Several must read SCi-fi based Apocalyptic novels

[JackBauer]

My two favorite recent sci-fi based apocalypse speculative fiction are (actually 4 as each had a very good/excellent sequel):

Daniel Suarez's
Daemonand sequel
Freedom Plots of both books focus on what happens to society when IT's system get compromised globally by a MMO/game designer. Great stuff, solid real world basis foundation. I envy anyone who's picking up for the first time..

John Barnes'
Directive 51
Daybreak Zero Plots focus on what happens when a internet 'viral' collective coordinate a nanobot infection of the world infrastructure. Excellent stuff.

I used these novels premises to evaluate my disaster contigency planning.

[PlugUgly]

Just finished directive 51 last night and immediatly jumped into daybreak zero. These books are really incredibly written by an author who actually has real insight into the subject. It was a page turner for sure. I'm excited to see what happens next, at every sentence! Characters feel real, situations are truely plausible for a sci-fi based only a decade in the future. Easily just earned a spot in my top ten, possibly top five! Cannot reccomend it enough. And can't wait for the next book!

[Projo]

I take this everytime I deploy.

[TacAir]

Old school

Day of Triffids


The follow up is "The Night of the Triffids"

Really old post-apocalyptic fiction (POF)
The 1885 novel After London by Richard Jefferies is of the type that could be best described as genuine "post-apocalyptic fiction"; after some sudden and unspecified catastrophe has depopulated England, the countryside reverts to nature, and the few survivors to a quasi-medieval way of life. The first chapters consist solely of a description of nature reclaiming England: fields becoming overrun by forest, domesticated animals running wild, roads and towns becoming overgrown, London reverting to lake and poisonous swampland. The rest of the story is a straightforward adventure/quest set many years later in the wild landscape and society; but the opening chapters set an example for many later science fiction stories.


The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, published in 1912, is set in San Francisco in the year 2072, 60 years after a plague has largely depopulated the planet.

Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven (1977) is now a cult classic.
Kind of related - Fallen Angels by the same pair, very fan oriented.

Lots of good books, go have some fun.

[doc66]

"Alas Babylon" Pat Frank (Harry Hart Frank)

"Some Will Not Die" Algis Budrys

[Honeypot]

Cockroach, I've never heard of those - interesting.
Please share your person top "older" SF apoc novels, so folks can get a better idea whether your tastes coincide with our own tastes.

I'm always eager to read new SF apoc stuff, but there's also a lot of crud out there.

To add to the list...

• Yeah, "Lucifer's Hammer" is the #1 "procedural" novel of all time, IMO.
• Anything by Heinlein, apoc or otherwise, should be on every SF fan's list.
• Ditto (though note as intensely) for anything by John Wyndham.
• I recently read the first book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy (at the recommendation of #1 daughter), and very much enjoyed it. It's a one day/sitting type book.
• If you'd like to read an "interesting solution" to Margaret Atwood's thoroughly depressing "The Handmaid's Tale", check out Sheri Tepper's superb "Gate To Women's Country". It starts out almost as depressing, then there's "the twist". Women and Geeky men will particularly enjoy it.

[Logans Run]

My two favorite recent sci-fi based apocalypse speculative fiction are (actually 4 as each had a very good/excellent sequel):

Daniel Suarez's
Daemonand sequel
Freedom Plots of both books focus on what happens to society when IT's system get compromised globally by a MMO/game designer. Great stuff, solid real world basis foundation. I envy anyone who's picking up for the first time..

John Barnes'
Directive 51
Daybreak Zero Plots focus on what happens when a internet 'viral' collective coordinate a nanobot infection of the world infrastructure. Excellent stuff.

I used these novels premises to evaluate my disaster contigency planning.

I just put this on my to do list.

[Rumsfeld]

I second The War of The Worlds. H.G. Wells had his stuff together (except for enjoying Stalin, eugenics, etc.).

[JackBauer]

Cockroach, I've never heard of those - interesting.
Please share your person top "older" SF apoc novels, so folks can get a better idea whether your tastes coincide with our own tastes.

I'm always eager to read new SF apoc stuff, but there's also a lot of crud out there.

To add to the list...

• Yeah, "Lucifer's Hammer" is the #1 "procedural" novel of all time, IMO.
• Anything by Heinlein, apoc or otherwise, should be on every SF fan's list.
• Ditto (though note as intensely) for anything by John Wyndham.
• I recently read the first book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy (at the recommendation of #1 daughter), and very much enjoyed it. It's a one day/sitting type book.
• If you'd like to read an "interesting solution" to Margaret Atwood's thoroughly depressing "The Handmaid's Tale", check out Sheri Tepper's superb "Gate To Women's Country". It starts out almost as depressing, then there's "the twist". Women and Geeky men will particularly enjoy it.

Thanks Honeypot, The stuff in the OP is definitely top notch stuff, no crud there.

Older apoc I enjoyed reading

The Stand by Stephen King
Lucifer's hammer Like you mention is great..Niven was my favorite for quite a while..Alas Ringworld series kinda went downhill

A new Sci Fi I just finished reading Dog Eat Dog by david Rodger.. excellent concepts..Combines Zombie PAW plus a real special sci fi concept I havent seen in survival fiction yet. MUST READ!

[ElevenBravo]

Reading this one now, had to order it from the UK, good read.

Andrew

[Logans Run]

Reading this one now, had to order it from the UK, good read.

Andrew

Is that an Apocalyptic novel for kids?
(I am in no way saying that is a bad thing)

[Confucius]

I've been pimping Hugh Howey's "Wool" series for a while now, got to do it again. It's set in a dystopian silo (imagine the vaults from Fallout, a few thousand people in it) after a global apocalypse.

He's simply one of the best authors I've come across in a long time, (he's written a lot of other stuff too, all fantastic) and he spits them out fast (#6 was just released a few weeks ago)

http://www.amazon.com/Wool-Omnibus-Edit ... B0071XO8RA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rev]

I've been pimping Hugh Howey's "Wool" series for a while now, got to do it again.

I second this recommendation.

[ElevenBravo]

Is that an Apocalyptic novel for kids?
(I am in no way saying that is a bad thing)

Yes, it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_in_the_Land" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My grade 9 English teacher read this aloud in class to us and I always remembered it.

I read this story for an english assignment but I liked this book so much I read it again and again.

From:
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Land-Robe ... 0823405567" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Got my copy on ebay

Andrew

[JFlagg]

"The Last Centurion" by Jon Ringo was an excellent read. I've loved everything from Jon Ringo so far...
And the Vampire Earth series by E.E. Knight i think would fall into the PAW genre. The series starts with "Way of the Wolf" and I think is currently up to #8 or 9.

[Hanuman110]

In addition to several of the above listed novels, I've always liked Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson.

[Merovech]

Malevil by Robert Merle
Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven

[DrthTater]

This trilogy

I can't recommend Plague Year highly enough. Nano machines destroy life below 10k feet.

[MrFord]

Plot line: What happens to a small Carolina college town after 3 high altitude nukes are detonated over the U.S..

Definitely make you rethink your preps!

Mister

http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After- ... 0765317583" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

Reading this one now, had to order it from the UK, good read.

Andrew

Is that an Apocalyptic novel for kids?
(I am in no way saying that is a bad thing)

See also:




-

[doc66]

In addition to several of the above listed novels, I've always liked Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson.

Great book. The story of how that one came about is pretty interesting as well. Too bad he has passed on...

Swan's Song and The Postman are also great books.

[Shiloh]

-Dies the Fire, book #1 of "The Change" series by S. M. Stirling. I honestly couldn't put this one down. The concept of the novel seems kind of strange at first when you initially get into it, but it really gets going soon thereafter. There were a few things I didn't like too much (quite a bit of anti-Christian comments and commentary, glorifying certain activities that I would otherwise not condone, etc.) but nothing I could really drag on about for hours.

-The Protector's War, book #2 of "The Change" series. I haven't finished it quite yet, but so far so good.

[doc66]

-Dies the Fire, book #1 of "The Change" series by S. M. Stirling. I honestly couldn't put this one down. The concept of the novel seems kind of strange at first when you initially get into it, but it really gets going soon thereafter. There were a few things I didn't like too much (quite a bit of anti-Christian comments and commentary, glorifying certain activities that I would otherwise not condone, etc.) but nothing I could really drag on about for hours.

-The Protector's War, book #2 of "The Change" series. I haven't finished it quite yet, but so far so good.

LOL. I stopped reading after the second book. So many problems with the science in the book; if you can't build and make a steam engine, how do you boil water for cooking? And on and on. The series is a SCA/D&D wet dream.

Glad you liked it. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. I realize that we have to suspend some disbelief, we are after all on a zombie forum, but Stirling just couldn't keep me suspended.

[duodecima]

-Dies the Fire, book #1 of "The Change" series by S. M. Stirling. I honestly couldn't put this one down. The concept of the novel seems kind of strange at first when you initially get into it, but it really gets going soon thereafter. There were a few things I didn't like too much (quite a bit of anti-Christian comments and commentary, glorifying certain activities that I would otherwise not condone, etc.) but nothing I could really drag on about for hours.

-The Protector's War, book #2 of "The Change" series. I haven't finished it quite yet, but so far so good.

LOL. I stopped reading after the second book. So many problems with the science in the book; if you can't build and make a steam engine, how do you boil water for cooking? And on and on. The series is a SCA/D&D wet dream.

Glad you liked it. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. I realize that we have to suspend some disbelief, we are after all on a zombie forum, but Stirling just couldn't keep me suspended.

Eh, I enjoyed the first trilogy. I'm still reading the new ones as they come out, but it goes from apocalyptic to fantasy, over the course of the series. The romanticizing of a universal non-tech lifestyle does go a bit far imo. The first book does deserve its place in the apocalyptic lit lists.

Has anyone mentioned A Canticle for Leibowitz (by Miller) yet?