Which books Give you the Best Literary Visions of the End of Civilization and end of the World ?

[BAYLOR]

This covers science fiction , fantasy and Horror ect. Novels and short stories , I wasn't able to fit the later into the thread title.


What are your choices and why?

 

[reiver33]

The Dancers At The End Of Time - ennui as art-form

 

[BAYLOR]

Earth Abides by George R Stewart written 1949. The world gets decimated by a plague, and only few have immunity. One of them is man named Isherwood Williams, he finds other survivors and attempts to keep civilization and learning alive . This book is a beautifully written and a very powerful read. One the best end of civilization novels ever written.

 

[dask]

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. What the time traveler sees when he goes way way into the future is one of the coolest, creepiest and best written visions I've ever read.

 

[aThenian]

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe?

Nice to think the world ends with a paid-for slap-up meal.

The Last Battle. (CS Lewis)

 

[galanx]

Earth Abides by George R Stewart written 1949. The world gets decimated by a plague, and only few have immunity. One of them is man named Isherwood Williams, he finds other survivors and attempts to keep civilization and learning alive . This book is a beautifully written and a very powerful read. One the best end of civilization novels ever written.

One of the best.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Modesty forbids...

 

[K. Riehl]

On the Beach by Neville Shute. Haunting.

 

[hitmouse]

An Alien Heat, & sequels. Michael Moorcock

Hothouse. Brian Aldiss

 

[pambaddeley]

One of the best.

Agreed, read this many years ago but it has stuck in the memory.

 

[pambaddeley]

Not very literary but The Day of the Triffids creeped me out when read as a kid.

 

[dask]

The Ragged Edge by John Christopher

 

[BAYLOR]

Agreed, read this many years ago but it has stuck in the memory.

Earth Abides is unforgettable, poignant and sad.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Stand by Steven King . This book is one hell of a great end of civilization novel. It has everything.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

The Road

 

[Rodders]

I haven't read it, but Death of Grass(?) sounds really bleak.

No hope.

 

[Fedos]

Swan Song by Robert McCammon. Such an awesome vision of the end of the world, characters you come to care for, and a villain with supernatural power.

 

[Rodders]

I really enjoyed this one.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Me too, Swan Song's a great read

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

How could I forget - my favourite book in the past ten years........

The Passage by Justin Cronin