# Good apocalyptic fiction that is character driven? Looking for suggestions



## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

I'm new to this genre in books and would love some suggestions (especially cheaper stories - I'm on a budget and Australian ebook prices are ridiculously expensive)

I am looking for stories that are plausible/realistic - the sort you could imagine happening tomorrow or next week.

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake" is a brilliant novel set in a post-apocalyptic future. Definitely character driven. She's written a second novel set in the same world called "The Year of the Flood," though I haven't read that.

And then of course there's her much earlier novel, "The Handmaid's Tale," which was made into a movie.

I couldn't say they'd be cheap, but definitely worth reading if you're looking for something well-written.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Here are few you can look at:

Breakdown by Katherine Amt Hanna. This is 6 years after a pandemic.
The Jakarta Pandemic by Steven Konkoly. More Pandemic - but this one is the story of one family and their neighborhood during the pandemic itself.
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt -post-apocalyptic novel set centuries after an apocalypse.
Ashfall by Mike Mullin. I haven't read this one yet but it's on my TBR list and looks very interesting ...


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart


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## Selma (Mar 12, 2013)

Ashes by Isla Bick is fantastic. Ariel by Steven Boyett is kind of a fantastical cult classic take on it, and definitely worth a read.


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

I really like "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks for the great suggestions. I have already checked out a few of them!! Now I just have to decide which one to read!!!


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## laa0325 (Feb 21, 2010)

Two of my recent favorites:


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

I just finished Breakers (Breakers, Book 1). post-apocalyptic alien invasion.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

DebBennett said:


> I just finished Breakers (Breakers, Book 1). post-apocalyptic alien invasion.


I enjoyed this book too and was a little surprised as I thought I'd hate an invasion/pandemic mashup. It's definitely worth a read although it is more action driven than character driven ....


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## MG_London (Oct 21, 2010)

M.P.Shiel's "Purple Cloud"

Wiki:

A "last man" novel published in 1901.
"...delivered with a skill and artistry falling little short of actual majesty." H. P. Lovecraft

*It's available for free at Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11229*


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Style of writing for the story is odd. Over priced for an e-book, but I thought it a good read.


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

NogDog said:


> Earth Abides by George R. Stewart


I'll second this! I read it recently, and thought it was amazing.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

laa0325 said:


> Two of my recent favorites:


Wool is on my MUST READ list - but sadly not available to me at the moment (Australia) now that it has been picked up by a publisher. I was very disappointed as I have heard a lot about it and the first 'episode' is free on Kindle for US so it would have been great to 'try before I buy' so to speak.

I have added the road to my TBR list (I am hoping the price will come down) I liked the sounds of the blurb


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

DebBennett said:


> I just finished Breakers (Breakers, Book 1). post-apocalyptic alien invasion.


I just picked that one up  Thanks. It was only $0.99 and I love a good bargain


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

MG_London said:


> M.P.Shiel's "Purple Cloud"
> 
> Wiki:
> 
> ...


Hey - thanks for the link - I am on a budget now so very much appreciated!!


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

Joel Arnold said:


> I'll second this! I read it recently, and thought it was amazing.


Thanks


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

You've probably heard of, possibly even read it, but it might be worth checking out The Stand by Stephen King.

http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King/e/B000AQ0842/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364054447&sr=1-1

The end is not his best, but the ride is great.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Colin Taber said:


> The end is not his best, but the ride is great.


I love The Stand and I loved it when the uncut version was released. It's a great story of a pandemic spread, the collapse and I keep with it until the whole 'Hand of God' thing. It's a fantastic book with a really bad ending.


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

L M May said:


> I'm new to this genre in books and would love some suggestions (especially cheaper stories - I'm on a budget and Australian ebook prices are ridiculously expensive)
> 
> I am looking for stories that are plausible/realistic - the sort you could imagine happening tomorrow or next week.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help.


Edited: My reading bar link doesn't take you there. It somehow takes you to Betsy's reading bar page.  Here is the link to One Second After on Amazon.

One Second After. The link is actually in my reading bar, I think. It is very realistic and character driven. The first time I read it, I had to read it non-stop until I was done. I just re-read it again, and it's still just as good.

_That's really weird, Mary -- it does it for me too. I'll bring it to the attention of Harvey. -- Ann_
_My fault, Mary--as I pm'd you on the 18th, I changed your reading bar to a single cover to conform with sig width guidelines and forgot to correct the link. It's fixed now. --Betsy_


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## bonnerauthor (Jan 18, 2013)

I see several people have recommended McCarthy's The Road.  Having seen the movie first and NOT being a fan of McCarthy's writing, I don't think I could even pick up that up.  That has to be one depressing book.

I would recommend 'One Second After' by William Forstchen.  At least everyone isn't just walking around waiting to die.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

Colin Taber said:


> You've probably heard of, possibly even read it, but it might be worth checking out The Stand by Stephen King.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King/e/B000AQ0842/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364054447&sr=1-1
> 
> The end is not his best, but the ride is great.


Yep - the ride is great, lol. I recently purchased it for my son actually (his first ebook ever) as he likes the other King books I have introduced him too.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

Geoffrey said:


> I love The Stand and I loved it when the uncut version was released. It's a great story of a pandemic spread, the collapse and I keep with it until the whole 'Hand of God' thing. It's a fantastic book with a really bad ending.


Now I just want to steal it off my son, he he  I got him the uncut version. I read the original many many years ago.

<It's a fantastic book with a really bad ending> I kind of felt that way about 'The Dome' (not sure I have the title right) but my friend loved the end of it, lol.


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

MaryMcDonald said:


> Edited: My reading bar link doesn't take you there. It somehow takes you to Betsy's reading bar page.  Here is the link to One Second After on Amazon.
> 
> One Second After. The link is actually in my reading bar, I think. It is very realistic and character driven. The first time I read it, I had to read it non-stop until I was done. I just re-read it again, and it's still just as good.


Thanks for that. I read it a few weeks ago actually after a friend read my story and said 'you have to read One Second After'. (Mine is also based on EMP but more from a romantic angle - she said I scared the crap out of her and she went hunting for more EMP books) I really enjoyed it, especially since the theme was along the lines of mine.

I also read 'One Second After' non-stop (stayed up well into the night). It had some very sad and touching moments that really hit home, especially the ones related to his daughters (you know the ones I mean, don't want to post spoilers), but it had a good balance of hope as well. I find stories like this to be a wake up call to how much we rely on others.

ETA: sorry, forgot to thank you for the effort you went to give me a link to the book


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## L M May (Mar 14, 2013)

bonnerauthor said:


> I see several people have recommended McCarthy's The Road. Having seen the movie first and NOT being a fan of McCarthy's writing, I don't think I could even pick up that up. That has to be one depressing book.
> 
> I would recommend 'One Second After' by William Forstchen. At least everyone isn't just walking around waiting to die.


Thanks, I read that one recently. I really enjoyed it. I love these sorts of books and can't get enough of them at the moment.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

MaryMcDonald said:


> Edited: My reading bar link doesn't take you there. It somehow takes you to Betsy's reading bar page.


Sorry, Mary! My mistake, and it's fixed now!

Betsy


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

L M May said:


> Yep - the ride is great, lol. I recently purchased it for my son actually (his first ebook ever) as he likes the other King books I have introduced him too.


Yep, Geoffrey is putting it more honestly than I did.

While the end is a total pile of book ashes, particularly after 1000 pages, the narration of the collapse, the characters, and their journeys makes up for it. You know, thinking about it, it's amazing that you can enjoy a book that much with such a soft and disappointing stop. I guess it just shows how good his writing and the story is that readers are prepared to overlook it. I've reread it at least half a dozen times over the years.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Geoffrey said:


> I love The Stand and I loved it when the uncut version was released. It's a great story of a pandemic spread, the collapse and I keep with it until the whole 'Hand of God' thing. It's a fantastic book with a really bad ending.


Yeah, I read both versions and preferred the uncut version.

The funny thing is he could have gone for the same outcome at the end, just used a better method to get there.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

An unforgettable book I read in my teen years was a sci-fi novel called Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It was a "what if" scenario of what would happen should a comet strike Earth. I was quickly caught up in the drama and the interconnecting lives of the characters as they either faced what was about to take place or went into denial with a "It can't happen to me" attitude. I lost a lot of sleep staying up to read this one. Once I started it, I couldn't stop until I was finished. 

And it is VERY plausible; how many near misses have we had in recent years?!


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## dkgould (Feb 18, 2013)

can't believe no one has said On the Beach yet!  It is pricey on amazon.com but it's been out so long I bet that your library has an ecopy.  And it is set in Australia too!


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## Red Dove (Jun 11, 2012)

"I am Legend" - Richard Matheson. The book is better than the three movie versions starring, in reverse order, Will Smith, Charlton Heston and Vincent Price. Of the movies, the Price version is the truest to the book and the best.

"The Chrysalids" - John Wyndham. Largely forgotten and severely underrated as a novel not just about survival but what it means to be different from the accepted norm. These days it would probably be classified as a YA Dystopian, Sci-Fi book

Not strictly apocalyptic but it does deal with the breakdown of modern society and a descent into savagery in a tower block - "High Rise" by J G Ballard.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Agreed with those on The Stand. My all-time favorite book, esp. the later released long version.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Alot of great ones mentioned here. Esp. On the Beach, One Second After, Earth Abides, Lucifer's Hammer.

Going back further, Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank.

Not sure if it's even available on Kindle but it's the one that started it all for me, at 14.


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

Red Dove said:


> "The Chrysalids" - John Wyndham. Largely forgotten and severely underrated as a novel not just about survival but what it means to be different from the accepted norm. These days it would probably be classified as a YA Dystopian, Sci-Fi book


I'd second The Chrysalids. I loved that story as a child, and went on to read all of John Wyndam's novels. It's a shame he seems to have been largely forgotten today.


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## timskorn (Nov 7, 2012)




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## bonnerauthor (Jan 18, 2013)

dkgould said:


> can't believe no one has said On the Beach yet!


In both the book and the movie, I loved the scene where they put the guy ashore in San Francisco to track down the radio signal they picked up.


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## dkgould (Feb 18, 2013)

bonnerauthor said:


> In both the book and the movie, I loved the scene where they put the guy ashore in San Francisco to track down the radio signal they picked up.


and what he decides too, I love that. Think I'd say the same thing. I love the guy with the race car.


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