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Post-Apocalyptic! End of the World books
- Thread starter Martin
- Start date
Oddly Terry Brooks Sword of Shanara is Post-Apocalyptic. Greg Bear's Anvil of the Stars takes place after Earth is destroyed in Forge of God. This Immortal and Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny are must read PA books. Ben Bova's Orion is a good one and might fall into this category--but you have to read it to find out why. Footfall by Niven and Pournelle is a good one. Heinlein's Puppet Masters is more of an alien invasion pushes humanity to the brink sort of a book, but its well worth the effort. Also, Heinlein's Friday and Farnhams Freehold take place after apocalyptic events. H.G. Wells War of the Worlds is a pretty good read too.
Hmmm...if I think of anymore I'll let you know.
Hmmm...if I think of anymore I'll let you know.
Libre
Member
One of my favorite themes. Here are some titles I've read recently:
The Rift by Walter Jon Williams
A huge earthquake in the Missippi Valley region. A GREAT read. Believable plot, great characters, conflict between heroism and evil, a sprawling tale. Here, the entire earth is not affected, only a huge portion of the US South. It is more realistic than the global disaster plots - in fact, when the current devestation in the Gulf area happened, I thought of this book.
The New Madrid Run by Michael Reisig
A huge tidal wave is the disaster, and the book follows the story of some survivors on a boat, later on land. Good read, but I have some reservations about the writing, it is more on a teen-age level - but still worthwhile.
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
My very favorite of this type. Wonderful. I've recommeded it many times. Far more intellectual, less sensational, more thought-provoking. Read it. The main character survives the disaster (a worldwide virus) due to a freak accident. The book covers the rest of his life with the few survivors. It has much to say about society, how little would be preserved in such an event, how quickly the land would return to a wild state.
No Blade of Grass by John Christopher
A virus kills of ALL strains of grass - including not only turf but rice and barley, causing world-wide famine and panic. It takes place globally, but the plot focuses on a band of travelers in England. Excellent read - I highly recommend it - but it may be hard to find.
The Rift by Walter Jon Williams
A huge earthquake in the Missippi Valley region. A GREAT read. Believable plot, great characters, conflict between heroism and evil, a sprawling tale. Here, the entire earth is not affected, only a huge portion of the US South. It is more realistic than the global disaster plots - in fact, when the current devestation in the Gulf area happened, I thought of this book.
The New Madrid Run by Michael Reisig
A huge tidal wave is the disaster, and the book follows the story of some survivors on a boat, later on land. Good read, but I have some reservations about the writing, it is more on a teen-age level - but still worthwhile.
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
My very favorite of this type. Wonderful. I've recommeded it many times. Far more intellectual, less sensational, more thought-provoking. Read it. The main character survives the disaster (a worldwide virus) due to a freak accident. The book covers the rest of his life with the few survivors. It has much to say about society, how little would be preserved in such an event, how quickly the land would return to a wild state.
No Blade of Grass by John Christopher
A virus kills of ALL strains of grass - including not only turf but rice and barley, causing world-wide famine and panic. It takes place globally, but the plot focuses on a band of travelers in England. Excellent read - I highly recommend it - but it may be hard to find.
lenny nero
New Member
I can't believe no one's mentioned Nevil Shute's classic, On the Beach. There's a great movie version as well. One of the first great post-nuclear war books. It's about a US sub crew who go to Australia to live after the northern hemisphere is wiped out. There they go thru the motions of daily living waiting for the the slowly arriving radiation which will kill them all. It's a feel-good extravaganza!
Would those Deathlands books count? I think the author's name is James Axler. Anybody read any of those? Great thread! I'm writing a bunch of these down.
Would those Deathlands books count? I think the author's name is James Axler. Anybody read any of those? Great thread! I'm writing a bunch of these down.
Libre
Member
I just finished After The Flood, by P.C. Jersild. I think it's out of print, but it's still available on Amazon.
Here's a link to the thread I posted about it:
http://forums.thebookforum.com/showthread.php?t=8448
It's absolutely NOTHING like The Stand, which may have been enjoyable, but it's really pure tripe. I don't believe the end of the world would be anything like this epic battle between the forces of good and evil, like King describes, with his heros and villians, and drama and colorful characters. That's pure escapist fare.
After The Flood, is what the end of the world really would be like - not that I know this - and I hope I never find out - but it is much more realistic. It's everyone for himself, there is almost nothing to eat, there is no law and order, except if you are stronger than the other guy you will take his stuff from him.
Yes, this is how it would really be.
Here's a link to the thread I posted about it:
http://forums.thebookforum.com/showthread.php?t=8448
It's absolutely NOTHING like The Stand, which may have been enjoyable, but it's really pure tripe. I don't believe the end of the world would be anything like this epic battle between the forces of good and evil, like King describes, with his heros and villians, and drama and colorful characters. That's pure escapist fare.
After The Flood, is what the end of the world really would be like - not that I know this - and I hope I never find out - but it is much more realistic. It's everyone for himself, there is almost nothing to eat, there is no law and order, except if you are stronger than the other guy you will take his stuff from him.
Yes, this is how it would really be.
Fantasy Moon
kickbox
There's always the Left Behind books if you don't mind lots of preaching thrown at you at the same time.
Wolhay
New Member
I recommend:
Check these two older threads for more recommendations:
Post-Apocalyptic! End of the World books?
Boom!
- After the Flood (Efter floden) by P.C. Jersild
- In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster
- The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
- The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
Check these two older threads for more recommendations:
Post-Apocalyptic! End of the World books?
Boom!
lenny nero
New Member
I just read M.K. Wren's A Gift Upon the Shore and it was damn good. If you're a fan of this genre, definitely pick this one up. It's the story of 2 women trying to survive on the Oregon coast after a nuclear war. They come into contact with a group of survivors with a severe religious bent and there's much discussion of should the new society be based on religion or science. Well written and elegaic.
astralKnight
New Member
According to the Bibile code, the world ends 2012.
mrkgnao
New Member
Some apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic books:
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A very funny version of Armageddon; the heroes are an angel and a demon who know the end is coming but kind of wish it wouldn't.
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. Set in post-apocalyptic New York; the main protagonist is the last president and King of Manhattan, Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain.
Happiness (TM) by Will Ferguson. An editor unknowingly, or perhaps out of spite, publishes a self-help book that actually works, and the world is never the same again.
Aniara by Harry Martinson. An epic poem about a spaceship of refugees fleeing the ruined Earth.
The dark tower-series by Stephen King. I've only read the first book yet, but it seems post-, or possibly pre-, -apocalyptic (or possibly both).
*mrkgnao*
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A very funny version of Armageddon; the heroes are an angel and a demon who know the end is coming but kind of wish it wouldn't.
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. Set in post-apocalyptic New York; the main protagonist is the last president and King of Manhattan, Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain.
Happiness (TM) by Will Ferguson. An editor unknowingly, or perhaps out of spite, publishes a self-help book that actually works, and the world is never the same again.
Aniara by Harry Martinson. An epic poem about a spaceship of refugees fleeing the ruined Earth.
The dark tower-series by Stephen King. I've only read the first book yet, but it seems post-, or possibly pre-, -apocalyptic (or possibly both).
*mrkgnao*
beer good
Well-Known Member
Mary Shelley's "The Last Man" is an incredible book. For all its 19th-century romanticism, it's often a painfully realistic depiction of the entire world's population dying of a plague... yet somehow it manages to be beautiful.
Vonnegut, of course, has written a few apocalypse novels. "Galapagos" might count, though it's more about the few people who survive and start rebuilding humanity while the apocalypse itself goes on somewhere in the background.
Then there's Neville Shute's "On The Beach" where the Northern hemisphere has been destroyed by nuclear war, and people in Sydney try to make the most of life as radiation slowly and unstoppably creeps South... EDIT: Ah, Lenny Nero already mentioned that one. Sorry.
Vonnegut, of course, has written a few apocalypse novels. "Galapagos" might count, though it's more about the few people who survive and start rebuilding humanity while the apocalypse itself goes on somewhere in the background.
Then there's Neville Shute's "On The Beach" where the Northern hemisphere has been destroyed by nuclear war, and people in Sydney try to make the most of life as radiation slowly and unstoppably creeps South... EDIT: Ah, Lenny Nero already mentioned that one. Sorry.
pontalba
Well-Known Member
The Day of the Triffids has always been one of my favorite books of this genre. There is a follow up book The Night of the Triffids, its not as good as the original, (IMO) and by an (obviously) different author, Simon Clark.
It takes place between England and America. Its the son's adventures in dealing with triffids and dictators. I just like sequels, even though most of the time they don't live up to the original. But this one was pretty good. Plus this author gives some hope in dealing with the triffids.
It takes place between England and America. Its the son's adventures in dealing with triffids and dictators. I just like sequels, even though most of the time they don't live up to the original. But this one was pretty good. Plus this author gives some hope in dealing with the triffids.