Island of the Undead, as written by Keith Martin and first published in 1992, is the fifty-first title in the Fighting Fantasy series, and is one of nine titles from its original 1982-95 lifespan that was never meant to exist at all. The previous title in the series, Return to Firetop Mountain, was meant to be the last, ending the series with a milestone fiftieth title that also doubled as a tenth anniversary celebration. However, the special attention given to the series for what was meant to be its last hurrah caused sales to perk up, and Puffin Books ended up commissioning further titles in the series.