Several must read SCi-fi based Apocalyptic novels

[LyraJean]

Blood Music by Greg Bear

[ineffableone]

I will add another for Lucifers Hammer.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned The Postman yet.

You could call it Lucifers Hammer fanfic!!

I have heard good things about the book The Postman, how much better it was than the movie and more story than the movie.

Lucifer's Hammer is a great one, and funny enough I am rereading it once again.

What I am very surprised to see no one mention yet is

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

Earth Abides is a 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by American writer George R. Stewart. It tells the story of the fall of civilization from deadly disease and its rebirth. Beginning in the United States in the 1940s, it deals with Isherwood "Ish" Williams, Emma, and the community they founded. The survivors live off the remains of the old world, while learning to adapt to the new. Along the way they are forced to make tough decisions and choose what kind of civilization they will rebuild.

Earth Abides won the inaugural International Fantasy Award in 1951. It was included in Locus Magazine's list of best All Time Science Fiction in 1987 and 1998 and was a nominee to be entered into the Prometheus Hall Of Fame. In November 1950, it was adapted for the CBS radio program Escape as a two-part drama starring John Dehner.

The book earned much praise from James Sallis, writing in 2003 in the Boston Globe:

This is a book, mind you, that I'd place not only among the greatest science fiction but among our very best novels. Each time I read it, I'm profoundly affected, affected in a way only the greatest art — Ulysses, Matisse or Beethoven symphonies, say — affects me. Epic in sweep, centering on the person of Isherwood Williams, Earth Abides proves a kind of antihistory, relating the story of humankind backwards, from ever-more-abstract civilization to stone-age primitivism. Everything passes — everything. Writers' reputations. The ripe experience of a book in which we find ourselves immersed. Star systems, worlds, states, individual lives. Humankind. Few of us get to read our own eulogies, but here is mankind's. Making Earth Abides a novel for which words like elegiac and transcendent come easily to mind, a novel bearing, in critic Adam-Troy Castro's words, "a great dark beauty."

It is an amazing book and one that really should be read by any prepper. While written long ago it is still quite relevant to what might be the future of humanity. I agree with James Sallis in thinking this is one of the great books. It is one that reaches in to the core of the reader.

[ptAltered]

Alas, Babylon.

[Bunni]

There is a new series out on kindle called "What Zombies Fear" by Kirk Allmond its a fun read, not your typical Zombie series.

Heinlein isn't so much apocalypses as deep sociological lessons played out in creative and well formulated works of art. Great reads, a lot one can learn from those books and be entertained at the same time.

On the same pathway there is an author Bernard Cornwell, amazing writer does the Sharpe's series as well as many other historical fiction series. I highly recommend The Saxon Stories, and the Grail Quest series. You can learn a lot about Medieval combat, as well as interesting survival tips.

Dune series is one Apocalypse after another only across the universe, not just on one planet. Although most of it centers on Arakis but meh.

A book to deviate from war, killing, math death as one idiot would call it, is "Where there is no Road." Its a book about the longest and only Transworld Expedition that circumnavigated the globe via land vehicles. True story, amazing read, can't recommend it enough.

[Bluesman]

Not a prepper book at all but an adventure story, but still Post-Apocalyptic. Sterling Lanier's Hiero's Journey and its sequel Unforsaken Hiero

[30ought6]

What are the good Heinlein post-apoc books? I love him as an author.

Only one that comes to mind is Farnham's Freehold and it only sorta qualifies.

The Road is well written but pretty darn bleak.

I Am Legend by Matheson was good. Been three movies, the best imo (though least faithful) was The Omega Man.

[duodecima]

What are the good Heinlein post-apoc books? I love him as an author.

Only one that comes to mind is Farnham's Freehold and it only sorta qualifies.

Farmer in the Sky has some self-sufficiency stuff in it. So does Moon is a Harsh Mistress. But yeah, Heinlein was actually fairly optimistic about humanity's resourcefulness, not a lot of apocalypses that I recall.

[Mall Ninja]

Wow, some great titles here. One I didn't see mentioned, "A Boy and His Dog" by Harlan Ellison. One of these days I'll track down the movie (with a young Don Johnson) to see how it compares.

[nursemedic]

FWIW, A Boy and His Dog is available on Netflix, I have it queued in my streaming list.

I've tried reading some other PAW fic, but nothing seems to hold a candle to WWZ for me. I'm re-reading it for the 4th time in about 6 months.

I also like Alas, Bablyon; a couple of kids' books that were semi-PAW were After the Bomb and After the Bomb: Week One by Gloria Miklowitz, both about the events surrounding an errant USSR nuke leveling LA and how one kid and his friends survived and helped their families and friends during the breakdown in society.

[TacAir]

What are the good Heinlein post-apoc books? I love him as an author.

Much of RAH's early work was published for Juvenal market. Still, "Tunnel in the SKy" has a very PAW theme, even if on another plant far, far away. "Farnams Freehold" is PAW, but many consider it more apolitical novel that a 'real' bit of PAW fiction. A man of strong, albeit not very mainstream beliefs, he had a profound impact on other writers. His best work ever? "Searchlight" - a novel in 1000 words - I should be this good.

As I read through the thread, I can see where some stories are "after The Bomb" - other deal with rouge (or deliberate) bio-warfare. A sub-set of the bio-war is the Zombie themed work.

One series I've not seen mentioned here is by Dean Ing.
The Quantrill series is very PAW - the three book series is-
Systemic Shock (1981)
Single Combat (1983)
Wild Country (1985)
All very cool, interactive and hi-tech. The PAW society he postulates is a treat.

The Rackham FIles are outstanding as well.

His "Pulling Through" (1983) is a cracking good story set in the aftermath of a nuke exchange, - imagine an engineer (Dean is) writing PAW books and you get an idea of the level of detail in the book.

[Cockroach]

Reading something the Alias posted regarding high fructose corn syrups in this General fitness thread http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=94926&start=48#p2132232 reminds me of Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl

http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339620212&sr=8-1&keywords=the+windup+girl .

Very cool, semi-PAW sci-fi story that takes several interesting twists regarding calories

[Evan the Diplomat]

Lucifer's Hammer tops my list. I can't believe nobody has mentioned WARDAY! A 1980's nuclear exchange between the U.S. and the Soviets. Very interesting how the U.S. breaks up and the different survival mechanisms.

Has anyone read Ill Wind? It is about experimental oil eating microbes used to clean up an oil spill that get loose and consume all petroleum based products. Interesting to learn where your plastics reside and how society can't function without them.

[TacAir]

Lucifer's Hammer tops my list. I can't believe nobody has mentioned WARDAY! A 1980's nuclear exchange between the U.S. and the Soviets. Very interesting how the U.S. breaks up and the different survival mechanisms.

Has anyone read Ill Wind? It is about experimental oil eating microbes used to clean up an oil spill that get loose and consume all petroleum based products. Interesting to learn where your plastics reside and how society can't function without them.

There is a wiki site on PAW fiction sorted by genre
http://post-apocalyptic.wikia.com/wiki/ ... on#Other_5

[Cockroach]

I just finished the latest book in Hugh Howey's Wool series, First Shift. Was pretty good, although Wool 4 & 5 are my favorites.
Anyone interested in a technology caused apocalypse and "unique" living arrangements should definitely dial into the Wool series.

Prodded by several recommendations in this forum I have just started the Nook version of Robopocalypse. My first nibble on this has been pretty dam tasty.

[ThumperX]

Many great books here. How did we miss On the Beach by Nevil Shute?

The Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant; Feed, Deadline, and Blackout, was excellent Zombie Sci-Fi PAW.

The Return Man by VM Zito was awesome. If you have ever wondered what happens when you have to go get something in the middle of a lake full of submerged zombies...!

Flood by Stephen Baxter was good also.

[MicSteve]

The Postman
Most everything by Heinlein
Damnation Alley great book! crappy movie, book by Roger Zelazny

Never knew this was a book. I'm sure I'd hate it now but I loved the movie back in my youth when I saw it on the SCI FI Channel (back when they played old shitty movies instead of new shitty movies). Anyways I'll have to make sure I check it out thanks.

[Readphnx]

The Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant; Feed, Deadline, and Blackout, was excellent Zombie Sci-Fi PAW.

I haven't picked up blackout yet but the other two books where great.

[Winston Smith]

I don't know about must read, but this definitely has the post-apocalyptic book part nailed...

[LyraJean]

Am I the only one who wasn't real impressed with Lucifer's Hammer? Reading the Wool Series now I'm on book 3. Also Wastelands has a list of post apocalypse fiction in the back of the book.

[Cockroach]

Am I the only one who wasn't real impressed with Lucifer's Hammer? Reading the Wool Series now I'm on book 3. Also Wastelands has a list of post apocalypse fiction in the back of the book.

LyraJean , Excellent point on Lucifer's Hammer, Niven is on my top 10 list of Sci-Fi authors, primarily based on his EARLY Ringworld books. but Lucifer's Hammer was sorta bleh.

For those interested, Niven does an excellent cyclic alien PAW and how it effects evolution pretty well in the classic Mote In God's Eye.

[doc66]

"Alas, Babylon" has been reprinted. I didn't know that. Picked up my new copy this weekend.

[LyraJean]

Am I the only one who wasn't real impressed with Lucifer's Hammer? Reading the Wool Series now I'm on book 3. Also Wastelands has a list of post apocalypse fiction in the back of the book.

LyraJean , Excellent point on Lucifer's Hammer, Niven is on my top 10 list of Sci-Fi authors, primarily based on his EARLY Ringworld books. but Lucifer's Hammer was sorta bleh.

For those interested, Niven does an excellent cyclic alien PAW and how it effects evolution pretty well in the classic Mote In God's Eye.

I thought it would be more ice age stuff after the comet hits and less stuff on before the comet hits.

[Stonedog]

Anything Heinlein is good......

I am with you....Lucifer's Hammer....was just OK. My favorite character was the guy who was diabetic, a genius that his all the books in his septic tank.....the others just sucked..IMO.

I LOVE the Stirling Change novels...BUT the Wicca speak can get old and goofy. The good thing is, is that it becomes less used in the new series.

For me, The Stand in the opus of PA books. I don't know if it is Scf-Fi......since it does have a lot of religious under currents all through the book. Let's face it Randal Flagg is creepy.....

[LyraJean]

I consider The Stand SF. A lot of SF has religion and religious themes in it.

I'm almost done reading the Wool series. It's a very fascinating story.