143+ Unique Zombie Story Ideas [Prompts for Creative Writers]

Are you looking for some inspiration for your next zombie story, screenplay, or comic book?

Well, you’re in the right place! As a full-time genre writer and independent filmmaker, I’ve written a ton of monsters, including zombies. They’ve been so much fun to write!

I promise you’ll love creating your zombie story as much as I have! And, to help you out, here are some great writing prompts for unique zombie characters and zombie story ideas for your next zombie fiction story!

What Are Good Zombie Story Ideas?

Let’s get right into all the best story ideas!

Traditional Survival Horror

These zombie writing prompts will capture the essence of the genre, focusing on survival amid a classic zombie apocalypse. Key elements include scavenging for supplies, seeking safe havens, and the constant threat of the undead.

1. Last Light in the City: Amidst an urban apocalypse, a group of survivors must navigate through a city overrun by zombies to reach a rumored safe haven.

2. The Warehouse: A group of survivors finds refuge in a massive warehouse filled with supplies but must devise clever traps and defenses against waves of zombies.

3. Radio Silence: A lone radio operator broadcasts messages of hope and guidance to survivors while defending his station from the undead.

4. The Last Hospital: Medical professionals in the last functioning hospital must balance their duty to patients and their own survival as zombies close in.

5. Highway to Hell: A convoy of survivors travels on deserted highways, scavenging for supplies, and fighting off zombie hordes along the way.

6. The Farmhouse Standoff: A family barricades themselves in their farmhouse, using their knowledge of the land to fend off relentless zombie attacks.

7. The Underground: Survivors living in subway tunnels face not only the threat of zombies but also rival survivor groups vying for control of the underground.

8. Mountain Refuge: A group of hikers retreats to a remote mountain cabin during a zombie outbreak, battling harsh weather, isolation, and the undead.

9. The Shopping Mall Siege: Survivors holed up in a shopping mall must defend their fortress of supplies from a massive zombie horde.

10. The Lighthouse: A lighthouse keeper uses his isolated island lighthouse to guide survivors at sea, while keeping the undead at bay.

11. School’s Out Forever: Teachers and students fortify their school against zombies after their town is overrun.

12. Zombie Zoo: The staff of a city zoo struggles to keep the animals alive while fending off zombies that have breached the gates.

13. The Library: A group of survivors in a public library uses their collective knowledge to outsmart zombies and search for a cure.

14. The Stadium: A sports stadium becomes a safe haven for survivors, but with limited resources, they must venture out into zombie-infested city for supplies.

15. The Sewers: When the city above is overrun by zombies, a band of survivors must navigate the labyrinthine sewers below to escape.

Comedy and Parody

These story ideas take a lighter approach to the zombie genre, infusing humor and satire into the grim apocalypse. They include slapstick humor, satirical takes on society, and quirky characters facing off against zombies.

1. Zombie Mall Shoppers: A group of retail workers must survive the Black Friday shopping frenzy – except this year, the shoppers are zombies.

2. Dawn of the Undead Dentist: A dentist discovers that flossing and brushing can actually kill zombies, leading to hilarious and bizarre encounters.

3. The Zombie Gourmet: A renowned chef is forced to adapt his cooking skills to a world where brains are the main ingredient.

4. Zombie Prom: A high school prom takes a turn when a zombie outbreak occurs, leading to a night of dance-offs, love triangles, and brain-eating hilarity.

5. Zombie Retirement Home: In an elderly care home, a group of lively senior citizens are more than ready to take on the zombie apocalypse.

6. Zombies in Vegas: What happens when a group of bachelor party goers wake up from a night in Las Vegas to find a zombie apocalypse? Chaos, humor, and a lot of lost bets.

7. Zombies on a Cruise: The luxury cruise turns into a floating buffet for zombies, where the crew and passengers have to use the ship’s resources creatively to survive.

8. Zombie Love Story: A hopeless romantic falls in love with a zombie, leading to a series of comedic and awkward situations.

9. Zombies vs. Aliens: When aliens invade during a zombie apocalypse, both the zombies and the survivors are too confused about who should be attacking whom.

10. Zombie Weight Loss Program: A fitness influencer capitalizes on the zombie apocalypse by promoting a new weight loss program – running from zombies.

11. Zombie Reality TV: A reality show continues filming during a zombie apocalypse, leading to absurdly comical and deadly challenges.

12. Zombies at the Zoo: A group of zookeepers use their knowledge of animals to fend off a horde of zombies that have taken over the zoo.

13. Zombie Office Politics: An office worker realizes that his colleagues have turned into zombies – but strangely, office life goes on almost as normal.

14. Zombie Road Trip: A family on a cross-country road trip must navigate kitschy tourist traps, roadside diners, and hordes of zombies.

15. Zombies in Space: Astronauts aboard the International Space Station watch the zombie apocalypse unfold from space and struggle with the fact that they might be the last humans left.

Romantic Zombies

These plot ideas feature love in the time of zombies, blending elements of romance and horror. You’ll find star-crossed lovers (one being a zombie or both battling the undead) exploring themes of love transcending the horror of zombification.

1. Zombie Love Letter: An old love letter is found by a survivor, leading him to search for his lost love amidst the apocalypse.

2. From Zombies With Love: Two zombies, retaining their memories and emotions, fall in love and struggle to protect each other from the living who see them as threats.

3. The Zombie Bride: On her wedding day, a bride turns into a zombie, and her groom goes to great lengths to find a cure to save her.

4. Zombie Prom: High school sweethearts must navigate their prom night when their classmates start turning into zombies.

5. Love Bites: A woman falls for a man who, unbeknownst to her, is slowly turning into a zombie. As she uncovers his secret, they both fight for their love and survival.

6. The Forbidden Kiss: A human and a sentient zombie share a forbidden love, challenging the prejudices of both humans and zombies.

7. Zombie Honeymoon: A newlywed couple’s honeymoon turns into a fight for survival when their tropical paradise is overrun by zombies.

8. Undying Love: After losing his lover to a zombie bite, a man discovers she has retained her consciousness after turning and vows to stay by her side.

9. Zombie Love Triangle: A woman must choose between her human ex-boyfriend and her new love interest, who happens to be a sentient zombie.

10. Zombified Romeo and Juliet: A retelling of the classic tale, where two lovers from rival families must confront their prejudices and the zombie outbreak.

11. Love in the Lab: Two scientists working on a cure for the zombie virus find love amidst the chaos and desperation of their work.

12. Zombie Serenade: A musician uses his songs to communicate with his zombie girlfriend, leading to touching and humorous situations.

13. Love on the Run: Two strangers meet during a zombie outbreak and fall in love while trying to escape the city.

14. The Last Dance: A couple trapped in their school during a zombie outbreak decide to have one last dance before trying to escape.

15. Zombie Heart: A man discovers his heart donor was a sentient zombie and begins to experience emotions and memories of the zombie’s past love life.

Zombie Heist

These zombie stories combine the thrill of heist plots with the peril of a zombie apocalypse. Elements of these stories will likely include a team with special skills, a seemingly impossible mission amidst zombies, and high-stakes tension.

1. The Living Vault: A team of thieves attempt to break into a vault rumored to contain a cure for the zombie virus.

2. Undead Casino Heist: In the ruins of Las Vegas, a band of survivors plan to rob a casino vault filled with supplies.

3. Zombie Jailbreak: A group of convicts plan a daring escape from a zombie-infested prison.

4. Last Train to Survival: A team must infiltrate a moving train filled with zombies to retrieve a vaccine.

5. Bunker Heist: A group of survivors attempts to break into a government bunker rumored to be filled with food, weapons, and medicine.

6. The Diamond Dead: A band of thieves plan a risky heist on a diamond store in a zombie-ridden city.

7. The Zombie Bank Job: A group plans to rob a bank vault in a zombie-infested city, hoping it contains resources for survival.

8. Art of the Apocalypse: A team of survivors aim to steal priceless works of art from a zombie-infested museum, hoping to sell them for survival supplies.

9. Operation Z: A special ops team is dispatched to retrieve a top-secret weapon from a military base overrun by zombies.

10. The Last Heist: In a world overrun by zombies, a retiring thief plans one last heist to secure enough supplies for his family’s survival.

11. Zombie Gold Rush: A group of survivors hears rumors of a gold mine untouched by the zombie apocalypse and plans a daring heist.

12. The Undead Heist Club: A group of high school friends plans a heist on their zombie-infested school to retrieve left-behind supplies.

13. Breaking into the Dead Zone: A team of daredevils plans a heist in the city’s dead zone to retrieve a cache of weapons.

14. The Silent Heist: A deaf thief and her crew plan a heist on a zombie-infested mansion rumored to be full of valuable antiques.

15. The Biohazard Job: A group of survivors hears about a biotech lab that holds the cure for the zombie virus and plans an audacious heist to steal it.

Military and Tactical

These zombie writing prompts focus on military operations during a zombie outbreak, highlighting strategy and firepower. They will include special forces, tactical missions against zombies, and insights into military protocols and weaponry.

1. Operation Dead Zone: A Special Forces team is dispatched into a quarantine zone to retrieve a scientist who may hold the cure to the zombie virus.

2. Zombie Siege: A military base is surrounded by zombies, and the soldiers must use their training and tactics to survive.

3. The Zombie Protocol: After a failed mission, a soldier discovers a top-secret military protocol designed to combat a zombie apocalypse.

4. Undead Warfare: A squad of soldiers is trapped behind enemy lines in a country overrun by zombies and must fight their way back home.

5. The Last Stand: A platoon makes a heroic stand against an overwhelming horde of zombies to protect a refugee camp.

6. Operation Z: A drone operator discovers an impending zombie attack on a remote military outpost and must warn them before it’s too late.

7. The Biohazard Unit: An elite military unit specializes in combating biohazard threats, including zombies.

8. The Undead Navy: A naval ship becomes the last refuge for humanity amidst a global zombie outbreak.

9. Airborne Apocalypse: A paratrooper squad is dropped into a zombie-infested city to rescue important political figures.

10. The Zombie Sniper: A sniper uses her skills to protect a group of survivors from a horde of zombies.

11. Black Ops Zombies: A covert ops team is tasked with infiltrating a zombie-infested enemy base to retrieve valuable intel.

12. Zombie Marines: A group of marines stranded on a remote island must battle zombies and find a way to communicate with the outside world.

13. The Zombie War: In a world conquered by zombies, a ragtag group of soldiers forms a resistance movement.

14. Desert Zombies: A military convoy crossing a desert encounters an unexpected enemy – zombies.

15. The Zombie Draft: Due to a shortage of soldiers, the government starts drafting civilians into the military to fight against the zombie apocalypse.

Psychological Thriller

These zombie stories look into the human psyche, exploring the mental toll of surviving in a world overrun by zombies. You’ll be writing about mind games, the blur between reality and hallucination, and the psychological depth of characters struggling to maintain their sanity.

1. Mind of the Undead: A survivor starts to empathize with the zombies, blurring the line between humanity and monstrosity.

2. Sanity’s Last Stand: In a world overrun by zombies, a group of survivors grapples with their sanity as they debate whether to hold on or let go.

3. Isolation: A lone survivor in a zombie apocalypse starts to question their reality, unsure if the zombies are real or figments of their imagination.

4. Fragmented Reality: After a head injury, a survivor starts seeing zombies even when there are none around, leading to paranoia and mistrust among his group.

5. The Zombie Therapist: A psychologist uses her skills to help survivors cope with the mental trauma of a zombie apocalypse.

6. Undead Dreams: A survivor can’t distinguish between dreams and reality, causing panic and chaos within a safe house.

7. The Zombie Mirage: Stranded in a desert, survivors start hallucinating about zombies, leading to devastating consequences.

8. Echoes of the Past: Haunted by their past actions, survivors are tormented by guilt-induced visions of zombified loved ones.

9. The Madhouse: A group of survivors finds refuge in an abandoned mental asylum, only to be haunted by the former patients turned zombies.

10. Zombie Phobia: A man with a severe phobia of zombies must confront his fear to protect his family during a zombie outbreak.

11. Survivor’s Guilt: The last member of a squad struggles with survivor’s guilt and PTSD, seeing his fallen comrades as zombies.

12. The Reality Game: A reality TV show producer exploits the zombie apocalypse to create a twisted new show, manipulating survivors’ fears for ratings.

13. The Walking Shadows: A survivor starts seeing ‘shadow zombies’ due to severe sleep deprivation.

14. The Descent: A safe haven slowly becomes a madhouse as cabin fever sets in and survivors start turning on each other, suspecting infiltration by zombies.

15. Paranoia: A group of survivors turns on one of their own, believing him to be infected, leading to a tragic series of events.

Historical and Period Zombies

These zombie story ideas have zombie outbreaks in historical or specific period contexts, and they blend history with horror. You’ll be writing about authentic historical settings, period-specific challenges, and the juxtaposition of zombies with historical events or figures.

1. Revolution of the Dead: During the French Revolution, a zombie plague adds a terrifying twist to the Reign of Terror.

2. The Black Death Reimagined: The Bubonic Plague in the 14th century was actually a zombie outbreak, and survivors must navigate medieval Europe’s challenges to survive.

3. Civil War of the Undead: During the American Civil War, fallen soldiers rise as zombies, forcing the North and South to unite against the undead.

4. The Z Pharaohs: Ancient Egypt is hit by a zombie plague during the reign of a powerful Pharaoh, turning pyramid builders into undead monsters.

5. Victorian Zombies: In Victorian London, a zombie outbreak lurks beneath the city’s foggy streets, threatening to interrupt the Industrial Revolution.

6. The Samurai and the Dead: In Feudal Japan, a Samurai warrior must use his skills to fend off a zombie infestation.

7. Dead Men Tell Tales: Pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy face off against zombified shipmates and island natives.

8. The Undead Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci invents contraptions not only for the betterment of humanity but also to combat a zombie outbreak.

9. Stonehenge Apocalypse: Druids in ancient Britain must use their knowledge and magic to stop a zombie outbreak during the construction of Stonehenge.

10. Zombies of the Wild West: A sheriff in a small Western town faces his biggest challenge yet – a horde of undead cowboys.

11. The Gladiator Graveyard: In Ancient Rome, fallen gladiators rise from the dead, turning the Colosseum into an arena of horror.

12. The Aztec Curse: An Aztec curse turns the sacrificed into zombies, threatening to wipe out the Mesoamerican civilization.

13. The Plague of Independence: The American Revolution takes a horrific turn when British soldiers use a zombie virus as a biological weapon.

14. The Silk Road Horror: Merchants and travelers on the ancient Silk Road must combat a zombie outbreak spread by a mysterious artifact.

15. Cold War of the Dead: At the height of the Cold War, a zombie outbreak forces NATO and the Warsaw Pact to put aside differences and unite against the common undead enemy.

Sci-Fi and Experimental Zombies

These zombie writing prompts introduce elements of science fiction, offering a fresh twist on zombie origins and characteristics. You might write about genetic engineering, alien viruses, futuristic technology, and exploring the science behind the undead.

1. Alien Outbreak: An alien virus brought back from a Mars expedition turns humans into zombies, forcing astronauts and scientists to work together to stop the spread.

2. The Bio-Engineered Apocalypse: A genetically engineered super-soldier serum goes wrong, turning its subjects into aggressive, intelligent zombies.

3. Nano-Zombies: Nanotechnology meant to improve human health malfunctions, turning those implanted into high-tech zombies.

4. Post-Apocalyptic AI: In a world destroyed by nuclear war, an AI reanimates the dead to rebuild society, leading to a new breed of cybernetic zombies.

5. Zombie Singularity: As humanity merges with technology, a computer virus jumps to humans, turning them into zombie-like drones connected to a malevolent AI.

6. The Quantum Dead: A quantum physics experiment gone wrong opens a portal to a parallel universe, unleashing a zombie virus into our world.

7. Zombies in Space: A space mining crew on an asteroid unwittingly unleash an ancient alien pathogen, turning them into space zombies.

8. The Martian Dead: Colonists on Mars face a zombie outbreak after disturbing an ancient microbial lifeform.

9. Time Traveling Virus: A scientist from the future travels back in time to prevent a zombie apocalypse, only to accidentally introduce the virus earlier in history.

10. Radioactive Reanimation: After a nuclear meltdown, radiation leaks cause the dead in nearby cemeteries to rise as radioactive zombies.

11. The Genetic Pandora’s Box: Scientists attempting to unlock the secret to immortality accidentally create a zombie virus that rapidly spreads through the population.

12. Zombie Robots: Advanced robots designed to mimic humans malfunction and start acting like zombies, creating panic in a futuristic society.

13. The Zombie Meteor: A meteorite crash lands on Earth, carrying an alien virus that turns people into zombies.

14. Dystopian Dead: In a dystopian future where resources are scarce and the rich live in luxury, a zombie outbreak becomes the ultimate leveler.

15. The Cloning Disaster: An attempt to solve overpopulation by cloning humans goes awry when the clones turn out to be flesh-eating zombies.

Cross-Genre Blend

These zombie stories merge zombies with other genres like fantasy, western, or noir. They incorporate elements like magic, cowboys, or detectives into the zombie world.

1. Zombie Noir: In a post-apocalyptic city, a hard-boiled detective investigates a series of murders, only to discover that zombies are the culprits.

2. Cowboy Zombies: In the Wild West, a group of cowboys must protect their town from an incoming horde of zombies, stirred up by a nefarious outlaw’s black magic.

3. Fantasy Zombies: A powerful necromancer raises an army of zombies to overthrow a kingdom, and it’s up to a ragtag group of adventurers to stop him.

4. Steampunk Zombies: In a Victorian-era city powered by steam and gears, a mad scientist’s creation of mechanized zombies threatens to bring about an apocalypse.

5. Zombies in Space: On a distant space station, crew members must fight off an unexpected zombie outbreak caused by an alien virus.

6. Time-Traveling Zombies: A time traveler accidentally brings a zombie back to the present, sparking an outbreak that he must now stop.

7. Zombie Pirates: A cursed treasure turns a crew of pirates into undead horrors, terrorizing the Caribbean until a brave heroine steps up to stop them.

8. Zombie Romance: Two lovers separated by a zombie apocalypse must navigate through hordes of the undead to find each other again.

9. Cyberpunk Zombies: In a futuristic dystopia, rogue AI turns the city’s citizens into cybernetic zombies, forcing a group of hackers to save humanity.

10. Zombie Superheroes: A zombie virus infects a city’s superhero population, leaving ordinary citizens to fend off their former protectors.

11. Zombie Comedy: A group of friends wake up from a wild party to find their town overrun by zombies, leading to hilarious and terrifying antics.

12. Zombie Heist: A group of thieves plan a heist amid a zombie apocalypse, using the chaos as a cover for their daring robbery.

13. Zombie Musical: In a world where music soothes the undead, a band of musicians use their talents to survive in a zombie-infested city.

14. Zombie Western: In a post-apocalyptic future resembling the old west, a lone cowboy faces off against hordes of the undead.

15. Zombie Fairy Tale: In a twisted version of a classic fairy tale, a princess must save her kingdom from a wicked witch’s zombie curse.

Post-Apocalyptic

These zombie apocalypse stories focus on rebuilding civilization after a zombie apocalypse. They explore themes of hope and renewal, and you’ll be writing about community building, the rise of new societies, and the challenges of creating a new world.

1. Eden After Undeath: A group of survivors discover an untouched paradise amidst the ruins. Can they keep their Eden safe from the outside world?

2. Rise of New Athens: A community of intellectuals tries to rebuild civilization based on ancient Greek principles. But can philosophy and science thrive in a world overrun by zombies?

3. The Last Library: In a world where knowledge is power, a band of survivors protect a library – the last bastion of human knowledge.

4. Zombie Renaissance: Artists and musicians create a vibrant cultural movement amidst the post-apocalyptic ruins, bringing hope and beauty back into the world.

5. The Wall: A fortified city thrives amidst the apocalypse. But when the walls start cracking, the society within must face its greatest challenge.

6. From the Ashes: After the zombies decay, survivors must deal with a new threat – rival factions fighting over resources in the newly safe world.

7. The Second Chance: A group of prisoners released after the apocalypse use their skills to build a thriving community, challenging notions of morality and redemption.

8. The New Frontier: A group of pioneers set out to reclaim and repopulate abandoned cities, facing the challenges of nature reclaiming urban spaces.

9. Democracy of the Dead: As communities grow, so do conflicts. A town attempts to establish a democratic government, navigating the complexities of politics in a post-apocalyptic world.

10. Children of the Apocalypse: Born after the outbreak, a generation of children must learn to rebuild the world from the stories and relics of the past.

11. Post-Apocalyptic Agriculture: The struggle to cultivate crops and develop sustainable food sources becomes a vital task for a group of farming enthusiasts.

12. The Radio Tower: A group of survivors turns a radio tower into a beacon of hope, broadcasting messages of survival and assistance.

13. The Wandering School: A mobile community of teachers and students travels from place to place, sharing knowledge and skills essential for rebuilding society.

14. New Currency: In a world where money has lost its value, a group of survivors must devise a new form of currency and establish an economy.

15. Reclaiming the Skies: A team of engineers works on restoring old planes, hoping to reconnect isolated communities and establish trade routes.

So there you have it – my best ideas for a good zombie story. I hope you’ve found a great idea for your next creative work!

These days, you can also find ideas for a story by using AI story generator tools. Check out this article for how to use AI to brainstorm story ideas.

As always, please leave a comment below if you have any other interesting ideas to share. And please, stay creative!