E.E. Isherwood Books in Order

Where to Start Reading E.E. Isherwood

If you are new to E.E. Isherwood's fast-paced, character-driven brand of post-apocalyptic fiction, you have two primary entry points depending on your preferred flavor of the end of the world:

• For Zombie Enthusiasts: Start with Since the Sirens, the first book in the Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse series. It introduces Liam Peters and his unforgettable 104-year-old great-grandmother, Marty, as they fight their way out of a suddenly collapsed St. Louis.
• For EMP and Grid-Down Survival Fans: Start with Neighborhood Watch: After the EMP, the first book in his massive 10-book survival saga. It focuses on local organization, community defense, and ordinary civilians keeping their street safe when the government vanishes.

Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse Reading Order

This is E.E. Isherwood's signature series. Unlike many grimdark zombie stories, this series focuses heavily on family bonds, hope, and the unlikely resilience of its characters. While there is a prequel novella, the best experience is to read the books in order of publication to follow Liam and Grandma Marty's narrative progression.

The Prequel Choice: World of Zombies

Though published in 2017 after the first six books, the novella World of Zombies is a prequel that outlines the origins of the outbreak from a broader perspective. You can read this first to set the stage, or read it after Book 6 to fill in background details before diving into the final books.

Recommended Reading Order:

1. Since the Sirens (2015)
2. Siren Songs (2016)
3. Stop the Sirens (2016)
4. Last Fight of the Valkyries (2016)
5. Zombies Vs Polar Bears (2016)
6. Zombies Ever After (2016)
7. World of Zombies (2017) – Prequel Novella
8. Zombie Escape (2018)
9. The Last Siren (2023)

The Neighborhood Watch & After the EMPs Universe

For readers who prefer realistic grid-collapse scenarios over the undead, Isherwood created a sprawling, grounded EMP universe. It is divided into two main series that share a timeline and world rules, but focus on different characters and locations.

1. Neighborhood Watch Series

This series follows Frank Douglas, a man in his 50s who steps up to protect his suburban community when a devastating EMP destroys the power grid. It is highly detailed and focuses on the logistics of community defense, food allocation, and dealing with external threats.

• Neighborhood Watch: After the EMP (2021)
• Neighborhood Watch 2 (2022)
• Neighborhood Watch 3 (2022)
• Neighborhood Watch 4 (2022)
• Neighborhood Watch 5 (2023)
• Neighborhood Watch 6 (2023)
• Neighborhood Watch 7 (2023)
• Neighborhood Watch 8 (2023)
• Neighborhood Watch 9 (2023)
• Neighborhood Watch 10 (2023)

2. After the EMPs: 1000 Miles of Bad Road Series

Set in the same universe and beginning at the same time as the main Neighborhood Watch series, this spin-off follows a 35-year-old tow-truck driver named Joey. He is on vacation in his classic Mustang when the pulse hits, forcing him to embark on a grueling, cross-country journey home. It is best read after finishing the first few Neighborhood Watch books to get a feel for the universe's mechanics.

• 1000 Miles of Bad Road (2024)
• 1000 Miles of Bad Road 2 (2024)
• 1000 Miles of Bad Road 3 (2024)
• 1000 Miles of Bad Road 4 (2024)

Other Major Post-Apocalyptic Series

Beyond his main two universes, Isherwood has written several independent series and collaborative projects that offer unique apocalyptic premises.

Minus America Series

In this high-stakes series, a mysterious weapon completely erases the population of the mainland United States. The narrative follows a backup pilot on Air Force Two and a handful of survivors who must navigate a vast, empty continent while uncovering who attacked the nation and preparing to fight back.

1. Minus America (2019)
2. Empty Cities (2019)
3. Rebel Cause (2019)
4. Two Wolves and a Sheep (2020)
5. Hostile Shores (2020)

End Days Series (Co-authored with Craig Martelle)

Written alongside Craig Martelle, this six-book series begins with a failed scientific experiment and a mysterious blue ribbon in the sky that causes societal infrastructure to collapse. The story is a cross-country race against time, focusing on a father and son separated by thousands of miles.

1. Blue Apocalypse (2019)
2. Broken Arrow (2019)
3. Broad America (2019)
4. Begin Again (2019)
5. Beyond Alpha (2021)
6. Bold Action (2022)

Impact Series (Co-authored with Mike Kraus)

This collaboration with Mike Kraus explores the fallout of a space mining corporation's error, which causes a giant asteroid to break apart and strike the United States, forcing survivors to scramble for resources in a ruined landscape.

1. Inbound (2020)
2. Bounce (2020)
3. Adrift (2020)
4. Crush (2020)
5. Black (2020)
6. Dig (2020)

Dystopian & Sci-Fi Niche Series

If you want a break from standard post-apocalyptic settings, Isherwood has also experimented with distinct YA dystopian and road-survival niches.

Eternal Apocalypse Series

A Young Adult dystopian story that follows Elle, a teenage girl living in a highly structured, routine-based doomsday bunker who slowly uncovers the dark truths of her society.

• Sky Dancers (2017)
• Dazzle Ships (2017)

Revolutions Per Mile Series

Set in a rebuilt prairie nation years after a global collapse, this series focuses on Perth Hopkins and other teenage road couriers who drive high-performance muscle cars between isolated farming towns to deliver crucial supplies.

• Post Apocalyptic Ponies (2016)
• Post Apocalyptic Mustangs (2016)

What to Know Before You Start

E.E. Isherwood's books are known for their cinematic pace, relatable characters, and optimistic undercurrents. Unlike many grim survival novels, Isherwood focuses on community, faith, and family. His settings are highly localized—particularly St. Louis and the surrounding Missouri areas—giving his disaster zones a vivid, realistic quality based on real-world landmarks. Almost all of his series are fully self-contained, meaning you can easily read them out of order as long as you stick to the internal chronological sequence of each individual series.