Thomas Dunne Books announced that the newest installment in The Walking Dead novel series, The Road to Woodbury, will hit the shelves on October 16th 2012. The Road to Woodbury, written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga, follows in the wake of the first novel, Rise Of The Governor, picking up exactly where the it left off, further exploring everyone’s favorite villain, the Governor. The release date of the novel is set around the same time as the launch of the third season of the TV series, in which the Governor will also appear. See more details below.


Robert Kirkman told Amazon.com, “It’s going to be a direct sequel to Rise of the Governor. We’re going to meet new characters as they come to Woodbury and see how Woodbury is founded, and how the Governor continues to grow as a character. It all takes place before we met the Governor in the comic book series, and there’s a lot more story to tell with that guy. We’ll also look at others—Lilly is going to be another focus. It’s going to be fun to explore those characters again.”

The Walking Dead has become an unstoppable force across mediums. What began as an indie comic book series by Robert Kirkman back in 2003, has spread into a zombie empire, spanning across popular culture with the hit AMC TV series, action figures, board games, clothing, novels, and more. With the release of the second novel, the coming of the third season, and the approach of the landmark 100th issue of the comic book, there seems to be no limit for Kirkman’s undead.

While we eagerly await the TV debut of the Governor, played by David Morrissey, there’s plenty of material to keep us from going hungry. The first novel was published back in October of 2011, and it showcases the Governor on his road to insanity. If you have not picked it up, you may want to do so before The Road to Woodbury lands in the fall.