# best post-apocalyptic film/book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388 "2003-09-08T21:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/21 "2003-09-09T06:14:43Z")
I’ll mention one often overlooked, but which had a wide audience in its heyday, \*\* Daybreak 2250 A.D.\*\* aka **Star Man’s Son** by André Norton. The hero goes on a rite of passage into a ruined city, some long time after the apocalypse. It originally came out as half of an Ace Double with something from “Lewis Padgett” (Henry Kuttner) and C.L. Moore called “Beyond Earth’s Gates.” While primarily intended for adolescents, (Most of the heroes are adolescents outcast for some reason or another) this book, like most of Norton’s, is able to instill a strong sense of wonder and excitement. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/22 "2003-09-09T06:30:18Z")
I’ll throw in _The Blood of Heroes_, a post-apocalyptic sports movie starring Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen. Mega-cool. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/23 "2003-09-09T06:56:50Z")
I think the Harlan Ellison shortstory, _The Deathbird_ should be mentioned. Very strange, very moving story about, essentially, the euthanization of the planet Earth. Not the people, the planet. I remember the night I put my dog, Axel, to sleep. Came home, got drunk, and read the story twice. Made me feel a lot better. Or maybe that was the rum. ---
**Author:** ![mogiaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mogiaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mogiaw)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/24 "2003-11-06T18:53:10Z")
finally came across “Threads”. God, its very depressing but brilliant and moving also. Gave me nightmares. thanks for your help folks, i’m still tryna find “Alas, Babylon”. Mogiaw ---
**Author:** ![KingLupid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@KingLupid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KingLupid)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/25 "2003-11-07T00:09:19Z")
The Quiet Earth! I was waiting to find someone else who had seen this! Thanks, Andrew T! I now know that I didn’t hallucinate it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/26 "2003-11-07T02:46:02Z")
Since “The Quiet Earth” has come up a couple of times, I’ll just mention that I have the book upon which the film was based–not a novelization of the film, but the original book. Somewhere. In one of my boxes from my move last year. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/27 "2003-11-07T04:03:07Z")
The relatively short lived comic book series **Deadenders** was great. I’m not a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction generally, but this was very smart and well-executed. Only the first five issues are collected in a trade paperback (“book”) form, under the title “Stealing the Sun”, but the remainder of the series is readily available on the secondary market. Some good descriptions of the series available here: [http://www.civilbookstore.com/index/book/1563897067.html](http://www.civilbookstore.com/index/book/1563897067.html) ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/28 "2003-11-07T04:05:07Z")
I saw “The Quiet Earth” in the theater, when it reached Kansas. I thought it was a fine film, but I still can’t figure out if the ending was supposed to make sense. Nobody else I know ever even heard of it, so like **KingLupid** I’m glad I didn’t hallucinate it. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/29 "2003-11-07T10:58:32Z")
Cafe Flesh After WWIII, 99.9% of the human population can’t have sex, so the other .1% by law, must perform sex shows in public cafes. That is exactly what life would be like after a nuclear war. I know it will. ---
**Author:** ![nisosbar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@nisosbar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nisosbar)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/30 "2003-11-07T12:24:49Z")
I just finished James Herbert’s Domain - that was pretty good. I don’t really like post-apocalyptic books generally - too depressing! ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/31 "2003-11-07T12:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\*_Riddley Walker_ by Russell Hoban… it’s a book that everyone should read at least three times. \*\* You’d have to, to pick up everything! Amazing, amazing book. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/32 "2003-11-07T14:00:35Z")
Not the easiest book to read at school, mind. ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/33 "2003-11-07T16:28:12Z")
Nobody’s mentioned Mad Max?? Cult classic! ---
**Author:** ![DaPearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DaPearl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaPearl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/34 "2003-11-07T17:30:53Z")
Word on The Stand. One of my favorite books. I particularly like the sociological aspects dealt with in the book about rebuilding society. For pure entertainment, nothing’s more fun than _The Road Warrior_. Its one of those movies great for popping in and chilling with late at night after partying Friday night. But for me and post-apocalyptic stuff, I love the computer game _Fallout_. IMO, it doesn’t get better than that (will we ever see _Fallout 3_?). ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/35 "2003-11-07T17:59:51Z")
On the Beach By Nevile Shute is a classic. Its about the final, inevitable death of humanity after then aftermath of a nuclear exchange. It tells of the desperation and finally resignation of the citizens of Australia as the radioactive cloud slowing winds its way down from the northern hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/36 "2003-11-07T18:24:45Z")
**6 String Samurai** ---
**Author:** ![InquisitiveIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@InquisitiveIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InquisitiveIdiot)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/37 "2003-11-07T22:50:42Z")
Fallout and Fallout 2 both make excellent movies. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/38 "2003-11-08T00:05:45Z")
**!!! POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD !!!** _The End Of The Whole Mess_, by Stephen King. Though this is only unfortunately only a short story in his _Nightmares And Dreamscapes_ anthology. The reason it’s too bad is because it’s probably the most inventive take on the post-apocalyptic genre I’ve ever seen. What happens is that a former child prodigy happens to have noticed that the violence rate in a particular Texas village is absurdly low, so he puts together a team to concentrate the local groundwater minerals, and rig up a gigantic explosion to spread them worldwide. Unfortunately, it turns out that ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/39 "2003-11-08T00:18:07Z")
I’ll bet you didn’t know that if you clicked on “Submit new reply” while you had something in the automatic reply box, you would post whatever you had typed. I sure didn’t. The End Of The Whole Mess, by Stephen King. Though this is only unfortunately only a short story in his Nightmares And Dreamscapes anthology. The reason it’s too bad is because it’s probably the most inventive take on the post-apocalyptic genre I’ve ever seen. What happens is that a former child prodigy happens to have noticed that the violence rate in a particular Texas village is absurdly low, so he puts together a team to concentrate the local groundwater minerals, and rig up a gigantic explosion to spread them worldwide. Unfortunately, it turns out that that village in Texas also had an abnormally high incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and through the contamination of the world’s water supply, the virtual destruction of human intellect is brought to pass. The story is written in the voice of the prodigy’s older brother and set at the time when he has just committed suicide by injecting himself with this concentrate. He struggles to finish his account while he is still capable of thinking and writing, but his ability to do both declines rapidly as he proceeds. It’s reminiscent that part of _Flowers for Algernon_, where Charly realizes that the operation to boost his intelligence was a failure, and he sinks back to his original sub-normal intelligence level. But in the Steven King store the loss of intelligence takes only about an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388/40 "2003-11-08T00:48:59Z")
‘Hiero’s Journey’ It sounds like your typical pulpy, very strange post-apocalyptic adventure, and it has no pretensions of meaningfulness, and the science is bad (and the author knows it), but it’s such a FUN book. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-post-apocalyptic-film-book/200388.md?page=3)