I'm looking for good reads in the apocolyptic genre

Brigitte

Brigitte

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Does anybody have any good recommendations for books in the WWIII, End of the World, or overall catastrophe genre? I've read "Alas, Babylon" and "On The Beach", but none of the other popular ones on Amazon.com seemed spectacular. I figure I ought to start looking at the not-so-popular, yet good, authors out there. Anyone got any suggestions? :)
 
Ah, yes. Well, I scoured the suggestions there, but all the books listed are the mainstream ones I've already considered. Does anybody know of any new or unpopular authors that put out work in that genre? :)
 
I read Cormac McCarthy's The Road a few weeks ago. Its a very interesting take on the (sub) genre.
 
This one might not fit your requirements but I'll throw it out there anyway:
Battle Circle by Piers Anthony. Post apocaleptic world where honor and prowess in individual combat is supreme.
 
(Second time for trying to post this. I just hate it when I type a lot and then the site throws me out)

I don't think the Fifth Millenium series, by S. M. Stirling. Shirley Meir & Karen Wehrstein, has been mentioned yet.

They are:

Snow Brother by Stirling
Saber and Shadow by Stirling & Meir
The Cage by Stirling & Meir
Shadow's Son by Stirling, Meir & Wehrstein

These books can be found here.

Another two books in the series were Lion's Soul & Lion's Heart by Karen Wehrstein, but they look to be OOP. I enjoyed them very much.
 
I checked up Lion's Soul in amazon, it sounds interesting.


I love post apocalyptic subgenre and i have to read more much more.
 
Connavar of Rigante said:
I checked up Lion's Soul in amazon, it sounds interesting.


I love post apocalyptic subgenre and i have to read more much more.
Click to expand...

It's part of a duology and there's a cliff hanger at the end of the first book. Shadow's Son includes the main character from Soul & Heart as well as the two characters created by Stirling and Meir.
 
Brigitte said:
Ah, yes. Well, I scoured the suggestions there, but all the books listed are the mainstream ones I've already considered. Does anybody know of any new or unpopular authors that put out work in that genre? :)
Click to expand...

Mainstream ones? I'm not sure I'd use that term. There are some pretty extensive lists there, including some books that have been long out of print; so you may want to go through it a bit more carefully....

However:

List of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(skip to the novels & short stories sections)

Apocalypticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SF: Cosy Catastrophe Biblio

Dying Earth subgenre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That should provide some titles you've not seen before....
 
Not sure what you're looking for, but here's a couple set in an indeterminate point in the future of a very changed world. Three of the last books I've read. The first two are set in Africa, the third in America.

Mara and Dann, and its sequel, The Story of General Dann and Mara's Daughter, Griot, and the snow dog, by Doris Lessing.

The Pesthouse, by Jim Crace.

I liked all three quite a bit. They are not your typical post-apocalyptic novels. They are very personal stories about the main characters and how they hope, love, and survive.
 
The Incomer by Margaret Elphinstone
The Last Man by Mary Shelley
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
Gay Hunter by James L Mitchell

I love these books. They haunted my imagination for years. I'm currently re-reading The Incomer for the first time in years and I can now see how it coloured my imagination so powerfully and, unconsciously, the atmosphere seeped into my own apocalyptic fiction, years later - see author board on another part of this forum, if interested - but I'm really not here to do any toe-curling author self-promotion : )

I really just wanted to say - these books are fantastic, but may be hard to find, sadly.
 
Well, hard to find just makes them oh so much more enjoyable (usually). I'll be sure to check these out. Thanks everyone! :)
 
Check out "The Postman". I don't remember the author, but they made it into a movie with Kevin Costner in, I think, 1997. The story's overall pretty good. It might be too mainstream for you though if you're looking specifically for lesser-known books.
 
murphy... not only are you an IT genius, you are also a wonderful human being! Thank you.

Excellent link as well! I don't feel shy about 'bigging it up' now - reading the blurb, I seem to be among some pretty good company! :)

Sadly, to me, a PC is little more than a typewriter with pictures... :(
 
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Realizing i havent read the subgenre for a long time now i decided to chance on these books


Earth abides - George R Stewart
Year Zero - Jeff Long
A canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller, Jr


For the thread maker these book i found info about and thought sounded interesting. People who have read already can tell you if they are good reads of the sub genre. If not i will tell you when i have read them.
 
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