Maximillian Michael "Max" Brooks was born May 22, 1972 in New York City. He is the son of comedy filmmaker Mel Brooks and actress Anne Bancroft. Brooks is an American horror author and screenwriter whose main writing focus is on zombie stories.

From 2001-2003, Brooks was a member of the writing team on Saturday Night Live. His first book, The Zombie Survival Guide, was published in 2003. The book was later followed up in 2009 by The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. In 2006, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, which deals with the war between the human race and zombies, was published. The New Dead, an anthology of previously unpublished zombie stories, was released in 2010, and contains an additional World War Z story titles "Closure, Limited". 2014 brought the release of The Harlem Hellfighters, a fictionalized account of the 369th Infantry Regiment in World War I.

Brooks has a number of other creative credits including acting (Roseanne, To Be or Not to Be, Pacific Blue, and 7th Heaven) and voicing animation (Batman Beyond, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Justice League and All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series).

Brooks has been married to Michelle Kholos since 2003. They have one son and live in Venice, California.