Swan Song is awful. Do not bother with it. It's essentially a fanfic-quality fantasy story in which the good guys are purely good and beautiful while the bad guys are evil ugly devils. Everything works out for the good guys and they are made even more beautiful and pure while the evil ugly bad guys fail because they are dumb evil bad guys. Less important, but none of the details of the story make sense. There is no real explanation of how anyone is surviving in the post-apocalyptic world. No explanation for how they continue to find fuel and food for themselves. Despite that, lots of descriptions of violence and suffering. So, it all just feels unearned, unmotivated, and fake cheap allegory.
Earth Abides by Stewart is the granddaddy of all end of life as we know it novels. It was written in the 1940s and is still the best for conveying what it would feel like to be one of a few survivors, meaning you have lost everyone and everything that made life meaningful. It's also very hopeful as people do adjust and find hope. Another that is more of a curiosity is The Last Man by Mary Shelley. She wrote it after Frankenstein The writing is very Victorian but it's an interesting read.
I totally agree about Earth Abides. It is a more personal story as it follows the main character Ish, but certainly holds up even 80 years after it was written. It will always be at the top of my own list of favorite distopians.
Earth Abides has been made into a movie coming out this December. I fear the worst. There isn't much action in the novel so the movie may ruin it by adding lots of cliched action. I hope I'm wrong.
In the late 1960s I had a professor who had been teaching Shakespeare for decades. I’ve always found it a bit odd that it was he who recommended Alas, Babylon to me.
No one mentions Justin Cronin’s The Passage, which is the first book of a trilogy. I like the story better than The Stand or Swan Song. I’ve read it twice.
@@laurasedor4641 Wow, I never knew there was one. I don't want to sound all hoity, but I don't really watch TV. I tried to watch Game of Thrones, but I found it very cheesy compared to my imagination and watching it was ruing my remembrance of the books, so I stopped. I knew what was going to happen anyway, so why bother?
Never saw any of your videos before this. I have read 5 of the books on your list and now have added the other 5 to my TBR. I'm going to watch some of your other videos now because it appears we might enjoy similar books. Thanks for the list.
Actually Vincent Price's "The Last Man on Earth" was probably closer to Matheson's work. Will Smith evades the ending by showing "there are other Last Men on Earth," just way out in the country.
@@romeronyc Read then both SOOOOO many years ago. I think Alas Babylon was the first post apocalyptic novel I ever read. And On The Beach has always haunted me. I have never forgotten them.
Those I've read listed in the video are among my favorites as well. I do have some issues with "The Road," as much as I enjoyed it, and I agree that once getting used to the prose style, it becomes very powerful. I scanned through the responses and culled what looked like good titles for future reading. I would add "The Handmaid's Tale" as well, which has been a favorite of mine since it was first published mid-80's. Atwood also wrote a trilogy beginning with "Oryx and Crake" that I find myself re-reading, plus my all-time favorite, "The Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula LeGuin (that would have been #1 on my own list). Great vid!
The Windup Girl, thank you, no one on booktube talks about it and it's such a good book. It is a little hard to recommend though,with how graphic some of the scenes are.
Thank you so much for this list! I was so happy to see several books that I have read and loved. Your description and analysis of each book was very intriguing and made me want to read all of them.
I love The Road too. One that I also really enjoyed was Station Eleven, love it as much as The Road. It also has a great adaptation (1 season) on HBO they changed a few things but both are amazing
While it probably sits more in the realm of fantasy, I’d argue that King’s The Dark Tower series should get an honorable mention for post apocalyptic works. Everything about his ‘world that has moved on’ is intriguing and special.
@jankypox I agree that it is post-apocalyptic, but it's also horror, and it's also fantasy and scifi. It's so many things I left it off to focus on slightly more specific books. And the dark tower is my favorite series of all time.
Ridley Walker is one of my all time favourites. The way the language and place names have evolved to become something both familiar and strange fascinates me. The Rampart Trilogy (Book of Koli) is similarly effective
Danic, I agree 100%. It was the third reading of it before their devolved language 'flowed' for me. I read it at least once every year. When I think of how Russell Hoban also wrote 'Frances the Badger' and other children's books, it blows my mind.
One that a friend of mine turned me onto years back, that I ended up enjoying so much I hunted down a very rare hardback copy of, is Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven’s Lucifer’s Hammer. I have a deep love for it as a lot of where it takes place is where I live but honestly, it’s not only a fun read but a tad terrifying being how probable this is how the world ends…(mostly ends). I’m sure you’ve read it but by chance if it slipped by, I highly recommend. They have several books that I’ve enjoyed so far. Footfall is another.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon. I am told it is similar to The Stand, I cannot say having not read The Stand. But a fantastic book. Boy's Life by him is one of my favorite books too
@@terinn7115 A lot of these mooks are Jonesing for an Atlas Shrugged dystopia. They think they will be the John Galts of the aftermath. They don't realize that they will be just be the ones roasted in the train tunnel.
"The Road" broke me. I cannot even think about it without crying. That book curb stomped me. I will never be able to bring myself to read it again where I can (and have) read and re-read most of the books on your list. I know I won't ever be able to watch that movie either.
I remember being in a total, numb daze for two days after I read that book in one sitting, no other book has ever had that effect on me. I read it when my son was a pre schooler so that only made the read that much more impactful
One Second After series by William R. Forstchen is really good as well. The novel is based on what would happen if an EMP is set off in the upper atmosphere. A very real threat. Its wild how fast civilization could/will collapse in a situation like that...
A Canticle for Leibowitz, awesome book. I read it twice (which I rarely do) and listened to the old NPR series from the 1980s. Good to see you included it, nobody else does.
Fahrenheit 451 is one of my all time favorites. Except for it and Brand New World and 1984 (which I loved as well), I haven't read any of the others. Thank you for the discoveries! Great videos.
Someone already mentioned them below but I just read “On the Beach” by Nevill Shute, and found it an unusually brilliant concept and very moving. “Alas Babylon” is another wonderful post apocalyptic novel. Also mentioned below is “We” by Zamyatin written well before “1984.”
Great list and hello from Australia. One of our most treasured literary authors (Tim Winton) has just released a new book called Juice. It's post apocalyptic Australia but not in that Mad Max style. Apparently it's pretty darn good. It might be your bag.
Not sure if it's a book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie The Rover. The scene with the PMCs guarding the Chinese train was a powerful indication of the potential power players in the Pacific rim in the coming decades, and a stark visualization of profiteers and Robber Barons in a dystopian future.
Love your list and interpretations.... Ive read 8 of your 10. And The Road may be my #1 as well.... but my number 2 I have not heard from anyone in your comments either, but a sleeper from out of nowhere is "Dog Stars" by Peter Heller (sometimes in recollection it surpases The Road). Also made me cry the 2nd most of the rest as well.
Yep, of those i've read, no "crazy" entries :). Time to re-read 'The Road' I think, everyone keeps saying how depressing it is but I found the ending kind of beautiful (so maybe i'm just in denial :). (some recs in the same vein: "Ice" by Anna Kavan and "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban - both of which aren't going to be for everyone i'd say - and "The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller which is similarly niche in that it'll only appeal to humans _with_ hearts :)
It's a short story, not a novel, but I feel like a list like this should always mention "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. Great list, BTW.
Cormac. He has never written anything but greatness. My favorite is All The Pretty Horses. I take that back. I can never decide which of his is my favorite. Blood Meridian is often touted as his greatest, and makes The Road come across as a rom-com it's so bleak. They are all great. Recommend.
I was more traumatized by The Road than Blood Meridian. Both great books, but the kid in Meridian could have just run off, which he did, and there is no escape in The Road.
The road was the first “apocalyptic “ book I ever read, which kicked my love for dark apocalyptic stories into high gear. I’m Currently reading the ashfall series by Mike mullin ,Pretty good easy reading . Thanks for the list 👍🏻
I love 1984! The end was crazy. It is one of my fav books. I’m always trying to get everyone to read it. I have tried reading The Stand but I get nightmares and stop. I need to suck it up and just finish reading it.
We is great. Really interesting to get something like that from a Russian author so soon after the revolution. Also worth it to see where 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit may have gotten some of their inspiration.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) B&W with Vincent Price captured the spirit and atmosphere of the book better than any of the others. I read the book in the late 1960s & saw the movie later. The book is one of my all-time favorites.
Just finished The Road yesterday. I bought it back in 2007 after it came out and just got around to reading it. Awesome book! it is hard and sad, although I thought the end was very positive. Great writing. I like his writing, read the three books of the Boarder Trilogy. His style is unique for him in this book from others. He doesn't like punctuation gereally.
Fun fact. There is a stage version of Brave New World. We performed it in my high school drama club. We used Certs mint rolls for our Soma. I have yet to read the actual book but it’s on my shelf.
Even though it’s a YA book, I still want to mention Feed by M.T. Anderson. It’s like Brave New World in that it’s more pre-impending apocalypse than post, and it focuses on a world where most people’s every need is met, but it does so with more knowledge of 21st century technology. Even though it predates TikTok and Alexa and AI algorithms, it presents a world where this brainrot is the norm and has been for at least a couple generations, and is written from the perspective of someone who has never known anything else. One of my favorite light soul-destroying reads
The Road…. That book made such an impact in me. The last few chapters were lots of crying…. I also highly recommend the Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin.
Great list🎉 Roadside Picnic and The Road are my absolute favourites in this genre so far. I would add one more to the list : I who have never known men . Its a fantastic, thought provoking novel!
Awesome list. The Stand is one of my favorites as well. The original and updated one. One series that I would add starts with Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling. If you have never read the Emberverse Saga I would highly recommend diving into the first one that I named. Thanks
Great list, I've read all but Dr. Blood Money and Metro 2033 (but it's on my shelf.) Swan Song was really good as well. I would love to see another list of this sort of book (11-20?). I enjoy your channel!
You got a like the second you mentioned Metro 2033. One of my favorite post apocalyptic novels ever, the philosophical musings mixed in among the horrifying tunnel segments and the safe havens and unpredictable politics of the stations, such a unique take on the genre.
Great list! Love to see Metro and Roadside Picnic since they are lesser known to most audiences compared to the others on the list. I will list some below that I enjoyed that you might as well since you are a fan. Children of Men by PD James Summer of the Apocalypse by James Van Pelt Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh Slow Apocalypse by John Varley Swan Song by Robert McCammon The Rift by Walter Jon Williams The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood Earth Abides by George R Stewart The Postman by David Brin Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank War Day by Whitley Strieber
Metro 2033 is a fantastic book, my son was one that struggled with it tho, but I downloaded a map of the Moscow metro so he could look at that, and follow Artyoms journey as the names of the stations was one thing he struggled with, once he had the map he finished it and loved it.
Couldn’t agree with you more on The Road. My son was 10 years old when I read it which made it even more distressing for me. I can’t bring myself to watch the movie. Best book I’ll never read again.
I just finished this one a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't consider it to be as action-filled as ,say, The Stand, but it's a very human story. I think it approaches the end of the world from a more philosophical perspective and eventually touches on things people would inevitably have to consider. I also enjoyed how it touches on how children would react to life when "after" is all they'd ever known. Maybe a little long but well worth the read. It's also interesting that it inspired King to write The Stand, which involves 2 groups on their respective odyssies, while Earth Abides mostly takes place in one neighborhood.
Having read eight out of ten of your choices, I don't think I could read "The Road", from what I've heard. Probably for the same reason I don't play Cyberpunk games, anymore. Thanks for your videos. It's nice to remember that we used to read.
You nailed it with The Road in first place. It is a work of magnificent desolation, and is absolutely beautiful literature. I was surprised you didn't mention The Purple Cloud, though. I haven't read it in a long time, and it might not be great, but I thought it was at least well-known. I saw Alas, Babylon mentioned below.
For sheer entertainment I'd recommend The Rising and City of the Dead by Brian Keene. It's a zombie apocalyse with a bit of a twist. He's also got a couple related books set in that world as well as the Dead Sea series. Then there is Earthworm Gods (aka Conqueror Worms) which has more of a Lovecraftian feel.
I love Keene. The Rising is my favorite zombie novel. I got fired from a job to go to a book signing of his leading to, IMO, coolest notes. In my copy of Kill Whitey it says "I'm sorry you lost your job to get this signature."
Great list. The Road was first to my mind. It's just so detailed and realistic in how savage the world becomes. You feel the fear and McCarthy lets you connect the subtle dots between the details. The overwhelming dark side of humanity is balanced with this thin human thread of hope. I always remember parts of this book as a father but particularly the imagery of the light/torch.
Can't argue with any of your choices. Check out "Lucifer's Hammer" by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. And the "Island in the Sea of Time" and "Dies The Fire" by S.M. Stirling. Two sides of the same series. Also by S.M. Stirling is his "T2" trilogy, which is about a million times better than any of the awful Terminator sequels we received.
I'm currently reading/reviewing one that hasn't been published yet called, "The Garden" by Nick Newman. The setting for the story is a time and place unknown. Its focus is two sisters living alone in a garden. It's really interesting so far. So far it has been shelved as fantasy though but reviewers are calling it apocalyptic feel to it. Definitely worth checking out.
Love the video. I haven't read all of the books listed, but agree with your top two in no particular order. Metro 2033 is enjoyable, but I found it a bit redundant after a while and there isn't much in character development that made me care about anyone but Artyom.
i'm loving Disagrdium right now. it's a lit-RPG but the dystopian aspects are amazingly done. like on book 10 and it just keeps getting better. sidenote I am legend is a brilliant novella but the last ten paragraphs is one of the best endings ive read
The Stand is the only book I will reread and I have ordered the collectors edition. That’s about the highest praise I can give. It should have been number one. For the characters alone.
Excellent list. I wonder...did you ever read "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart? If you're ever in the mood for a classic post-apocolyptic novel, I highly recommend it.
If you haven't read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, you should try it. It's the OG dystopian novel from 1924, written by yet another Russian author. Some say it influenced the big three, but they deny it. 1984 is quite similar in my opinion.
Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but the The Road may be my all-time favorite book. It hits even harder once you have kids, and re-reading it after we did was even more powerful. One I might add to check out is The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Read it 10 years ago and remember really liking it. I echo other comments about The Postman and Swan Song as well, both by authors whose other non-apocalyptic works I enjoy as well.
The Night Land by William Hodgson. I think the premise is neat although the writing style is tough to digest. I haven't finished it although I intend to give it another chance soonish
I loved The Road too. Also Station Eleven. The End of the World Running Club was good too - though requires some suspension of disbelief if you're a runner. All I could think was, "You're running that many miles? With zero training? Why is there no mention of shin splints?"
@@rammelbroadcasting You should read it, it's a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre. I believe Day of the Triffids should at least have an honourable mention in the list of post-apocalyptic books. Another thing is that this is mostly a list of dystopian books at least half of them are not post-apocalyptic at all. And I have doubts that there are ten good enough purely post-apocalyptic books to make a top 10 list.
I’m not sure I’d have included 1984 or Brave New World without also talking about The Giver. And of course Sean Song, as plenty of others have mentioned. I’m also keen on Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling.
The Postman is one of my top post apocalyptic books. It feels very real to me.
I started it, then put it down. I have to come back to it.
Yes, I liked it too.
It started off alright, but the further I got into it the more I didn’t like it and lost patience with it.
A great book.
Great list! If you haven’t read Swan Song, you should.
@@HunterHilly I haven't. I'll have to check it out.
@@rammelbroadcasting incredible post apocalyptic…
+1 for Swan Song
Swan song was very good
Swan Song is awful. Do not bother with it. It's essentially a fanfic-quality fantasy story in which the good guys are purely good and beautiful while the bad guys are evil ugly devils. Everything works out for the good guys and they are made even more beautiful and pure while the evil ugly bad guys fail because they are dumb evil bad guys. Less important, but none of the details of the story make sense. There is no real explanation of how anyone is surviving in the post-apocalyptic world. No explanation for how they continue to find fuel and food for themselves. Despite that, lots of descriptions of violence and suffering. So, it all just feels unearned, unmotivated, and fake cheap allegory.
Earth Abides by Stewart is the granddaddy of all end of life as we know it novels. It was written in the 1940s and is still the best for conveying what it would feel like to be one of a few survivors, meaning you have lost everyone and everything that made life meaningful. It's also very hopeful as people do adjust and find hope.
Another that is more of a curiosity is The Last Man by Mary Shelley. She wrote it after Frankenstein The writing is very Victorian but it's an interesting read.
I'm really curious about the last man.
I totally agree about Earth Abides. It is a more personal story as it follows the main character Ish, but certainly holds up even 80 years after it was written. It will always be at the top of my own list of favorite distopians.
Earth Abides has been made into a movie coming out this December. I fear the worst. There isn't much action in the novel so the movie may ruin it by adding lots of cliched action. I hope I'm wrong.
Scrolling down to check, and if no-one else had, I'd have thrown Earth Abides into the list too.
YES!!!!!
Some mentions on the apocalyptic spin
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle & David Niven
Swan song for me was about as good as The Stand... definately one to read if you like this genre
I've always really liked Alas Babylon
In the late 1960s I had a professor who had been teaching Shakespeare for decades. I’ve always found it a bit odd that it was he who recommended Alas, Babylon to me.
I wanted to teach Alas but left the classroom before I could
Swan Song is way better than the stand with better more interesting characters. There....I said it
No one mentions Justin Cronin’s The Passage, which is the first book of a trilogy. I like the story better than The Stand or Swan Song. I’ve read it twice.
YES The Passage was really really good. So disappointed about the TV series.
@@laurasedor4641 Wow, I never knew there was one. I don't want to sound all hoity, but I don't really watch TV. I tried to watch Game of Thrones, but I found it very cheesy compared to my imagination and watching it was ruing my remembrance of the books, so I stopped. I knew what was going to happen anyway, so why bother?
I've read it twice also❤
The Passage is SO good!! Unfortunately each of the sequels takes a step or two down from it, at least for me.
I loved that book too. Have the sequel but haven’t gotten to it yet.
Never saw any of your videos before this. I have read 5 of the books on your list and now have added the other 5 to my TBR. I'm going to watch some of your other videos now because it appears we might enjoy similar books. Thanks for the list.
The scariest thing about 1984 isn't that Big Brother wants to control you. It is that Big Brother wants you to love him.
What Orwell would never have believed was that we would want the cameras there and would be mad if Big Brother wasn’t watching
I preferred the uncut version of The Stand, but it also made me appreciate that not all editing is a bad thing.
I love the stand. It is very very long though but it was great
Actually Vincent Price's "The Last Man on Earth" was probably closer to Matheson's work. Will Smith evades the ending by showing "there are other Last Men on Earth," just way out in the country.
Day of the Triffids is a great read
I completely agree.
I was traumatized by the movie when I was little 😂 but I want to read it
Yes it is! Have you read Softly Walks The Beast? A book that gained no fame at all but is worth a read.
Thanks for the fabulous list. I would have included "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia E. Butler. If you haven't read it, I would definitely recommend.
I don't think I'll ever read another Butler after reading Dawn. 🤮
Wholeheartedly recommend Parable of the Sower
I agree with your final choice. The Road is one of my all-time faves. I recommended this book to my sons.
I would have included Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.
Yes and almost forgotten.
On The Beach by Nevil Shute and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank
Two of my favorite post-apocalyptic novels but I must give the edge to Alas Babylon.
@@romeronyc Read then both SOOOOO many years ago. I think Alas Babylon was the first post apocalyptic novel I ever read. And On The Beach has always haunted me. I have never forgotten them.
On the Beach! Yes!
Those I've read listed in the video are among my favorites as well. I do have some issues with "The Road," as much as I enjoyed it, and I agree that once getting used to the prose style, it becomes very powerful.
I scanned through the responses and culled what looked like good titles for future reading. I would add "The Handmaid's Tale" as well, which has been a favorite of mine since it was first published mid-80's. Atwood also wrote a trilogy beginning with "Oryx and Crake" that I find myself re-reading, plus my all-time favorite, "The Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula LeGuin (that would have been #1 on my own list). Great vid!
What I love about Roadside Picnic is how it went media full circle being made into a movie (Stalker by Tarkovsky) and video game (the Stalker games).
I agree. I can't wait for the new stalker game next month!
Love the Stalker series, though they're very LOOSE adaptations
The Windup Girl, thank you, no one on booktube talks about it and it's such a good book. It is a little hard to recommend though,with how graphic some of the scenes are.
The water knife, by Bacigalupi is wonderful.
Thank you so much for this list! I was so happy to see several books that I have read and loved. Your description and analysis of each book was very intriguing and made me want to read all of them.
excellent top 10 list and i am happy that metro getting recognition .
I love The Road too. One that I also really enjoyed was Station Eleven, love it as much as The Road. It also has a great adaptation (1 season) on HBO they changed a few things but both are amazing
I'll have to check that one out
Roadside picknick is my absolute all time favorite. Nr 1.
And happy to hear you mention Dr Bloodmoney an other favorite of mine 🤗
While it probably sits more in the realm of fantasy, I’d argue that King’s The Dark Tower series should get an honorable mention for post apocalyptic works. Everything about his ‘world that has moved on’ is intriguing and special.
@jankypox I agree that it is post-apocalyptic, but it's also horror, and it's also fantasy and scifi. It's so many things I left it off to focus on slightly more specific books. And the dark tower is my favorite series of all time.
Ridley Walker is one of my all time favourites. The way the language and place names have evolved to become something both familiar and strange fascinates me. The Rampart Trilogy (Book of Koli) is similarly effective
Danic, I agree 100%. It was the third reading of it before their devolved language 'flowed' for me. I read it at least once every year. When I think of how Russell Hoban also wrote 'Frances the Badger' and other children's books, it blows my mind.
Margaret Atwood's MadAddam trilogy, especially Year of the Flood.
@@john_savage thank you! I couldn’t remember the trilogy title for the life of me, but it’s one I keep going back to.
I love Margaret Atwood's writing. Who else could make "Fuck" into a character in a book.
The Road Page 17, that’s the page you were thinking of. I remember it, life changing for a new father
Yes.
One that a friend of mine turned me onto years back, that I ended up enjoying so much I hunted down a very rare hardback copy of, is Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven’s Lucifer’s Hammer. I have a deep love for it as a lot of where it takes place is where I live but honestly, it’s not only a fun read but a tad terrifying being how probable this is how the world ends…(mostly ends). I’m sure you’ve read it but by chance if it slipped by, I highly recommend. They have several books that I’ve enjoyed so far. Footfall is another.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon. I am told it is similar to The Stand, I cannot say having not read The Stand. But a fantastic book. Boy's Life by him is one of my favorite books too
I love Swansong. I used to work in a book store and sold a lot of it.
Yes, both of those books are wonderful!
Kind of hard to get enthused about dystopic stories when you are entering a dystopic period in society.
It’s been dystopian for a long time
Michael, I hear you. I had to stop listening to 'Atlas Shrugged' because of how quickly we are heading for the nadir of civilization. Sigh.
@@terinn7115 A lot of these mooks are Jonesing for an Atlas Shrugged dystopia. They think they will be the John Galts of the aftermath. They don't realize that they will be just be the ones roasted in the train tunnel.
😂
I say we as humans are living in the best times to be alive and if we can just stop these needles wars the future looks very bright
"The Road" broke me.
I cannot even think about it without crying. That book curb stomped me.
I will never be able to bring myself to read it again where I can (and have) read and re-read most of the books on your list.
I know I won't ever be able to watch that movie either.
I remember being in a total, numb daze for two days after I read that book in one sitting, no other book has ever had that effect on me. I read it when my son was a pre schooler so that only made the read that much more impactful
One Second After series by William R. Forstchen is really good as well. The novel is based on what would happen if an EMP is set off in the upper atmosphere. A very real threat. Its wild how fast civilization could/will collapse in a situation like that...
Those were good ... but One Year After was a bit much.
Oh, man. When I read One Second After it was definitely thought provoking and scary
Great video! I'm curious-where is Swan Song? I'd say it's arguably as good as, or perhaps even better than, The Stand!
Better. Characters are way better
A Canticle for Leibowitz, awesome book. I read it twice (which I rarely do) and listened to the old NPR series from the 1980s. Good to see you included it, nobody else does.
Fahrenheit 451 is one of my all time favorites. Except for it and Brand New World and 1984 (which I loved as well), I haven't read any of the others. Thank you for the discoveries! Great videos.
Someone already mentioned them below but I just read “On the Beach” by Nevill Shute, and found it an unusually brilliant concept and very moving. “Alas Babylon” is another wonderful post apocalyptic novel. Also mentioned below is “We” by Zamyatin written well before “1984.”
I like how you keep your favorite books in a different cover :))
Great list and hello from Australia. One of our most treasured literary authors (Tim Winton) has just released a new book called Juice. It's post apocalyptic Australia but not in that Mad Max style. Apparently it's pretty darn good. It might be your bag.
Not sure if it's a book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie The Rover. The scene with the PMCs guarding the Chinese train was a powerful indication of the potential power players in the Pacific rim in the coming decades, and a stark visualization of profiteers and Robber Barons in a dystopian future.
Love your list and interpretations.... Ive read 8 of your 10. And The Road may be my #1 as well.... but my number 2 I have not heard from anyone in your comments either, but a sleeper from out of nowhere is "Dog Stars" by Peter Heller (sometimes in recollection it surpases The Road). Also made me cry the 2nd most of the rest as well.
Dog Stars is excellent
Yep, of those i've read, no "crazy" entries :). Time to re-read 'The Road' I think, everyone keeps saying how depressing it is but I found the ending kind of beautiful (so maybe i'm just in denial :).
(some recs in the same vein: "Ice" by Anna Kavan and "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban - both of which aren't going to be for everyone i'd say - and "The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller which is similarly niche in that it'll only appeal to humans _with_ hearts :)
It's a depressingly themed book, for sure. But, AT NO POINT did The Road make me cry!!! I think it can be quite affecting for dads.
It's a short story, not a novel, but I feel like a list like this should always mention "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. Great list, BTW.
I love that story. I did a whole video on it and the rest of that collection.
@@rammelbroadcasting Oh wow! I'll look it up and watch it. Thanks.
Lots of Harlan Ellison is really good but I guess doesn’t really fit the post apocalyptic topic here. 🙂
This was a such a fantastic list of one of my favourite genres! Thanks for the video!
Cormac. He has never written anything but greatness. My favorite is All The Pretty Horses. I take that back. I can never decide which of his is my favorite. Blood Meridian is often touted as his greatest, and makes The Road come across as a rom-com it's so bleak. They are all great. Recommend.
I was more traumatized by The Road than Blood Meridian. Both great books, but the kid in Meridian could have just run off, which he did, and there is no escape in The Road.
@toughbutsweet1 The Road was more personal being a story of a father and a son.
Blood Meridian left a bowling ball size void in my gut, it was that intense and bleak.
The road was the first “apocalyptic “ book I ever read, which kicked my love for dark apocalyptic stories into high gear. I’m Currently reading the ashfall series by Mike mullin ,Pretty good easy reading . Thanks for the list 👍🏻
Thanks for the intriguing recommendations!!
I love 1984! The end was crazy. It is one of my fav books. I’m always trying to get everyone to read it. I have tried reading The Stand but I get nightmares and stop. I need to suck it up and just finish reading it.
Absolutely agree on The Road. Blood Meridian is brilliant, too.
Blood Meridian is greatness, awesome reading
McCarthy is an incredible writer
I just wanted to stop by and say your videos are awesome. Keep up the great work!
@@JesseRad Thank you.
Oldtimer honorable mention:
Matthew Phipps Shiel - The purple cloud (big fart, all die)
Yevgeny Zamyatin - We (1921, proto 1984 novel, just as good)
We is great. Really interesting to get something like that from a Russian author so soon after the revolution. Also worth it to see where 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit may have gotten some of their inspiration.
Thanks. Agree completely on The Road. Will try Roadside Picnic.
A great list, very well curated - although I feel you missed out one essential read...Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) B&W with Vincent Price captured the spirit and atmosphere of the book better than any of the others. I read the book in the late 1960s & saw the movie later. The book is one of my all-time favorites.
I can’t believe Swan Song didn’t make it. I like The Stand but I think Swan Song is better. I really enjoyed the Passage as well.
Just finished The Road yesterday. I bought it back in 2007 after it came out and just got around to reading it. Awesome book! it is hard and sad, although I thought the end was very positive. Great writing. I like his writing, read the three books of the Boarder Trilogy. His style is unique for him in this book from others. He doesn't like punctuation gereally.
M-O-O-N that spells 1984! Great books! Looking forward to reading a few I haven't heard of before, such as Canticle. Thank you for the suggestions!
@@LadyValkyri no problem 👍
Laws, yes.
The road did break me. I’m afraid to go back.
How did Anthem by Ann Rand not make this list! WTF?
Anthem is great…but We The Living is the probably the bleakest novel I’ve ever read.
Fun fact. There is a stage version of Brave New World. We performed it in my high school drama club. We used Certs mint rolls for our Soma. I have yet to read the actual book but it’s on my shelf.
I love your t-shirt choice for this video 👍🏻
Thanks
Even though it’s a YA book, I still want to mention Feed by M.T. Anderson. It’s like Brave New World in that it’s more pre-impending apocalypse than post, and it focuses on a world where most people’s every need is met, but it does so with more knowledge of 21st century technology. Even though it predates TikTok and Alexa and AI algorithms, it presents a world where this brainrot is the norm and has been for at least a couple generations, and is written from the perspective of someone who has never known anything else. One of my favorite light soul-destroying reads
Great list. I wasn't surprised that The Handmaid's Tale wasn't on it, though. I'd also recommend The Chrysalids and Swan Song.
I haven't actually read anything from Atwood yet. I was going to start with Oryx and Crake.
@@rammelbroadcasting That's a good one, although The Handmaid's Tale is better. I haven't read the sequels to Oryx and Crake (Maddaddam trilogy).
i JUST read the Chrysalids for the first time last week. Excellent.
Great list. I am obsessed with pa books. I would highly recommend The Dog Stars, Station Eleven and Swansong
The Road…. That book made such an impact in me. The last few chapters were lots of crying…. I also highly recommend the Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin.
THE STAND is my favorite King book. Amazing character development and tapestry of story arcs. I also loved the 1994 miniseries.
I feel it's his single-book masterpiece; with the Dark Tower being his best multi-book work.
Great list🎉 Roadside Picnic and The Road are my absolute favourites in this genre so far. I would add one more to the list : I who have never known men . Its a fantastic, thought provoking novel!
Fantastic list! I enjoyed all of these gems
Awesome list. The Stand is one of my favorites as well. The original and updated one. One series that I would add starts with Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling. If you have never read the Emberverse Saga I would highly recommend diving into the first one that I named. Thanks
Mockingbird By Walter Tevis is amazing! I liked the list and just ordered Roadside Picnic, TY
Great list, I've read all but Dr. Blood Money and Metro 2033 (but it's on my shelf.) Swan Song was really good as well. I would love to see another list of this sort of book (11-20?). I enjoy your channel!
Thanks
You got a like the second you mentioned Metro 2033. One of my favorite post apocalyptic novels ever, the philosophical musings mixed in among the horrifying tunnel segments and the safe havens and unpredictable politics of the stations, such a unique take on the genre.
Great list! Love to see Metro and Roadside Picnic since they are lesser known to most audiences compared to the others on the list. I will list some below that I enjoyed that you might as well since you are a fan.
Children of Men by PD James
Summer of the Apocalypse by James Van Pelt
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson
Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
Slow Apocalypse by John Varley
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
The Rift by Walter Jon Williams
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Earth Abides by George R Stewart
The Postman by David Brin
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
War Day by Whitley Strieber
Metro 2033 is a fantastic book, my son was one that struggled with it tho, but I downloaded a map of the Moscow metro so he could look at that, and follow Artyoms journey as the names of the stations was one thing he struggled with, once he had the map he finished it and loved it.
How can you leave out Alas Babylon?
Couldn’t agree with you more on The Road. My son was 10 years old when I read it which made it even more distressing for me. I can’t bring myself to watch the movie. Best book I’ll never read again.
Another amazing book is "One Second After" Every one That borrowed my book loved it.
Great read
I’d recommend Earth Abides by George Stewart for a different flavor of post apocalyptic. It inspired Stephen King to write The Stand
I just finished this one a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't consider it to be as action-filled as ,say, The Stand, but it's a very human story. I think it approaches the end of the world from a more philosophical perspective and eventually touches on things people would inevitably have to consider. I also enjoyed how it touches on how children would react to life when "after" is all they'd ever known. Maybe a little long but well worth the read.
It's also interesting that it inspired King to write The Stand, which involves 2 groups on their respective odyssies, while Earth Abides mostly takes place in one neighborhood.
Having read eight out of ten of your choices, I don't think I could read "The Road", from what I've heard. Probably for the same reason I don't play Cyberpunk games, anymore. Thanks for your videos. It's nice to remember that we used to read.
If you have not done so yet please read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. It's incredible!
swan song would crack your top 5 for sure I'd bet
You nailed it with The Road in first place. It is a work of magnificent desolation, and is absolutely beautiful literature. I was surprised you didn't mention The Purple Cloud, though. I haven't read it in a long time, and it might not be great, but I thought it was at least well-known. I saw Alas, Babylon mentioned below.
The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri Tepper is a different type of post apocalyptic novel.
Sorry but how do you overlook We by Zamyatin? It literally started the genre and was a huge influence on Orwell.
Just posted the same thing. You could probably accuse Orwell and Huxley of plagerism.
The Road is so tragically beautiful. It breaks my heart every time I read it.
For sheer entertainment I'd recommend The Rising and City of the Dead by Brian Keene. It's a zombie apocalyse with a bit of a twist. He's also got a couple related books set in that world as well as the Dead Sea series. Then there is Earthworm Gods (aka Conqueror Worms) which has more of a Lovecraftian feel.
Keene is great in general. Working my way through his catalogue. I have read 8 of his books so far.
I love Keene. The Rising is my favorite zombie novel. I got fired from a job to go to a book signing of his leading to, IMO, coolest notes. In my copy of Kill Whitey it says "I'm sorry you lost your job to get this signature."
I read The Stand (for the second time) during the Covid lockdowns. It was awesome.
Great list. The Road was first to my mind. It's just so detailed and realistic in how savage the world becomes. You feel the fear and McCarthy lets you connect the subtle dots between the details. The overwhelming dark side of humanity is balanced with this thin human thread of hope. I always remember parts of this book as a father but particularly the imagery of the light/torch.
Can't argue with any of your choices. Check out "Lucifer's Hammer" by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. And the "Island in the Sea of Time" and "Dies The Fire" by S.M. Stirling. Two sides of the same series. Also by S.M. Stirling is his "T2" trilogy, which is about a million times better than any of the awful Terminator sequels we received.
S.M. Stirling is effin' great!
There are T2 books?! Awesome! Thank you!!
@@PaulHolmanIII yes there is! Way better than the godawful sequels we got!!!
I'm currently reading/reviewing one that hasn't been published yet called, "The Garden" by Nick Newman. The setting for the story is a time and place unknown. Its focus is two sisters living alone in a garden. It's really interesting so far. So far it has been shelved as fantasy though but reviewers are calling it apocalyptic feel to it. Definitely worth checking out.
Love the video. I haven't read all of the books listed, but agree with your top two in no particular order. Metro 2033 is enjoyable, but I found it a bit redundant after a while and there isn't much in character development that made me care about anyone but Artyom.
You must read Swan Song. My all time favorite apocalyptic novel.
i'm loving Disagrdium right now. it's a lit-RPG but the dystopian aspects are amazingly done. like on book 10 and it just keeps getting better. sidenote I am legend is a brilliant novella but the last ten paragraphs is one of the best endings ive read
When you put the Road number one and it being my favorite book of all time you sing my tune.
The Stand is the only book I will reread and I have ordered the collectors edition. That’s about the highest praise I can give. It should have been number one. For the characters alone.
King's characterizations are what puts him head and shoulders above other writers in similar genres.
Excellent list. I wonder...did you ever read "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart? If you're ever in the mood for a classic post-apocolyptic novel, I highly recommend it.
If you haven't read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, you should try it. It's the OG dystopian novel from 1924, written by yet another Russian author. Some say it influenced the big three, but they deny it. 1984 is quite similar in my opinion.
I've heard of it but never read it. Now I want to move it up on my TBR because I always hear good things about it.
@@haxxy40 It definitely influenced 1984! Without a doubt!
Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but the The Road may be my all-time favorite book. It hits even harder once you have kids, and re-reading it after we did was even more powerful.
One I might add to check out is The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Read it 10 years ago and remember really liking it. I echo other comments about The Postman and Swan Song as well, both by authors whose other non-apocalyptic works I enjoy as well.
The Night Land by William Hodgson. I think the premise is neat although the writing style is tough to digest. I haven't finished it although I intend to give it another chance soonish
I loved The Road too.
Also Station Eleven.
The End of the World Running Club was good too - though requires some suspension of disbelief if you're a runner. All I could think was, "You're running that many miles? With zero training? Why is there no mention of shin splints?"
I really enjoyed the America falls books if you haven't read them it's worthwhile starts a little slow then blows up and stays tugging on your mind
Good list, although I would add Maja Lunde's End of the Ocean and Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World
Hey, what do you think about Postman by David Brin? Also I was surprised I didn't see Triffids Day there judging how influential it was.
I haven't read the postman, so I can't speak on it. I have read the day of the triffids, and it's pretty great. I just like these ones better 🤷♂️
@@rammelbroadcasting You should read it, it's a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre. I believe Day of the Triffids should at least have an honourable mention in the list of post-apocalyptic books. Another thing is that this is mostly a list of dystopian books at least half of them are not post-apocalyptic at all. And I have doubts that there are ten good enough purely post-apocalyptic books to make a top 10 list.
@@rammelbroadcasting The Postman is one of my favorites. I really like Brin's writing style.
I’m not sure I’d have included 1984 or Brave New World without also talking about The Giver. And of course Sean Song, as plenty of others have mentioned. I’m also keen on Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling.