What is your favorite post-apocalyptic novel?

I’m partial to nuclear, myself. It’s always kind of neat seeing the machines built out of scrap.

All of the above.
throw in some “we did it to ourselves” angst, and you got a classic!
My favorite is Road Warrior, which is, sadly, zombie free.

Battlefield Earth is in my top 5 at the very least.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Bring a towel.

@fundevogel Hehehehe. 42!

@Trillian You wouldn’t happen to be a certain earth girl catchin’ the eye of the galactic president would you?

Amnesiascope by Steve Erickson.

I love “Canticle” also. I’ll add “Lucifers Hammer” by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Although over 30 years old, still a good guide to what is needed and not needed in a survival situation.

@Dr_Dredd and the sacred relic of the motor blueprint that the young monk gets killed over

The Stand is in my top 5 as well.

The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson; the first novel of his Three Californias Trilogy.

@filmfann Alas, there are also no zombies in A Canticle For Leibowitz, either. Perhaps someone can rewrite it, like they did with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. :-)

@stranger_in_a_strange_land That illuminated blueprint was one of my favorite parts of the book.

@Blondesjon I particularly liked the extended version, when King went into greater detail on how the plague happened.

I know it’s campy, but World War Z totally rocked my world as a post-apocalyptic novel. The idea of a world after massive zombie outbreaks and the ensuing complete breakdown of social order was really interesting to me, particularly because the author dealt with the topic with total seriousness.

That was a great book! Zombies and all…

My favorite is The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

GQ. I love Canticle.

Aftermath by Levar Burton

and

The Road by Cormac McCarthy – I did a TOK presentation on it and it was damn good.

Swan Song is in my top 5.

@warribbons- I have an autographed copy of Aftermath that I’ll sell to you cheap. I’m glad you liked the book. I thought it was just okay. Levar Burton is a much better actor than author, IMO.

One of the best post-apocalyptic novels I’ve ever read (and reread on several occasions) is Warday which has also been titled Warday: And the Journey Onward by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned On The Beach by Nevil Shute. A little dated but still a good read.

I Am Legend – Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel,
(also spawned 3 films based on the book- 1964’s The Last Man on Earth and 1971’s The Omega Man, and 2007’s I am Legend with Will Smith)
The book is way better than any of the films….................

Warday was excellent! I’d forgotten about that one.

I loved Will Smith in I am Legend.

@AstroChuck no thanks, i already have a copy of Aftermath and i dont have a fetish for Levar Burton

I’d also like to suggest Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

I read Alas, Babylon in junior high. You’re right, that was excellent!

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Phillip Jose Farmer is in my top five.

in fact the entire Riverworld series is fantastic

Agreed! The first one was the best, though.

@Blondesjon- Great book but not what I’d call post-apocalyptic.

@AstroChuck Wasn’t there a war with extraterrestrials that killed everyone? That’s how the Ethicals identified their plants. The plants were told to say that they died in 2002 or later.

@Dr_Dredd- I don’t remember. I remember those who died between the time of early man and another time (1984 or 2004 or something) went to Riverworld. People who died later went elsewhere. I don’t recall it discussing the end of Earth’s civilization. I just know the book takes place on Riverworld and I’ve never thought of it as post-apocalyptic.

I have to say this is an AWESOME post! I am a huge apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic fiction fan!

I’ve read all of the following that others have already listed:
Battlefield Earth
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Stand
World War Z
On The Beach
I Am Legend

Out of those, I enjoyed World War Z, The Stand, and Battlefield Earth the most.

All of the others have now jumped to the top of my “Yet-to-read” queue. Thank you!

As for others not already mentioned:

1.) The Postman by David Brin
The book is much better than the film. Kevin Costner simply does not do it justice.

2.) Lights Out by Halffast (Found only online, so many may not be familiar with it.)
( http://www.survivalmonkey.com/SF%20books/LightsOut!/LightsOut-Current.pdf )
While the story certainly has it’s own ideological slant, it is a very good read.

3.) The Last Man by Mary Shelley.
This one is awesome if you happen to be a poetry fan. If you’re very sharp, you’ll notice two of the characters are modeled after Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. Besides that, it is a post-apocalyptic novel set near the close of the 21st century, but it was written in the 1820’s, which is amusing in its own right.

4.) There will come soft Rains, from the Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury.
This is just a short story about an automatic house doing chores and caring for a family long after a nuclear war made both irrelevant. One of my favorite short stories of all time, regardless of genre.

5.) Blindness by José Saramago.
I’m not sure if this one counts, as the story only focuses on one city and tells little about the fate of the rest of the world. Regardless, the English translation I read was much better than the film based on it.

6.) Also, I know you said “novel”, but the Fallout series, especially the original two, have a rich back story, and are fun to discover in their own way.

-Dan

(P.S. Waterworld still stinks.)

I also loved “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Thanks for the suggestions!

I have to say I loved ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King. I first read it, back in High School and I still visualize some of the images King describes. I can’t drive through the Lincoln Tunnel without imagining Larry escaping from NY via the tunnel full of dead bodies. I’m not saying I enjoy that visual, but when a writer can get to me like that, I have to admire his work.

@Dan_DeColumna – you should make your own version of The Postman movie.

It’s more of a young adult novel, but my dad and I both loved “The Forest of Hands and Teeth”. (Sorry I’m a year late!)