Thread: Favorite Post-Apocalyptic fiction?

Hey guys,

I was wondering what Post-Apocalyptic titles are your favourite, and a sentence or two explaining why you like it would be great as well!

I've read On The Beach and The Road. Both have that bleak feeling of PA titles.

Ooh, wonderful question!

There is always 'The Handmaid's Tale' which is wonderful if you want to talk about feminism and whatnot.

But if I were being honest, my favourites are the quartet 'Mortal Engines' by Philip Reeves, mainly because I find the idea of his 'Traction Cities' a stroke of pure brilliance, as is his writing in general.

There is also 'A Nomad of the Time Streams' which is a fantastic volume covering 3 books by Michael Moorcock. I won't go in to too much detail, but one of the things I love about these novels is their positive influence on the Steampunk genre, the existence of which has kept me from topping myself for years.

If you're interested in the whole Post-Apocalyptic sub-genre, I would recommend them in an instant.

I loved reading the road. Such a simple but effective story.

I think I might look into 'Traction Cities' and 'A nomad of time streams', both sound quite interesting at a quick glance.

I don't I've read any other post apocolyptic books. I've read Y: The Last Man which is a graphic novel. I'm not sure if it's fully PA but I'm not sure whereelse you would class it. Would recommend it anyway.

I agree. Good question.

To me, and maybe a little biased seeing as McCammon is my favourite writer, I would say that 'Swan song' is the best post apocalyptic novel I have ever read. He is such a master of description, and can really put you there in just a few lines. His characters are very believable, and can easily be completely understood. It's a huge read, but gripping is still selling it short.

I know there is the comparison with Stephen King's 'The Stand', and even though I am a big fan of SK also, 'Swan Song' has his masterpiece beat.

I really have gotten into the Emberverse series by S.M Stirling,
It has an interesting premise- What if the forces of entropy and creation tried to control the universe? This conflict causes gunpowder, electricity and combustion engines to become useless and the survivors start to create a feudal society. I really liked the idea.

Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents & Parable of what ever the other thing is. Very clever extrapolation of real society, very unexpected and original solution to moving forward, and, as a little bonus, a very talented writer. These are set in near future real world and the apocalypse is political and economic.

Reread that ancient classic, A Canticle for Liebowitz lately and it stands up really well. Very stylish in a 50's way, combines epic world building with fairly gripping personal character action. It skips centuries twice which is a bit jarring, losing a favorite protagonist. This is set in pretty distant future after nuclear holocaust, which you are supposed to have to figure out but today after dozens of similar exercises, nobody much will have that entertainment.

These were both scifi when they came out but if they were published today would probably get at least an asterisk indicating strong elements of alternate history type stuff.

Neal Stephenson's Anathem is a huge and sprawling and, some tell me, difficult, novel which is not primarily post apocalyptic in intent but which is set there and which details that setting with amazing ingenuity and depth. (Everything in this book is at amazing depth and most of it's pretty ingenious.) Classic example of potentially destructive technologies preserved in religious orders. But the conflict here is that now successful society having to reintegrate to face an outside threat.