The End of the World, but without zombies and such.... - Page 3

Greg Anos · 09-25-2013, 08:18 PM

Blood Music by Greg Bear. But the e-book stinks. Horribly prooofed (and the current p-book as well - they took the bad e-book and POD'ed it. Get an older used p-book copy.)

Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky might fit, or might not. Civilization collapse in a generations ship.

If you have a warped sense of humor, another borderline book is Ron Goulart's After Things Fell Apart. Not really apocaliptic, but sort of...

Another good one from a different perspective. Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud.

I forgot - Short story of Arthur C Clarke's - The Nine Billion Names of God

Another borderline book James Blish's - A Case of Conscience

Dysutopias....Hmmm. Pohl and Kornbluth's Gladiator-at-Law?

Darth_Bane · 09-25-2013, 11:55 PM

While there are tons of lists out there, I'm limiting my choices only to books I've read and enjoyed.

Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles - Set in the near future amidst hyperinflation and a catastrophic global economic collapse, Patriots tells the story of a group of survivalists that flee riots and chaos in metropolitan Chicago to a survivalist retreat that they have prepared near Bovill, Idaho. Don't let the hyperinflation discourage you; it's only in the first 10 pages or so.

Farnam's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein - Farnham's Freehold is a post-apocalyptic tale, as the setup for the story is a direct hit by a nuclear weapon, which sends into the future a fallout shelter containing Farnham, his wife, son, daughter, daughter's friend, and black domestic servant. The book is popular with survivalist groups as it combines the civil engineering and physics of fallout shelter survival with the social dynamics of "lifeboat rules," or autocratic authority under extreme conditions.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen - The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of Black Mountain, North Carolina.

A Boy and his Dog by Harlan Ellison (short story) - The story of a boy (Vic) and his telepathic dog (Blood), who work together as a team in the post-apocalyptic world.

Earthbound by Joe Haldeman - The Others disposed of Earth’s spaceship fleet as easily as swatting a fly. They blew up the Moon, letting the resulting cloud of rocks and gravel go into orbit. Then, for good measure, they turned off all the power, leaving Earth with nine billion hungry people competing for dwindling resources. Now Carmen Dula, the first human to encounter Martians and then the mysterious alien Others, and her colleagues struggle to find a way—using nineteenth-century technology—to reclaim the future that has been stolen from them. This is Book 3 in the series, but the other two are not post-apocalyptic.

Lights Out by Dave Crawford - Lights Out chronicles the challenges of Mark "Karate Man" Turner when the lights go out over most of the free world. He must find in himself the ability to unite his family, friends, and neighbors if any of them are to survive the harsh reality that everyday life becomes when the veneer of civilization is stripped away.

Pulling Through by Dean Ing - Written as an excellent science fiction novel about survival following a nuclear attack. I know I read this, but I can't remember a thing about the story itself except for the second half of the book, which is a large non-fiction howto survival guide.

+2 on The Dog Stars (because I read it twice :-)

BenG · 09-26-2013, 12:57 AM

The Death of Grass (No Blade of Grass), Empty World, and the Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher

When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie

Mockingbird by Walter Tevis

Star Man’s Son by Andre Norton

Plague Year by Jeff Carlson

The Last Man by Mary Shelley

The Scarlet Plague by Jack London

Malevil by Robert Merle

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban

A Plague of Angels by Sheri Tepper

Masters of Solitude by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin

The Wind from Nowhere by J.G. Ballard

Dinner at Deviant's Palace by Tim Powers

War with the Newts by Karel Čapek

Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen

davidfor · 09-26-2013, 02:21 AM

I can't decide if I want to thank Istvan for this thread or not. I'm enjoying it, but it could get expensive. Luckily Kobo have a 50% discount at the moment, and the ones I've wanted were eligible. If anyone wants to use it, the code is Sept50.

The mentions, including mine, of "The Postman" movie reminded me of something. A long time ago, there was a blog called "Lost books" or something like that. The writer would post a review of SciFi books that he considered lost. Part of the review was why he considered it a lost book. Mostly, they were older books that were out of print. But, he added "The Postman". His reason was that he considered the movie so bad it would prevent people from reading the book.

Yapyap · 09-26-2013, 04:10 AM

A non-zombie/vampire/paranormal YA series that I've been enjoying is Ashfall by Mike Mullin (second book is out as well - Ashen Winter). Contemporary setting with a supervolcano eruption. Reminded me of Life as We Knew It in some ways, but even grimmer.

Re: Life as We Knew It - I felt the first book was the strongest; 2nd and 3rd were okay but somewhat meh and I've seen a lot of not-positive reviews for the 4th book that was released just some weeks ago.

WillAdams · 09-26-2013, 06:11 AM

Somewhere I have a copy of _Blood Music_ and the sequel --- remember it as a slog.

Blish's trilogy was fun --- need to find a copy which doesn't have the pentagrams torn out.

Star Man's Son and Empire of the East are great --- the latter especially so as a gateway to Saberhagen's Swords books.

Apache · 09-26-2013, 06:40 AM

Another old alien invasion book: Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Puppet_Masters
Apache

elemenoP · 09-26-2013, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Re: Life as We Knew It - I felt the first book was the strongest; 2nd and 3rd were okay but somewhat meh and I've seen a lot of not-positive reviews for the 4th book that was released just some weeks ago.

I have only read the first two but I would agree that the first was much stronger than the second. I'm undecided if I'll read the others or not. I do wonder if this too YA for the OP, but what impressed me was that the mood was so strong I had a physical reaction to it. I remember crying over throwing out stale cereal after I finished it.

eP

Yapyap · 09-26-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

I have only read the first two but I would agree that the first was much stronger than the second. I'm undecided if I'll read the others or not. I do wonder if this too YA for the OP, but what impressed me was that the mood was so strong I had a physical reaction to it. I remember crying over throwing out stale cereal after I finished it.

eP

Agreed.

I don't usually recommend people to only read one book in a series, but in this case, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the first book - and to suggest stopping after that. Especially as - as I've understood - there is no real "ending" or resolution with the fourth book, and the first one stands alone well enough.

BenG · 09-26-2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Another old alien invasion book: Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Puppet_Masters
Apache

Not really the end of the world, just the threat of it, unless you think of widespread nudity as the harbinger of the end.

steven522 · 09-26-2013, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie

Yes, I second these. When Worlds Collide is the basis for the classic sci-fi movie of the same name. A rogue planet is entering the solar system and on a collision course for Earth. An effort is put forth to build and launch "ark" space ships to attempt to save mankind. After Worlds Collide is the follow up novel.

covingtoncat73 · 09-26-2013, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Agreed.

I don't usually recommend people to only read one book in a series, but in this case, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the first book - and to suggest stopping after that. Especially as - as I've understood - there is no real "ending" or resolution with the fourth book, and the first one stands alone well enough.

I third this motion. I thought the first book was quite good. "Crazy Shopping Day" gave me flashbacks to Katrina. I listened to the second on audio from the library, was disappointed, and haven't pursued the subsequent books.

steven522 · 09-26-2013, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Istvan diVega

Quote:

Look for some works by Alexander Key

Those I'll need to look into a bit more before I bite.

Alexander Key was the author for Return To Witch Mountain. If you liked that movie or read the original book, you have an idea of what his style is like. He has a heavy hand on the idea of protecting the environment and most of his protagonists are younger with semi- or fully-developed psychic powers. Throw in some highly intelligent animals and place them in a near-disaster type setting and you get the idea.

covingtoncat73 · 09-26-2013, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

>Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell<

I'm 2/3 through this right now! I am enjoying it very much! And also appreciating the X-Ray feature on my Kindle, since there are so characters to keep track of.

eP

Yeah, Cloud Atlas is an amazing, deep, consciousness-altering book and David Mitchell is a wordsmith of the highest order. That was why the movie was so disappointing.

Anyway, that X-Ray feature sounds very cool. I wonder if my mom's Kindle has it. Probably not as it is a pretty basic, last-gen one. (sorry to go OT)

Ooooooh. To get back on-T: The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. That is, if you don't mind ghosts. This one is haunting in more than one sense of the word, I suppose.

Anyway, I love the conceit. The (perhaps) sole survivor of a mysterious global plague called "The Blinks" is a woman who is/was part of an Antarctic expedition. It goes between her story and the souls of all the dead waiting in "The City." The City is emptying out, itself, as the souls who no longer have anyone living to remember them depart it.

DianNC · 09-26-2013, 10:40 AM

I enjoyed Aussie author John Birmingham's novel, Without Warning (a wave of inexplicable energy slams into the continental United States. America as we know it vanishes).

It's actually a series (of the same name), but I've only read the first book...so far.

Many of the books listed here have provided hours and hours of reading enjoyment. I love these type of threads.

09-25-2013, 08:18 PM	#31
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,527 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Blood Music by Greg Bear. But the e-book stinks. Horribly prooofed (and the current p-book as well - they took the bad e-book and POD'ed it. Get an older used p-book copy.) Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky might fit, or might not. Civilization collapse in a generations ship. If you have a warped sense of humor, another borderline book is Ron Goulart's After Things Fell Apart. Not really apocaliptic, but sort of... Another good one from a different perspective. Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud. I forgot - Short story of Arthur C Clarke's - The Nine Billion Names of God Another borderline book James Blish's - A Case of Conscience Dysutopias....Hmmm. Pohl and Kornbluth's Gladiator-at-Law? Last edited by Greg Anos; 09-25-2013 at 08:34 PM.

09-26-2013, 12:57 AM	#33
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	The Death of Grass (No Blade of Grass), Empty World, and the Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie Mockingbird by Walter Tevis Star Man’s Son by Andre Norton Plague Year by Jeff Carlson The Last Man by Mary Shelley The Scarlet Plague by Jack London Malevil by Robert Merle Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban A Plague of Angels by Sheri Tepper Masters of Solitude by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin The Wind from Nowhere by J.G. Ballard Dinner at Deviant's Palace by Tim Powers War with the Newts by Karel Čapek Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen Last edited by BenG; 09-26-2013 at 01:15 AM.

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09-25-2013, 11:55 PM	#32
Darth_Bane Dark Lord of the Sith Posts: 60 Karma: 95334 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: A Galaxy Far Far Away Device: Sony PRS-505 and PRS-300, Kobo Wifi, Touch and Mini, Kindle 4NT	While there are tons of lists out there, I'm limiting my choices only to books I've read and enjoyed. Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles - Set in the near future amidst hyperinflation and a catastrophic global economic collapse, Patriots tells the story of a group of survivalists that flee riots and chaos in metropolitan Chicago to a survivalist retreat that they have prepared near Bovill, Idaho. Don't let the hyperinflation discourage you; it's only in the first 10 pages or so. Farnam's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein - Farnham's Freehold is a post-apocalyptic tale, as the setup for the story is a direct hit by a nuclear weapon, which sends into the future a fallout shelter containing Farnham, his wife, son, daughter, daughter's friend, and black domestic servant. The book is popular with survivalist groups as it combines the civil engineering and physics of fallout shelter survival with the social dynamics of "lifeboat rules," or autocratic authority under extreme conditions. One Second After by William R. Forstchen - The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. A Boy and his Dog by Harlan Ellison (short story) - The story of a boy (Vic) and his telepathic dog (Blood), who work together as a team in the post-apocalyptic world. Earthbound by Joe Haldeman - The Others disposed of Earth’s spaceship fleet as easily as swatting a fly. They blew up the Moon, letting the resulting cloud of rocks and gravel go into orbit. Then, for good measure, they turned off all the power, leaving Earth with nine billion hungry people competing for dwindling resources. Now Carmen Dula, the first human to encounter Martians and then the mysterious alien Others, and her colleagues struggle to find a way—using nineteenth-century technology—to reclaim the future that has been stolen from them. This is Book 3 in the series, but the other two are not post-apocalyptic. Lights Out by Dave Crawford - Lights Out chronicles the challenges of Mark "Karate Man" Turner when the lights go out over most of the free world. He must find in himself the ability to unite his family, friends, and neighbors if any of them are to survive the harsh reality that everyday life becomes when the veneer of civilization is stripped away. Pulling Through by Dean Ing - Written as an excellent science fiction novel about survival following a nuclear attack. I know I read this, but I can't remember a thing about the story itself except for the second half of the book, which is a large non-fiction howto survival guide. +2 on The Dog Stars (because I read it twice :-)

09-26-2013, 02:21 AM	#34
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	I can't decide if I want to thank Istvan for this thread or not. I'm enjoying it, but it could get expensive. Luckily Kobo have a 50% discount at the moment, and the ones I've wanted were eligible. If anyone wants to use it, the code is Sept50. The mentions, including mine, of "The Postman" movie reminded me of something. A long time ago, there was a blog called "Lost books" or something like that. The writer would post a review of SciFi books that he considered lost. Part of the review was why he considered it a lost book. Mostly, they were older books that were out of print. But, he added "The Postman". His reason was that he considered the movie so bad it would prevent people from reading the book.

09-26-2013, 04:10 AM	#35
Yapyap Guru Posts: 861 Karma: 3543721 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Estonia Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	A non-zombie/vampire/paranormal YA series that I've been enjoying is Ashfall by Mike Mullin (second book is out as well - Ashen Winter). Contemporary setting with a supervolcano eruption. Reminded me of Life as We Knew It in some ways, but even grimmer. Re: Life as We Knew It - I felt the first book was the strongest; 2nd and 3rd were okay but somewhat meh and I've seen a lot of not-positive reviews for the 4th book that was released just some weeks ago.

09-26-2013, 06:11 AM	#36
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,258 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Somewhere I have a copy of _Blood Music_ and the sequel --- remember it as a slog. Blish's trilogy was fun --- need to find a copy which doesn't have the pentagrams torn out. Star Man's Son and Empire of the East are great --- the latter especially so as a gateway to Saberhagen's Swords books.

09-26-2013, 06:40 AM	#37
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,277 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Another old alien invasion book: Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Puppet_Masters Apache

09-26-2013, 10:40 AM	#45
DianNC Banned Posts: 1,431 Karma: 5222495 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook Color, Entourage Pocket Edge, iPod Touch 5th Gen	I enjoyed Aussie author John Birmingham's novel, Without Warning (a wave of inexplicable energy slams into the continental United States. America as we know it vanishes). It's actually a series (of the same name), but I've only read the first book...so far. Many of the books listed here have provided hours and hours of reading enjoyment. I love these type of threads.

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