End of the world anyone? (Hard Science Fiction anyone?)

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End of the world anyone?

I'm always looking for good apocalyptic fiction. I can't say I'm much interested in the "Left Behind" series, but I really get into anything remotely plausible. Some examples of books I've enjoyed in this vein:

- Lucifer's Hammer (Niven & Pournelle)
- The Stand (King) - didn't much like the whole good vs. evil bit, but everything else was right up my alley
- Aftermath (Sheffield) - I'll read the sequel if the owner ever sends it to me
- Alas, Babylon ()
- Moonseed (Baxter)
- Ill Wind (Anderson & Beason)
- The Forge of God (Bear) - the sequel's pretty good, too
- Earth (Brin)
- Earth Abides (Stewart)
- Ice! (Federbush)
- I am Legend (Matheson)
- Circuit of Heaven (Danvers)

Honorable mentions:
- The Road (McCarthy) - post-apocalyptic really, but enjoyed it anyway
- Battlefield: Earth - not much for character development, but very fun
- Footfall (Niven & Pournelle) - Earth never gets trashed, but fun nonetheless
- The Hammer of God (Clarke)
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Adams)

Any recommendations out there? I'm hoping to get all the really good disaster books on my shelves (I'm sure there's some psychological neurosis that makes me enjoy this stuff, but I'd rather not be treated for it until I've read all the good ones).

Rebel Sun
13 years ago

Comments

Hey Jon, Thanks for the link to your blog list...a lot of books I'd never heard of on there (and quite as few that I forgot about). I'll be adding many of them to my wishlist.

Rebel Sun
13 years ago

I've been thinking about reading

Stel Pavlou : Decipher. Thanks for your words on it Jon.

I am not sure If I'll read it now., but I'll keep it in mind.

Hercules40 (a.k.a. PapaG)
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Hercules40 (a.k.a. PapaG)
13 years ago

John Christopher's No Blade of Grass (published also as The Death of Grass, I think) is a British oldie (but gruesomely goodie), in which civilization crumbles as a virus kills off all grass plants (including wheat) and famine looms.

M
13 years ago

I love post apocalyptic stuff too. John Wyndham is good - I've read The Kraken Wakes, Day of the Triffids and The Crysalids - all good. If you can stand a bit of fantasy in the mix (demons and magic, etc), then I've just read Terry Brook's Genisis of Shannara trilogy - I was absolutely hooked on them.

Dark-Draco
13 years ago

The Change novels by S.M Stirling starting with Dies the Fire are pretty good.

Kristen
13 years ago

Wyndham isn't good! He is Great! His books are so good that people who don't like SF should read them!

mfkirke
13 years ago

Just finished the classic post-apocalyptic "A Canticle for Leibowitz".
"A Gift Upon the Shore" M. K. Wren for bibliophiles.

Nolan
13 years ago

@ Jon
I just wanted to thank you for "Moonseed": it was awesome.
I'm in the process of acquiring other books you pointed out to me, many many thanks for your great counseling ^___^

Il Gobb
13 years ago

I LOVE post-apocalyptic novels. I'd add

Jacqueline Harpman : I Who Have Never Known Men to the list. It's a lovely translation of an incredibly bleak story. Also

P.D. James : The Children of Men .

Mary H
13 years ago

The days after by ballantine is the best PA social science fiction book i've read (bar the great wyndham). It's strange as hell, but once i got into it, i was fully immersed.

jimjohnsen
9 years ago

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