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Post-Apocalyptic! End of the World books
- Thread starter Martin
- Start date
Sapper41
New Member
Alas Babylon - Pat Frank Russians nuke USA and its about A guy in his little town that survived the attacks very good.
The Postman - David Brin ( I think) Like the movie but WAY better!
Earth Abides A disease kills of most of the people in the USA and a few band together and try to survive
Sorry i'm not good at the summary / review thing.
The Postman - David Brin ( I think) Like the movie but WAY better!
Earth Abides A disease kills of most of the people in the USA and a few band together and try to survive
Sorry i'm not good at the summary / review thing.
Jenem
kickbox
Good topic! My favorite genre and two of my favorite books! I will follow this thread closely.
Have you read the Chrysalids also? The apocalypse is not a recent occurance in this novel (as it is in O&C and Blindness), but it's by John Wyndham as well and I really enjoyed it. It's a fascinating book about a group of children living in a society that condemns mutation of any kind. They are brutal to anyone with any deviations whatsoever. Its underlying message is of organized religion and the folly of superstition that is often a product of it.
Have you read the Chrysalids also? The apocalypse is not a recent occurance in this novel (as it is in O&C and Blindness), but it's by John Wyndham as well and I really enjoyed it. It's a fascinating book about a group of children living in a society that condemns mutation of any kind. They are brutal to anyone with any deviations whatsoever. Its underlying message is of organized religion and the folly of superstition that is often a product of it.
Wolhay
New Member
I love the genre. Unfortunately I haven't found too much of it in literature. 'Oryx and Crake' was okay but not my cup of tea entirely.
I recommend the following.
'After the Flood' (Efter floden) by P.C. Jersild.
Takes place somewhere in the Baltic sea (most likely on Swedish islands) about 30 years after a big disaster referred to as "the flood". Most people are hairless and sterile. They are valued by the skills they have from before the disaster. Our protagonist is young compared to the others and doesn't have any such skills so he uses the only thing that he got left in order to survive which is his body.
'In the Country of Last Things' by Paul Auster.
It's about a young woman who sets out to find her brother in the ruins of a large city.
'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson
A bit different than the other two. This is about a man that believes that he's the only living person left on Earth. There was a virus that turned everyone into undead. Now he barricades himself during the night and tries to stay sane, at the days he kills vampires.
I recommend the following.
'After the Flood' (Efter floden) by P.C. Jersild.
Takes place somewhere in the Baltic sea (most likely on Swedish islands) about 30 years after a big disaster referred to as "the flood". Most people are hairless and sterile. They are valued by the skills they have from before the disaster. Our protagonist is young compared to the others and doesn't have any such skills so he uses the only thing that he got left in order to survive which is his body.
'In the Country of Last Things' by Paul Auster.
It's about a young woman who sets out to find her brother in the ruins of a large city.
'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson
A bit different than the other two. This is about a man that believes that he's the only living person left on Earth. There was a virus that turned everyone into undead. Now he barricades himself during the night and tries to stay sane, at the days he kills vampires.
Themistocles
New Member
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind: A simply brilliant manga by Hayao Miyazaki, read my post about it in the graphic novels section.
Litany
Active Member
Armageddon: The Musical - Robert Rankin.
Earth has been pretty much trashed by the Nuclear Holocaust Event, but it wasn't quite as bad as everyone made out it would be. Nowadays to earn credits all you have to do is watch tv, only it turns out that Earth is just one giant reality tv show and the viewers don't find radioactive couch potatoes watching telly all that thrilling. And so the producers set out to spice things up a bit.
This is the book that first brought Barry the Time Sprout to the masses so, no matter its flaws, I'll love it eternally.
Other than that, I Am Legend is a fantastic book, one of the best vampire books ever written and it really conjures up the claustrophia of being the last man alive in a world of monsters. Or you could watch The Omega Man, Charlton Heston against the zombies and loosely based on the book.
The Stand, not my favourite of books, but you've got your disease wiping out most of the human race and leaving a few stragglers to fight over the remains.
The Day of the Triffids should be on everyone's essential reading list. A meteor shower leaves the population blinded paving the wave for giant meat eating plants to go on a picnic.
Earth has been pretty much trashed by the Nuclear Holocaust Event, but it wasn't quite as bad as everyone made out it would be. Nowadays to earn credits all you have to do is watch tv, only it turns out that Earth is just one giant reality tv show and the viewers don't find radioactive couch potatoes watching telly all that thrilling. And so the producers set out to spice things up a bit.
This is the book that first brought Barry the Time Sprout to the masses so, no matter its flaws, I'll love it eternally.
Other than that, I Am Legend is a fantastic book, one of the best vampire books ever written and it really conjures up the claustrophia of being the last man alive in a world of monsters. Or you could watch The Omega Man, Charlton Heston against the zombies and loosely based on the book.
The Stand, not my favourite of books, but you've got your disease wiping out most of the human race and leaving a few stragglers to fight over the remains.
The Day of the Triffids should be on everyone's essential reading list. A meteor shower leaves the population blinded paving the wave for giant meat eating plants to go on a picnic.
Themistocles
New Member
I assumed that Day of the Triffids was taken as read! Yes Martin, John Wyndham wrote both the Chrysalids and Triffids.
The wild shore by Kim stanley Robinson.
set in 2047....60 years after a devastating nuclear attack on America by the UN.America has been in total quarantine since.All that is left are small villages of people,unorganised and unsure of what happened.
Its about the attempt by a small group of people to start to rebuild their country despite the overwhelming odds.
excellent book...have read it three times down the years.
set in 2047....60 years after a devastating nuclear attack on America by the UN.America has been in total quarantine since.All that is left are small villages of people,unorganised and unsure of what happened.
Its about the attempt by a small group of people to start to rebuild their country despite the overwhelming odds.
excellent book...have read it three times down the years.
Yobmod
New Member
Here's 5 that i don't think have been mentioned:
Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter Miller - about the Churches attempt to preserve knowledge afer the 'Flame deluge'.
Riddley Walker, by Russel Hoban - a brilliant book set a long time after apocalypse, people living in a stonge age society, with a freaky future language to the whole thing.
Gate to Womens Country, by Sherri Tepper - Set after a nuclear war, where women and men are segregated.
Where late the sweet birds sang, by Kate Wilhelm - society collapses (war / global warming / plague all in one) and the only way for mankind to continue is by cloning.)
The Drowned World, by J G Ballard - whole world is flooded, but people learn to live with it . Havn't actually read all of this yet, but supposed to be very good (if you like Ballard).
All good or great, but i would still put Day of the Triffids at the top of any 'to read' list in this genre.
Yobmod X
Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter Miller - about the Churches attempt to preserve knowledge afer the 'Flame deluge'.
Riddley Walker, by Russel Hoban - a brilliant book set a long time after apocalypse, people living in a stonge age society, with a freaky future language to the whole thing.
Gate to Womens Country, by Sherri Tepper - Set after a nuclear war, where women and men are segregated.
Where late the sweet birds sang, by Kate Wilhelm - society collapses (war / global warming / plague all in one) and the only way for mankind to continue is by cloning.)
The Drowned World, by J G Ballard - whole world is flooded, but people learn to live with it
. Havn't actually read all of this yet, but supposed to be very good (if you like Ballard).All good or great, but i would still put Day of the Triffids at the top of any 'to read' list in this genre.
Yobmod X
Yobmod
New Member
Drowned world: i can see why you would find it boring. Not much happening yet. Thats why i couldn't think of much to write in my description.
Guess it was original when it came out (if you don't count Noah's Ark - which seems much more interesting at the mo'). A lot of Ballard's stuff is (imo) overly hyped. Is he really 'Britains Greatest living novelist?' I don't take much acount of an autors nationality, so maybe all the good ones are american and i don't know it .
Guess it was original when it came out (if you don't count Noah's Ark - which seems much more interesting at the mo'). A lot of Ballard's stuff is (imo) overly hyped. Is he really 'Britains Greatest living novelist?' I don't take much acount of an autors nationality, so maybe all the good ones are american and i don't know it
.