In The Undead, the tale begins with Stephen Roberts, a quiet, intellectual man living in a coastal village, who works as a librarian by day and writes Gothic fiction by night. But lately, Stephen has been obsessed—not with the dead, but with those who refuse to stay dead.

The obsession begins after attending the funeral of his estranged cousin Victor, a cruel and manipulative man who tormented Stephen as a child. When Victor’s body is lowered into the ground, Stephen feels a sense of relief. But it doesn't last.