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

The Border by Robert McCammon, I'm reading this at the moment, I'm heading towards the end and have to say it's fantastic. I've been lucky to read some fabulous books of late.
 
I would agree with Baylor, on page one. "The Earth Abides" Is truly one of my favorite books when it comes to 'the apocalypse/end-of-civilization' themes. I read it in one night... Literally couldn't bring myself to put it down until it was finished; I can't recommend it enough.
 
Pedro Del Mar said:
What did you think Svalbard? I thought it was great but ended a little abruptly
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Half way through, Pedro and enjoying it much more than the 2nd book which I had issues with. Just finished the The Silence which you recomended earlier in the thread. Great story.
 
City of Mirrors. Thought you were reffering to that. I got my wires crossed. And I agree The Silence ended very abruptly. Could have done with another 100 or so pages.
 
The Road, and Bird Box.

But not because of the way the world ends in either one. I don't think a killer brain fog or whatever the hell that was in The Road will do us in.

I like them because of their scope. The Road is like a single strand of thread in a tapestry, and Bird Box is so delightfully claustrophobic. I think the end of the world or some calamitous societal upheaval will be myopic and very, very personal. We will lack the scope to see beyond our personal pain and fear, or to understand what is happening outside our own little pools of light.

And if we're lucky, it will be like World War Z (the novel), and we can weave our narratives into a complete whole afterward.
 
JaeDarcy said:
The Road, and Bird Box.

But not because of the way the world ends in either one. I don't think a killer brain fog or whatever the hell that was in The Road will do us in.
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I thought the reference to the bright flash of light followed by endless winter made it pretty clear it was either an asteroid strike (or more likely, given the tone) an all-out nuclear war.
 
svalbard said:
City of Mirrors. Thought you were reffering to that. I got my wires crossed. And I agree The Silence ended very abruptly. Could have done with another 100 or so pages.
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Gotcha. I'm part way through City of Mirrors myself and agree it's much better than the second, it's on a par with the first for me. I read the whole of Fanning's section in one sitting last night, utterly mesmerising

Yes I thought the same about The Silence another 100 or so pages could have rounded it off nicely.
 
The Killing Star by George Zebrowski and Charles Pelligrino . :)
 
Stephen King's The Stand.
When Worlds Collide -- do I remember that as by Wylie and Balmer?
On the Beach (forgot who wrote that, it was from the sixties...)

And for short stories: "Worrywart" by Clifford D. Simak and "The Street That Wasn't There" by Clifford Simak and Carl Jacobi.
 
2DaveWixon said:
Stephen King's The Stand.
When Worlds Collide -- do I remember that as by Wylie and Balmer?
On the Beach (forgot who wrote that, it was from the sixties...)

And for short stories: "Worrywart" by Clifford D. Simak and "The Street That Wasn't There" by Clifford Simak and Carl Jacobi.
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When Worlds Collide by Wylie and Balmer and the they wrote a sequel After Worlds Collide. I've read both. Great books.(y)

 
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