Help! Need title/author of old sci-fi book about...

macgirl · 04-16-2009, 01:30 PM

...humans living underground because something had happened to the surface of the Earth. People were told that living on the surface was impossible, but one man thought this was untrue and fights his way to a hatch to the surface. He emerges on the surface at the end of the book and finds empty land that appears to be habitable. Of course, this leads to another book to pick up the story.

I read this book as a teenager (um, a long time ago

) and can't remember for the life of me any more details, the title, or author. Does this vaguely-described plot I provided sound familiar to anyone?

YGG- · 04-16-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macgirl

...humans living underground because something had happened to the surface of the Earth. People were told that living on the surface was impossible, but one man thought this was untrue and fights his way to a hatch to the surface. He emerges on the surface at the end of the book and finds empty land that appears to be habitable. Of course, this leads to another book to pick up the story.

I read this book as a teenager (um, a long time ago

) and can't remember for the life of me any more details, the title, or author. Does this vaguely-described plot I provided sound familiar to anyone?

Sounds like a possible epitome of "THX1138" but it's a movie....

Sparrow · 04-16-2009, 01:51 PM

Robert Lieberman "Perfect People" ?

pshrynk · 04-16-2009, 01:51 PM

Oh, man! there was an exact same (nearly) thread here a few months back! I wish I could remember where it was, because the answer would be there.

InlawBiker · 04-16-2009, 01:53 PM

Logan's Run?

Sparrow · 04-16-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Oh, man! there was an exact same (nearly) thread here a few months back! I wish I could remember where it was, because the answer would be there.

Was it "Help me place this SciFi!"

wayrad · 04-16-2009, 02:15 PM

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau?
This Time of Darkness by HM Hoover?

There are also postapocalyptic underground societies in Martel's "The City Underground", Galouye's "Dark Universe", and Clarke's "The City and the Stars"/"Against the Fall of Night" (Or was that a domed city? And there was Norton's "Outside", but I'm pretty sure that was a domed city), but I don't think it's any of those...

Oh, and there's Duende Meadow by Paul Cook and Journey Outside by Mary Q. Steele...I haven't read them though.

wayspooled · 04-16-2009, 03:03 PM

heh, so many books with that plot!

Emergence by David Palmer? Sounds like it but I don't think it's kindler'ized or on ebook anywhere.

And unfortunately, not re-released lately. That and the fact it was thought one of the best, most underappreciated post-apoc novels (nominated for hugo) mean that used print paperback copies cost are dear.

wayrad · 04-16-2009, 03:55 PM

Emergence has a brief beginning sequence in a bomb shelter, but no underground society.

I'm pretty sure I've seen a very similar query answered elsewhere and it isn't any of the books I can think of now...

wayspooled · 04-16-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayrad

Emergence has a brief beginning sequence in a bomb shelter, but no underground society.

I'm pretty sure I've seen a very similar query answered elsewhere and it isn't any of the books I can think of now...

Yeah, guess you're right.

There's this short novel I think I read in some Golden Age of Sci-Fi anthology that sounds exactly like it. It was from the 40's I think. Probably not that but I remember tunnels and humanity having been underground for ages and hatches, and someone that had to be fought past.. Either roving gangs (or mutants) in the tunnels outside the (underground) communities

macgirl · 04-16-2009, 04:06 PM

Wow! You guys are good! I'm going to have to check out the ones you've all mentioned to see if there's a match. Thank you!

Looking at that "Help Me Place that SciFi" thread, it's not the same book - I don't recall any robots at all in the one I read.

kacir · 04-16-2009, 04:15 PM

There is excellent Polish movie. A sci-fi comedy called
seksmisia (Sex Mission in english)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/

wayspooled · 04-16-2009, 05:15 PM

I have a feeling it's in this list somewhere if you want to peruse it and see if any titles pop out at you. This list http://www.scifi.darkroastedblend.co...-novel_06.html or the post-apoc "novella" list.

off topic note: I noticed thanks to a mobilereader, that first place one is here on Mobileread.com

note 2: I don't necessarily agree with any of their rankings but you don't see too many post-apoc ranked lists so thought I'd share it.

pilotbob · 04-16-2009, 07:20 PM

Sounds like the video game Fallout that my kid has been playing all most non-stop since Christmas.

BOb

wayrad · 04-16-2009, 07:31 PM

It might also be possible to look for overlap between the "After the Apocalypse" and "Subterranean Worlds" themes over at Scifan.com...unfortunately there's no way to do it automatically.

04-16-2009, 01:30 PM	#1
macgirl geeky girl Posts: 50 Karma: 259 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: USA Device: iPhone 3GS, former Kindle owner	Help! Need title/author of old sci-fi book about... ...humans living underground because something had happened to the surface of the Earth. People were told that living on the surface was impossible, but one man thought this was untrue and fights his way to a hatch to the surface. He emerges on the surface at the end of the book and finds empty land that appears to be habitable. Of course, this leads to another book to pick up the story. I read this book as a teenager (um, a long time ago ) and can't remember for the life of me any more details, the title, or author. Does this vaguely-described plot I provided sound familiar to anyone?

04-16-2009, 02:15 PM	#7
wayrad Fanatic Posts: 551 Karma: 1121392 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: HTC One M8	The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau? This Time of Darkness by HM Hoover? There are also postapocalyptic underground societies in Martel's "The City Underground", Galouye's "Dark Universe", and Clarke's "The City and the Stars"/"Against the Fall of Night" (Or was that a domed city? And there was Norton's "Outside", but I'm pretty sure that was a domed city), but I don't think it's any of those... Oh, and there's Duende Meadow by Paul Cook and Journey Outside by Mary Q. Steele...I haven't read them though. Last edited by wayrad; 04-16-2009 at 02:28 PM.

04-16-2009, 03:03 PM	#8
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	heh, so many books with that plot! Emergence by David Palmer? Sounds like it but I don't think it's kindler'ized or on ebook anywhere. And unfortunately, not re-released lately. That and the fact it was thought one of the best, most underappreciated post-apoc novels (nominated for hugo) mean that used print paperback copies cost are dear. Last edited by wayspooled; 04-16-2009 at 03:49 PM.

04-16-2009, 05:15 PM	#13
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	I have a feeling it's in this list somewhere if you want to peruse it and see if any titles pop out at you. This list http://www.scifi.darkroastedblend.co...-novel_06.html or the post-apoc "novella" list. off topic note: I noticed thanks to a mobilereader, that first place one is here on Mobileread.com note 2: I don't necessarily agree with any of their rankings but you don't see too many post-apoc ranked lists so thought I'd share it. Last edited by wayspooled; 04-16-2009 at 05:37 PM.

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04-16-2009, 01:51 PM	#3
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Robert Lieberman "Perfect People" ?

04-16-2009, 01:51 PM	#4
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	Oh, man! there was an exact same (nearly) thread here a few months back! I wish I could remember where it was, because the answer would be there.

04-16-2009, 01:53 PM	#5
InlawBiker Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 544 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle WA Device: Kindle 1.0	Logan's Run?

04-16-2009, 03:55 PM	#9
wayrad Fanatic Posts: 551 Karma: 1121392 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: HTC One M8	Emergence has a brief beginning sequence in a bomb shelter, but no underground society. I'm pretty sure I've seen a very similar query answered elsewhere and it isn't any of the books I can think of now...

04-16-2009, 04:06 PM	#11
macgirl geeky girl Posts: 50 Karma: 259 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: USA Device: iPhone 3GS, former Kindle owner	Wow! You guys are good! I'm going to have to check out the ones you've all mentioned to see if there's a match. Thank you! Looking at that "Help Me Place that SciFi" thread, it's not the same book - I don't recall any robots at all in the one I read.

04-16-2009, 04:15 PM	#12
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,450 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	There is excellent Polish movie. A sci-fi comedy called seksmisia (Sex Mission in english) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/

04-16-2009, 07:20 PM	#14
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Sounds like the video game Fallout that my kid has been playing all most non-stop since Christmas. BOb

04-16-2009, 07:31 PM	#15
wayrad Fanatic Posts: 551 Karma: 1121392 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: HTC One M8	It might also be possible to look for overlap between the "After the Apocalypse" and "Subterranean Worlds" themes over at Scifan.com...unfortunately there's no way to do it automatically.