Favorite Survival or Apocalypse Novels

Just for fun, what are some of your favorite novels dealing with survival or apocalypse scenarios?

Just to get started here are 3 of mine, I’ll add more later:

Tunnel In the Sky Robert A. Heinlein
Alas Babylon Pat Frank
Farmer in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein

Hey might as well see what went wrong in a ficitonal setting so we can make new and unique errors in a real one. :laughing:

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Great topic. “Survival is insufficient.”

Both Emily St. John Mendel’s Station Eleven and Ling Ma’s Severance are essential reading for how people deal with pandemics (though the ones in these novels are more severe than what we’re currently facing). I loved Station Eleven in particular, though Severance is a refreshingly satirical take on our current experiences (particularly at the outset).

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Gallows humor but that made me laugh! :slight_smile:

You beat me to it on “Alas, Babylon!”

“Level 7” by Mordecai Roshwald.

“Lucifer’s Hammer,” by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

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I am now reading Persepolis Rising, volume 7 of the 8-volume (soon to be 9, maybe) Expanse series.

(Not to be confused with the FX / Amazon Prime series, which aligns with the books, sort of, with a lot of liberties and shallower character development, but no where near as exciting as reading the novels.)

Not to give any spoilers, but volume 5, Nemises Games focuses on the ultimate apocalyptic event from Earth’s perspective. Think: asteroids raining down.

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Riddley Walker. We could end up that way! :wink:

A few more
Pandemic:Extinction Files Bk 1 by A.G. Riddle
A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison
Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan (also a movie)

Thumbs up for Level 7 & Lucifer’s Hammer.

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Plus one on Station Eleven. Such a beautiful book. I have Severance but am yet to read it. Exciting times!

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The Postman David Brin
Long Tomorrow Leigh Brackett
Moreta Dragonlady of Pern Anne McCaffrey (how the world came together to stop a pandemic)
A Canticle For Leibowitz Walter Miller
Damnation Alley Roger Zelazney
Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe
Swiss Family Robinson Johann David Wyss

Series of short stories in 3 volumes Lots of authors worked on these anthologies
The End is Nigh
The End is Now
The End Has Come

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I guess another one to consider is The Road.

It’s an incredibly powerful book (which the movie didn’t really capture) but it is grim.

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If I want grim I’ll watch the news. :grinning:

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Riddly Walker.

If you are not up to reading a book, look up Twilight Zone, Season 3, Episode 10, The Midnight Sun. (Can be found on CBS All Access or DVDs). It’s a pleasant change from death by virus :grimacing:

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Farnham’s Freehold Also by Heinlein

:+1::+1:

Blade Runner, and Blade Runner 2049 (maybe my favorite movies of all time).
The original Mad Max, and Fury Road.
The Handmaid’s Tale (TV series)
The Poseidon Adventure (kidding).

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Wanderers, Chuck Wendig
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
American War, Omar El Akkad
Robopocalypse, Daniel H. Wilson

This thread is a keeper – bookmarked for future addition to my reading list – thanks, @OogieM

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How about Stephen King “The Stand”
Also, The Postman. I second “The Road”

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I read the Stand a long time ago, Just got it on Kindle to reread as it seems appropriate right now.

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