We all have books sitting on our nightstands that we've been meaning to read for the past few months. We at Reedsy have compiled a list of the 10 best post-apocalyptic books to read before the world ends; this way, if the end does come, you will be ready for whatever comes your way. Those who are in need of some quick survival tips will be happy to know that this list is available. So, don't hesitate to explore these digital reading platforms and embark on your post-apocalyptic reading adventure with the assistance of dedicated developers.
A disease with unprecedented levels of destructive power has emerged almost simultaneously in every region of the world, and it is on the verge of wiping out the human race entirely. One individual who miraculously avoided death as a result of the pandemic moves onward to investigate what life is like in a world devoid of humans. Whatever it was that he feared or hoped for, whatever he finds out in the end will blow his mind in a way that he never could have imagined.
I Am Legend is a work of science fiction written by the American author Richard Matheson and first released in the year 1954. Robert Neville, who lives in a community outside of Los Angeles in the late 1970s, is thought to be the only living human. The rest of the population of the planet has been infected with the vampire virus. Meanwhile, he mends the defenses on his house, re-strings the garlic, and removes the dead vampires from the lawn.
An unforgettable depiction of a world after the apocalypse, Nevil Shute's masterpiece, The Post-Apocalyptic Symphony, was a runaway best-seller for decades after its publication in 1957. After a nuclear World War III has decimated the majority of the planet, the few people who have survived are hunkered down in the southern part of Australia, waiting for the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to anyone who is in its path. One of them is a captain of an American submarine, and he is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that his wife and children back home in the United States are probably dead.
Accidentally letting one man out of a biological weapons facility, he carried with him a lethal virus known as Captain Tripps, which was a rapidly mutating flu that, in the following weeks, wiped out the majority of the world's population. The survivors have a choice to make in the aftermath: either they will accompany an elderly black woman to Boulder or they will follow the dark man, Randall Flagg, who has established his command post in Las Vegas. Both sides are getting ready for what will hopefully be a decisive battle between the forces of good and evil.
He is the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a malevolent force that feeds on the dark desires of the countless followers he has gathered into his service." [From the novel] "He is the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a malevolent force that feeds on the dark desires of the numerous followers he His one and only objective is to track down a unique child with the name Swan and kill her. However, those who wish to safeguard the girl are resolved to engage in battle for the remnants of the world as well as their own souls.
Told with the trademark suspense, insightful characterization, and riveting storytelling that are P. D. James's trademarks, The Children of Men is the story of a world in which there are no children and no future. The human race has reached the point where it can no longer produce offspring, and the members of the most recent generation to be born are now adults. As suicidal thoughts and feelings become more widespread, civilization as a whole is disintegrating.
The story of a journey is told in The Road, which is a profoundly moving novel. It has the audacity to imagine a future in which there is no longer any hope, but in which a father and son, "each the other's world entire," are kept alive by their love for one another. It is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of, including our capacity for ultimate destruction, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.
In conclusion, reading post-apocalyptic books can be a great way to prepare yourself for any potential disaster. Not only can they provide useful survival tips, but they can also offer valuable insights into human nature and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The 10 books listed above are just a small selection of the many great post-apocalyptic books out there, but they offer a diverse range of perspectives and themes that make them well worth a read. Whether you're a fan of science fiction, horror, or drama, there is something on this list for everyone.