# Please recommend a good end of the world book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060 "2005-02-02T22:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/1 "2005-02-02T22:22:19Z")
I am in the mood to read a “fall of the human race” type book. Not where the crisis is avoided at the last second by something. But a story that takes you through the actual downfall and the immediate aftermath. Something along the lines of the first half of “The Stand”. So obviously I have read “The Stand” and one other book I remember was called “Swan’s Song”. I also remember a nuclear war one that was made into a movie, but can’t recall the title (maybe “The Longest Day” or “The Day After”?) So, can anybody recommend something? Thanks and have a great day. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/2 "2005-02-02T22:29:33Z")
\*On the Beach \* - **Neville Shute** \*Lucifer’s Hammer \* - **Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle** \*Alas, Babylon \* - **Pat Conroy** ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/3 "2005-02-02T22:32:59Z")
2nd on _Lucifer’s Hammer_. (Asteroid, roving groups of cannibals, hardy mountain folk trying to survive.) Also, _[Earth Abides](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449213013/qid=1107384082/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/104-0943942-1196766)_. (Strange sickness, group of survivors in the Bay Area, revert to hunter gatherer society.) Great books! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/4 "2005-02-02T22:36:46Z")
_The Forge of God_ by Greg Bear fits, sort of. A small group of humans survive but Earth becomes an asteroid belt. ---
**Author:** ![Dvorak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dvorak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dvorak)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/5 "2005-02-02T22:37:53Z")
a short story: “I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream” - by Harlan Ellison ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/6 "2005-02-02T22:38:56Z")
How about _Cat’s Cradle_, by Kurt Vonnegut? Although _On the Beach_ was the first thing I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/7 "2005-02-02T22:38:58Z")
There’s always _I Am Legend_, in which pretty much everyone else in the world is either dead or undead. Not a particularly good book, but at least it’s short, and it’s much better than _The Omega Man_ movie that was made from it. I believe _The Postman_ fits your requirements, but I haven’t read it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/8 "2005-02-02T22:39:15Z")
It doesn’t cover the aftermath much, except in an epilogue and a sequel I haven’t read but have heard is rather weak, but Greg Bear’s _The Forge of God_ is a great “end of the world” type book, in a more alien invasion style. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/9 "2005-02-02T22:40:44Z")
Dang! I was gonna recommend Earth Abides and someone beat me to it. I seem to have read many, many good end-of-the-world short stories. I think as a rule they work this theme better than novels (only their names are harder to remember). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/10 "2005-02-02T22:46:34Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > It doesn’t cover the aftermath much, except in an epilogue and a sequel I haven’t read but have heard is rather weak, but Greg Bear’s _The Forge of God_ is a great “end of the world” type book, in a more alien invasion style. The sequel is as weak as _The Forge of God_ is good. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/11 "2005-02-02T22:46:54Z")
And when you’re done with those and need a lighter look at the end of the world, please consider [Good Omens](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0441003257/qid=1107385066/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-5083691-2987814) by Gaiman and Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/12 "2005-02-02T22:50:42Z")
Its not a book, but the short story _Twilight_ is an excellent read. I can’t recall the author right now. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/13 "2005-02-02T22:52:44Z")
James Morrow’s [This is the way the World Ends](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0156002086/qid=1107385383/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-9223521-2119850) Guess what it’s about? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/14 "2005-02-02T22:53:56Z")
Olaf Stapleton’s **Last and first men** has the world end a number of times, leaving only a few survivors each time. Also done on a very long timescale. Donald Wandrei has written a number of good short stories considering the end of the world. My personal favorite would be “Black Fog” where the earth passes through a black fog of some sort in space, and everyone soon realizes that nothing is reproducing anymore. The last humans are born 9 months later, and obviously, food soon becomes a problem… ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/15 "2005-02-02T22:54:31Z")
> [@well he's back](#): > > Dang! I was gonna recommend Earth Abides and someone beat me to it. > > I seem to have read many, many good end-of-the-world short stories. I think as a rule they work this theme better than novels (only their names are harder to remember). For short stories, look for a book (or books, there might be more than one) titled _Bangs and Whimpers_. I haven’t had a chance to read it myself, but it’s a collection of stories about the end of the world. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/16 "2005-02-02T23:06:56Z")
_Wolf and Iron_ by Gordon R. Dickson is one of my favorites for covering the purely mechanical/social aspects of a good apocolypse. It’s a good read. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/17 "2005-02-02T23:28:33Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > \*Alas, Babylon \* - **Pat Conroy** I don’t know if that one would fit. I mean, yeah, there’s a nuclear war, but in the end… they get found by the military, who confirm that civilization didn’t collapse, there’s still a functioning government, and the US is starting to rebuild ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/18 "2005-02-02T23:30:50Z")
_End of the World News_ by Anthony Burgess is a pretty original take, involving Freud, Trotsky and a a big lump of rock. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/19 "2005-02-02T23:35:36Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > I don’t know if that one would fit. I mean, yeah, there’s a nuclear war, but in the end… > > they get found by the military, who confirm that civilization didn’t collapse, there’s still a functioning government, and the US is starting to rebuild But as far as the members of the community are concerned, the world as they knew it \*\*did \*\* end. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060/20 "2005-02-02T23:36:57Z")
If you really want to see the whole world end, then [Moonseed](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006105903X/qid=1107387956/sr=8-14/ref=pd_bbs_14/103-5811222-3111029?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Stephen Baxter is pretty good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-end-of-the-world-book/288060.md?page=2)