A common topic in science fiction is the post-apocalypse, in which humanity is plunged back into oblivion following an extremely terrible event. Of course, after the atomic bombs were dropped, people finally understood that humanity had the ability to bring about its own apocalypse. The thin layer of human civilization can be torn off by catastrophe in other ways besides a nuclear holocaust. The Great Flood in the legendary past nearly brought about the end of the world, leaving Noah and his family in a post-apocalyptic situation. Science fiction post-apocalyptic books, like the ones on the list below, have explored many of these potential responses of mankind to overwhelming destruction.
The Road
In Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road, a desolate world following an unidentified highly devastating catastrophe is introduced. There are now only a few survivors in the desolate countryside, and they are on the hunt for warmth and sustenance. In the book, we follow an anonymous father and kid as they cross the devastation. In the post-apocalyptic world of this book, people are mutating into vicious cannibals, and the father is frightened to leave his son alone since he knows he is going to die. But the father and son keep going. The imagery in this novel is far more violent despite McCarthy’s having always had high standards for despondence, according to The New York Times.One of the most heartbreaking post-apocalyptic books is likely The Road.
Dream Caster
Weaver, a sixteen-year-old who is hiding out among the ruins of a destroyed Toronto, is haunted by memories of his massacred community. Weaver learns he has the power to cast dreams into reality while establishing a new life. Weaver disregards it, reasoning that it is merely an anomaly. Later, he learns that a strange guy with a similar talent for bringing nightmares to life truly destroyed his planet. The tranquil life that Weave was hoping to create becomes increasingly chaotic. Before the mysterious man ruins his new home as well, Weaver must come to accept that he is a dream catcher and master the skill he possesses. The best aspect of Dream Caster is the novel plot and special genre mashup.
The Stand
The Stand is one of the most well-known post-apocalyptic novels as well as maybe Stephen King’s most well-known book. The worst-case scenario—a superflu that kills 99% of the population—is envisioned in the novel and occurs as a result of a computer glitch in a Defense Department facility. So, the way is set for a post-apocalyptic conflict between good and evil. King said in a statement about his own work that he had the chance to “clean” the entire human race and that he had greatly enjoyed doing it.
The Drowned World
The scientist Robert Kerans and his crew are assigned to investigate the cities of America and northern Europe in J.G. Ballard’s 1962 science-fiction book. Due to radiation and the melting of the polar ice caps, the areas have been transformed into tropical lagoons with no human life. Among the few survivors, Kerans and his teammates are amazed by the new post-apocalyptic world order. The book is cool even though it is a little too much, as stated in TIME. It wouldn’t be fair to give away the book’s intriguing twist by saying anything further about it.
The Passage
The highly anticipated book The Passage by author Justin Cronin recently reached the market. In fact, Cronin sold the picture rights even before he finished writing the book. This 766-page novel has generated a lot of buzz since it centers on violent creatures that resemble vampires but are also somewhat zombie-like and are slowly wiping out Americans. However, critics have praised the story’s captivating sense and style.
Imagining the end of the world has an allure of its own. Have you ever had a world-ending fantasy? These five post-apocalyptic books seem to have pretty different visions of how the world will end. So which one do you anticipate reading?