10 Authors Like Yahtzee Croshaw

Whether you want to laugh or immerse yourself in a post-apocalyptic world, you’ll love these off-the-wall authors like Yahtzee Croshaw.

British author, humorist, and podcaster Yahtzee Croshaw (born Benjamin Richard Crowshaw) is best known for his video game review series Zero Punctuation. At first, Croshaw only released his books in audio format. Today, readers can find Croshaw’s work on his website and bookstore shelves. Popular works by Croshaw include 2008’s Mogworld, 2012’s Jam, and 2017’s Will Save the Galaxy for Food.

From zombies to satire, we’ve collected a guide to help you find authors who emulate Croshaw’s unique style. If you’re interested in this topic, you’ll love our round-up of Edgar Rice Burroughs books.

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Must-Read Authors Like Yahtzee Croshaw

1. Andy Zach

Zombie hand rising out of a graveyard in a spooky night — Zombie hand reaching up through the dirt of a graveyard

Andy Zack originally gained notoriety for his Life After Life Chronicles series, which included the hit novel Paranormal Privateers. The author self-describes the series as “a zombie apocalypse, but funny!” Zach recently released an audiobook series, Secret Supers, which follows the lives of four disabled 7th-graders with superpowers. Zach is known for his wacky, accessible writing style that kids and adults enjoy.

“Zombies charge first, ask questions later.”
Andy Zach, Paranormal Privateers

2. Yuval Kordov

Scary ghost on dark background — Ghostly face of a creature with hollow eyes

Yuval Kordov is known for other-worldly fiction stories, including The Hand of God (Dark Legacies Book 1). The books in the series are set in the same world as Dark Legacies, a role-playing game by the same name the author created more than two decades ago. Reviewers love how closely Kordov stays to the spirit of the game, enveloping readers in a post-apocalyptic world that feels scary and nostalgic at the same time.

“The creature’s face–still just a suggestion–had barely formed by the time its brain was interrogated, attacked, enhanced–accelerated. The spark was an explosion that consumed the universe, flying away the dark curtain of space to reveal an even darker black beneath, a black that blinded with an intensity greater than the meager flicker of distant stars.”
Yuval Kordov, The Hand of God (Dark Legacies Book 1)

3. Charles X. Cross

Post-apocalyptic background image of desert city wasteland with abandoned and destroyed buildings, cracked road and sign — An apocalyptic world with burned buildings and an orange sky

English author Charles X. Cross is known for his wild imagination that formed the events of The Man-Butcher Prize: An Epic Fantasy Novel. In his younger years, the author recalls developing worlds with unheard-of creatures in his mind, and in his twenties, he decided to try his hand at writing a novel. After the success of the Man-Butcher Prize, Cross decided to continue with the series, creating a second novel. He’s working on the third installment in the series, with the title to be released soon.

“William’s fingers flexed over the crossbow. While it was the polar opposite of how he’d wanted this job to pan out, it wasn’t entirely a loss. There were lots of lunatics in the guild who garnered quite a positive reputation by publicly dispatching their targets, it was a fallow year after all…He’d heard a mad bomber had blown up an entire bridge to take out a single target a few months back, and ever since then, her name was on the lips of everyone in the guild.”
Charles X. Cross, The Man-Butcher Prize: An Epic Fantasy Novel

4. Sean DeLauder

Cutout rock surrounded by fir trees. Garden design isolated on white background. — Image of trees and boulders

The Speaker for the Trees author Sean DeLauder earned his BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism from Bowling Green State University. In addition to Speaker, DeLauder has also written for several periodicals, including The Circle, Wild Violet, Toasted Cheese, and Lovable Losers. He’s also known for his Millennium Man series and the 2020 novel Machines and Their Humans.

Currently, the author is working on a hero-driven trilogy in which his protagonists are up against monsters who can be escaped – but not defeated. DeLauder’s work is heralded as thought-provoking and humorous at the same time, allowing readers to stay engaged while also pondering the effects of technology and advancement on society.

“By adulthood, humans had trained themselves to be coy and manipulative in response to the coy and manipulative society in which they lived, which led them to believe that everyone was trying to be as coy and manipulative as themselves and were uncertain about what was true and what was not.”
Sean DeLauder, The Speaker for the Trees

5. Jamie McNabb

Man with crossbow silhouette — Silhouette of a person holding a crossbow during sunset

Jamie McNabb is known for writing nail-biting fantasy novels that bring many of the ideas we fear most to live. In his series The Assassins of Harmony (which includes the hit novel The Turning of the Wheel, Nabb passes dark legends and nightmares from one generation to the next, all while noting the impact of pillaging the environment for human gain.

Throughout his survival novels, a reawakening takes place amongst the survivors, who realize that science and technology were not enough to save their previous world. They work to return to an old way of life–one without electricity–where they begin to rely on faith and ingenuity to make it through their daily lives. Thus far, six books are in the Assassins series, and McNabb plans to continue the story for years.

“But then, with the arrival from upriver of the execution party, the storm had obediently lain down, as though the Mother Metropolitan’s authority had also given her command of the weather. The wind had lessened, and the rain had ameliorated to a cold, penetrating drizzle. The storm had transformed itself into a smug assassin.”
Jamie McNabb, The Turning of the Wheel

6. T.L. Payne

Dramatic religious background - hell realm, bright lightnings in dark red apocalyptic sky, judgement day, end of world, eternal damnation — Orange lightning striking down from the sky

Panic in the Rockies: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller is Payne’s latest survival thriller. The novel follows two young parents as they vacation in the Rocky Mountains. Suddenly, they’re left alone when their communications fail and their car stalls. The pair will do whatever it takes to get back home to their children, and they find that with every turn, they’re faced with yet another problem that will make it harder to reunite their family. This novel is the first in the Desperate Age Series, and readers will love getting to follow the characters throughout the next installment in the series.

“He’d taken off toward the reservoir, slipping on the icy road as he ran. Brooke knew what he was about to do–what he always did in situations like this. He was going into that frozen lake in an attempt to save lives.”
T.L. Payne, Panic in the Rockies: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller

7. Simon Haynes

Ancient places backgrounds - space cavern — Silhouette of a person looking out of a cave

Science fiction novelist Simon Haynes is known for his teen and young adult sci-fi novels, including Zero: A Prequel to the humorous sci-fi series (Hal Spacejock). Born in Britain and raised in Spain and Australia, Haynes provides a worldly view that easily lends itself to creating unheard-of worlds. After getting his first book deal in 2004, Haynes has written nine Hal Spacejock novels, following the protagonist and his robotic sidekick as they made their way through space. In addition to his work as an author, Haynes stays true to his roots as a computer programmer and has created programs like yBook, yWriter, and FCharts.

“Hal realized he was about to die, and he wasn’t overly happy about it. Ever since he was small, he’d hoped to make a name for himself one day. With each passing year he clung to the idea that at some point in the future, somewhere in the galaxy, people would nod to themselves as they heard his name.”
Simon Haynes, Zero: A prequel to the humorous sci-fi series (Hal Spacejock)

8. Lynn Henson

Zombie's hands — Image of bloody zombie hands reaching out

Buried Instincts – Lost and Found is the brainchild of former video game designer-turned-author Lynn Henson. After being laid off from her long-sought-after career, she decided to try writing. Henson had always been crafting a zombie novel in her mind, and finally, she had the time to bring it to life. Readers love following protagonist Blake and his companion from city to city as they work to avoid zombies, find supplies, and figure out how to maintain their humanity while dealing with decidedly not human factors. Buried Instincts brings readers humor, integrity, and, of course, the undead.

“He lay there for a moment to collect his thoughts. The zombie apocalypse had descended on the world. Or was that actually the case? Most of the western United States at least. As for everywhere else, it was anyone’s guess.”
Lynn Henson, Buried Instincts – Lost and Found

9. James Allinson

Baked vegetables, avocado, tofu, and buckwheat buddha bowl. — Hands holding a bowl of vegetables and grains

The Quest For The Holy Hummus, and, The Vegan Charade follows the life of a vegan dragon named George – originally developed for Allinson’s amusement. The author originally wanted to write children’s books but realized that the type of writing he found exciting was better suited to an older audience. The Quest is a fun combination of satire and social commentary and is heralded as “ridiculously fun” by Amazon reviewers. Readers love identifying with a character who doesn’t quite do what’s expected of him, forging his path, and describing the trials and tribulations of living differently than most of his society.

“Far away over the hills in Dragonville, Beethoven’s 5th drifted from the open window of the small hut that sat on the outskirts. The tarmac road that ran from the town had tailed off into moss and lichens a few hundred meters back, leaving the place more or less completely cut off from the rest of dragon civilization–exactly as its inhabitant wanted.”
James Allinson, The Quest For The Holy Hummus, and, The Vegan Charade

10. D.M. Guay

Fashion portrait of a gorgeous girl with blue dyed curly hair long — Photo of a girl with blue hair in a sequined dress

The Graveyard Shift: A Horror Comedy is a paranormal romance author who keeps readers laughing while they’re trying to figure out the ins and outs of the world of the unseen. Readers love Guay’s ability to laugh at life while she’s going through her nightmare. The author is living with stage 4 kidney cancer and is spending her time growing pumpkins, writing zombie novels, and continuing to keep her readers invested, one page at a time. Graveyard Shift engages readers from the first page, with relatable characters and an underdog protagonist you cannot help but root for.

“DeeDee was a dead ringer for Marilyn Monroe, if Marilyn’s hair were dyed Manic Panic Shocking Blue and her slinky white dress were swapped out for black tights, combat boots, and a sterling-silver septum piercing with a diamond bead.”
D.M. Guay, The Graveyard Shift: A Horror Comedy

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