OT: Post-Apocalyptic Books

J

Jebadiah_Smith

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Theyre a "sure sign of a sick mind" and one of my favorite strange indulgences. I like them all: The Postman, The Stand, Lucifers Hammer, Earth Abides, Alas Babylon, War Day, I am Legend... all great in their own ways.

Any of you guys read or enjoy these things? Any thoughts or opinions?

I figured this might be a refreshing new topic, but who knows? :)
 
Book of the Dead and Still Dead:Book of the Dead 2 both edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector. These are short story collections by some of the big names in horror and SF (Stephen King,Dan Simmons, Ramsey Campbell etc.) The common thread linking them is that all the stories are based on the "Living Dead" movies by George Romero. They are not only post apocalyptic but gory also! Unfortunately both are out of print.
Zombie movies are another favorite indulgence of mine.
 
I like all of David Brin's books, especially "Sundiver", which doesn't quite fall into your category.

Zelazny's "This Immortal" is also a great one, actually in your category.

Not too well known: "Hiero's Journey", by Stirling Laneir, is a good adventure.

Enjoyed "Lucifer's Hammer".

There are a BUNCH of others that don't occur to me at the moment.
 
Also liked the Hiero books (wasn't that a trilogy? - can't remember, been a while since I read them)

This Immortal was also enjoyable- the copy I have has some sort of ridiculous 60's sci-fi cover art, and a description on the back that must have been written by someone reading a different book. Anybody who picked that up and didn't notice the author's name would probably think it was some sort of pulp sci-fi trash.

A Canticle for Leibowitz is also great.

Someone should put together a HI Cantina reading list. It seems like a lot of people here like books that I also like.
 
Wow, I grew up on Niven & Pournelle (and Heinlein), and I'm a big fan of David Brin and Dan Simmons, so I've devoured a bunch of the books listed above.

One short, fun post-apocalyptic book not mentioned yet I think was called "starman's son" by Andre Norton.
 
Here is another kinda obscure one: Happy Policeman by Patricia Anthony. It seems to be a fairly standard post nuclear war story but turns out to be a great deal more. Highly recommended!
 
Not a book but I like Fallout and Fallout 2. The basic premise is that you are a "vault dweller" who has lived in vault 13 out of a total of 102(?) vaults built in preperation of a nuclear war. You have to leave the vault to get a vital replacement part.

This game has good roll playing elements where character creation actually affects how you play the game. Seriously look at these games if you like pen and paper roll playing or story-driven not-too-linear gaming. I consider this game more like reading a book than most rpgs (see: final fantasy)

The developer of the games (Black Isle Studios) were in the middle of production of Fallout 3 when Interplay (parent company) pulled the plug on Black Isle.
 
Anyone ever read any of Frank Herbert's lesser-known stories like Whipping Star and The Dosadi Experiment?
 
Try:

WOLF AND IRON, Gordon Dickson...credible once you accept some stuff.

SURVIVOR, Robert Steele Gray, same thing...take one big gulp, then the story works. Kind of post-A, kind of not.
 
yoippari said:
The developer of the games (Black Isle Studios) were in the middle of production of Fallout 3 when Interplay (parent company) pulled the plug on Black Isle.
Click to expand...

Fallout 3 is still being made, but the new developer is Bethseda, the creator of the Morrowind series. One can only hope they won't screw it up.
 
donutsrule said:
Anyone ever read any of Frank Herbert's lesser-known stories like Whipping Star and The Dosadi Experiment?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I read 'em. Very interesting stuff at the time. Not sure I'd like them anymore.

Kis, I really liked "Wolf And Iron".

"The Long Tomorrow", by Leigh Brackett, is also a good P-A story.
 
KM, I think that there were only 2 Hiero books: "Hiero's Journey" and "Unforsaken Hiero". 2nd wasn't as good, IIRC.
 
The Fallouts are great. The only computer games I play anymore, they never get boring for me.

Theres also Post-Apocalyptic movies: Road Warrior, The Postman (the best terrible movie ever made :cool: ) and others that are escaping my memory right now

I think The Postman had its own drinking game, but I cant remember it all (one shot for each narcissistic Kevin Costner close-up...)

Almost forgot Waterworld! :footinmou Didnt that have a khuk in it?
 
While not classically post-nuclear-apocalyptic, Asimov's "Foundation" trilogy, traces a very credible collapse/rebirth of inter-galactic civilization. (gad, that sounds corny!).
 
Since you mentioned intergalactic societies how about the Hyperion books by Dan Simmons? The attention to detail in these is great. It also has a lot of interesting speculation about the nature of religion and its' place in human development.
The society eventually falls also, so I'm more or less on topic!
 
I have read War Day, Alas Babylon, The Stand, And Lucifers hammer.

Lucifers hammer would be my favorite of that bunch. The Stand was powerful, and the Gunslinger series is sort of PA in a sense, but I gave up on them awhile back. Kings' imagery is more than I want now. Too strong for me. Things best not for me to think about. I have enough stuff I wish wasn't in my all too vivid memory, already.

Liked other stuff by Niven and Pournelle too, like the Mote in God's eye, and one book about some 8 digit elephant like aliens who conquered the earth, or something like that. maybe my memory isn't so good after all! :D

LIke Heinlein too, but got to be to what I would call decadent after awhile.

Starship troopers paved the way for me to enlist in the Army though. I read that book in grade school, and never forgot it. Deep down, I wanted to see if I could make it as a soldier.

Sorry for the drift...

Tom
 
Speaking of Zelazny, completely forgot "Damnation Alley", pretty good book, probably one of the worst movies of all time.

"Rings of Ice", by Piers Anthony, shows apocalypse coming in a very original way.

GraverTom, I think the one you're thinking of is "Footfall".
 
I guess that Left Behind falls into this category. Great 12 book series.

I'm suprised that no one mentioned mad max :D:rolleyes::D
 
Have you read "On the Beach" by Nevil Chute. I must of read it 20 years ago and it still creeps me out. Post apocalypse, nuclear winter spreading over the world, survivors basically waiting to die. No zombies, magic rings or warrior princes, just scary.
 
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