# Can you recommend a post apocalyptic novel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659 "2006-12-11T06:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/1 "2006-12-11T06:36:00Z")
I’ve always been intrigued by books about post apocalyptic scenarios. For instance, I loved “The Stand” by Stephen King. Can anyone recommend one? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/2 "2006-12-11T06:47:34Z")
**Swan Song** \* by Robert McCammon is very good. It’s somewhat similar to The Stand, but I enjoyed _Swan Song_ more. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/3 "2006-12-11T07:05:45Z")
**World War Z** by Max Brooks. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/4 "2006-12-11T07:08:55Z")
**Lucifer’s Hammer** , by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, springs to mind. It’s about as far as you can get from **The Stand** in an EOTWAWKI book, with none of the mystical/horror elements and a _lot_ more science. **LH** is showing its age a bit now, but I still like it. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/5 "2006-12-11T08:01:43Z")
My single favorite novel written in English since WWII is \*[Riddley Walker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddley_Walker) \* (1980), by Russell Hoban. Due to the unfortunate and inexplicable divide between SF and “lit’ratoor,” however, you rarely see it classified as SF. It is a Great Book, that just happens to have a classic SF setting. It’s “my book,” if you know what I mean; each of us has a book that is the first to come to mind when you meet someone new and you start to talk about books. I’ve re-read it more than any other book; only a couple other books I’ve ever read even come close. I make everyone I know read it. Anyway, I recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/6 "2006-12-11T14:41:33Z")
**A Canticle for Leibowitz** is post-apocalyptic, although even the first and earliest part is quite a long way after the actual event. It’s absolutely one of my favorite books ever and if you don’t read it you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. Also, **The Postman** , despite the movie, is an excellent book. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/7 "2006-12-11T14:45:41Z")
Drat. Someone beat me to _A Canticle for Leibowitz_. Drat you, **Zsofia**! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/8 "2006-12-11T14:46:02Z")
**Footfall** - Niven/Pournelle **On The Beach** - Neville Shute **Alas, Babylon** - Pat Frank **Job** - Robert Heinlein 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/9 "2006-12-11T14:46:42Z")
[Earth Abides](http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Abides-George-R-Stewart/dp/0449213013/sr=8-2/qid=1165848003/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-5792788-0531319?ie=UTF8&s=books) by George Stewart is one which is always recommended in these kinds of threads. I didn’t particularly like it myself, but it’s considered a classic. The reasons why I don’t like it are below, but are spoilers: [spoiler] The hero, Ash, spends the majority of the book whining about how much smarter he is than the rest of the people who join his “tribe.” Only one of his children he deems as having inherited his intelligence. When the boy dies, he decides that there’s no point in trying to teach school for the others in the tribe. He boards up the library to protect the knowledge within, even going so far as to build up a superstitious fear of it in the children. There are also distasteful elements of racism and eugenics.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/10 "2006-12-11T14:49:26Z")
A friend pointed out George R. Stewart’s **Earth Abides** way back in the 1960s (it was written in the 1950s). I notice it on a lot of “Best of” lists now. Another classic is **Alas Babylon** by Pat Frank (which was even adapted into a play). Plenty of short stories from the 1950s had post-apocalyptic scenes – too many to list. Look at works by Robert Sheckley and others. The first part and the end of Robert Heinlein’s **farnham’s Freehold** are pretty straight post-apocalyptic stories, until it gets into time travel. several 1950s movies dealt with the theme – Arch Obolers’ **Five** , the later **The World, The Flesh, and the Devil** , _many_ spisodes of the original **Twilight Zone**. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/11 "2006-12-11T14:49:52Z")
We had a pretty good thread about this a few months ago - [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371565). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/12 "2006-12-11T14:57:59Z")
You might also take a look at this thread (some overlap among books named, natch): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=300325&highlight=warday](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=300325&highlight=warday) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/13 "2006-12-11T14:59:34Z")
And then there’s: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=145182&highlight=warday](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=145182&highlight=warday) What is it with Dopers and their interest in the end of the world, anyway? I’m guilty, too. I suppose it means our long struggle against ignorance would be just about wrapped up, at least… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/14 "2006-12-11T15:03:38Z")
The Lathe of Heaven (Le Guin) Amnesia Moon (Lethem) Dies the Fire (Stirling) These three might be fun to read together because as a set they involve weird warping of reality. Kim Stanley Robinson is in mid-trilogy on the topic of global warming; while not postapocalyptic, it does give you a nice frisson of horror as you notice your real-life weather system screwing up. 40 Days of Rain is the first one. I agree: Farnham’s Freehold (despite sexist and racist elements), A Canticle for Liebowitz, Riddley Walker. ---
**Author:** ![Asgardking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Asgardking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asgardking)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/15 "2006-12-11T15:10:23Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] Kim Stanley Robinson is in mid-trilogy on the topic of global warming; while not postapocalyptic, it does give you a nice frisson of horror as you notice your real-life weather system screwing up. 40 Days of Rain is the first one. [/QUOTE] A couple more envoironmental decay type stories are… **Make Room! Make Room!** by Harry Harrison. I read it during a drought and the water issues in the book were just plain scary. **The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents** by Octavia Butler. I got so emotionally invested in the characters that I stopped reading for a while when they were persecuted. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/16 "2006-12-11T15:14:20Z")
[The Road](http://www.amazon.com/Road-Cormac-Mccarthy/dp/0307265439/sr=1-1/qid=1165849967/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3138186-3595366?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Cormac McCarthy is easily in the top five books I’ve read this year. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/17 "2006-12-11T17:07:15Z")
I’m currently rereading **The Rift** by Walter J. Williams. It’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/18 "2006-12-11T17:22:29Z")
I just finished Stephen King’s **Cell**. I’m sure it’s drawing a lot of comparisons to The Stand, simply because it’s by King, but it was a pretty good book on its own merits, and not all that similar to The Stand except for the basic “end of the world” premise. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/19 "2006-12-11T18:16:41Z")
Long out of print (my hardcover copy is from 1952!) but apparently reprinted in the early '90’s (and again out of print), my vote goes to [The Long, Loud Silence](http://www.amazon.com/Long-Loud-Silence-Wilson-Tucker/dp/0899683754) by Wilson Tucker ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659/20 "2006-12-11T18:22:24Z")
**Davy** by Edgar Pangborn. Maybe the best SF novel ever. Search it out; it’s the gold standard for post-apocalyptic novels, but never was popular enough. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-recommend-a-post-apocalyptic-novel/383659.md?page=2)