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The Gospel of Z
In the postapocalypse, you take what you can "A must-read story and essential addition to the zombie canon" from the New York Times–bestselling author (LitReactor).
It's been nearly a decade since Z Day, when a plague turned humans into the voracious undead. Once a high school biology teacher, Jory Gray now works on an assembly line, making genetically modified "handlers"—the only beings who can control the zombies. There's not much to live for these days, so when the woman he loves leaves him for the promise of the Church of Z, Gray has nothing left to lose. Or so he thinks.
When Gray gets demoted from his factory position, he becomes truly expendable, and is sent out to blow-torch the infected. A dead-end job if there ever was one. As Gray struggles to stay human in a world that wants to make him a monster, the military and church duke it out for the future of humanity, using survivors as pawns in a hell on earth where zombies are the least of the creatures to be feared . . .
"Gripping moments of horror are expertly rendered, flashes of spot-on hilarity provide depth as well as levity, and the flickering humanity of the characters will resonate powerfully with readers." —Publishers Weekly
"Not simply another zombie novel. It is, in fact, a narrative about things society, authority, community, individuality, institutions, lives, even hope. And, at the end, there is the overwhelming sense that at the deepest levels, something has been 'fixed.'" —Hellnotes
"The single greatest zombie book you're ever going to read in your life." —Baby Black Widows
It's been nearly a decade since Z Day, when a plague turned humans into the voracious undead. Once a high school biology teacher, Jory Gray now works on an assembly line, making genetically modified "handlers"—the only beings who can control the zombies. There's not much to live for these days, so when the woman he loves leaves him for the promise of the Church of Z, Gray has nothing left to lose. Or so he thinks.
When Gray gets demoted from his factory position, he becomes truly expendable, and is sent out to blow-torch the infected. A dead-end job if there ever was one. As Gray struggles to stay human in a world that wants to make him a monster, the military and church duke it out for the future of humanity, using survivors as pawns in a hell on earth where zombies are the least of the creatures to be feared . . .
"Gripping moments of horror are expertly rendered, flashes of spot-on hilarity provide depth as well as levity, and the flickering humanity of the characters will resonate powerfully with readers." —Publishers Weekly
"Not simply another zombie novel. It is, in fact, a narrative about things society, authority, community, individuality, institutions, lives, even hope. And, at the end, there is the overwhelming sense that at the deepest levels, something has been 'fixed.'" —Hellnotes
"The single greatest zombie book you're ever going to read in your life." —Baby Black Widows
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2014
106 people are currently reading
949 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Graham Jones
236 books14.8k followersStephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 21, 2024
Hi it’s me again, remember how annoying I was about I Was a Teenage Slasher? Well, allow me to introduce you to Jory…
The Gospel of Z by Stephen Graham Jones — not really available right now? Unless you’re extremely fortunate in your Libby selection? Buuuuut…maybe available soon 👀
And on that note, thank you Pikes Peak Library District for shelving a digital copy — I drove hours to get a library card with you just to read it!
» READ IF YOU «
🧟 love zombies, hate zombies — honestly the zombies are not the point
👯♂️ are always down for a good bromance
💔 have ever felt betrayed by a person or an institution
» SYNOPSIS «
Jory Gray is despondent to learn that Linse, the only person in this post-apocalyptic world he cares about, has decided to leave him to join the safety of the church. But why? Distracted, Jory gets in trouble at work and quickly finds himself on the suicide squad, face to face with zombies and handlers and inhuman priests. But the further Jory falls, the more he finds he has to live for — and when he finds himself in a position to save the world, he'll do what he feels he must.
» REVIEW «
Alright so yes, this is a zombie novel. But the zombies are kind of just the scenery, the backdrop. The real star of the book is Jory, and his path to unlikely hero. There's a power-hungry general, a sinister priest, a charming driver, and a handful of somewhat-lovable miscreants to round out the character list, but my heart beats purely for Jory. Well, Jory and Mayner, honestly — they make the absolutely cutest bromance, plus several of Mayner's lines in here absolutely gutted me.
Did I shed tears over a horror novel again? You betcha. Would I do it again? Absolutely. This one is maybe a little more "Jonesy" than the Indian Lake trilogy or I Was a Teenage Slasher], but I definitely recommend it to anyone that's accustomed to his particular style of writing. There are arresting, beautiful lines of prose interspersed with gory scenes of zombies eating faces, so pretty typical SGJ fare.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gospel of Z by Stephen Graham Jones — not really available right now? Unless you’re extremely fortunate in your Libby selection? Buuuuut…maybe available soon 👀
And on that note, thank you Pikes Peak Library District for shelving a digital copy — I drove hours to get a library card with you just to read it!
» READ IF YOU «
🧟 love zombies, hate zombies — honestly the zombies are not the point
👯♂️ are always down for a good bromance
💔 have ever felt betrayed by a person or an institution
» SYNOPSIS «
Jory Gray is despondent to learn that Linse, the only person in this post-apocalyptic world he cares about, has decided to leave him to join the safety of the church. But why? Distracted, Jory gets in trouble at work and quickly finds himself on the suicide squad, face to face with zombies and handlers and inhuman priests. But the further Jory falls, the more he finds he has to live for — and when he finds himself in a position to save the world, he'll do what he feels he must.
» REVIEW «
Alright so yes, this is a zombie novel. But the zombies are kind of just the scenery, the backdrop. The real star of the book is Jory, and his path to unlikely hero. There's a power-hungry general, a sinister priest, a charming driver, and a handful of somewhat-lovable miscreants to round out the character list, but my heart beats purely for Jory. Well, Jory and Mayner, honestly — they make the absolutely cutest bromance, plus several of Mayner's lines in here absolutely gutted me.
Did I shed tears over a horror novel again? You betcha. Would I do it again? Absolutely. This one is maybe a little more "Jonesy" than the Indian Lake trilogy or I Was a Teenage Slasher], but I definitely recommend it to anyone that's accustomed to his particular style of writing. There are arresting, beautiful lines of prose interspersed with gory scenes of zombies eating faces, so pretty typical SGJ fare.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 26, 2014
Zombies? Yeah. But this isn't a book where zombies are the focus, this is a book where zombies are the
setting.
Against a backdrop of a post-apocalypse world, Jones has crafted an exciting, suspenseful, and horrifying tale of mystery, adventure, and intrigue, exploring the ideas "What is the line between human and not human?" and "Is it acceptable to sacrifice lives in order to save others?"
In The Gospel of Z , we find that zombies are terrifying, but the countermeasures people take in order to survive are much much worse!!
Against a backdrop of a post-apocalypse world, Jones has crafted an exciting, suspenseful, and horrifying tale of mystery, adventure, and intrigue, exploring the ideas "What is the line between human and not human?" and "Is it acceptable to sacrifice lives in order to save others?"
In The Gospel of Z , we find that zombies are terrifying, but the countermeasures people take in order to survive are much much worse!!
May 29, 2025
Oh, Jory. You have my heart.
Also, how many authors can make you gasp while reading about a room of self-decapitated bodies and then immediately make you laugh out loud in the very next paragraph?
Perfection.
Also, how many authors can make you gasp while reading about a room of self-decapitated bodies and then immediately make you laugh out loud in the very next paragraph?
Perfection.
February 21, 2015
I wanted to like this book but the way it was written was far too disjointed for me. I am still not sure whether or not the handlers are people or modified zombies that men use against other zombies. I'm sure it was explained somewhere but I missed it and didn't care to go back and figure it out.
This was a disappointing waste of time, but at least I finished it.
This was a disappointing waste of time, but at least I finished it.
August 25, 2016
Disjointed writing. Abysmal and difficult to understand.
Cardboard characters.
Don't read. Waste of time.
Cardboard characters.
Don't read. Waste of time.
September 27, 2021
This was a jumbled disappointment, but the author’s current work is great. What a massive gap between here & there! It’s astonishing. This book was twitchy and disjointed. It seemed to be trying too hard. To be edgy or unnerving but it just ended up obtuse. It was very strange: I couldn’t follow the characters’ thoughts or motivations. They would say/do something and I’d just be confused/lost. Where did that come from? What is that supposed to mean? It was really irritating & tiring. Humans don’t speak like this.
In his acknowledgements, the author says, “To ____, for telling me this was too broken. You were right. To my agent ______, for targeting the one place that could fix the rest.” I would have to disagree, however. This was still quite broken, fragments of a story that didn’t connect into a whole.
I thought The Only Good Indians was brilliant, and Night of the Mannequins was well written. This effort, from 2014, is all over the place though. It just doesn’t work for me, at all. The odd interludes, intercutting flashbacks, supposedly, but describing those characters as a “mannequin family,” even describing them as actually plastic? Suburban homogenization? I guess, but it’s awfully clumsy & overwrought.
The author was trying to take the zombie genre a different direction and I truly appreciated the effort. I was rooting for him.
The whole purpose of the outings—with a flamethrower, a priest of the weird white compound and a driver with mini-missiles on his jeep, an augmented human/zombie/cyborg/monster and a zombie on a leash—was That was really f-ed beyond all repair. Confusing—so WHAT was the point of it all? Go really slow this time…—and confused: why bioengineer a monstrosity only to walk a zombie on a leash? Shouldn’t it be out smashing zombies into dust? World War Z over, man! But not all. What a freakin’ mess…
In his acknowledgements, the author says, “To ____, for telling me this was too broken. You were right. To my agent ______, for targeting the one place that could fix the rest.” I would have to disagree, however. This was still quite broken, fragments of a story that didn’t connect into a whole.
I thought The Only Good Indians was brilliant, and Night of the Mannequins was well written. This effort, from 2014, is all over the place though. It just doesn’t work for me, at all. The odd interludes, intercutting flashbacks, supposedly, but describing those characters as a “mannequin family,” even describing them as actually plastic? Suburban homogenization? I guess, but it’s awfully clumsy & overwrought.
The author was trying to take the zombie genre a different direction and I truly appreciated the effort. I was rooting for him.
The whole purpose of the outings—with a flamethrower, a priest of the weird white compound and a driver with mini-missiles on his jeep, an augmented human/zombie/cyborg/monster and a zombie on a leash—was That was really f-ed beyond all repair. Confusing—so WHAT was the point of it all? Go really slow this time…—and confused: why bioengineer a monstrosity only to walk a zombie on a leash? Shouldn’t it be out smashing zombies into dust? World War Z over, man! But not all. What a freakin’ mess…
April 27, 2014
This is a story about ten years later. After the big Z-virus what-have-you. About the ones left behind. Yeah.
At this point (ten years later), zombies are few and far between—mere plot points, just some window dressing on a story about people with agendas. The ideas that Stephen comes up with to deal with the post-apocalyptic world are quite believable. The whole aura around the Handlers, the Bottleneckers, sheesh—even those freaking bait-goats.
And then there's the religious bunch, with their special vestments and their black and white knives...they're a particularly worrisome bunch. You might pick this one up for the zombies, but you'll enjoy reading it for the madness humanity dredges up for itself.
At this point (ten years later), zombies are few and far between—mere plot points, just some window dressing on a story about people with agendas. The ideas that Stephen comes up with to deal with the post-apocalyptic world are quite believable. The whole aura around the Handlers, the Bottleneckers, sheesh—even those freaking bait-goats.
And then there's the religious bunch, with their special vestments and their black and white knives...they're a particularly worrisome bunch. You might pick this one up for the zombies, but you'll enjoy reading it for the madness humanity dredges up for itself.
October 12, 2025
I needed more zombies, this book uses a zombie apocalypse more as a setting with the plot focusing on a power conflict between a military group and religious cult to control what remains of the world.
Overall The Gospel of Z is enjoyable. I like SGJ’s prose and enjoy most of his books. This is still his strength in this one but I think I had different expectations of what it would be.
Dark and fast paced with enjoyable characters, can be a little hard to follow at times, but clears up towards the end.
Overall The Gospel of Z is enjoyable. I like SGJ’s prose and enjoy most of his books. This is still his strength in this one but I think I had different expectations of what it would be.
Dark and fast paced with enjoyable characters, can be a little hard to follow at times, but clears up towards the end.
dnf
December 8, 2025Sadly DNFing 63%. I’ve tried twice now to get into this and the farther I get the more I don’t connect with the writing style. Will continue trying all SGJ backlist though because I still think he’s one of the best out there.
October 3, 2016
Honestly, I didn't finish this one. I'll admit that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I read a lot of books and have even written a few that some readers have enjoyed, so when I say that I couldn't entirely understand what was going on is this story, I hope that doesn't make me sound abnormally dense. It was exhausting, really, constantly trying to read between the lines, hoping that if I could just concentrate a little harder my mind's eye might have a chance of deciphering what this author wanted me to see. But alas, a least half of the time, I had no earthly idea what in the heck was going on or why the characters were doing what they were. I did, however, desperately want to see the story through, to find out what became of Jory and the woman he pinned for, but the headache I suffered each time I trudged through another chapter just wasn't worth it.
honestly-ill-never-get-around-to-it
March 2, 2014The greatly missed Ceridwen just reviewed this. Sounds pretty good.
May 3, 2019
Gospel of Z is a fresh take on a post apocalyptic world infested with zombies and how the living have adapted and are surviving. Very enjoyable read. And although this is a true-to-the-word “zombie” story, it’s so very human.
October 24, 2025
This was so disjointed and genuinely hard to follow at times with less answers than questions, however...I also read it in a day and had a blast doing so. It's genuinely so refreshing to be in a world where zombies are still a threat. They're not terribly prominent in the story, no but they don't need to be, to still be a threat and in zombie media, where 10 years have passed, they become more a backdrop to human drama. Was there still human drama? Absolutely, but in a way that was far more engaging and twisted.
If the world had been 'fleshed' out more, I think this story could've gone far, but as it was, I still loved it and had fun, so really what more could I ask for?
If the world had been 'fleshed' out more, I think this story could've gone far, but as it was, I still loved it and had fun, so really what more could I ask for?
December 19, 2025
I've been enjoying working through all the novels by Stephen Graham Jones this year. As a huge zombie apocalypse genre fan, I was excited to discover this one. Having now read it, is it my favorite zombie apocalypse novel ever? Not even close. But did SGJ bring something fresh and unique to the genre, as he has done to so many horror tropes? 100%, absolutely. This is a fairly short novel, definitely with the feel of SGJ's pre-2020 quality (there's been a serious uptick in quality since that date!), but this book is still totally worth a read. As always, Jones has more to say than just talking about zombies.
September 28, 2025
I really enjoyed this one, it was a refreshing take on how the zombie apocalypse starts and the journey of a man to start spreading the truth. the payoffs toward the end are well worth the end are well worth it and this deserves more ratings than it has.
November 4, 2017
I thought it was an interesting jumbled mess.
December 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was a little jumbled in parts, but it made sense in the end. Will read more by this author.
November 3, 2024
Great zombie book! I really enjoy SGJ's writing style. Its descriptive but leaves you with room to fill in the blanks.
July 14, 2025
Desperately want this to be a limited tv series.
August 30, 2025
Not my usual genre, but I enjoyed it. An irreverent look at society from an interesting perspective. Worthwhile and and recommended.
September 11, 2025
I've read many, MANY books by Stephen Graham Jones and I have to say, right outta the gate, this one is going to be an all timer for me. Even though they are really not alike, I got such 'The Stand' vibes from it (not really plot or writing related, just the feeling it gave me? Does that even make sense?)
10 years after a zombie apocalypse, Jory Gray works in a fraught yet menial job in a monstrous (literally) factory, having found one person that is a bright spot in his otherwise shattered world. When that person disappears to join a kind of apocalypse/death cult/church, his already bleak existence is thrown into the most unpropitious position possible in an almost hopeless world.
I was totally drawn into the character of Jory; what an unlikely hero. What a savage, new take on the zombie genre! I also love the cover of the reissue (and all the other recent reissues by Open Road, brava!) Reading anything by SGJ is always a treat.
10 years after a zombie apocalypse, Jory Gray works in a fraught yet menial job in a monstrous (literally) factory, having found one person that is a bright spot in his otherwise shattered world. When that person disappears to join a kind of apocalypse/death cult/church, his already bleak existence is thrown into the most unpropitious position possible in an almost hopeless world.
I was totally drawn into the character of Jory; what an unlikely hero. What a savage, new take on the zombie genre! I also love the cover of the reissue (and all the other recent reissues by Open Road, brava!) Reading anything by SGJ is always a treat.
November 23, 2025
zombies and a religious cult, what more could i ask for?
this was an interesting take on zombie culture. was not expecting this to be 5 stars, but stephen graham jones could write a grocery list and i would call it a masterpiece
this was an interesting take on zombie culture. was not expecting this to be 5 stars, but stephen graham jones could write a grocery list and i would call it a masterpiece
August 3, 2025
This is the first Stephen Graham Jones book I’ve read, so I’m not sure what his writing style is like. This book is written in a very disjointed way. I had to reread parts a couple of times to ensure I was following. That said, I really liked the story.
September 3, 2016
I read this book for an American Indian Literature course in which the Professor had us read several novels that were written by Indigenous authors but were not about Indigenous peoples. This is an interesting premise, because not all American Indian authors are writing about American Indian issues--Jones is a good example an Indigenous author that dabbles in other genres (although Ledfeather is my favorite book of his, which is about American Indian issues).
This novel is about a post-apocalypse world (brought about due to zombies) and Jory Gray's desire to go find Linse, a woman that has joined a cultish church. It sounds fun from the onset: zombies, blood and gore, and some sort of a romance that promises us a post-apocalypse here. But, this definitely didn't deliver for me as a reader.
The entire novel lacks description and setup for me. I've read other zombie novels and post-apocalypse novels that have done a much better job of setting up the characters, the setting, even the plot. This novel definitely leaves you wondering about a lot of things. You're thrown into different plot developments that (imho) do not make sense. Some of the characters get lost (who is that? wait where did he come from?) in the overall story. Unfortunately, I am also somewhat unconvinced that Jory and Linse share any type of a special bond--I just don't see his desire to go and save her from the church.
There are one or two twists in the novel. Honestly, they did not deliver a big punch for me. I did not really understand the entirety of the "church vs. military" theme that was found throughout. Perhaps an in-depth explanation was there, but I just did not fully see it. Nor was I entirely a fan of what I call "military speak"--perhaps some men in the military are as bossy as a few of these characters, but the dialog just did not give me any sense of the characters other than "oh, military."
In the entire novel, only one scene stood out to me and is the one that I'll probably remember about this book. It is when the team goes out into a zombie infested territory and finds an old school. They then wander into a classroom and find a pretty gruesome scene (but I will not spoil it). This was the only scene that I was a huge fan of, and the only one that sticks with me, but it was only a few pages long. The rest of the book just slipped away for me.
Overall, for me, the characters are confusing and forgettable. The story itself did not leave me feeling like I needed to tell anyone about this novel. Maybe if you really like zombie stories, or horror stories, this book is for you. But it just was not for me. It is a quick read though, so if you're feeling like trying it, it doesn't take longer than a day or two to get through.
This novel is about a post-apocalypse world (brought about due to zombies) and Jory Gray's desire to go find Linse, a woman that has joined a cultish church. It sounds fun from the onset: zombies, blood and gore, and some sort of a romance that promises us a post-apocalypse here. But, this definitely didn't deliver for me as a reader.
The entire novel lacks description and setup for me. I've read other zombie novels and post-apocalypse novels that have done a much better job of setting up the characters, the setting, even the plot. This novel definitely leaves you wondering about a lot of things. You're thrown into different plot developments that (imho) do not make sense. Some of the characters get lost (who is that? wait where did he come from?) in the overall story. Unfortunately, I am also somewhat unconvinced that Jory and Linse share any type of a special bond--I just don't see his desire to go and save her from the church.
There are one or two twists in the novel. Honestly, they did not deliver a big punch for me. I did not really understand the entirety of the "church vs. military" theme that was found throughout. Perhaps an in-depth explanation was there, but I just did not fully see it. Nor was I entirely a fan of what I call "military speak"--perhaps some men in the military are as bossy as a few of these characters, but the dialog just did not give me any sense of the characters other than "oh, military."
In the entire novel, only one scene stood out to me and is the one that I'll probably remember about this book. It is when the team goes out into a zombie infested territory and finds an old school. They then wander into a classroom and find a pretty gruesome scene (but I will not spoil it). This was the only scene that I was a huge fan of, and the only one that sticks with me, but it was only a few pages long. The rest of the book just slipped away for me.
Overall, for me, the characters are confusing and forgettable. The story itself did not leave me feeling like I needed to tell anyone about this novel. Maybe if you really like zombie stories, or horror stories, this book is for you. But it just was not for me. It is a quick read though, so if you're feeling like trying it, it doesn't take longer than a day or two to get through.
August 25, 2017
Wow! What a layered story! I really enjoyed working my way through all the different strands and figuring out what's what. The narrative style alone had me hooked from the get go - really loved the way the author accommodated both the narrator's voice and Jory's. When Scanlon first came onto the picture, I had an image of Christopher Walken!
The rest of it came from the thought that went into creating these characters and the utterly shite moment they exist in - this weird compressible moment that can stretch out at the blink of an eye. The language - I could really feel Jory's desperation come across the page. Then there's the whole other allegorical face to contend with, and one can't help but draw parallels with the history of the church (in its many reincarnations) and the military - in all their supremacy. All in all, this definitely deserves a reread down the line.
The rest of it came from the thought that went into creating these characters and the utterly shite moment they exist in - this weird compressible moment that can stretch out at the blink of an eye. The language - I could really feel Jory's desperation come across the page. Then there's the whole other allegorical face to contend with, and one can't help but draw parallels with the history of the church (in its many reincarnations) and the military - in all their supremacy. All in all, this definitely deserves a reread down the line.
March 17, 2016
Thanks for the nightmares, dude.
Stephen, it's such a beautiful story. Thanks for letting Jory hold Linse one more time. And for articulating what we parents know...love you forever, love you for always...we mean it....
Stephen, it's such a beautiful story. Thanks for letting Jory hold Linse one more time. And for articulating what we parents know...love you forever, love you for always...we mean it....
March 14, 2014
I usually hate the virus being explained, but didn't this time.
May 4, 2014
Meh... I guess I'm just tired of zombies.
April 8, 2017
An interesting take on a post apocalyptic, zombie infested world.
I loved the fact that we actually get to know how the zombie apocalypse started; something that is sorely lacking in a lot of zombie stories.
I liked the twists and turns throughout the book; the author leads you down one road, makes you think you have it all figured out, only to have things change dramatically.
What I didn't like was the stilted writing. It made it a chore to get through the book. Normally I could read a book of this length in a couple of days, but it took me almost 2 weeks because of the writing style.
I'd still recommend giving it a shot if you like zombie books; the story more than makes up for it.
Besides, it has armadillos. Don't you want to know how they help save mankind?
I loved the fact that we actually get to know how the zombie apocalypse started; something that is sorely lacking in a lot of zombie stories.
I liked the twists and turns throughout the book; the author leads you down one road, makes you think you have it all figured out, only to have things change dramatically.
What I didn't like was the stilted writing. It made it a chore to get through the book. Normally I could read a book of this length in a couple of days, but it took me almost 2 weeks because of the writing style.
I'd still recommend giving it a shot if you like zombie books; the story more than makes up for it.
Besides, it has armadillos. Don't you want to know how they help save mankind?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews