Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotting Dead F*cks | 2014 | Matt Shaw | Buy |
| 2 | Rotting Living F*cks | 2016 | Matt Shaw | Buy |
Matt Shaw’s Rotting Fcks duology takes zombie horror and pushes it far beyond the conventions of the subgenre. Rather than focusing on survival drama or societal collapse, Shaw zeroes in on visceral, stomach-churning detail, writing the undead as decaying, rotten things that are both horrifying and, in Shaw’s hands, perversely funny. The first book, Rotting Dead Fcks (2014), establishes the tone: blunt, confrontational, and entirely unconcerned with squeamishness.
Rotting Living F*cks (2016) follows and expands the concept, this time putting a different spin on the living side of the equation. Shaw uses the series to explore what happens when the line between the rotting and the living starts to blur, and the results are as unpleasant as fans of his work would expect. Both books are short, punchy reads that deliver their content with no apologies and no padding.
If you are looking for an entry point into Matt Shaw’s work and have a strong stomach, the Rotting Fcks series offers a compact, self-contained taste of his style. Read Rotting Dead Fcks first, then move straight to Rotting Living F*cks to complete the duology.