# Disaster/End of the World Books - COMBINED thread



## chobitz

Apocalyptic, end of world etc is one of my favorite genres and I am sorely lacking of any on my kindle. I don't mind if its Christian based as long as its more plot than preachy. 

I've read The Stand (of course), Swan Song (DTB), The Christ Clone series,Servants of the Twilight(DTB) The Road, Childhood's End and of course The Left Behind series.

I don't care if its viral, biblical or nuclear I just really like the whole civilization trying to survive plot.

Oh and it doesn't matter if it has a happy or tragic ending. 

Anyone have any suggestions?


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## CS

chobitz said:


> I don't mind if its Christian based as long as its more plot than preachy.


But you liked the Left Behind series anyway? 

I don't really know any others aside from what you already named, but I'm hoping this thread gets some responses. I like this genre too.


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## Pencepon

I'm pretty sure these are not available in ebook form and probably won't be for some time, but they have stuck in my mind for 45 years or so! - all the books by John Christopher. Most of his plots are about global disasters and how people cope (or fail to cope) with the aftermath.

These include:
_No Blade of Grass,_ in which grass and every plant biologically related to grass is destroyed by a new disease

_A Wrinkle in the Skin,_ in which global earthquakes cause a massive restructure of the earth's surface (land and seas changing places, etc.)

_The Long Winter,_ in which the Earth experiences a new Ice Age

And many more. I got them in my local library when I was a young teenager, but the library didn't have a full selection so I can't say I've read everything by this author. But I remember the books as being very thought-provoking, and as I mentioned, I still think about them all this time later. According to many reviews I just looked up on Amazon, the books still hold up pretty well. Maybe we can spark a publisher's interest in putting them into electronic form. I wouldn't mind checking out some of the titles I missed in the past, but I'm really addicted to my Kindle....


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## Chris

If you like Stephen King you might enjoy "The Cell". I really enjoyed the book and could barely put it down.



Here is a review:

From Publishers Weekly
What if a pulse sent out through cell phones turned every person using one of them into a zombie-like killing machine? That's what happens on page six of King's latest, a glib, technophobic but compelling look at the end of civilization-or at what may turn into a new, extreme, telepathically enforced fascism. Those who are not on a call at the time of the pulse (and who don't reach for their phones to find out what is going on) remain "normies." One such is Clayton Riddell, an illustrator from Kent Pond, Maine, who has just sold some work in Boston when the pulse hits. Clay's single-minded attempt to get back to Maine, where his estranged wife, Sharon, and young son, Johnny-Gee, may or may not have been turned into "phoners" (as those who have had their brains wiped by the pulse come to be called) comprises the rest of the plot. King's imagining of what is more or less post-Armageddon Boston is rich, and the sociological asides made by his characters along the way-Clay travels at first with two other refugees-are jaunty and witty. The novel's three long set pieces are all pretty gory, but not gratuitously so, and the book holds together in signature King style. Fans will be satisfied and will look forward to the next King release, Lisey's Story, slated for October. (Jan. 24) 
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


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## Guest

You might want to check out these two classics:





The first book is actually a collection of related short stories detailing the role and legacy of one family through the next several hundred years and until the end of Humanity. Sadly, it is not yet on Kindle. At least not through Amazon. I haven't checked Baen.

The second book is a look at the new Dark Ages that develop after nuclear holocaust and Man's struggle to rebuild a civilization--this time around under the guidance of the Catholic Church, which was the only societal institution to survive the Armageddon.


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## chobitz

Thanks everyone!

I guess I should say I have read ALL of King's works so yep I read The Cell. Oh and yeah I found the last few Left Behind book way too preachy but I skipped those parts 

Jim I sent a sample of that second book because it looked really good. I also have read its a classic in this genre but didn't want to get the DTB version.

I was hoping :



was kindled but it isn't. I use to love the movie.


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## Guest

^^^Update: City is available as an Audible book.


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## Guest

Mistress Maggie:  I cannot praise either book highly enough.  I've read them both countless times.  Enjoy! 

Oh, and jmiked would agree with me.


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## chobitz

Bacardi Jim said:


> ^^^Update: City is available as an Audible book.


Sadly I'm one of _*those*_ readers who can't really enjoy audio books. The only audio book I enjoyed was World War Z.


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## CS

chobitz said:


> Sadly I'm one of _*those*_ readers who can't really enjoy audio books.


Same here. Which is why I'm not overly enthused by the Kindle 2's text-to-speech feature (even though it is potentially awesome and a killer app for the device).


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## Snapcat

I haven't read most of these so I don't know if they are any good, but here is a list someone made of post-apocalyptic books on the kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Post-Apocalyptic-nbsp-Fiction-nbsp-on-nbsp-Kindle/lm/R1AWC1K9J0OAP9/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1


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## Snapcat

I also enjoyed both these novels, which could fit into the post-apocalyptic category:



The Handmaid's Tale


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## bosslady402

I have about 2 seconds before I ;eave for work, but have you read _Alas Babylon_, or the two _Pandora's Genes _ books?


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## WilliamM

Lucifer's Hammer..good luck finding it on  Kindle though


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## Harmakhet

I really enjoyed Oryx and Crake 

I have to admit that I enjoy these types of stories as well. Will have to add some of these suggestions to my list.


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## koland

S.M. Stirling's (two) series (post-failure of technology and laws of physics change):

Dies the Fire
1. Dies the Fire (2004)
2. The Protector's War (2005)
3. A Meeting at Corvallis (2006)

Change
1. The Sunrise Lands (2007)
2. The Scourge of God (200

E.E. Knight Vampire Earth (civilization after invasion and conquering of alien race):
1. Way of the Wolf (2001)
2. Choice of the Cat (2004)
3. Tale of the Thunderbolt (2005)
4. Valentine's Rising (2005)
5. Valentine's Exile (2006)
6. Valentine's Resolve (2007)
7. Fall with Honor (200
8. Winter Duty (2009)


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## strether

You might try David Weber's Dahak Trilogy, available at Baen.  I think the first one, Mutineer's Moon, is available as a freebie, but the three novels are all available at a good price in one volume, Empire from the Ashes.  I enjoyed these a lot.

Book one has an amazing revelation about our moon.  Who knew?

Jim


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## geko29

The first Kindle book I read was



It was by an author I'd never heard of, but got good reviews, so I grabbed a sample. When the sample ended, I immediately bought it and kept on reading. Short version:

A virus is released by opening an artifact dating back to year zero, and it wipes out almost everyone in a very imaginative way (I won't spoil it). No one is immune, though some people are lucky enough to have no contact with it as it sweeps the world. Researchers decide that, because the disease is old and didn't wipe out the world 2000 years ago, at least some people at the time may have been partially (they got sick, but fought it off) or completely immune. So they begin cloning people from that time, in effort to find a viable antigen. There's a whole lot more facets to the story, but that's the gist.


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## jaspertyler

Brian Keene has a fantastic end of the world series (2 books) that is actually about zombies.  I thought they were very well written and exciting 

The Rising 
City of the Dead

Good stuff!


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## Chad Winters

In Her Name has a kinda of humanity wiped out by aliens thing going.. 



Also Lucifer's Hammer and/or Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

And head over to www.baen.com and the free library has the Posleen series by John Ringo. I think it starts with "A Hymn before Battle" which is free!! A very good series!! All the wanton destruction of the Earth you could want.


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## cerasus

If you're looking for a superb book about the end of the world, I highly recommend you read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Although I read a great deal, my interests are almost exclusively confined to non-fiction. However, I read about this book on a blog about simple living and went over to amazon to check it out. Having discovered it was by the same author as No Country for Old Men, I gave it a shot. 
    I took it on a plane and finished it in two days. I was blown away by the book, from beginning to end. The idea of the book is simple yet profound -  it's basically about a father and son following a road in a post apocalyptic world, and what they see and how their relationship develops. I really think this is a classic in the making. Best of all, it's available for the Kindle for $7.96. I can't say I've read it in that format yet though, since I don't get my K2 until 2/26!


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## Beth A

Also Anne McCaffrey has a Freedom series that is very good, but it is not on Kindle yet


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## chobitz

I read The Road and its great. Thanks to you guys I got some new reads I bought

and
A Canticle For Leibowitz in Extra Large Print

I will be getting The Way of the Wolf but I ran out of my monthly kindle allowance so I have to wait till march. Mainly because the sample takes place in the area my husband's family is from (NW La)..


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## Steph H

Ouch, it's only the 17th and your allowance is already gone?  Bummer!   At least it's a short month!


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## Chad Winters

so is mine!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

I'm currently re-reading a book from the 1950s about the end of the world:



It's not a classic, but it reads as more modern writing than it is (unusual for Hamilton), and I'm enjoying it. $0.96 at Amazon, or free at Feedbooks.

Mike


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

Bacardi Jim said:


> Mistress Maggie: I cannot praise either book highly enough. I've read them both countless times. Enjoy!
> 
> Oh, and jmiked would agree with me.


I do agree with you. 

Mike


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## CS

jmiked said:


> I'm currently re-reading a book from the 1950s about the end of the world:
> 
> 
> 
> It's not a classic, but it reads as more modern writing than it is (unusual for Hamilton), and I'm enjoying it. $0.96 at Amazon, or free at Feedbooks.
> 
> Mike


Thanks, will check this one out.


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## Angela

jmiked said:


> I'm currently re-reading a book from the 1950s about the end of the world:
> 
> 
> 
> It's not a classic, but it reads as more modern writing than it is (unusual for Hamilton), and I'm enjoying it. $0.96 at Amazon, or free at Feedbooks.
> 
> Mike


I just love feedbooks!


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## Barbara M

Another oldie, and available for kindle is the Day of the Triffids.


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## stargazer0725

Couple of selections:

I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton


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## stargazer0725

OH! And don't forget Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut.


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## meljackson

I'm reading this. Can't recommend it yet as I just started it.



Melissa


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## Esther

There's Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. This is not an easy read... requires you to learn the post-apocalyptic English lingo. Not available on the Kindle..yet...but you can click it..
http://www.amazon.com/Riddley-Walker-Russell-Hoban/dp/0253212340/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235089004&sr=8-3


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## Snapcat

Free post apocalyptic books at feedbooks.com

http://www.feedbooks.com/list/64


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## Daisysmama

Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard.  Read this several years ago and thought it was really good.  Ignore the fact that the movie was horrible.  According to Amazon, it is considered one of the top five best SF books.


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## Guest

Daisysmama said:


> Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. Read this several years ago and thought it was really good. Ignore the fact that the movie was horrible. According to Amazon, it is considered one of the top five best SF books.


Mow you're going to offer me a free "stress test," aren't you?

*backs away slowly*


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## Arkhan

Daisysmama said:


> Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. Read this several years ago and thought it was really good. Ignore the fact that the movie was horrible. According to Amazon, it is considered one of the top five best SF books.


Wow, usually I am afraid to mention L. Ron Hubbard because people don't realize or care that he was a great writer of satire. Battlefield Earth is a classic. I even enjoyed the Mission Earth series but I can see where some people are put of by that series.

Thanks for asking this question chobitz. I have been looking for more of this genre after reading the S.M. Sterling series starting with Dies the Fire.


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## Guest

Arkhan said:


> Wow, usually I am afraid to mention L. Ron Hubbard because people don't realize or care that he was a great writer of satire.


Oh? Is that what Dianetics is? Satire? That would make a certain amount of sense.


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## Arkhan

Bacardi Jim said:


> Oh? Is that what Dianetics is? Satire? That would make a certain amount of sense.


Not at first. Dianetics is the "Modern Science of Mental Helth". You get to the top stages of "clarity" and then you go on Oprah and jump on couches to show how mentally healthy you really are.


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## CS

In fairness, I have been told that Battlefield Earth is a great book. I remember requesting a sample, but I don't think I ever got around to reading it. Of course, Hubbard's quackery overshadows any legitimate literary contributions he may have made.


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## Annalog

Bacardi Jim said:


> Daisysmama said:
> 
> 
> 
> Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. Read this several years ago and thought it was really good. Ignore the fact that the movie was horrible. According to Amazon, it is considered one of the top five best SF books.
> 
> 
> 
> Mow you're going to offer me a free "stress test," aren't you?
> 
> *backs away slowly*
Click to expand...

Thank you for reminding me of a pair of DTBs that I will always keep because of the memories attached to them.

I cannot recommend _Battlefield Earth_ by L. Ron Hubbard as I thought it was tedious. (I did finish it but will probably not read it again. I did enjoy reading some of his early short stories and books.) It holds the record for me as the only book where I fell asleep 5 times while trying to read a single page, twice on the same sentence. (That does not count the other times I fell asleep while reading that book.) However I will keep the hardcover DTB copy I have as it was autographed after L. Ron Hubbard died (the second time?  ). 

(Also, in fairness, I have to say that there are other great books that I do not enjoy reading.)

I was walking around London on a weekend day during a business trip to London in July 1989. I was headed toward Charing Cross Road as I wanted to see the book sellers there. As I walked past the Charing Cross Library, I saw a printed sign on the door. There was going to be a panel of science fiction authors and Brian Aldiss was going to give a presentation. (I think his presentation was going to be on the impact of hyperlinks on reading.) It was just before noon and the activities were to start at 1 p.m. I ate a quick lunch, hurried to Charing Cross Road and bought some books, and was back at the library before the panel was to start.

The library had their discarded science fiction library books for sale - 10 pence for paperbacks and 20 pence for hardcovers. I selected a large stack of books that I could not find in the US, enough to fill the cloth shopping bag I was carrying. I picked up the very large hardcover copy of _Battlefield Earth_ to look at it as I knew that the paperback was currently selling back home for several dollars ($6+ ?). A tall gentleman walked up beside me, grabbed the book out of my hands, and threw it down on the book bin saying, in a loud voice, something very disparaging about the book. (I think he was expecting an argument from the obviously American tourist. I don't know if he wanted a five minute argument or the full half-hour.  ) Instead of an argument, I said, "Great. That will save me carrying it all the way home."

He picked up the book, looked at the front and back, and handed it to me. He said, "Well, it is only 20 pence. I suppose it is worth it as a door stop."

I then threw the book down and said, "If it is worthless, I am not taking it back across the ocean!" He then picked it up and handed it to me again and said that I should really buy the book. He then left and I went to the counter and bought my stack of books. I had to put _Battlefield Earth_ at the bottom because it was so large.

I sat in the back row of chairs to listen to the author panel. The authors were asked the same questions that SF authors always seem to be asked. David Langford, the tall gentleman mentioned above, was the funniest and most interesting of the authors on the panel. (Brian Aldiss was not on the panel and was not going to speak until much later. I did not stay because, much as I love books and wanted to see him, I did not want to spend most of my only day off in London in a library.) After the panel, I went to the table where a bookseller was selling new SF books. I bought _The Leaky Establishment_ by David Langford. I found David Langford talking to one of the librarians and asked if he would please autograph the book for me. While he was signing it, the librarian said, "We have the L. Ron Hubbard book in the used bin. Maybe if you do your L. Ron Hubbard autograph in it, some poor sucker will buy the book!" She hurried to the bin while I started digging in the bag to get out the book. She came back and said, "Oh dear, somebody has already bought it."

I finally was able to get the book out of my bag and said, "That is OK. I am the poor sucker who bought it." I then asked David Langford if he would autograph it for me.

He said, "Are you sure? It will be a bit frivolous."

I said, "Of course! It will make it worth carrying back home."

He signed it, "In memory of our one forbidden night of ecstasy, L. Ron Squigglesquiggle."

I left the library and continued walking around London, carrying a very heavy bag of books. I was able to pack all of my purchases in my luggage except for _Battlefield Earth_. I carried it on the plane as my book to read. It was the perfect book for falling asleep on the plane.  The book is deliberately misshelved in our library. It stays next to _The Leaky Establishment_, a book I had more fun reading. 
Anna


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## CS

What an awesome story, Annlog. Thank you so much for sharing.

Funny you should mention David Langford. I bought his short story "Hearing Aid" for the Kindle and quite liked it (I even reviewed it here).

Which other books/short stories of his would you recommend?


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## Annalog

CS said:


> What an awesome story, Annalog. Thank you so much for sharing.
> 
> Funny you should mention David Langford. I bought his short story "Hearing Aid" for the Kindle and quite liked it (I even reviewed it here).
> 
> Which other books/short stories of his would you recommend?


Other than _The Leaky Establishment_, most of what I have read of his has been short stories. Unfortunately I am currently far from home and cannot check my library. Most of what I read of his was more than 10 years ago. That is one reason why I was glad to be reminded of David Langford. I need to go looking for his stuff again.

During my dash through Charing Cross Road I looked for books by Brian Aldiss or containing stories of his. One of the used books I bought for that reason also contained a short story by David Langford. That story was completly different in tone (much darker) than the book. While I do not remember the name, I do remember that I liked it very much.

EDIT: Thanks for reminding me that I had wanted to buy "Hearing Aid" when I had a gift card balance. I just tried but my gift card balance is "Unavailable". Does this mean that Amazon is getting ready to charge my credit card and use the rest of my gift card balance? My order status is still the same. (Not so eagerly waiting even though I won't be home to get my Kindle.)


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## Good Old Neon

Denis Johnson's _Fiskodaro_ is a lyrical, haunting exploration of one groups attempt to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Unfortunately, it is not available on the Kindle as of yet, but don't let that deter you.

The New York Times describes it thusly:

"Wildly ambitious. . .the sort of book that a young Herman Melville might have written had he lived today and studied such disparate works as the Bible, 'The Wasteland,' Farenheit 451 and Dog Soldiers, screened Star Wars and Apocalypse Now several times, dropped a lot of acid and listened to hours of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. . . . Its strange, hallucinatory vision of America and modern history is never less than compelling." -- New York Times

Mathew Sharpe's apocalyptic _Jamestown_ covers similar ground, and well worth a visit.


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## CS

Annalog said:


> Other than _The Leaky Establishment_, most of what I have read of his has been short stories. Unfortunately I am currently far from home and cannot check my library. Most of what I read of his was more than 10 years ago. That is one reason why I was glad to be reminded of David Langford. I need to go looking for his stuff again.
> 
> During my dash through Charing Cross Road I looked for books by Brian Aldiss or containing stories of his. One of the used books I bought for that reason also contained a short story by David Langford. That story was completly different in tone (much darker) than the book. While I do not remember the name, I do remember that I liked it very much.


The Leaky Establishment does not appear to be on the Kindle.  If you could look through your shelf for the other short stories of Langford's that you recommend (including the one in the Aldiss book), it would be very much appreciated. I know Langford has several other short stories on Kindle.



> EDIT: Thanks for reminding me that I had wanted to buy "Hearing Aid" when I had a gift card balance. I just tried but my gift card balance is "Unavailable". Does this mean that Amazon is getting ready to charge my credit card and use the rest of my gift card balance? My order status is still the same. (Not so eagerly waiting even though I won't be home to get my Kindle.)


I'm not sure. That's never happened to me before. I just looked at my gift card balance now, and it's showing up okay for me. If you're still having this issue, contact Amazon customer service ASAP. It doesn't sound normal.


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## Daisysmama

Bacardi Jim said:


> Mow you're going to offer me a free "stress test," aren't you?
> 
> *backs away slowly*


No, I am not a fan of Scientology AT ALL!! I hesitated to mention this book because of the connection and this is the only book I have read by this author, but still feel it is a good read. And no, I did not get any "Scientology" feel from it.

Guess I'll keep my suggestions/opinions to myself from now on so as to not stress anyone out.


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## marianneg

Daisysmama said:


> Guess I'll keep my suggestions/opinions to myself from now on so as to not stress anyone out.


Daisysmama, Bacardi Jim is our self-appointed, equal-opportunity dry-wit. I'm sure he was just fooling around as usual; no need to be offended.


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## Guest

marianner said:


> Daisysmama, Bacardi Jim is our self-appointed, equal-opportunity dry-wit. I'm sure he was just fooling around as usual; no need to be offended.


What she said.


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## ljloula

Pencepon said:


> I'm pretty sure these are not available in ebook form and probably won't be for some time, but they have stuck in my mind for 45 years or so! - all the books by John Christopher. Most of his plots are about global disasters and how people cope (or fail to cope) with the aftermath.
> 
> _A Wrinkle in the Skin,_ in which global earthquakes cause a massive restructure of the earth's surface (land and seas changing places, etc.)


Thanks for recommending this author. I'm about half through the DTB ~ I'm enjoying following this thread and finding some new titles I haven't read. And some old favs.

S.M. Stirling's "Dies the Fire" still isn't available on Kindle. Which I've noted in the yahoo group. Also clicking on Amazon and wrote the publisher.

I bought Canticle for Leibowitz in high school and re-read occasionally. I thought Oyrx & Crake was good.


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## Guest

Last year I hunted down used copies of John Christopher's YA "Tripods" series and enjoyed them every bit as much as I did when I read them at age 10.


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## Chad Winters

Bacardi Jim said:


> Last year I hunted down used copies of John Christopher's YA "Tripods" series and enjoyed them every bit as much as I did when I read them at age 10.


Oh I LOVED those when I was a kid!! I wish Amazon would start puttting out of print backlist books like those on the store!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

Chad Winters said:


> Oh I LOVED those when I was a kid!! I wish Amazon would start puttting out of print backlist books like those on the store!


According to Jeff Bezos, Amazon would be happy to sell out of print books. Unfortunately, they can't make a unilateral decision to do so, someone has to get the rights and publish them. Most of the books I want on the Kindle fall into this category. 

Mike


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## starryskyz

+1 for Oryx and Crake - it's one of my favourite Margaret Atwood novels!


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## eyespy

I like David Wellington's trilogy Monster Island, Monster Nation and Monster Planet. Zombies wiping everyone out and the survivors, well, trying to survive....


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## dsalerni

I am currently reading a zombie book for POD Book Reviews and More. I'm not sure how much I like it or whether or not I can recommend it yet, but of course you can sample it and judge for yourself. (Or wait a week, and I'll have a review written for it):


I have also heard good things about this zombie book, although I have not read it myself:


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## Chris

I was over at the Amazon site looking for a book and ran across this listmania list that is apocalyptic books... I remembered this thread and thought I would add it to the list:

http://www.amazon.com/Post-Apocalyptic-Fiction-on-Kindle/lm/R1AWC1K9J0OAP9/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_4_rlrsrs0

Chris


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## pomlover2586

If I remember the Bible has a chapter about this..............


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## Rasputina

The Emberverse ( The Change) series by S M Stirling is available on kindle now, you can read the first 5 books, others upcoming aren't published yet. His other books are also available.

Dies the Fire
The Protectors War
Meeting at Corvallis
The Sunrise Lands
The Scourge of God

I'm reading book 1 and love it.


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## danfan

Love this thread!! End of the world stuff is my favorite genre too. Can't get enough, although I think The Stand and Swan Song are up there amongst the very best.

Some others I like: 
Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham is excellent



The Host by Stephenie Meyer is one of my faves of the year. Alien invasion but from a very different point of view


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## pidgeon92

Just read this one last month.... Really creepy. Pretty gory too, you've got to have a stomach for it.


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## RavenclawPrefect

Wow, I am really surprised that no one has mentioned 


I first read this in junior high (long before they were middle schools) and I still pull it out to read again. It is about one small town in Florida and how they survive/deal with the aftermath of nuclear war. It was written in 1959, is a quick read but worth it. It ranks high in my list of books to own in DTB format. I think I have at least 2 ratty copies at the moment


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## VondaZ

I haven't read it yet, but The Suicide Collectors is on my "Plan To Read" list.



Vonda


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## auntmarge

There's an extensive list at LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/topic/10297

I've especially enjoyed

 One of my favorite all-time books, not yet available for Kindle.

 Also not available for Kindle, but a wonderful book - and movie.

 $4.79 on Kindle, a classic (also a film....) Wyndham wrote several other interesting post-apocalyptic books, including 
 and 
 but neither of these are available for Kindle yet

 bleak but extremely effective

 quite unexpected and a whale of a ride

And this ebook from BeWrite Books: The End of Science Fiction, which is technically a pre-apocalyptic story, but really gripping:
http://www.bewrite.net/merchant2/4.00/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=1-904492-71-1&Category_Code=SCIFI 
Here is my 4-star review:
_Two determined detectives proceed with a murder investigation while humanity reacts in varying ways to the expected end of the universe. Not giving anything away in this review! - much of the tension is engendered by whether, in fact, the predicted calamity will actually happen. Thought-provoking, and very well-written._


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## boydm

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is one of my favorite thrillers. I can't recommend it highly enough, and I'm not a zombie movie buff.


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## ljloula

Thanks for continuing to add to this list. I just picked up some samples.


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## Ephany

boydm said:


> World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is one of my favorite thrillers. I can't recommend it highly enough, and I'm not a zombie movie buff.


I just finished this and and I totally agree. It's a great book; it's so nice to finish a book and not feel gypped. Very much recommended!


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## NogDog

Sorry if this is a duplicate, but I didn't see it:







_Earth Abides_ by George R. Stewart (does not appear to have any e-book availability)


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## askenase13

I love this thread.  I've always enjoyed these books, especially those that are not too Sci Fi.  Anyway, from memory, a few favorites-
1)  When Worlds Collide and After worlds Collide- Phillip Wylie (earth to be hit by an asteroid and everyone flees to another planet to survive).

2) Alas Babylon- I remember that I enjoyed it.

3)  The HAB Theory- Allan Eckert.  Science research determines that every 10,000 years or so, the earth flips on its axis (like a top) and this is about to happen.,  Mankind has to save its treasures and knowledge.  Very good, I read it twice.

It doesn't appear that any are on the kindle, but the Wylie books may be in thepublic domain.


----------



## marianneg

askenase13 said:


> I love this thread. I've always enjoyed these books, especially those that are not too Sci Fi. Anyway, from memory, a few favorites-
> 1) When Worlds Collide and After worlds Collide- Phillip Wylie (earth to be hit by an asteroid and everyone flees to another planet to survive).
> 
> It doesn't appear that any are on the kindle, but the Wylie books may be in thepublic domain.


Probably not. He just died in 1971, and those books were written in 1933 and 1934, so past the 1929 cutoff.


----------



## Esther

While browsing at Borders this weekend I came upon "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson. Written in 1954, it's an end of the world, (horror) vampire book that I just couldn't put down. I haven't seen the movie ... yet. But when I got home, I searched Amazon and found that it is not available for the Kindle. 

So, if you want to help get this on the Kindle...come here to click:


----------



## Esther

Also, would like to add Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban:


This one is a bit hard to read at first because it's written in the dialect of the future post-apocalyptic world. And it's hard to find in DTB version. It's also not available on the Kindle.


----------



## NogDog

Another one I just thought of that does not appear to be on this list is _Damnation Alley_ by Roger Zelazny. Unfortunately it appears to not be in print at all at the moment, including e-book versions. It's probably not the best of Zelazny, which just makes it quite good instead of great, and it was eventually made into a mediocre, low-budget movie that did not do the book justice (but that's usually the case, right?) The book was also used as a sort of setting and jumping-off point for Walter John Williams' _Hardwired_, considered by many to be, along with Gibson's _Neuromancer_, one of the founding books of the "cyberpunk" sub-genre.


----------



## danfan

Esther said:


> While browsing at Borders this weekend I came upon "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson. Written in 1954, it's an end of the world, (horror) vampire book that I just couldn't put down. I haven't seen the movie ... yet. But when I got home, I searched Amazon and found that it is not available for the Kindle.
> 
> So, if you want to help get this on the Kindle...come here to click:


_I Am Legend_ is a great book, but the movie is very different. Don't get me wrong, the movie is great (IMO) but if you watch it, don't expect the same story as it doesn't follow the book remotely. I had to watch it and forget the book's storyline completely.


----------



## Scheherazade

I can't believe nobody has posted this one! ... okay, maybe they haven't because it isn't Kindle, but it's still worth going back to a DTB for!


----------



## NogDog

Scheherazade said:


> I can't believe nobody has posted this one! ... okay, maybe they haven't because it isn't Kindle, but it's still worth going back to a DTB for!


Not sure whether or not I would classify that as and end-of-the-world book since


Spoiler



the apocalypse never actually occurs


. However, it is one of my all-time favorites and _definitely_ worth a read.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Not available for Kindle and the price ranges from $3.45 to $198.11. I think the reason for this is the book was issued with alternate endings; one where everyone dies and the other where there are survivors. I happened to get the one with survivors and only found out about the alternate ending a year ago.

What is really surprising is how many books have this same name with different authors.


----------



## LoneStarJeffe

My two favorites:

"Level 7" by Mordecai Roshwald. It is a first person account of a soldier of an unamed country who goes underground in a bomb shelter. There are 7 types of bomb shelters, each level deeper then the previous. The deepest is level 7. Nuclear war breaks out and radiation begins seeping downward destroying level after level until only Level 7 is left. And then...

"Triumph" by Phillip Wylie. If Bill Gates ever built a bomb shelter, it would be like the one in this book. Are they they last survivors in America following a massive nuclear attack? Will they survive? 

Cheers,

LoneStarJeffe


----------



## stormhawk

Jerry Ahern's The Survivalist Series is among my favorites, but is only available as DTBs.

I second the suggestions for Canticle for Leibowitz and Alas, Babylon.


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

LoneStarJeffe said:


> My two favorites:
> 
> "Level 7" by Mordecai Roshwald. It is a first person account of a soldier of an unamed country who goes underground in a bomb shelter. There are 7 types of bomb shelters, each level deeper then the previous. The deepest is level 7. Nuclear war breaks out and radiation begins seeping downward destroying level after level until only Level 7 is left. And then...
> 
> "Triumph" by Phillip Wylie. If Bill Gates ever built a bomb shelter, it would be like the one in this book. Are they they last survivors in America following a massive nuclear attack? Will they survive?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Those books sound like my kind of "end of the world" books. I like to read about things that could actually come true...zombies and vampires do nothing for me. Reality can be the scariest thing of all. I wish they were on Kindle.
> 
> LoneStarJeffe


----------



## danfan

Scheherazade said:


> I can't believe nobody has posted this one! ... okay, maybe they haven't because it isn't Kindle, but it's still worth going back to a DTB for!


I love that book! But any Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett collaboration has to be a winner!


----------



## NogDog

danfan said:


> I love that book! But any Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett collaboration has to be a winner!


I'm hoping it comes out on Kindle soon, as a couple years ago I lent my paper copy to someone who apparently lost it.


----------



## boydm

I haven't read it, but One Second After by William Forstchen has been getting great reviews on Amazon. It's the story about what happens after an electromagnetic pulse destroys all the electronics in the US.

For some reason, Link Maker can't find it, so here's the link: 








_--image link added. Betsy_


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

boydm said:


> I haven't read it, but One Second After by William Forstchen has been getting great reviews on Amazon. It's the story about what happens after an electromagnetic pulse destroys all the electronics in the US.
> 
> For some reason, Link Maker can't find it, so here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After/dp/B0027CSN5I/ref=pd_ts_kinc_19?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text


I bought that one earlier this week. So many books...so little time.


----------



## MichaelS

Has 2012 been mentioned? I did not read all of the replies.


----------



## Tris

I thought that I was alone in wanting to read Swan Song, and was rather bummed to see it wasn't on Kindle form as I never got to really read a lot of the book.  However I recently read on the author's website that it will be in ebook form (he doesn't know which format) in November 2009.  So I'm TRYING to be patient until then...

I hope this helps some people.

Tris


----------



## suicidepact

Chobitz, I don't know if you're still looking for some of these types of books, but I wanted to throw in my two cents. It's either a short story or novella called "A Boy His Dog" by Harlan Ellison. He is one of my favorite authors (if not my favorite) and this story concerns a boy, Vic, and his dog, Blood, in a post apocalyptic United States. I'll look for a link to the book, but right now you will probably only find the story in a compilation of Ellison's other work. I'll also note that they did make a decent movie of this story in the eighties (I think) starring a very young Don Johnson, but you shouldn't let that sway your opinion. If I remember, Ellison wrote a few other short stories about Vic and Blood, which I think were called "Vic And Blood." Now to find a link..


----------



## SusieQ

Tris said:


> I thought that I was alone in wanting to read Swan Song, and was rather bummed to see it wasn't on Kindle form as I never got to really read a lot of the book. However I recently read on the author's website that it will be in ebook form (he doesn't know which format) in November 2009. So I'm TRYING to be patient until then...
> 
> I hope this helps some people.
> 
> Tris


Tris, you just made my day! This ranks right up there with The Stand as 2 of my favorites!!! Right now anxiously awaiting either of them!!!

Susie


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

Swan Song was wonderful!


----------



## Scheherazade

I have to agree with Swan Song, and I don't even typically go for these types of books.


----------



## koland

suicidepact said:


> Chobitz, I don't know if you're still looking for some of these types of books, but I wanted to throw in my two cents. It's either a short story or novella called "A Boy His Dog" by Harlan Ellison. He is one of my favorite authors (if not my favorite) and this story concerns a boy, Vic, and his dog, Blood, in a post apocalyptic United States. I'll look for a link to the book, but right now you will probably only find the story in a compilation of Ellison's other work. I'll also note that they did make a decent movie of this story in the eighties (I think) starring a very young Don Johnson, but you shouldn't let that sway your opinion. If I remember, Ellison wrote a few other short stories about Vic and Blood, which I think were called "Vic And Blood." Now to find a link..


Fictionwise has this volume (Vic And Blood) in multi-format (works on Kindle) and it is currently 30% off. Has both short stories mentioned.


----------



## suicidepact

Great news, koland. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## danfan

Tris said:


> I thought that I was alone in wanting to read Swan Song, and was rather bummed to see it wasn't on Kindle form as I never got to really read a lot of the book. However I recently read on the author's website that it will be in ebook form (he doesn't know which format) in November 2009. So I'm TRYING to be patient until then...
> 
> I hope this helps some people.
> 
> Tris


thanks Tris. I've been clicking the Kindle request for Swan Song over and over. I'll give it a rest now then!


----------



## jason10mm

A rather obscure but FANTASTIC one is "Emergence". Written with a lot of shorthand as the protagonist is a genius child who survives, but still very good. I had thought the author (David Palmer) was dead for some time as his only other work is the equally stunning Threshold, but apparently he, or someone claiming to be him, is writting a sequel to Emergence. Anyway, used copies are all that is available, but hopefully an e-book verios will find its way out there.


----------



## Gregor

boydm said:


> I haven't read it, but One Second After by William Forstchen has been getting great reviews on Amazon. It's the story about what happens after an electromagnetic pulse destroys all the electronics in the US.
> 
> For some reason, Link Maker can't find it, so here's the link:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _--image link added. Betsy_


Read it last week. Awesome read, and quite realistic.


----------



## Tris

You know what I forgot in my previous post, the author's website. So just incase if people want to know about Swan Song, here it is: http://www.robertmccammon.com. People might still want to click on the request link on Amazon though, as it will come out on Kindle form .

Tris


----------



## Augurin

I'm really impressed with many of the recommendations here. In particularl I'm a big fan of _No Blade of Grass_ and _I am Legend_. A couple more I'd recommend are:

The Postman by David Brin -- So much better than the tepid movie based on the book
The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley -- a different sort of post-appocolypse book

There's also The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K. Dick, which is not really post-appocolyptic but more of an alternate history where the Allies lost WWII.

Unfortunately, none of the three are available for Kindle...


----------



## WalterK

Yes, *The Postman* by David Brin is a good title in the Post-Apocalypse genre. I wish Brin had better representation on Kindle.

The wonderful



is available on Kindle.

- Walter.


----------



## Sporadic

chobitz said:


> Apocalyptic, end of world etc is one of my favorite genres and I am sorely lacking of any on my kindle. I don't mind if its Christian based as long as its more plot than preachy.
> 
> I've read The Stand (of course), Swan Song (DTB), The Christ Clone series,Servants of the Twilight(DTB) The Road, Childhood's End and of course The Left Behind series.
> 
> I don't care if its viral, biblical or nuclear I just really like the whole civilization trying to survive plot.
> 
> Oh and it doesn't matter if it has a happy or tragic ending.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions?


It's not on the Kindle but track down a copy of Judgement Day (also known as Millennium Rising) by Jane Jensen

http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Day-Jane-Jensen/dp/0345430352

http://www.amazon.com/Millennium-Rising-Jane-Jensen/dp/0345430344

I read it a few years ago and was pretty impressed with it.


----------



## akpak

Also not on Kindle, and I read it as a kid:

Z for Zachariah. Story of the "last" survivor of a nuclear war. Amazing story.


----------



## r0b0d0c

boydm said:


> I haven't read it, but One Second After by William Forstchen has been getting great reviews on Amazon. It's the story about what happens after an electromagnetic pulse destroys all the electronics in the US.
> 
> For some reason, Link Maker can't find it, so here's the link:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _--image link added. Betsy_


This was a real "can't-put-it-down" EOTW book! Well researched, well written, and with events unfolding in Iran and North Korea, frighteningly possible. Best of the genre I've read!


----------



## ljloula

I read the DTB and thought it was a pretty good read. 

Someone else mentioned The Postman by David Brin. Don't let the movie turn you off, it's one of my fav EOTW books. I keep clicking to get a Kindle version and have written the publisher.


----------



## ljloula

This is a free download from Cory Doctorow's Overclocked, which is a collection of short stories. When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth is EOTW-ish and the Mobipocket version is available here. http://craphound.com/overclocked/download/


----------



## suicidepact

Great recommendation, ljloula. I'm a big fan his, and forgot about this one! He releases quite a bit of his stuff (if not all) in free ebook formats. He's a big supporter of ebooks, and believes that free ebooks lead to people paying for the DTB version.


----------



## jrector

The Day of the Triffids is one of the best in the genre, IMO.


----------



## imon32red

chobitz said:


> Apocalyptic, end of world etc is one of my favorite genres and I am sorely lacking of any on my kindle. I don't mind if its Christian based as long as its more plot than preachy.
> 
> I've read The Stand (of course), Swan Song (DTB), The Christ Clone series,Servants of the Twilight(DTB) The Road, Childhood's End and of course The Left Behind series.
> 
> I don't care if its viral, biblical or nuclear I just really like the whole civilization trying to survive plot.
> 
> Oh and it doesn't matter if it has a happy or tragic ending.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions?


How about Battlefield Earth. It is one of my all time favorite books and it fits what you are looking for. By the way if you have seen the movie, it is nothing like it. I had family that was really excited when the movie came out and went to the first showing. They ended up walking out, so I decided not to watch it.


----------



## summerperk

I've been lurking for some time, but can't resist posting to this thread since this is one of my favorite genres. Just finished reading "One Second After," and really liked it.  One of my all time favorites is "Earth Abides" by George Stewart.  It's about a man that goes up into the hills, becomes ill, and when he recovers and returns to civilization finds much of the population wiped out.  He then sets out across America looking for survivors.  It's an older book, but a great one.
One book I read many years ago and would love to reread or read others by the author I cannot remember the title or author of.  It has a great premise:  Each day the night becomes a little bit longer until the earth is plunged into total darkness.  It was a good read.  Does it sound familiar to anyone??  Have had it on my mind for years now!  The hardback cover showed the sun being blocked by a shadow.


----------



## danfan

summerperk said:


> One book I read many years ago and would love to reread or read others by the author I cannot remember the title or author of. It has a great premise: Each day the night becomes a little bit longer until the earth is plunged into total darkness. It was a good read. Does it sound familiar to anyone?? Have had it on my mind for years now! The hardback cover showed the sun being blocked by a shadow.


That sounds interesting. B&N and Amazon search comes up with "Dark Is the Sun" by Philip Jose Farmer but the cover is not at all similar.


----------



## Geemont

summerperk said:


> It has a great premise: Each day the night becomes a little bit longer until the earth is plunged into total darkness. It was a good read. Does it sound familiar to anyone?? Have had it on my mind for years now! The hardback cover showed the sun being blocked by a shadow.


Nightworld by F. Paul Wilson. It is currently out of print. Also, be warned, it is a horror novel with large, hungry monsters, and may not be to everyone's tastes.

It is the third book in a trilogy after _Reborn_ and _Reprisal, or the sixth book in a cycle if you want to include the secondary characters drawn in from three other books: The Keep, The Tomb, and The Touch._


----------



## summerperk

Hmm, I don't remember the whole good vs evil and large, hungry monster part of a trilogy scenario, but the description of the day getting shorter is accurate.  Will have to look for that one and "Dark is the Sun" at the library and see if either of them are it!  Thank you!!  I would be so happy if I found it again, mainly so it will quite bugging me that I can't remember!


----------



## kathygnome

> I have also heard good things about this zombie book, although I have not read it myself:




I've read the first book in the series and while it fits more or less into the pulp category, it's well done especially compared to some of the zombie dreck out there from small publishers. She certainly knows how to write a good hook--she had me in the first 20 words. It's based on the modern Dawn of the Dead universe with fast zombies. It tends towards an action-romance genre, which I prefer to the men's adventure military zombie side of the genre.

I would also recommend



The author is a theologian and brings a spiritual (non-sectarian) and emotional look at the genre. Like As the World Dies, this is a publication from a tiny press. The plot is occasionally predictable, but it presents some real moments of human horror--not the dead shuffling around and such--but moral and spiritual horror at the reality of the characters lives and the choices they make.

Someone else recommend it and I also cannot recommend WW-Z enough



There is so much to this book. It's incredibly well written. It's an action adventure story. It's an analysis of the human condition. It's a political satire. And it's a lot more. The audio version is fully cast and very well done. Supposedly they're doing a movie starring Brad Pitt and a script by J Michael Straczinsky.


----------



## Scheherazade

I completely forgot about this book but I remember it being really good... but unfortunately it seems out of print and not available for Kindle. Interestingly there's a new link up for it saying it hasn't been released yet, so maybe there'll be a rerelease with a Kindle edition!


----------



## ljloula

It's supposed to be re-released in November I believe ~ it was mentioned earlier on the thread. I've never read it and am definitely planning on picking it up when available.


----------



## jaspertyler

Did anyone else find One Second After to be the scariest thing they ever read?  That book truly bothers me!


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

jaspertyler said:


> Did anyone else find One Second After to be the scariest thing they ever read? That book truly bothers me!


I am reading it now and want to shout to our leaders to prepare for this. It is truly horrifying!


----------



## jaspertyler

I agree with you.  I have nightmares about it.  My husband has since gone out and bought a bunch of stuff to prepare for an EMP.  He is into all that stuff though and I think liked the opportunity to be all "survivalist" because the book scared me so much


----------



## r0b0d0c

jaspertyler said:


> I agree with you. I have nightmares about it. My husband has since gone out and bought a bunch of stuff to prepare for an EMP. He is into all that stuff though and I think liked the opportunity to be all "survivalist" because the book scared me so much


The whole EMP topic has fascinated me for years, having several family members who have engineering degrees, and several others in the military. The scary thing is that there is essentially NOTHING that one CAN do to prepare - if all electronic items ceased to function, civilization (including capabilities in power, food, medicine, transportation, etc.) would collapse in a very short time, and any humanity in the area involved would be left to primitively fend for themselves.

"One Second After" is the most realistic and frightening EOTW novel I've ever read.


----------



## akpak

I got on a survivalist kick last fall, and did some planning. I've now got a storage tub in my garage with a bunch of gear, food, etc in case of some kind of emergencies. Zombies? I'm ready.

While I was researching what kinds of supplies to lay in, I found this post from someone who survived the 2001 collapse in Argentina. Very interesting reading. The author now has a blog at http://ferfal.blogspot.com/

So if you want to read thoughts from a real-life survivor, he's a great resource.


----------



## Kevis Hendrickson

The title of this book says it all. Need I say more?


----------



## NogDog

I think this may have been made available for Kindle fairly recently:



This is probably not for you if all you want is an apocalyptic action/adventure thriller, but more if you're ready to have some difficult questions raised (and have to answer them yourself), not at all dissimilar to _A Canticle for Lebowitz_.


----------



## geneven

The best apocalyptic end of the world book ever is Riddley Walker, by Russel Hoban. I believe I saw it in a Kindle version.

By the way, I re-watched On the Beach recently, and it was powerful, but the acting is strange.


----------



## Keith Melton

chobitz said:


> Apocalyptic, end of world etc is one of my favorite genres and I am sorely lacking of any on my kindle. I don't mind if its Christian based as long as its more plot than preachy.
> 
> I've read The Stand (of course), Swan Song (DTB), The Christ Clone series,Servants of the Twilight(DTB) The Road, Childhood's End and of course The Left Behind series.
> 
> I don't care if its viral, biblical or nuclear I just really like the whole civilization trying to survive plot.
> 
> Oh and it doesn't matter if it has a happy or tragic ending.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions?


Harlan Ellison's novella "A Boy and His Dog" fits most of your criteria...except that it's not available for the Kindle.  It's worth hunting down, however. Fair warning--it's extremely dark, but Ellison is a great writer.

(Edited to add) Oops, didn't see it had already been mentioned by suicidepact and koland. A salute to their good taste. ^_^


----------



## Javoedge

Hey, this is right up my neck of the woods! Here are my two favorites that I haven't heard echoed in the thread. For some reason, LinkMaker wasn't able to find these books so I coded them below.

1. 
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Kindle Edition) by Carrie Ryan 
Even if it's YA, I found the language to be written quite sparing and as an adult enjoyed it quite much. Think of it as a cross between The Village meets The Road. 
The book begins seven generations after the Return, an undead plague that has ended civilization as we know it. The novel's heroine, Mary, lives in a village surrounded by one last vestige of industrial technology: a chain-link fence, beyond which is a vast forest full of shambling, eternally ravenous undead--the forest of hands and teeth. No villager ever goes outside this fence, unless they want to die. (And given this bleak scenario, some do.)

2. 
World War Z (Kindle Edition) by Max Brooks 
Complete page turner (especially if you love Zombies). "Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world." New York Times best seller.


----------



## r0b0d0c

geneven said:


> The best apocalyptic end of the world book ever is Riddley Walker, by Russel Hoban. I believe I saw it in a Kindle version.
> 
> By the way, I re-watched On the Beach recently, and it was powerful, but the acting is strange.


I found only DTB versions of Riddley Walker - do you have a link?


----------



## Javoedge

Adding to this End of the World riff:


Read it, fast read. It's 1 out of a soon to be Trilogy. From Amazon: "The first of a trilogy, The Strain is everything you want from a horror novel--dark, bloody, and packed full of mayhem and mythology. But, be forewarned, these are not like any vampires you've met before--they're not sexy or star-crossed or "vegetarians"--they are hungry, they are connected, and they are multiplying. The vampire virus marches its way across New York, and all that stands between us and a grotesque end are a couple of scientists, an old man with a decades-old vendetta, and a young boy. This first installment moves fast and sets up the major players, counting down to the beginning of the end. Great summer reading. --Daphne Durham"

I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Classic book. Crappy movie. Please disregard Will Smith.


----------



## geneven

Sorry, I must have misunderstood something I saw -- I can't find Riddley Walker for the Kindle.


----------



## DYB

Cormac McCarthy's "The Road," which is available for Kindle.


----------



## DL_Snell

First, let me say that one of my publishers Permuted Press publishes nothing but post-apocalyptic novels and anthologies. They put out a lot of great stuff, both in paperback and on the Kindle.

Second, I highly recommend the work of author Joe McKinney. I've had the pleasure of critiquing his upcoming novel Apocalypse of the Dead, which is in the epic tradition of Swan Song and The Stand; no Kindle link yet, but expect one to appear around the book's release Nov 2010.


----------



## Chad Winters

I have been reading the Vampire Earth series (Earth invaded by vampire like aliens with human resistance fighters)
It has been very good so far and the publisher (ROC) is smart and has the first ebook at $2!

http://www.amazon.com/Way-of-The-Wolf-ebook/dp/B001ODO5YO/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1269143459&sr=8-1


----------



## PG4003 (Patricia)

chobitz said:


> Thanks everyone!
> 
> I guess I should say I have read ALL of King's works so yep I read The Cell. Oh and yeah I found the last few Left Behind book way too preachy but I skipped those parts
> 
> Jim I sent a sample of that second book because it looked really good. I also have read its a classic in this genre but didn't want to get the DTB version.
> 
> I was hoping :
> 
> 
> 
> was kindled but it isn't. I use to love the movie.


Are you in another country? I bought On the Beach in Kindle form.

http://www.amazon.com/On-the-Beach-ebook/dp/B0035JEPAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1269259922&sr=1-1


----------



## Thalia the Muse

If you'll settle for "End of civilization as we know it" instead of the world per se:











I can't recommend this one enough -- a lovely book.











Haven't read this one, but I have heard good things.

One of the best "end of the world" books I've ever read is Golden Days, by Carolyn See -- but it's not Kindleized. 

_--- made pics clickable_


----------



## ljloula

Have read the 2nd one you listed.

Very happy that below is finally offered in Kindle version. Trust me, the book is better than the movie. 

The Postman (Bantam Classics)


----------



## pawsplus

starryskyz said:


> +1 for Oryx and Crake - it's one of my favourite Margaret Atwood novels!


Be sure to read The Year of the Flood, as well (some of the same folks).


----------



## pawsplus

Someone may have mentioned these already, but . . . they are young adult novels but well-written and hard to put down. It's a triology (2 are in Kindle format--hopefully #3 will be soon). They are really quite compelling.

#1  #2 

#3


----------



## jaspertyler

Here is one that I am reading now that I am enjoying  I like Zombie like creatures


----------



## suicidepact

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but this one seems interesting: http://www.amazon.com/Go-Go-Girls-Apocalypse-Novel-ebook/dp/B001ANUPKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1269826335&sr=1-1


----------



## Silver

I just checked out this thread and downloaded some interesting looking samples. I would like to recommend _The Sleep of the Gods._ I'm enjoying this one a lot. I'm not quite finished with it, but if it holds up to the end <fingers crossed> it's a well written and interesting end-of-the-worlder. Also, very reasonably priced.


----------



## L.J. Sellers novelist

The Tomorrow File by Lawrence Sanders is a great futuristic thriller. It's not exactly "end of the world" but a detailed view of a very changed world. And Sanders is a terrific writer.


----------



## ljloula

Thanks for the recommendation. Will get that from the library sometimes since it's not available on Kindle yet.


----------



## maryannaevans

The three post-apocalyptic novels that came to my mind first have already been mentioned--_A Canticle for Leibowitz_ (although maybe that was a novella?), _The Postman_, and _Alas, Babylon_.

Of the three, I think _Leibowitz_ is a literary gem.

I remember the first half of _The Postman_, which I believe was originally published as at least two stand-alone shorter pieces, as being wonderful, but I thought the second half devolved into too much warfare relative to the storyline. But the ideal warfare:storyline ratio varies from reader to reader.

_Alas, Babylon_ is a great read, and it was especially fun for me because I live maybe an hour from its central Florida setting. I was reviewing sections of it recently, preparing to teach a writing class that was part of a Floridiana workshop. I also reviewed passages from several other books with Florida settings, and I could tell by the landmarks mentioned that _Babylon_ is set very near an even more famous, and very different, book: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' _The Yearling_. The Gregory Peck movie of _The Yearling_ was filmed in the same general area, so watching that movie gives you a sense of the settings of two good books.

I don't think James Morrow's _This is the Way the World Ends_ has been mentioned yet. I do not think a bleaker or more depressing novel has ever been written, and that's a strong statement in a thread about the end of the world as we know it.

And there's a post-apocalyptic short story that I love by Fritz Leiber, called "A Pail of Air." I believe the set-up is that a rogue dark star has snatched Earth from its orbit around the sun, and the narrator's family has been living alone for years in a jury-rigged "nest" built by his scientist father. It's _far_ more cheerful that the Morrow book, trust me.


----------



## Cliff Ball

Can authors plug their own work? Well, here goes:

I wrote a novel where it's practically the end of humanity as we know it, but, that's the last chapter. The rest of it, you'll just have to read to get to there  It's on Kindle and Smashwords and it's called _Don't Mess With Earth_ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/12126 (I have no idea how to do the linkmaker or picture thing)

As for other books, I agree about the _Postman_. There's also a series of books by S.M. Stirling about technology suddenly stops working and the survivors build up a world around medievel ideas, Renaissance Faire kind of stuff. The main character is all mystical and stuff. Has to fight various baddies, one group is demons, another are cannibals, or men who have a dictatorship. He goes all the way to Nantucket from Oregon, which is where the series is currently at....


----------



## The Hooded Claw

Dean Ing wrote a book called "Pulling Through" back in Cold War days, about a few people surviving a nuclear attack, and using some improvised stuff to improve their chances (such as air filters made from cardboard boxes and toilet paper, and a home made radiation meter). The improvised stuff wasn't just vaporware, it was taken from a totally serious book on such things written by Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists. Pulling Through acknowledged the debt, and reprinted some of the Oak Ridge stuff behind the fiction book. I suppose it is because of that information that Pulling Through is commanding absurd prices in used form on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pulling-Through-Dean-Ing/dp/0441690513/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271298835&sr=8-11

If you really want to read the nonfiction stuff from the boys at Oak Ridge, you can download the home made fallout meter instructions for FREE online here:

http://www.uraniumminerals.com/UTh/Trinitite/ORNL-5040.pdf

(this should work, and these guys were totally serious--The meter will work if you build it properly).

Amazon will sell you the whole set of research reports written by these guys, toilet paper fallout filter and all, for $19.95. I tried to use the linkmaker, but it didn't work. So go here:

http://www.amazon.com/Nuclear-War-Survival-Skills-Expanded/dp/094248701X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271299144&sr=1-1

Buy it if you want to read the nonfiction version of the end of the world.....


----------



## MariaESchneider

This really isn't end of the world, but it's a look into a possible future and it's short--and FREE. I came across it a while back and really enjoyed it.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1975

It's worth a read just for the chuckle factor. Some political themes, but it's sci/fi, not a lecture. He could sell this one; it's good enough.


----------



## ljloula

Keep 'em coming ~ I keep finding out about new things! Just finished The Tomorrow File that was recommended on this thread. Thought that was an interesting read.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

cliffball said:


> Can authors plug their own work? Well, here goes:


Um. . . . .no. 

At least, not outside the Book Bazaar.

But, hey if you don't have a thread in the Book Bazaar, go start one! And read Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.msg75.html#msg75 to get all the details of what we allow and what we discourage.


----------



## WilliamM

this one was good too...although its more miltary...


----------



## Annalog

maryannaevans said:


> ...
> And there's a post-apocalyptic short story that I love by Fritz Leiber, called "A Pail of Air." I believe the set-up is that a rogue dark star has snatched Earth from its orbit around the sun, and the narrator's family has been living alone for years in a jury-rigged "nest" built by his scientist father. It's _far_ more cheerful that the Morrow book, trust me.


Thank you for mentioning "A Pail of Air" by Fritz Leiber. I was thinking of the story last week but could not remember the name of the story or the author. I was wanting to reread it to see if it was as wonderful as I remembered.

My opinions concerning _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ and _The Postman_ match yours.


----------



## Sarah50

Just been looking for John Wyndham's books on kindle, but no luck. Day of the Triffids is arguably the first great post Apocalypse book and the 2009 BBC adaption proved that it still has the some power today as when it was published in the 1950s. However, I actually think his book The Kraken Wakes - also end of civilisation theme - was better. Alas not yet on kindle.


----------



## Annalog

Sarah50 said:


> Just been looking for John Wyndham's books on kindle, but no luck. Day of the Triffids is arguably the first great post Apocalypse book and the 2009 BBC adaption proved that it still has the some power today as when it was published in the 1950s. However, I actually think his book The Kraken Wakes - also end of civilisation theme - was better. Alas not yet on kindle.


25+ years ago we had some onion plants flower outside our bedroom window. DH saw them on awakening and was startled due to _Day of the Triffids_. I had to cut them down that day.


----------



## pawsplus

This one is EXCELLENT: Containment (Christian Cantrell)


----------



## Cliff Ball

Ann in Arlington said:


> Um. . . . .no.
> 
> At least, not outside the Book Bazaar.
> 
> But, hey if you don't have a thread in the Book Bazaar, go start one! And read Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.msg75.html#msg75 to get all the details of what we allow and what we discourage.


I actually did that two weeks ago, but it got buried by other topics and I didn't think I could start another topic about it again.


----------



## JessyV

Hi. I don't know if these books were mentioned already but I really liked "The Christ Clone Trilogy" by James Beauseigneur. They are available on kindle but the prices are a bit steep!
Jessica


----------



## Toronto_LV

I concur with pawsplus.. The Year of the Flood is an amazing book... it's the follow up to Oryx and Crake, but can be easily read as stand alone. 
I literally could not put it down!


----------



## Ann in Arlington

cliffball said:


> I actually did that two weeks ago, but it got buried by other topics and I didn't think I could start another topic about it again.


Well, you really shouldn't, but you can resurrect it. . .and keep it alive by posting in it once a week. You've not got too many posts -- I bet you can find it pretty quickly by going into your profile and looking at your recent posts. . . .


----------



## Cliff Ball

Ann in Arlington said:


> Well, you really shouldn't, but you can resurrect it. . .and keep it alive by posting in it once a week. You've not got too many posts -- I bet you can find it pretty quickly by going into your profile and looking at your recent posts. . . .


Thanks! Now, I only have to figure out what to add...


----------



## davidhburton

I second the Permuted Press recommendation and I would add Solaris/Abaddon Books and Apex Book Company. Great stuff from both of them. I think Apex sells some stuff through Smashwords pretty reasonably. Not sure if it's Kindle format.


----------



## geko29

Silver said:


> I just checked out this thread and downloaded some interesting looking samples. I would like to recommend _The Sleep of the Gods._ I'm enjoying this one a lot. I'm not quite finished with it, but if it holds up to the end <fingers crossed> it's a well written and interesting end-of-the-worlder. Also, very reasonably priced.


Thanks for the recommendation, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were a half-dozen glaring grammatical errors that threw me right out of the story, but I was easily able to jump back in, and it was overall a very good read.


----------



## lunagirl

Try Amsterdam 2012 (WWIII) and The Walk.


----------



## Bigal-sa

jmiked said:


> I'm currently re-reading a book from the 1950s about the end of the world:
> 
> 
> 
> It's not a classic, but it reads as more modern writing than it is (unusual for Hamilton), and I'm enjoying it. $0.96 at Amazon, or free at Feedbooks.
> 
> Mike


Thanks for this one. Been sick in bed and read this and Containment. This is superb as the author doesn't try to overwhelm you with weird physics - and the writing style is top drawer stuff!


----------



## Xealous

I agree with Pawsplus the Susan Pfeffer YA books were a good read.  

I would also add +1 for Atwoods The Handmaid's Tale, I adored it.

Have to say though I'm very disappointed with Simon and Schuster. Finally, after I'm guessing alot of you asked for it to be made available for Kindle, they have released Swan Song but at an insane price $13.99 ~ the paperback is $12.24! I think I'll just head to the library instead.


----------



## Sarah50

Subsequent to my previous message, I have now found John Wyndham's books on kindle and have downloaded The Chrysalids. Off to read it now.


----------



## r0b0d0c

Toronto_LV said:


> I concur with pawsplus.. The Year of the Flood is an amazing book... it's the follow up to Oryx and Crake, but can be easily read as stand alone.
> I literally could not put it down!


I've put off buying this one because of the inflated Kindle price ($14.82) - NOW, however, it's listed as "not available" for U.S. customers. What's up with that? (It's been available for over a year via Amazon, but I was waiting for a price drop from $9.99 - only to see it rise almost $5 on the "agency model" pricing structure.)


----------



## dnagirl

r0b0d0c said:


> I've put off buying this one because of the inflated Kindle price ($14.82) - NOW, however, it's listed as "not available" for U.S. customers. What's up with that? (It's been available for over a year via Amazon, but I was waiting for a price drop from $9.99 - only to see it rise almost $5 on the "agency model" pricing structure.)


Try this link: http://www.amazon.com/Year-Flood-Novel-ebook/dp/B002PXFYKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1272675282&sr=1-1


----------



## ljloula

I second the recommendation for Containment ~ a good fast read.


----------



## MariaESchneider

Has anyone tried Ricky Sides books? I just came across the sample I had downloaded...a long time ago and it sounds like "end of world."

Oh, how I hate linkmaker...let's see if I can do this...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mEFzFSvZL._SL500_AA266_PIkin2,BottomRight,-9,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

EDIT: Okay, I'm a total fail at the manual link maker. Here's what I think is the link to the book...

http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Peacekeepers-ebook/dp/B002JCSFSQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1273712681&sr=8-3

Just getting started, can't say if it will be good or not!

Maria


----------



## helenrt

I've read all Ricky Sides books and I loved them. couldn't stop reading till I finished!!


----------



## MariaESchneider

helenrt said:


> I've read all Ricky Sides books and I loved them. couldn't stop reading till I finished!!


Thanks Helen! I started with his Self-defense one (unrelated to the series, but it caught my eye.) So far, so good. Well-written (there are repetitive reminders, but it's a self-defense book and that's sort of the nature of the material--practice makes perfect!)

Maria


----------



## AlexJouJou

This is my first post here (I'm a new K2 owner..love it!) but I just read an ARC of The Passage by Justin Cronin and it was amazing. I loved it! It looks like it will be Kindle'able when it releases early June.



I also loved Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien and you can get that for Kindle as well. I think it's marketed as YA but it's very good.











Before I got my K2 (it was a gift) I bought several PA/Dystopian novels including The Forest of Hands and Teeth but I haven't read them yet.

I plan on getting the Atwood books and the other Containment one that you all recommend too! This is a great thread!


----------



## ljloula

This isn't available on Kindle yet  but I just finished it yesterday and would recommend it. It's more of a possible future brought on by many definitely realistic events over time, rather than one catastrophic event.

It reminds me of the author Kage Baker and some of her ideas from The Company series, which is available on Kindle, but I had trouble making the link and am out of time to mess with it.


----------



## suicidepact

Windup Girl was great! I just read that it won the Nebula Award for best novel.


----------



## transam396

Just finished the vampire earth series (whats out so far anyway) only irritating part was that i couldn't find  book 4 on the kindle had to go DT to read it .
Very enjoyable read , hated to put it down


----------



## Lyndl

I absolutely loved this book



Not available on Kindle, but you can buy a used copy for 29c


----------



## SharonK

Sarah50 said:


> Just been looking for John Wyndham's books on kindle, but no luck. Day of the Triffids is arguably the first great post Apocalypse book and the 2009 BBC adaption proved that it still has the some power today as when it was published in the 1950s. However, I actually think his book The Kraken Wakes - also end of civilisation theme - was better. Alas not yet on kindle.


You may have already found this site, but I was checking for books people mentioned and came across it at http://www.truly-free.org/#fW

Whether it's in a format that the Kindle can read or needs to be converted first, I'm not sure. It's a .txt file.

S.


----------



## jomark3

Check out The Revelation Project at


----------



## jonconnington

try David Brin's THE POSTMAN (avoid the Kevin Costner film version if you can...) or ALAS BABYLON by Pat Frank.


----------



## marianneg

SharonK said:


> You may have already found this site, but I was checking for books people mentioned and came across it at http://www.truly-free.org/#fW
> 
> Whether it's in a format that the Kindle can read or needs to be converted first, I'm not sure. It's a .txt file.
> 
> S.


Ummmm, that site is a pirate site.


----------



## SharonK

marianner said:


> Ummmm, that site is a pirate site.


My understanding of a pirate site is one where they steal books and sale them, so I guess I don't totally know what you mean since I didn't see anything about a cost for the books. They did ask for donations, however. If it's a bad site, I definitely won't use them.

S.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

In my brain a "pirate site" is any site that distributes titles they don't necessarily have a right to distribute, whether or not they charge for them.  If a work is not in the public domain, only the rights holder can offer it for sale -- or for free.  

I don't know anything specific about the site mentioned. . . .I don't tend to go looking to buy books anywhere but a few sites I know to be trustworthy.


----------



## pawsplus

SharonK said:


> My understanding of a pirate site is one where they steal books and sale them,


Just FYI (and I'm sorry, but this is a personal pet peeve), "sale" is not a verb. You can sell stolen books, but you cannot "sale" them.

Thanks. <grammar rant over>


----------



## Violet

Grant's Pass by Jay Lake and others - I really liked this collection of short stories all set in the same global post-apocalyptic time. (and I am usually not a big fan of short stories)

The Road by Cormack McCarthy - incredibly dreary post-apocalyptic novel with a spark of hope

Post-apocalyptic humor:
Go-go Girls of the Apocalypse
Exponential Apocalypse

And a couple of dystopian gems:
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (may be more of a read for females?)
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
Children of Men - PD James


----------



## ciscokid

I have two that no one has mentioned.  I checked on Amazon though and they're not in kindle format.  The first is The Last Ship by William Brinkley.  Its about the aftermath of a nuclear war when the only survivors are the crews of a U.S. navel ship and a russian sub.  The other is M.K. Wren's A Gift Upon the Shore.  A small group of survivors of a plague try to survive on the Oregon coast.  The first one is pretty depressing, kinda like On the Beach in that respect.  The other is much better and I have read it several times.


----------



## ljloula

I've been busy reading, but haven't checked this thread in awhile. I forgot about A Gift Upon the Shore, thanks for mentioning that one!

Another in the related "end of life as we know it" type that I just started reading (YA):


Recently read The Hunger Game series by Suzanne Collins. Yes, another YA, but I really enjoyed the series and all available on Kindle. I saw some threads on this on the Book Corner board that I haven't read, but appears to have sparked some lively debate.

This was ok, more biblical/end of days than appeals to my personal taste. 

and for the life of me, I can't remember a fairly recent read that was poorly written (point-of-view/narrator switching awkwardly handled) and just didn't engage me. I must have deleted it...


----------



## Madeline

I haven't read through all the pages of this thread to see if anyone has mentioned this one, but in case no has mentioned it The Passage by Cronin is incredible.  It's book one in a three part series, but the other two books are not out yet.  It's vampire end of the world stuff...but these things are not your typical vampires.  It's a very good book and is not too frightening, despite some pretty intense subject matter.  I could not put it down until I finished it...


----------



## garethmottram

Hi

*The Road by Cormac McCarthy * has to be on your list. I took a while to get used to his often sparse writing style (inc. no names for the main characters) but he paints a perfectly realised, bleak near-future world where the few locations of safety/comfort really stick in your memory. I found the story, father-son relationship and premise stayed with me for weeks after reading.

I do have to say - it's bleak and not the sort of "troubled hero saves the day" type of stuff I usually enjoy but steel your soul and give it a try.

Cheers for now

Gareth


----------



## Harry Shannon

The best have been covered. For me, it's some of the classics like Earth Abides, On the Beach, Luficer's Hammer, Alas Babylon, The Stand, Swan's Song, A Canticle for Liebowitz, etc. but another rave for The Road and The Passage as new addictions to the literature.


----------



## Margaret Jean

My 2 cents (this may be redundant, if so please excuse me): Cormac McCarthy The Road http://www.amazon.com/The-Road-ebook/dp/B000OI0G1Q/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289432014&sr=1-1

"From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Violence, in McCarthy's postapocalyptic tour de force, has been visited worldwide in the form of a "long shear of light and then a series of low concussions" that leaves cities and forests burned, birds and fish dead and the earth shrouded in gray clouds of ash. In this landscape, an unnamed man and his young son journey down a road to get to the sea. (The man's wife, who gave birth to the boy after calamity struck, has killed herself.) They carry blankets and scavenged food in a shopping cart, and the man is armed with a revolver loaded with his last two bullets. Beyond the ever-present possibility of starvation lies the threat of roving bands of cannibalistic thugs. The man assures the boy that the two of them are "good guys," but from the way his father treats other stray survivors the boy sees that his father has turned into an amoral survivalist, tenuously attached to the morality of the past by his fierce love for his son. McCarthy establishes himself here as the closest thing in American literature to an Old Testament prophet, trolling the blackest registers of human emotion to create a haunting and grim novel about civilization's slow death after the power goes out."


----------



## Cliff Ball

Well, there's David Brin's The Postman. Its post apocolyptic, and the main character is, at first, scamming his fellow Americans who are left, and ends up re-uniting part of the country.


----------



## patinagle

Lucifer's Hammer.


----------



## MG_London

M.P.Shiel's "Purple Cloud"

From wiki: The Purple Cloud is a "last man" novel by the British writer M. P. Shiel. It was published in 1901. H. P. Lovecraft later praised the novel as exemplary weird fiction, "delivered with a skill and artistry falling little short of actual majesty."


----------



## PraiseGod13

I may have missed it, but I don't think this one has been mentioned. It's quite old so it may be outdated... but it's haunted me for almost 50 years......


----------



## ljloula

Just started reading this collection of short stories. The premise that ties them all together is "The Yellowstone Caldera has erupted once every 600,000 years. We're 40,000 years overdue." So far I'm enjoying it because it's not cliched ~ just regular people's responses to catastrophic situation. Only .99


----------



## BTackitt

I just watched "The Day After Tomorrow" and popped on Amazon to see if it was a Kindled Book, and it was, so now I have downloaded it and ... someday I will get to it.


----------



## boydm

Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive list of end-of-the-world novels, although some of them may not be available for the Kindle. However, it doesn't list one of my favorites from the 80's called Exit Earth by Martin Caidin. He wrote Cyborg, the novel that The Six Million Dollar Man was based on. Unfortunately, Exit Earth isn't on the Kindle.

[URL=http://en.wikipedia]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction[/url]


----------



## Erick Flaig

The original of them all, of course, is The Book of Revelation, to John the Apostle.


----------



## joanhallhovey

Read 'Graduation Afternoon' from Stephen King's book of stories, Just After Sunset. chilling...

Joan Hall Hovey


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I just read Joel Arnold's Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse -- as you might guess from the title, many of the stories are post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian.

No one ever mentions Elizabeth Hand's Glimmering among end-of-the-world novels, but it is one. And so is Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle (great book!)


----------



## Ann in Arlington

_** reminder: if you are an author/publisher you may NOT mention your own book(s) in this thread even if they 'qualify' as it is in the Book CORNER where no self-promotion is allowed. Such posts will be/have been deleted.  **_


----------



## jaspertyler

I'm so excited that someone read and liked the zombie books I put on here.  

Check out Joss Ware's series   They are pretty good


----------



## maryannaevans

I see that Suzanne Collins' _The Hunger Games_ has been mentioned. I thought it was a great book, and I'm currently deep into the sequel, _Catching Fire_. There's a third installment, but I don't have it yet.

I recently read Neal Stephenson's _Anathem_, a 900-page behemoth set in a far future parallel universe almost indistinguishable from our own. (And our own universe makes a cameo appearance...) The end of civilization as we know it has come and gone several times by the time the events in this book occur...and then things really get going. The very appealing monk-like hero, Fraa Erasmus, and his band of brothers and sisters are caught up in events that could result in the end of their world. In fact, their world could end in several parallel universes. I think. It was a pretty complicated narrative. I thought the book was too long by a third, but I enjoyed it anyway.


----------



## cargalmn

Bleekness said:


> This isn't so much as end of the world as it is having to start over...
> 
> Anyway, try www.amazon.com/Island-Sea-Time-S-Stirling/dp/0451456750 which tells the story of the island of Nantucket when it gets sent back in time, like, 3 or 4,000 years. It's the first of a series and a good read. I didn't like the follow up to it--but you can seek that out if you like the first ones.


I just read this book when I was in Hawaii and *thoroughly* enjoyed it, so let me add my endorsement of it as well! Very interesting, a great book. I haven't read the others in the series yet...


----------



## ljloula

You'll probably like the Dies the Fire series also by S.M. Stirling. It's the other side of that story basically ~ our time, but most of the technology doesn't work anymore since that event over Nantucket.


----------



## Gordon Ryan

Have you tried _Revelations_? It's at the end of that other epic saga, the _Bible_. Lots of "end of the world" discussion in there.

Gordon Ryan


----------



## ChrisPhilbrook

_--- no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


----------



## cargalmn

ljloula said:


> You'll probably like the Dies the Fire series also by S.M. Stirling. It's the other side of that story basically ~ our time, but most of the technology doesn't work anymore since that event over Nantucket.


That sounds VERY intriguing - do I need to read the whole "back then" series before I read the "now" version?


----------



## ljloula

Nope not at all! There are 3 in the Island series, and going on 9 in the Dies the Fire/Emberverse 1 and 2 series.

Here is the author's website where you can read sample chapters for many of his publications. http://smstirling.com/


----------



## PraiseGod13

Okay... after hours of searching on KBs... can anyone help me with the title of a book I recently read about here.  It's a book about the end of the world basically, and a group has come together in Colorado and formed a community.  There was something about a Hollywood actor who might possibly be the anti-Christ.  Can't find it back.  Thanks!!


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

PraiseGod13 said:


> Okay... after hours of searching on KBs... can anyone help me with the title of a book I recently read about here. It's a book about the end of the world basically, and a group has come together in Colorado and formed a community. There was something about a Hollywood actor who might possibly be the anti-Christ. Can't find it back. Thanks!!


The Stand fits everything until the Hollywood actor part, so I'm assuming you're not talking about the Walking Dude.


----------



## cargalmn

PraiseGod13 said:


> Okay... after hours of searching on KBs... can anyone help me with the title of a book I recently read about here. It's a book about the end of the world basically, and a group has come together in Colorado and formed a community. There was something about a Hollywood actor who might possibly be the anti-Christ. Can't find it back. Thanks!!


I'm probably WAY wrong about this - but based on my husband's description, this sounds familiar to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I haven't read it myself, but I think he said something about a community in Colorado. No idea about the Hollywood actor bit - that part may not fit. LOL Anyhow, FWIW...


----------



## stormhawk

Stretching things, that could be The Postman by David Brin.


----------



## PraiseGod13

Half-Orc said:


> The Stand fits everything until the Hollywood actor part, so I'm assuming you're not talking about the Walking Dude.


No, sorry... but thanks for the help. This wasn't a Stephen King.... That will teach me to buy a book when I first read about it... thought I'd wait a few days and didn't think I'd have any trouble finding it back.


----------



## PraiseGod13

I FOUND IT!!  The book is Pray by John Prescott.... first in a series and it's end of the world/horror.


----------



## Chad Winters

I'm reading World War Z now and its much better than I expected!


----------



## johnmedler

How about The Ark, by Boyd Morrisson (crazy guy tries to use a relic containing an ancient plague from Noah's Ark to wipe out civilization, setting himself up as the new "Adam")?

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


----------



## docnoir

Sorry if someone's already mentioned this, but try GO GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Victor Gischler.  Satirical, funny stuff.  Imagine that civilization tries to rebuild based around one thing it feels comfortable with--the franchise.

Also, it's the best post-apocalypse novel featuring someone who *might* be Ted Turner.


----------



## rahrah12

don't know if this has been mentioned yet...

"One" by Conrad Williams


----------



## ljloula

I don't remember seeing One, getting a sample of it now.


----------



## a.m.harte

Woah. I've been scanning through this thread and there are SO many books I haven't read -- I'm a little ashamed to admit it!

I've only read The Handmaid's Tale and Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood and didn't really like the latter. I do have Oryx and Crake sitting unread on my shelf so I'm feeling more inspired to read it now


----------



## Chad Winters

John Ringo on www.baen.com has a lot of save the world from invading aliens kind of books


----------



## r0b0d0c

PraiseGod13 said:


> I FOUND IT!! The book is Pray by John Prescott.... first in a series and it's end of the world/horror.


This sounded quite good! But the link for the Kindle version (Link Maker doesn't find it - it's at: 
http://www.amazon.com/Pray-The-Revelation-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004GKMQEI/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3JC4B41148B&colid=2SG729G9R1LE5 ) 
says "Not Currently Available." It looks like it just came out in November, so I hope it's just a formatting/editing issue, and is available again soon!

Addendum: Smashwords was listed as carrying it previously - no longer available there, either.


----------



## kaotickitten

Pray (The Revelation Chronicles) does sound good. To bad it's not going to be avaialbe again till arround April.  At least there are alot of other books in this thread to keep us occupied.


----------



## Cherilyn

Harmakhet said:


> I really enjoyed Oryx and Crake
> 
> I have to admit that I enjoy these types of stories as well. Will have to add some of these suggestions to my list.


I was going to suggest this as well. I loved Oryx and Crake! There's a sequel as well.


----------



## Ciareader

It's not fiction, but it is an interesting read (even if it falters a bit). The Israel Omen http://www.amazon.com/Israel-Omen-David-Brennan/dp/0578033704/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296920760&sr=8-1-catcorr


----------



## jimbronyaur

Small press publisher, Living Dead Press, has a line of "End of Days" anthos about the end of the world. They are collections of short stories... really good stuff too.

I rec. End of Days 4... and yes, because my story is in it (and kicks butt!)



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935458639?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwperfectbyd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1935458639


----------



## Jon Olson

Was this mentioned? Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD. Available on Kindle.


----------



## Mark Feggeler

TORMENT, by Jeremy Bishop.


----------



## Miriam Minger

I love "end of the world" movies, so thanks for all the great suggestions.

Miriam Minger


----------



## kindlequeen

I'm just finishing Dies the Fire by SM Stirling and I'm really enjoying it so I was super disappointed to see that the second book, The Protector's War isn't available for Kindle (although it used to be).  I'm happy to see that I can continue on with the Nantucket stories while I'm waiting.

I wouldn't normally read this genre but I've found myself branching out and trying so many new books due to this forum.  I'm a little ashamed to say that my cousin passed on The Handmaids Tale to me years and years ago, I know I had it around for a while but it's long gone and I never read it.  Now I'll have to try it out as well as the other Margaret Atwood novels everyone seems to love.

I feel like I'm the only one but I wasn't impressed with The Road.  It was kinda boring and tedious to me.... 

Thanks for all the great suggestions!  Will definitely make being sick in bed more fun!


----------



## Bigal-sa

The forge of God by Greg Bear is now available for Kindle, but at a ridiculous price of $11.99 (outside USA). This is a real *end* of world story. Some reviewers on Amazon knocked it badly, but I'm not sure that they read the same book I did.


----------



## Dawn Judd

If it hasn't already been suggested, I liked Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson. Probably the best book I read last year.

http://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Dove-Demon-Angel-ebook/dp/B004089EPA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297692256&sr=1-1


----------



## Bryan Smith

I'm sure The Stand, Swan Song, and I Am Legend have all been mentioned here. How about Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven? It's a big, epic novel about the apocalyptic results of a comet hitting earth. Published in the 70's, but I first read (and enjoyed) it a couple years ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-ebook/dp/B004478DOU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297693880&sr=1-2


----------



## WilliamM

Bryan Smith said:


> I'm sure The Stand, Swan Song, and I Am Legend have all been mentioned here. How about Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven? It's a big, epic novel about the apocalyptic results of a comet hitting earth. Published in the 70's, but I first read (and enjoyed) it a couple years ago.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-ebook/dp/B004478DOU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297693880&sr=1-2


that one was mentioned as well..it is a good book though and Im glad to see its finally availabe at Amazon. I got it off of Baen Books site months before Amazon decided to to make it available


----------



## Mainak Dhar

Am a huge fan of apocalyptic fiction- so starting a thread on reviewing some classics as well as some new work I've read. Would love to hear what you thought of these books and also other work in the genre you liked.

Am kicking it off with a relatively recent book- Lights Out by David Crawford.


As I read more about this title and then when I began reading it on my Kindle, I wondered how much it would have in common with One Second After, another novel about the aftermath of an EMP attack on the US. However, as I read more, I realized that both are very strong novels, and would recommend both. Yes, they have superficial similarities, including the reluctant hero, the descent of what we know as civilization as the lights go out and a fair bit of action, but if you're into the genre, or just enjoy a fast paced read, would say read both.

Light's Out has a lot going for it, and without going into the details of the plot (I hate reviews which essentially tell you what happens- kind of takes the fun out of discovering it yourself), here are a few things I enjoyed: 
1. The characterization: every crisis, whether a family spat, a workplace issue or indeed a catastrophe of the sort portrayed in this novel, brings out the best and the worst in people. One would naturally assume the main protagonist gets the full treatment in terms of fleshing out characters, but where Crawford deserves kudos is in ensuring even smaller characters are nicely fleshed out, and you see the best and the worst being brought out in them eg. a young man who seems incapable of bringing himself to use a gun to defend himself turn into a fearless hero when confronted with a situation that makes him snap, or the politicking deputy sheriff who sees this as his ticket to power. 
2. The portrayal of how the world would be turned upside down and what we value becomes worthless and what we have perhaps forgotten become the most important skills eg. computers are useless but farming and being able to grow your own food becomes incredibly important when the lights do go out and all electronics stop working. Many post-apocalyptic books do that, but Crawford scores in the details- of how to rig up generators, how to get running water going etc...which makes it all the more credible. 
3. The realistic action- this is at its core a book of action, and it does not disappoint on that count- if you're into that kind of thing, there are gunfights galore, lots of small unit engagements and a lot of details on guns. They are handles very realistically, portraying all the chaos and confusion of battle and one area I particularly liked is how he treats the martial arts skills of the protagonist (no doubt inspired by Mr Crawford's own third degree black belt in Karate). A lot of books and films make martial arts some mystical power where the hero single handedly bashes up dozens of bad guys- Mr Crawford treats this the 'Karate Man's' martial arts skills in the most realistic way I've seen portrayed- and how such skills would actually play out in real life- something I enjoyed as someone who learnt Karate for seven years myself.

Net, well worth a read...the one area that the book did get me thinking about was the whole debate on gun rights in the US. Not being American, I haven't really had much of a strong point of view on the matter, but a book like this gets you thinking about both sides of the debate. With the widespread gun ownership, the lawlessness can be exponentially worse if the s*** does hit the fan as in this book and marauding gangs of looters become infinitely more dangerous. However, by the same token, an ordinary man is also infinitely more able to defend his family.

The only nit (but it is just a nit- as a writer, I respect the fact that every author creates his/her own world the way they see it- and our job as readers is to enjoy the whole, not pick at small bits) is that it's never really revealed what happened- was it a terror attack? Was it an attack by a foreign power? The narrative of the story does not really allow for such a revelation as its told from the micro perspective of 'Karate Man' and his family and community- but in the epilogue, where the time fast forwards a couple of generations, would have been nice to know what happened. But as I said, just a small nit- I enjoyed this book and thoroughly recommend it.


----------



## Christine Kersey

I enjoy apocalyptic fiction as well. Lights Out is in my TBR stack. Another book (it's actually a series) is "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It's about the moon being hit by a meteor, which pushes the moon out of it's normal position in the sky, affecting the tides on Earth. This wreaks all kinds of havoc. The story is centered on a specific family. The second book in the series is about the same event, but told from the POV of a kid living in New York City. I haven't read the third book yet. If you like apocalyptic fiction, you'd probably like this series.


----------



## NogDog

Off the top of my head, probably my favorite is _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter M. Miller, Jr. It is beautifully written and explores difficult philosophical questions, jot just survival.

For more of a straight-forward survival story, it's hard to beat _Lucifer's Hammer_ by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, when Earth is hit by a comet. It seemed believable and well researched, and was a good story to boot.

While not a "great" book, I have a soft spot in my heart for Roger Zelazny's _Damnation Alley_, in part because he's one of my all-time favorite authors, plus the low-budget (I presume) movie version is kind of cool in a campy way.


----------



## DavidRM

I tried to read _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ and it just didn't click.

I really enjoyed Stephen King's _The Stand_, and mostly enjoyed Cormac McCarthey's _The Road_.

I remember reading a series of post-nuke books back in the 80's called "The Outrider". Pure testosterone male power fantasy with cars and guns. But kinda fun for a 16-year-old. =)

-David


----------



## NogDog

DavidRM said:


> I tried to read _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ and it just didn't click.
> 
> I really enjoyed Stephen King's _The Stand_, and mostly enjoyed Cormac McCarthey's _The Road_.
> ...


I would say that our tastes are probably pretty different, then, as I tried to read _The Stand_ but gave up after about 5%.  (But then that's what typically happens whenever I try to read King to find out why he's so popular.)


----------



## Blanche

> Off the top of my head, probably my favorite is A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr....
> 
> For more of a straight-forward survival story, it's hard to beat Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, when Earth is hit by a comet. It seemed believable and well researched, and was a good story to boot.


I loved "Lucifer's Hammer" and have re-read it several times. Great apocalyptic book for all the same reasons Nogdog mentioned above. 
And I'm going to have to break down and order "Canticle for Leibowitz" as I keep seeing this book brought up in different posts.


----------



## Edward W. Robertson

The first quarter or so of _The Stand_ is awesome. I absolutely had to go back and reread that Captain Trips section a year or so later. The rest of the book isn't bad, but that first act is electrifying.

Second the love for _Leibowitz_. _The Last Man on Earth_ anthology has a ton of stories from classic authors that are just a lot of fun. While only about a fifth of David Mitchell's _Cloud Atlas_ is postapocalyptic, it's a well-realized vision, and given the structure of the novel, it ends up playing a much different role than the end times of most novels.


----------



## Harry Shannon

All good books. Also Earth Abides by George Stewart, Alas Babylon by Pat Frank, Leibowitz, I Am Legend, The Stand, Robert McCammon's Swan Song. I quite enjoyed The Passage by Justin Cronin just last year, looking forward to the sequel.


----------



## peter darbyshire

For those of you on Goodreads, there's a lively Apocalyptic fiction group.


----------



## xxevilolivexx

I really love apocalyptic fiction, my favorites probably being:

Lucifer's Hammer (comet)
Summer of the Apocalypse (virus)
Year Zero (virus)
As The World Dies trilogy (zombie)
White Plague (virus)
I Am Legend (vampires)
Life as We Knew It (virus)
Swan Song (nuclear holocaust)
Afterage (vampires)

And, probably my very favorite novel in both the vampire and post-apocalypse genres is Vampire Winter by Lois Tilton.  This is truly an amazing book, I've read and re-read it probably going on a dozen times.


----------



## StaceyHH

NogDog said:


> I would say that our tastes are probably pretty different, then, as I tried to read _The Stand_ but gave up after about 5%.  (But then that's what typically happens whenever I try to read King to find out why he's so popular.)


I can identify with that, although I've now developed a taste for King's novellas. I've started and stopped _The Stand_ 5-6 times now. It's still in my TBR. You might try reading one or two of his novellas - all of his strengths, (a few of his weaknesses, like tying the stories up in a neat little bow,) and very little of his rambling. There are very few novellas that are apocalyptic though. Heh. I'd recommend trying _Different Seasons,_ or his latest _Full Dark, No Stars._

/tangent


----------



## Nulke

Check out "Lucifer's Hammer" by Larry Niven for some solid PApoc action.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Friendly reminder:  this thread is in the Book Corner so posts recommending one's own work will be deleted.


----------



## Grady Hendrix

As a kid, I couldn't get enough end-of-the-world goodness in my diet. Two books that I read and re-read were "The Girl Who Owned a City" by O.T. Nelson which always needed a sequel in my opinion, and "Z for Zachariah" by Robert O'Brien. Although "Z for Zachariah" was always more depressing than I thought it should be. "Girl Who" rocked, though, with lots of YA killing and gun stockpiling and food foraging and all the things I thought would be in my future the second the missiles flew and we were all reduced to living in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max kind of world in which I, of course, would be one of the survivors. Looking back, I'm glad my outlook was so unrealistic. I think I would have gone nuts if I'd realized what a nuclear exchange would actually do!


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Folks, we've merged a couple of threads of very similar topic. . .sorry for any confusion.


----------



## stormhawk

I loved The Survivalist, which is now coming out in Kindle edition (as is my other fav, The Mercenary).


----------



## Geoffrey

Earlier this month I read *A Land of Ash* by David Dalglish, etc.. Its good; its about North America after the Yellowstone Caldera lets loose with its ashy goodness. Its a series of short stories arranged in an overall story arc that makes for a pleasant afternoon of death, panic, insanity, hopelessness, hope and survival. (and I love it when all 5 elements are in a book.)

Get it, read it .... like I said, it's good.


----------



## WilliamM

Home Front - Raymond Benson & John Milius


----------



## chriswimpress

Maybe I'm wrong but nobody seems to have mentioned Oryx and Crake?

Oryx and Crake


----------



## ljloula

It was mentioned ~ way, way back in the list. It's a title I've read more than once.


----------



## redshift1

chriswimpress said:


> Maybe I'm wrong but nobody seems to have mentioned Oryx and Crake?
> 
> Oryx and Crake


I really want one of the "pigoons" or at least a glow in the dark rabbit.

http://geneticsandliterature.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/animals-in-oryx-and-crake/


----------



## Tamara Rose Blodgett

*no self-promotion*


Hunger Games Trilogy...

I didn't see that listed( that you've read it). Also, if you're not too worried about cost, the Forest of Hands and Teeth I've heard is good...

And I think, dystopian, is a new term that's being bantered about that means post-apocalyptic too and may be an additional query word for you to find more works that please you.
Happy Reading! TR


----------



## gryeates

Brian Keene's Dead Sea is now on Kindle and that's some great apocalyptic zombie horror if anyone is still out there a-searchin'.


----------



## ljloula

Recently read this. I liked the premise of how the world got to where this story begins, but the ending didn't float my boat Not a bad read. YA book, zombies.


----------



## Geoffrey

There is so much zombie fiction out there that I never know where to begin with it - and they never were that high on my hit parade. But, I've read_ World War Z_ twice now, I loved AMC's *The Walking Dead* and I'm thinking about getting Kirkland's compendium of the first 8 volumes of his graphic novels. But, overall, so much of zombie fiction underwhelms me to the point that it all looks equally blah.

So, what's the cream of the zombie apocalypse crop?


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Thank you _SO MUCH _ for bumping this thread. I just read the whole thing...took forever because I kept looking up books I didnt know.

I downloaded a few, stuck lots on my Wish List.

Many were books I have....Alas, Babylon and The Stand started it all for me.

Here are 2 that I really like and didnt see mentioned. Both are by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka:

War Day....about an EMP in the US

Nature's End...about the collapse of the the environment world-wide

I probably have more....like Ecotopia, which may be more 'alternative future,' but is also good.


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Geoffrey said:


> There is so much zombie fiction out there that I never know where to begin with it - and they never were that high on my hit parade. But, I've read_ World War Z_ twice now, I loved AMC's *The Walking Dead* and I'm thinking about getting Kirkland's compendium of the first 8 volumes of his graphic novels. But, overall, so much of zombie fiction underwhelms me to the point that it all looks equally blah.
> 
> So, what's the cream of the zombie apocalypse crop?


I am not a zombie fan but I loved WWZ. Also liked The Walking Dead and am lookng forward to their next season.


----------



## ljloula

I'm not a zombie fan either, so I don't seek those out in particular. I know there are some back up in the thread though. Anybody else, feel free to jump in here, I know titles have been thrown out and discussed earlier. 

Have requested Nature's End from the library, haven't read that one before, so thanks for the tip.

I'm pretty sure we have this back up somewhere on the thread, but Level 7 was another interesting idea. Looks like it's now out in Kindle.


----------



## Geoffrey

9MMare said:


> War Day....about an EMP in the US


I've read this a couple times and It's a great book ....


----------



## ljloula

Someone started a new apocalyptic thread with some newer titles I haven't read before. http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,78530.0.html


----------



## djgross

The second in Mira Grant's zombie apocalypse trilogy. The first, Feed, is being discussed over in the new Book of the Month club.

I enjoyed Deadline even more than Feed as the action was non-stop.

If you like your apocalyptic fiction with a side of romance, I'd suggest downloading a sample of Nightfall. Ellen Connor is the pen name for authors Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty.


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Snapcat said:


> Free post apocalyptic books at feedbooks.com
> 
> http://www.feedbooks.com/list/64


I know this is an old post, but if I wanted to get these books on my Kindle, how would I do it? Do I need Calibre or something similar?


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

So I just looked...again.

I dont see McCammon's Swan Song for Kindle. I read earlier in this thread that it was available for K?

I have the paperback, but wouldnt mind a good deal for Kindle...the thing is a brick.


----------



## ljloula

9MMare said:


> So I just looked...again.
> 
> I dont see McCammon's Swan Song for Kindle. I read earlier in this thread that it was available for K?
> 
> I have the paperback, but wouldnt mind a good deal for Kindle...the thing is a brick.


 Hmm, it looks like newly released, as that's a totally different cover. I wonder if it's with a different publisher now? It was available as a kindle format, but apparently just for a window of time.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

9MMare said:


> I know this is an old post, but if I wanted to get these books on my Kindle, how would I do it? Do I need Calibre or something similar?


No, you don't need Calibre. You just download the books in compatible format (.mobi or.prc) to your computer and then copy the files from your computer to your Kindle. You'll need to connect the Kindle up via the USB cord and it will show as a 'drive' on your system. Put the files into the 'documents' folder.

Alternatively, you can send them to your Kindle wirelessly, but note that if they go via 3G, there will be a charge. If you have a K3, though, you can send via WiFi by sending to your free.kindle.com address.


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

Ann in Arlington said:


> No, you don't need Calibre. You just download the books in compatible format (.mobi or.prc) to your computer and then copy the files from your computer to your Kindle. You'll need to connect the Kindle up via the USB cord and it will show as a 'drive' on your system. Put the files into the 'documents' folder.
> 
> Alternatively, you can send them to your Kindle wirelessly, but note that if they go via 3G, there will be a charge. If you have a K3, though, you can send via WiFi by sending to your free.kindle.com address.


Thank you Ann. I've been so busy reading on my K that I havent really explored it's other functions.

Off-topic: And today I'm starting my first non-K book since I got my K, that I'm dying to read (hmm, maybe that's a poor choice of words)....it's 'Polio, An American Story,' by David Oshinsky. I gotta have my epidemiology books in hardcopy


----------



## Pamela Davis

Geoffrey said:


> Earlier this month I read *A Land of Ash* by David Dalglish, etc.. Its good; its about North America after the Yellowstone Caldera lets loose with its ashy goodness.


I just finished reading _A Land of Ash_. I thought it was very well done.

My faves are The Stand, Alas Babylon, Lucifer's Hammer...okay I have more than a few favorites. I'll stop there.


----------



## bordercollielady

Fuzzy Dunlop said:


> Lucifer's Hammer..good luck finding it on Kindle though


Aha! It is available now on the Kindle.. I bought it..


----------



## camillasnilsen

Hi!
I'm new to both kindle and kindleboards, so I hope this Q hasn't been asked earlier.
I'm looking for books (fiction) about disasters like disease outbreaks, zombies, asteroids hitting the earth and alien invasions. I would like the main characters to be human (not zombies, aliens or so), and the time period in the book about now (not in year 4000...)
Does anybody have any suggestions?

I'm sorry about my bad english btw, I'm Norwegian so my english is not perfect


----------



## MariaESchneider

Couple of good short stories I read recently that fit:

The Bight A.L. Sirois
Big-T by Jacob Drud

Both were quite good.  I think they are slated to be part of an anthology in Sept, but are currently on Kindle for 99 cents from Darwin's Evolutions (or Amazon and so on.)

Let's see.  I know I had another one in mind when I started typing...

Oh, BackLash by Nancy Fulda--a longer short, kind of a novelette.  It has that theme too and it's quite excellent.

Must think harder.  I know I've read more.


----------



## camillasnilsen

Thanks a lot, will check them out


----------



## Elizabeth Black

"The Stand" by Stephen King
"Dust" by Charles Pelligrino


----------



## camillasnilsen

Thank you


----------



## lisarusczyk

Pamela Davis's book Gaia Dreams is full of disasters. I loved it! And it's a fatty.


----------



## yomamma

LIFE AS WE KNEW it by Susan Beth Pfeffer is great - it's about the disasters that happen if the moon was knocked closer to the earth. 

Also, your english was just fine!


----------



## The Hooded Claw

Alas, Babylon (nuclear war in the 1950s)
Lucifer's Hammer (comet strike)
Footfall (alien invasion) 

For the last two, check webscriptions.net if they aren't on Kindle. 

Footfall does have some alien characters, but mostly human.


----------



## Daphne

The Day of the Triffids - there's a reason it's a classic! It's available on Kindle in the UK and, I think, on .com. (Can anyone from US confirm whether or not this is available on Amazon.com?)


----------



## The Hooded Claw

Daphne said:


> The Day of the Triffids - there's a reason it's a classic! It's available on Kindle in the UK and, I think, on .com. (Can anyone from US confirm whether or not this is available on Amazon.com?)


. For me, US Kindle edition is a bargain at $4.93

http://www.amazon.com/Day-Triffids-ebook/dp/B003XRELZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314398480&sr=1-1


----------



## Daphne

Thanks, Hooded Claw - sometimes Kindle editions which show up to me from the UK aren't available in the US. If any of the other John Wyndham books are available, I'd also recommend "The Kraken Wakes" as a good end-of-the-world story.


----------



## djgross

Zombies...check

Main characters humans...check

Time period - around now...check

The second book in the trilogy, Deadline, is also great! I believe the third book comes out in 2012.


----------



## KateEllison

jillmyles said:


> LIFE AS WE KNEW it by Susan Beth Pfeffer is great - it's about the disasters that happen if the moon was knocked closer to the earth.
> 
> Also, your english was just fine!


I clicked on this link just to recommend that book! It's a great one.


----------



## Eliza Baum




----------



## Nulke

The Hooded Claw said:


> Lucifer's Hammer (alien invasion)


Without doubt this is a great end of the world book but alien invasion? Are you speaking about the Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle classic or another one?


----------



## Casper Parks

Daphne said:


> The Day of the Triffids - there's a reason it's a classic! It's available on Kindle in the UK and, I think, on .com. (Can anyone from US confirm whether or not this is available on Amazon.com?)


That is a classic... I remember the movie!


----------



## camillasnilsen

Wow, thanks to all of you! The next month(s) will not be boring!


----------



## Harry Shannon

Max Brooks, World War Z is very clever.
Lucifer's Hammer, On the Beach by Neville Shute, Alas Babylon, The Stand by King, Earth Abides by George R.R. Stewart all good choices.

Don't forget Richard Matheson's seminal work "I Am Legend," it inspired decades of movies and books.


----------



## Geoffrey

Have you gone back and read some of the books that originated Apocalpytic Fiction as a sub-genre - _A Canticle for Leibowitz_, _The Earth Abides_, _Alas, Babylon_, _Malevil_, _Red Alert_ are all wonderful books from the 50's and 60's ...


----------



## The Hooded Claw

Nulke said:


> Without doubt this is a great end of the world book but alien invasion? Are you speaking about the Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle classic or another one?


Oops, I mixed up the description of Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall! I was typing on my phone, what can I say. I'll correct it now.


----------



## Colin Taber

The Hooded Claw said:


> Alas, Babylon (nuclear war in the 1950s)
> Lucifer's Hammer (comet strike)
> Footfall (alien invasion)
> 
> For the last two, check webscriptions.net if they aren't on Kindle.
> 
> Footfall does have some alien characters, but mostly human.


I haven't read Alas, Babylon, but have the other 2. Both were good reads for the kind of chaotic destruction you're looking for.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I don't read too many books with this theme, but I happened to pick up this and have read it several times.



The US economy has collapsed because of its dependence on oil and the government is sending its citizens to live in other countries. A British plane takes off, full of refugees to be relocated in the UK. Past the point of no return, global nuclear war breaks out and there is no place to go.

There are two versions of this book. I'm glad I read the later version with the happy ending. There are some improbable scenarios in the book, but it works anyway.

Sorry, no aliens. Just Russians.


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## Erick Flaig

I'll second "The Stand."  

But if you want to look at the humorous side of it, "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."    The earth is out of the picture pretty quickly, though.


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## balaspa

Reading my local newspaper provides enough end-of-the-world stuff for me!  Yowza!


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## Linda Andrews

The Hot Zone and Virus are great epidemic books.

Linda


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## Pinworms

Here you go

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,3776.0.html

A thread with 11 pages of recommendations.


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## Marata Eros

A relative just read _Blood Skies_ and loved it. It is exactly what you're looking for...


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## youngadultfiction

You might like 'Gilrfriend in a Coma' by Douglas Coupland, it doesn't have zombies or aliens, but it's about a group of teenagers (and a girl in a coma!) and the book explores the themes of 'the end of the world' and 'modern society falling apart.' If the world did really end, then this is probably what it would look like.


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## camillasnilsen

Pinworms said:


> Here you go
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,3776.0.html
> 
> A thread with 11 pages of recommendations.


I LOVE YOU!!!


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## Ann in Arlington

***multiple threads on the same topic have been combined. . .sorry for any confusion***


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## joshtremino

You might check out zombie books. Those tend to be about the end of the world. World War Z was an incredible book.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare)

joshtremino said:


> You might check out zombie books. Those tend to be about the end of the world. World War Z was an incredible book.


WWZ is an excellent book even for people who dont like zombies. Really well done.


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## PhoenixS

Seconding (thirding? fourthing?):

The Road
The Stand
Lucifer's Hammer

And dare I say Pierre Boulle's _Planet of the Apes_? Like "I Am Legend," it was source material for a whole lot of books and movies to come.


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## Lyndl

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I don't read too many books with this theme, but I happened to pick up this and have read it several times.
> 
> 
> 
> The US economy has collapsed because of its dependence on oil and the government is sending its citizens to live in other countries. A British plane takes off, full of refugees to be relocated in the UK. Past the point of no return, global nuclear war breaks out and there is no place to go.
> 
> There are two versions of this book. I'm glad I read the later version with the happy ending. There are some improbable scenarios in the book, but it works anyway.
> 
> Sorry, no aliens. Just Russians.


There are two versions? I recommended this one somewhere in the first few pages of this thread, but I never knew there was a later version with a 'happy' ending. Now I have to buy it! Thanks a lot Gertie !!


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## Biabeli

I just found this thread and I love it, thanks for all  the postings. If you’re into science fiction, anvil of change by jack dash is a good space opera with a strong end of the world theme. It has some really cool aliens too.


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## Miriam Minger

Love disaster movies, so now time to check out some disaster ebooks.  Thanks for all the great recommendations!

Miriam Minger


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## Chad Winters

I read this recently and liked it. Superheroes vs the Zombie Apocalypse. It had the potential to be cheezy but he pulled it off much better than I expected. It was dark and gritty and the heroes pretty much lost the war (no spoiler, that's how the book starts...the survivors trying to keep surviving)


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## horsebreaker53

Talking about disaster and survival of the people, anyone interested should read: William R. Forstchen "One Second After"--- Definitely a page turner and sticks with you forever.


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## Geoffrey

I picked up a freebie the other day on a whim and started reading it today at lunch: Story Time by Linell Jeppson. This is published by a small publisher, World Castle Publishing, which normally does Romance publishing, but if this is a romance, it's starting from a very odd place. I'm 500 locations into the book and I'm fascinated. Every possible apocalyptic scenario is happening - earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, the Yellowstone Caldera, aliens, religious fanatics, pandemic .... the list goes on ... so it's pretty much a mashup of all the ways the world will end. It's pretty fun so far and perfectly priced at free but I'd pay the $2.99 they're asking for it as well.


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## joeyjoejoejr

Looked back a few pages and haven't seen anyone mention "The Passage" yet.  Incredible zombieish/vampirish post-apoc fiction that actually has incredible prose.  Not something you see every day.


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## imajamoke

My favs in order - The Road, The Passage (by Justin Cronin), The Stand, One Second After (a must read), The Gunslinger (S. King) however, stopped at book 4 (too much crazy sh*t to keep straight at that point)....  I'm now about to read Swan Song and when released on audio The Twelve (The Passage Part II).  If you want to throw in a little zombie fun try Day By Day Armageddon and Beyond Exile (Part II)....both are enjoyable reads.  WWZ is another good one along with The Strain books.

Another book I read was Earth Abides...too slow with every chapter sounding like the one before it.
Is the Postman a good read (despite the movie crashing and burning)?

Knowing I like the books above...any recommendations?  What did I miss?  

Thanks
-Ima


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## ljloula

You'll enjoy Swan Song, and I definitely recommend The Postman. Better than the movie for sure.


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## Nancy Fulda

Has anybody mentioned Will McIntosh's _Soft Apocalypse_? It got quite a bit of attention from reviewers last year, possible because Will won a Nebula the year before...


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## ciscokid

I just read this one: 

And this is supposed to be a series of 4 books. The first three are out now. Its more of a YA series.


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## frankprovo

I'm sure it has been mentioned before, but I gotta say it: 1984 by George Orwell.

It's less in-your-face than a zombie / nuclear holocaust type end of the world story, but makes up for it by painting a gritty, depressing picture of a "future" world that bears frightening similarities to our own modern period. I tried to read it when I was younger and it didn't move me. Now, post 9/11 and living in an era of constant war and surveillance, it is DISTURBING.


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