Top 10 Post-Apocalyptic Books
Books — By Shaun Clarke on May 25, 2009 at 5:29 pmTop 10 – Essential Post-Apocalyptic Books
There are so many great ones to choose from but which could be considered the best post-apocalyptic books ever written?
 | No 1 - The Road Rating:  Author(s): Cormac McCarthy Publisher: Vintage International Pages: 304 Binding: Mass Market Paperback This book takes the top spot as the best Post-Apocalyptic read of modern times, Set after an unknown disaster has wiped out most of humanity, the story follows the journey of a father and son through the wastelands of a dying world. Read more reviews of the The Road on Amazon  |
 | No 2 - STEPHEN KING'S : The Stand Rating: Author(s): STEPHEN KING Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc USA Pages: 1141 Binding: Mass Market Paperback A plague sweeps through America killing almost all of the population leaving only a handful of survivors. This is an epic tale of good against evil. And it's one of the best Stephen King novels and TV mini series that I've ever seen and read. Read more reviews of The Stand on Amazon  |
 | No 3 - Earth Abides Rating: Author(s): STEWART Publisher: Bantam Books Pages: 352 Binding: Mass Market Paperback This is one of my favourite novels in general, most definitely one of the best plague themed apocalyptic books by far. It's a very dark, disturbing and realistic story that stays with you for a long time. Read more reviews of Earth Abides on Amazon  |
 | No 4 - Swan Song Rating: Author(s): Robert R. McCammon Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pages: 960 Binding: Mass Market Paperback Quite similar to The Stand but much more terrifying and extremely disturbing, not for the faint hearted! Read more reviews of Swan Song on Amazon |
 | No 5 - I Am Legend Rating: Author(s): Richard Matheson Publisher: Orb Books Pages: 317 Binding: Paperback The most influential apocalypse and horror themed novel of the last century. Often described as a masterpiece it spawned a series of movies and adaptations. Read more reviews of I Am Legend on Amazon  |
 | No 6 Alas, Babylon Rating:  Author(s): Pat Frank Publisher: HarperCollins Pages: 336 Binding: Paperback A very entertaining and shockingly realistic read, follows a group of people trying to survive in a world turned upside down after a Russian attack on the US. Read more reviews of Alas, Babylon on Amazon  |
 | No 7 On the Beach Rating: Author(s): Nevil Shute Publisher: Ballantine Books Inc. Pages: 288 Binding: Mass Market Paperback The feeling of impending doom is almost tangible whilst reading this very dark and ultimately rewarding tale of the loss of humanity as we know it. Unlike many other Nuclear War themed novels, this one shows the effects of war on its blameless victims. A country that escaped the full force of nuclear attack, slowly waits for the poisonous nuclear fall out to reach their shores. Read more reviews of On the Beach on Amazon  |
 | No 8 The Day of the Triffids Rating: Author(s): John Wyndham Publisher: Ballantine Books (Mm) Binding: Mass Market Paperback A meteor shower causes most of the world’s population to loose their sight. The minority that remain sighted fight to rebuild civilization as they battle against flesh eating plants from another world. A classic apocalyptic tale often disregarded by many upon reading its premise, which reads like a script for a bad 50s B movie. However if you let yourself get beyond the initial apprehension you’ll be in for a treat! Both the book and the movie capture the essence of the fight for human survival, in such vivid and unique detail that it keeps its reader engaged and thrilled right through to its chilling conclusion. A truly underrated and commanding masterpiece. Read more reviews of The Day of the Triffids on Amazon  |
 | No 9 Bangs and Whimpers: Stories about the End of the World Rating: Author(s): James Frenkel Publisher: NTC Publishing Group,U.S. Pages: 219 Binding: Paperback An outstanding anthology of post-apocalyptic stories unfortunately it’s ridiculously rare and so very difficult to get hold of. But if you do have the means to get yourself a copy then I recommend that you do and that you hold on to it! I would have put this much higher on the list if it wasn’t for its rarity, as it’s a collection of some of the most imaginative and poignant short stories ever written. Read more reviews of Bangs and Whimpers: Stories about the End of the World on Amazon  |
 | No 10 Lucifer's Hammer Rating: Author(s): Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle Publisher: Del Rey Books Pages: 640 Binding: Mass Market Paperback A book of epic proportions, you certainly get your moneys worth with this one! It’s a lengthy but so very rewarding read; a tale to end all tales. It has everything a reader of this genre could want, it’s like all the apocalyptic and disaster movies you’ve ever seen wrapped up into one fantastic book. A colossal meteor strikes the Earth and causes damage so severe and catastrophic that is renders life almost impossible, from earthquakes to floods and tsunamis the globe is hurtled into a spiral of decay and eventually the beginnings of a new Ice Age. However for the few of those that remain their real struggle for life is only just beginning as they must now face the most perilous and demanding struggle they have ever known. There are so many layers to this book, and the first few chapters can seem very slow going as it sets the scene for what’s to come, but it’s very much needed, as it’s this enhanced character development that makes the book so compelling. It also realistically depicts the effects of starvation and the fight for human survival. And unflinchingly delves into the effects this would have on society, as well as the probable divides this would create among us during such harsh times. However there is also a race issue attached to this novel. I personally didn't find this book overtly racist, however it does have some outdated preconceptions and stereotyping if not for that it would have been ranked higher in this list. Read more reviews of Lucifer's Hammer on Amazon  |
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22 Comments
Your top 10 list is pretty close to my own. I think I’d probably end up with about 3 to 4 differences. BUT… that is going to happen to any top 10 list. Everyone has their own favorites.
There is Vault of the Ages by Poul Anderson, always a classic. Ark Liberty by Will Bradley was very interesting indeed. After Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer is a must on any top 10 list. One of my new favorites is The Wall At The Edge Of The World by Jim Aikin, some interesting ideas there.
Killbird by Zach Hughes should probably get an honorable mention as well as Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen
Perhaps when you get a chance, you could add in a top 10 PA Book Series list as well.
I think some contenders would be…
1. The Pelbar Cycle, Paul O. Williams
2. Deathlands, various house authors, under the pseudonym James Axler.
3. Blade, David Robbins
4. The Horse Clans, Robert Adams
5. The Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller
6. Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling
7. Battle Field Earth, L.Ron Hubbard
There are other series that come to mind, but I wouldn’t say they are worthy of a top 10 list, so my memory ends with what I have.
GOOD JOB! I very much enjoy the site. Looks very professional as well.
Thanks for the comment Gamma and your suggestions, I know exactly what you mean, everyone’s got their favourites and that’s what made this list so hard to do, it’s difficult to please everyone. In fact there are a couple of books you’ve mentioned there that I actually wanted on the list, but I took an unselfish approach and asked a few friends to also compile a list of their favourites, which had an impact on the final outcome. But I must admit overall I’m happy with the way it turned out; I think it’s much more balanced because of it. However now the sites getting a few more visitors I could set up some kind of dynamic list that users can directly effect.
Also I think a top 10 of PA book series is a great idea, I was also thinking about having a set of themed book lists, top 10: nuclear, plague etc but again these would be difficult to create without some major input from other PA and Apocalyptic fans out there. I’m always open to suggestions and would love to hear other people’s opinions on this and other aspects of the site.
Thanks again for your suggestions I’m glad your enjoying the site
Alas
Alas Babylon is one of my favorite books. One good tip from the book is that when the world comes to and end, alcohol = currency.
pretty good list, but it definately needs Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Holy Cow You Weren’t Kidding!
I was intrigued by the description of Bangs and Whimpers: Stories about the End of the World because I’m a fan of short fiction, being an English teacher and all. Anyway, I went looking for a copy. That thing is GOLD! The cheapest copy I could find was $60! Paperbacks in good condition were going for $200+.
Now I have to find one to read. If people are willing to pay that much, it must be good!
another book
Love the list! Another of my favs is: War Day co-written by Whitley Strieber. Could happen today!
The Stand?
#2 disqualified the list due to a severe lack of taste.
@Korinthian
hmm well according to you I also have a lack of taste. The Stand is an excellent book just because you don’t like it doesn’t change the fact that many others do!
Excellent list!
How srange….
Hmmm, #9 was #1 two minutes ago………
Excellent list. I really enjoyed a lot of these books. Also I’m not sure it fits squarely in this category but I really enjoyed Living is Forever by J. Edwin Carter.
@Kmuzu
Not really…
Not sure I would call that a good tip…
That’s a little like saying robbing banks/stores and stocking up on money is a good tip..
To people who didn’t know better both alcohol and money could be great bargaining tools (as both are essentially useless and/or not worth the downside effects)…
But for people that would have a real sense of survival in mind alcohol and money are essentially useless… money for obvious reason (the most use you can get from it when nobody recognizes it as a viable trade item is to use it for kindling)
Alcohol would primarily be useful to those who want to give up on the world (as entering a drunk haze 24/7 would deaden their sense of reality)… but for those that plan to live no matter what hardships they face, alcohol has too many negative effects… it causes disorientation (negatively affecting motor skills, hand-eye coordination, etc.) which would cause them to fight/defend themselves much more poorly than if they were sober. And (what I believe would be most important) alcohol dehydrates the body. Finding drinkable water that won’t cause illness would be hard enough, as is. But to find it in greater quantity b/c you are effectively dehydrating yourself would make survival much more improbable than it would already be…
Some things I agree with… Some… just no
I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here… I understand lists like this one are mostly based on personal tastes… and as you’ve stated, you asked friends of yours to compile their own lists to help you determine what got placed on this Top Ten list… but I’m just looking at things a little more objectively (I hope)…
While I agree with a few of these books being on the list (The Stand, Earth Abides, Alas Babylon, & On The Beach) and some I haven’t had the pleasure of reading (Bangs and Whimpers, The Day of the Triffids)… some I’m just iffy about… The Road in particular… it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything astounding (didn’t care much for Cormac McCarthy’s other works either)… and while I Am Legend, Swan Song, and Lucifer’s Hammer aren’t bad, I think I would’ve rather have seen some other books in the Top Ten…
Books such as A Canticle for Liebowitz & The Postman (which fellow authors/critics in the sub-genre agree are “benchmark” books, in that if you want to make a better PA tale these are the books you have to do better than)… or perhaps books like A Handmaid’s Tale or Z For Zachariah, which are taught in many English classes (whether it be Middle-School, High-School, or Post-Secondary-School) b/c they are so good that even if you’re not interested in the sub-genre (or maybe you’re not even interested in the SF genre as a whole) teachers still hail them as landmark achievements in writing…
Other than that there are a few excellent books I just got done reading that I think would beat out a few of the books on this list…
Margaret Atwoods’ “Oryx and Crake” and it’s follow-up “The Year of the Flood”
Nick Sagan’s “Idlewild”-”Edenborn”-”Everfree” trio is also spectacular
Maybe the last five books aren’t considered “benchmark” books (at least not yet) but they are definitely worth reading.
Really?
No advocates for World War Z by Max Brooks? Does that not really qualify here, because I haven’t seen it mentioned. A pity, because the book is extremely well written.
Cool
What about Sheep Look Up, by John Brunner?
That was written in the 70’s. Scary indeed how much has come true.
I would have included Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz and Morrow’s This is the Way the World Ends. Both are excellent.
@Gilbert
I agree with some of your comments, I will have to update this at some point as there are a few books that really should have made the list, “Oryx and Crake” being one in my opinion.
As for “The Road” making the top spot — Well a very valid point was put to me, that whilst it may not be the most popular choice of fans of the genre, it is by far the most widely read PA book of this century if not of all time and has gotten a lot of “mainstream” readers interested in dystopian fiction.
“A Canticle for Leibowitz” would have been quite high on the list had this been my own personal top 10, I am going to redo the list and incorporate all of your suggestions.
@Paul
erm… maybe that was wishful thinking Paul
I really enjoyed how thoroughly you covered the topic. Are there other things that I should know about this?
Good list.. I really wish The Stand was No. 1 though..
The Stand by Stephen King
It’s Only Temporary by Eric Shapiro
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
Empty World by John Christopher
Fire by Alan Rodgers
Some Will Not Die by Algis Budrys
Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
Dark Advent by Brian Hodge
Blakely’s Ark by Ian MacMillan
Dust by Charles Pellegrino
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
Skeletons by Al Sarrantonio
I know it’s a top 13 list …whatever… I couldn’t throw any out. And as for Korinthian saying The Stand at #2 was ’severe lack of taste’ c’mon that’s a seminal work for others as much as Earth Abides was for it!
tim
@Gilbert
Drinking Alcohol isn’t a good idea when you’re dehydrated or if you need to stay alert, but it’s a good bargaining commodity none the less. This would be on my “if I have a decade’s worth of supplies already and want to make some ‘bucks’ during the collapse of Western Civilization” list. Plus alcohol is a good antiseptic, but I wouldn’t want to waste the good stuff on that. Therefore stuff along the lines of vodka/ever-clear would already be on my essentials list. Grain alcohol is pretty easy to make so after things get settled down (hell the only thing that keeps it form being even more widespread is the ATF).
I’d get the “good stuff” for trade. Things that need to be aged in barrels like scotch/whiskey. While the town/plant that makes Jack Daniels could survive the Apocalypse, I doubt they’d have transport/infrastructure to get to say, anywhere west of the Mississippi river in huge quantities. Anywhere past that, the price would be astronomical. Somethings to hoard I got from Lucifer’s Hammer I thought was pretty interesting: spices (blk.pepper,chili.powder, etc).
Anyways, that’s a damned good list to start with. I’ve read The Road, Lucifer’s Hammer, and I am Legend so far. And thanks for comments suggesting The Postman and Oryx And Crake. I will read those next. Oh and no, I don’t have a bunker with 10yrs worth of crap… yet lol.