Post apocalyptic book recommendations

[bighairydel]

Trying to read more and love a bit of end of the world stuff. Never read much of this style before but love movies of this theme.
Looking for some recommendations as I’ve no idea about what’s good or bad.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

On the Beach by Nevil Shute. From the guff on the back cover...

Following the devastation of a nuclear world war, Europe, America and most of the northern hemisphere is annihilated. Only a few remote pockets of the earth remain habitable, and the area around Melbourne is one of these.

It's a great story - and the film of the book is unforgettable (also according to the book guff) - starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins. Highly recommended both.

 

[SaintHacker]

Theres a whole series on amazon bu an author called Frank Tayall. The series is Surviving the Evacuation. They were giving the first 3 away free in kindle format

 

[Jimaroid]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy has written two of my "favourite books ever" and this is one of them. No spoilers, it's a masterpiece, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is often near the top of best books ever written listicles. Has been adapted to a film but that was an impossible undertaking and although good was a much tamer and pale version of the story.

 

[bighairydel]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy has written two of my "favourite books ever" and this is one of them. No spoilers, it's a masterpiece, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is often near the top of best books ever written listicles. Has been adapted to a film but that was an impossible undertaking and although good was a much tamer and pale version of the story.

I’ve seen the film and really enjoyed it, sometimes struggle reading after watching as my mind already has the pictures of the characters etc. Worthwhile reading though?

 

[Jimaroid]

I’ve seen the film and really enjoyed it, sometimes struggle reading after watching as my mind already has the pictures of the characters etc. Worthwhile reading though?

I would say it's worth a read even if you have a mental image of it. I still read the book every couple of years, just to enjoy how well its written even though I know all the outcomes and imagery in it. If you have kids, it's an incredibly powerful and emotional read.

 

[huds1475]

Would recommend;

The End of the World Running Club
The Book of M
Station 11
Skin

On phone so can't type out more details. All available on Amazon ?

 

[HowlingGale]

Lzr-1143 was enjoyable. Available on Amazon and I think infection is the first one.
Can second the Frank Tyall surviving series mentioned above although I have up after six or seven of them.
If you want a left-field option, the wheel of time series by Robert Jordan is epic and they're making a TV series about it. It's more fantasy but post apocalyptic if that makes sense. Be warned though it took me 20 years to finish it.

 

[SteveJay]

The World Without Us - Alan Weisman
If you want something a bit different as this is effectively non fiction, albeit well founded theories of what might happen if humans suddenly disappeared. its a fascinating read describing how long buildings would last, what might happen to flora and fauna etc. Really interesting stuff showing the extent of mans control of the environment and why there could be disasters without us here to stop fires, power stations overheating, cities flooding etc etc.

 

[GB72]

World War Z. Far better than you would think and very different from the film.

 

[Fade and Die]

Loved this genre since reading Z for Zachariah at school, one that always sticks in my mind was " Down to a sunless sea" by David Graham.

About a plane load of people that were in the air during and after a short nuclear war. This is the copy you want, with the original ending.....

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/...m5MuI3BXaSmZzlv1A9QpvobMfrpS54AxoCJW0QAvD_BwE

 

[Leftitshort]

World War Z. Far better than you would think and very different from the film.

Yep the film was rubbish, really enjoyed the book

 

[Beezerk]

I’ve seen the film and really enjoyed it, sometimes struggle reading after watching as my mind already has the pictures of the characters etc. Worthwhile reading though?

The book is far far superior to the film, an absolute belter.

 

[IanM]

Trying to read more and love a bit of end of the world stuff. .

I thought this was another WHS thread!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yep the film was rubbish, really enjoyed the book

...other than the city street scenes filmed in Glasgow city centre of course...they were epic ?

 

[GB72]

Agree with The End if the World Running Club. Also try The Girl With All The Gifts

 

[Crow]

On the Beach by Nevil Shute. From the guff on the back cover...

Following the devastation of a nuclear world war, Europe, America and most of the northern hemisphere is annihilated. Only a few remote pockets of the earth remain habitable, and the area around Melbourne is one of these.

Agreed, I found a copy of that on holiday once, a stark and chilling read.

 

[Billysboots]

If genuine, apocalyptic, end of the world stuff is your thing, pop over to the “Coronavirus, how has it affected you? thread.

 

[Leftitshort]

...other than the city street scenes filmed in Glasgow city centre of course...they were epic ?

Guess they didn’t have to hire many extras in Glasgow ????

 

[jim8flog]

Earth Abides George Stewart

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/...MIzYTX14C37AIVFJ7VCh0C_wPHEAQYASABEgKdRfD_BwE

I actually took about 9 months to read this in my teenage years it is the sort of book that you can put down at the end of any chapter and easily pick the story up again with the next. I Really enjoyed it.