reading them in a strict numerical order of the main series will lead to massive spoilers and confusing plot holes.

For the best experience, we recommend following the hybrid chronological and publication path officially endorsed by the author. This order keeps the mystery alive and ensures you meet key characters right when their backstories matter most:

1. Surviving the Evacuation 1: London (2013) – The essential starting point. Follow political strategist Bill Wright's journal as he survives the collapse in a locked-down London.
2. Surviving the Evacuation 2: Wasteland (2014) – Bill ventures out of London into the radioactive and zombie-ravaged English countryside.
3. Surviving the Evacuation 0.5: Zombies vs The Living Dead (2013) – A prequel novella. Read it here to get the backstory of George Tull before he appears in the next book.
4. Surviving the Evacuation 3: Family (2014) – Shifting focus to Nilda, a mother searching for her son Jay amidst growing conspiracies.
5. Surviving the Evacuation 4: Unsafe Haven (2014) – The survivors struggle to establish a secure refuge as political intrigues threaten to destroy them from within.
6. Surviving the Evacuation 5: Reunion (2015) – Separated groups of survivors attempt to reconnect, but the undead and human factions stand in their way.
7. Surviving the Evacuation 6: Harvest (2015) – Food supplies are dwindling, forcing dangerous excursions into hostile territory to secure the community's future.
8. Surviving the Evacuation 7: Home (2015) – A turning point for the British survivors as they look to build a permanent settlement.
9. Here We Stand 1: Infected (2016) – The outbreak begins in New York. This spin-off introduces Tom Clemens (later known as Sholto) and explains how the crisis unfolded in America.
10. Here We Stand 2: Divided (2016) – Sholto's perilous escape from the United States. Essential background before he arrives in the main storyline.
11. Surviving the Evacuation 8: Anglesey (2016) – Back to the UK. The survivors in Wales must deal with the fallout of global events and new arrivals.
12. Surviving the Evacuation 9: Ireland (2017) – The search for resources and answers expands across the Irish Sea.
13. Surviving the Evacuation 10: The Last Candidate (2017) – Political power struggles take center stage as remnants of the old government attempt to assert control.
14. Surviving the Evacuation 11: Search and Rescue (2017) – A desperate mission to find missing allies reveals new global threats.
15. Surviving the Evacuation 12: Britain's End (2018) – The battle for the future of the British Isles reaches a dramatic, explosive climax.
16. Surviving the Evacuation 13: Future's Beginning (2018) – The survivors begin the monumental task of rebuilding society from the ashes of the old world.
17. Surviving the Evacuation 14: Mort Vivant (2018) – Set in France. A close look at how continental Europe fared during the outbreak.
18. Surviving the Evacuation 15: Where There's Hope (2018) – The struggle to maintain order and hope in a fragile new alliance.
19. Surviving the Evacuation 16: Unwanted Visitors, Unwelcome Guests (2019) – New factions arrive, threatening the peace of the survivors' sanctuary.
20. Life Goes On 1: Outback Outbreak (2019) – A spin-off series shift. Meet the survivors in Australia and the Pacific as they battle the initial collapse.
21. Life Goes On 2: No More News (2020) – The isolation of the Pacific survivors deepens as global communication links permanently shatter.
22. Life Goes On 3: While the Lights Are On (2020) – The struggle to preserve technology and power in the face of resource exhaustion.
23. Life Goes On 4: If Not Us (2021) – Difficult moral decisions must be made to save the community from external raiders.
24. Life Goes On 5: No Turning Back (2021) – The final book of the Pacific subseries, setting up key connections for the main series.
25. Surviving the Evacuation 17: There We Stood (2020) – The main narrative resumes, drawing together threads from the Pacific and British storylines.
26. Surviving the Evacuation 18: Rebuilt in a Day (2021) – The painstaking work of restoring infrastructure and law to the wasteland.
27. Surviving the Evacuation 19: Welcome to the End of the Earth (2022) – Characters venture to the remote corners of the globe to secure humanity's survival.
28. Surviving the Evacuation 20: Small Cogs in the Survival Machine (2023) – Focusing on the everyday individuals whose quiet efforts keep the community alive.
29. Surviving the Evacuation 21: Our Home, Too (2023) – The fight to defend the rebuilt territory from a massive, encroaching undead horde.
30. Surviving the Evacuation 22: Letters from Yesterday (2024) – Bill Wright struggles to complete the evacuation of Quebec while looking for missing loved ones.
31. Surviving the Evacuation 23: One Minute More (2025) – Focusing on Maggs Espoir and serving as a prologue to Sholto's journey in the Pacific Northwest.
32. Surviving the Evacuation 24: An Imperfect Utopia (2025) – Kim and Bill attempt to build a new government while battling piratical fanatics.
33. Surviving the Evacuation 25: The Best Revenge (2026) – The thrilling conclusion to the North American adventure arc.

What to Know Before You Start

Frank Tayell's series is not your average, run-of-the-mill zombie gore-fest. While there are plenty of tense encounters with the undead, the real core of the books lies in human resilience, community, and political strategy. The early books are written in a distinct journal format, showcasing Bill Wright's daily struggles, triumphs, and introspective thoughts. As the series progresses and the world expands, the narrative shifts toward a broader, multi-perspective third-person style to capture the global scale of the reconstruction efforts.

The zombies themselves act as a deadly background threat and a catalyst for societal collapse, but the true conflicts arise from human nature: political corruption, power struggles, and the moral compromises required to rebuild a functional civilization from scratch.

Understanding the Subseries & Spin-Offs

To fully grasp the scope of Tayell's universe, it helps to understand how the different series fit together:

The Main Series (Surviving the Evacuation)

This is the backbone of the entire saga. It begins with the collapse of the British quarantine and follows the primary group of survivors—including Bill Wright, Nilda, and Kim—as they transition from isolated survival to establishing a new, democratic coalition across the British Isles and eventually interacting with the rest of the world.

Here We Stand

A two-part spin-off focusing on Sholto, a character escaping the chaos of North America. It runs chronologically parallel to the early British books but is essential reading before Book 8 (Anglesey), where Sholto's journey merges with the main cast.

Life Goes On

A five-book thriller series set in Australia and the Pacific. It covers the outbreak from a completely different geographic perspective, exploring how isolated island communities and outback outposts adapted. The events and survivors from this series play a significant role when the main series reaches Book 17 (There We Stood).

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

A pure chronological reading order would have you start with the prequel novella, Zombies vs The Living Dead (Book 0.5), followed by the first half of Here We Stand and Life Goes On. However, we strongly advise against this. Starting chronologically spoils several mysteries surrounding the origin of the virus and the collapse of the global governments that are slowly uncovered in the early main books. Furthermore, the diary-style format of London (Book 1) is designed to introduce the reader to the quarantine rules and the sense of isolation. Starting with later-written prequels diminishes this atmospheric build-up. Stick to the recommended hybrid path for the best narrative pacing.

Practical Reader Advice

If you are jumping into the series for the first time, here are a few practical tips to keep in mind:

• Start with London: Do not start with the prequel novella. Book 1 is the best hook for the series' unique tone and setup.
• Don't Skip the Spin-Offs: While you can technically skip Here We Stand and Life Goes On, you will miss crucial context for major characters who join the main group later. Treating them as mandatory chapters of the main story makes the crossovers incredibly rewarding.
• Audiobook Consistency: The series has highly rated audiobook narrations that capture the British journal style perfectly, making it an excellent candidate for listening on the go.