Good Post Apocalyptic Books Wanted

[Clangador]

I'm having trouble finding some of these books you "guys" mentioned. Right now I'm reading The City, Not Long After By Pat Murphy.

 

[mark@hgarratt.fsnet.]

You might enjoy John Christopher - quite similar to Wyndham (from the same era)

The Winter Swan (1949)
The Year of the Comet (1955)
aka Planet in Peril
The Death of Grass (1956)
aka No Blade of Grass
The Caves of Night (1958)
A Scent of White Poppies (1959)
The Long Voyage (1960)
aka The White Voyage
The World in Winter (1962)
aka The Long Winter

fairly difficult to get hold of nowadays as most are out of print (unfortunately) though you're sure to find some on abebooks
M

 

[Crisspin]

Not of the classic variety, but you might also want to check out Magic Time by Marc Scott Zicree. Each of the trilogy was co-written, the first with Barbara Hambly.

The trilogy is about a science experiment gone wrong that in one big bang stops all technology from working and magic comes into the world. Some of the people begin to turn into demons, fey etc, while most scamble to simply survive. The story is most similar to The Stand, with a bit more magic .. but not so much that the story begins to feel like a fantasy. It stays modern and post-apocalyptic and the changes that happen fit into the story well.

As it is a co-written/collaborative story, each book is slightly different. The first book is written in 3rd person, while the second is 1st person with each chapter a different characters point of view. I am not a fan of switching styles, but the writing in each is good enough that its a fun read.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Right now I'm reading The City, Not Long After By Pat Murphy.

That's a good one!

Another good one, also set in the San Francisco Bay Area, is Michaela Roessner's Vanishing Point. It features the Winchester Mystery House.

One that's OK but nowhere near as good at Roessner's or Murphy's or Earth Abides is Orson Scott Card's Folk of the Fringe.

 

[Clangador]

That's a good one!

Another good one, also set in the San Francisco Bay Area, is Michaela Roessner's Vanishing Point. It features the Winchester Mystery House.

One that's OK but nowhere near as good at Roessner's or Murphy's or Earth Abides is Orson Scott Card's Folk of the Fringe.

I read Vanishing Point about 10 years ago. I don't recall much about it.
The City, Not Long After is turning out pretty good. I'm about 100 pages into it. I read Singularity Sky by C. Stross and it wasn't bad for a kinda post Apocalyptic type book.

 

[rune]

The Last Gasp by Trevor Hoyle
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
On the Beach by Nevil Shute (dated, but still worthwhile)
The Stand by Stephen King
Rebirth by John Wyndham
The Genocides by Thomas Disch
The Children of Men by P.D. James
Lucifer's Hammer by Niven & Pournelle - one of my personal favorites!

Has anyone read Wrath of God by Ralph Gleason? It's next on my list, but I want to make sure it's good first.

I read On the Beach recently with my local reading group, it didnt appeal to me, I find the classics seem dated to me

 

[T5.2]

Try Poul Anderson´s Orion Will Rise.

 

[world in progress]

Good one not yet mentioned: Emergence, David R Palmer.

 

[Briareus Delta]

Also not yet mentioned:-

The Twilight of Briareus - Richard Cowper
Fugue for a Darkening Island - Christopher Priest
The Chrysalids - John Wyndham

 

[The DeadMan]

I recommend "Ancient Shores", by Jack McDevitt.

 

[Snowdog]

A few more I've remembered:

Rings Of Ice by Piers Anthony
Tiltangle by R.W. Makelworth
The Hero Of Downways by Michael G. Coney (this has a pretty unique twist)

There are also lots of books set some time after the collapse of civilization.

There's also a great short story compilation called After The Fall, edited by Robert Sheckley.

 

[Dave]

I loved John Wyndham as a child, and I still rate 'The Chrysalids' as one of my favourite books. I think it is just perfect and it can never get out of date. I also read 'The Midwich Cuckoos', 'The Kraken Wakes' and 'The Day of the Triffids'.

I also throughly recommend 'The Drowned World', 'A Man and his Dog', 'On the Beach' and 'Lucifers Hammer' that have already been mentioned.

But, no one has yet mentioned 'Cat's Cradle' by Kurt Vonnegut. There can be no better apocalyptic scenario than that of 'Ice-9' released into the world.

 

[j d worthington]

But, no one has yet mentioned 'Cat's Cradle' by Kurt Vonnegut. There can be no better apocalyptic scenario than that of 'Ice-9' released into the world.

Not to mention that it's one of the few truly successful humorous apocalyptic visions, genuinely hilarious yet bitingly satirical and right on target. Good choice!

 

[Dirkmonger]

Phew, I signed up just so I could throw this one in. Don't forget The Sun Grows Cold by Howard Berk. A post nuclear halocaust story it's one of those books you always look back on fondly and wish you could find another one just like it. Fantastic.

 

[Tim R. Mortiss]

Has anyone read The Road by Cormac McCarthy? Looks really good, at least according to the reviews.

 

[raith50]

Dont forget Wrinkle in the Skin about the oceans dissapearing, anything by John Blackburn i.e A Scent Of New Mown Hay a story about a bio weapon that only attacks women and its aftermath

 

[manephelien]

Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, renamed Blade Runner in newer editions to attract people who enjoyed the movie is also a classic post-apocalyptic novel.

For a more modern take on it, you might like to give Greg Bear's The Forge of God and Anvil of Stars a try.

 

[ElJayDee]

Dahlgren by Samuel R Delaney
Riddley Walker by Russel Hoban
for two of the more unusual post apocalyptic visions

 

[MadSpoon]

The Fate of the Earth - Jonathan Schell

 

[Yojimbo]

Just read The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, yes that Jack London. It is out of print, but a copy is available to read on-line.

Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt, 1st half is slow, then it takes off.