The themes of all post-apocalyptic novels share some sympathies, in that they involve the survival of a small fraction of the world’s population. How they get there is very different. The most basic “end of the world” scenario is the plague or pandemic: the virus premise (Andromeda Strain, The Stand). Second in popularity is the World War III scenario (The 100, On the Beach, or Swan Song), but my favorite theme is the apocalypse brought on by an Alien Invasion (War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers). Finally there is the natural disaster apocalypse, such as from a meteor hitting the Earth. There are other twists on these four basic worlds, such as the zombie apocalypse (The Walking Dead, or Last Man on Earth), or an evolution of creatures (Reign of Fire).
I have written my own post-apocalyptic series called “Sons of Neptune” kicked off by the novel Earthweeds, where lizards similar to Komodo dragons roam the earth instead of zombies, as a prelude to an alien invasion – ridding the Earth of those pesky humans before the aliens land. Many other apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic books had a strong influence on me. Here is my list of favorite post-apocalyptic books that had an effect on my writing.
1 – Planet of the Apes – by Pierre Boulle
One of the earliest post-apocalyptic novels I ever read, this one had a fresh take on the World War III idea, carrying us centuries into the future after nuclear annihilation. Although carried further in the movies than the books, it still gripped me as a unique idea. I wondered about it for years, which is the mark of a truly effective book. Rod Serling’s script for the big screen veered a bit, but made the same unforgettable point about a distorted future.
2 – I am Legend – by Richard Matheson
Legend was the precursor to Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price, along with a dozen other movies to follow. Here the virus doesn’t just kill everyone, it turns them into vampires (of sorts) that closely resemble the zombies of today. Technically this is The Walking Dead’s grandfather. It presents an additional challenge to surviving the end of the world, in that you also need to avoid or fight the rest of the world’s inhabitants – whether they are dead or alive.
3 – A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Six hundred years after a nuclear war, as society is in the midst of rebuilding, knowledge and books (and even the skill of reading) are anathema. It is thought that knowledge is what led to the building of the fist atomic bombs, and thus an evil to be subverted. This isn’t far from the theme of “Planet of the Apes,” wherein the Ministry of Science tries to hide selected knowledge of the past. Zaius is one of the few who know their origins, and he tries to hide it. In “Canticle” we see the same disdain for knowledge. The main character hides books, and tries to memorize them and preserve their contents. The story spans more than a century. This is an important work of fiction, although it may be too dark and bleak for some readers.
4 – The Stand – by Stephen King
The first half of The Stand is a straight-up virus story. The pandemic wipes out 99% of the world’s population and the remaining 1% (inexplicably immune) need to scrape along to survive. Later, a devil element is presented, and the living have a new battle on their hands. They gather in two camps: good against evil. Well-written, The Stand had a big influence on my writing for years to come. The ensemble of characters was vast.
5 – The Alien Years – by Robert Silverberg
An alien invasion story in which the invaders remove the power of electricity from the humans on Earth, and isolate themselves. The surviving Earthlings must struggle through a new Dark Age. One family is followed as they fight back over a span of five generations. The strong characters in this narrative really influenced how I draw my own characters in words. Authors don’t need five-page descriptions, but instead should favor a few well-written sentences to fix a character in the reader’s mind.
6 – A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Set in 2540 London, the book tackles some heavy subjects (taboo at the time).
7 – Down to a Sunless Sea by David Graham
While on a plane, the world is destroyed by nukes. The crew must land on an island and figure out the next step to survival.
8 – War of the Worlds by H.G.Wells
The classic tale of alien invasion. The protagonists crawl through ruined cities, as alien tripods roam across the land on a destructive course.
9 – The Maze Runner by James Dashner
This young adult series appeals to me because of its unusual first book. The idea of testing people in a maze is not original (this idea has been done before) but this book is well-written and has some unique twists. Performing the tests on kids this time, that was a bit different. It has a little bit of a “Lord of the Flies” aspect to it. I liked the first book in the series.
10 – Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle,
A unique alien invasion tale with a very poignant ending. No spoilers here, but I recommend it.
Author’s Bio
Rod Little had written for dozens of sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazines, and more recently has written the Wayward Pines prequel: Dark Pines. He just published book 2 in the Sons of Neptune series: Revenge of the Spiders, and Book 1: Earthweeds available on Amazon (4.5/5 stars).
What is it about The Brave New World that makes you classify it with post-apocalyptic novels? I think of it as a dystopia more than post-apoc.
I have not read Down the Sunless sea or the Alien Year, have to get my hands on them now.
I’ve read most of those and Canticle is probably the towering best of the best, but I really preferred The Death of Grass (or No Blade of Grass in the US, I think) by John Christopher. Greg Bear’s Blood Music is also excellent, in a Stephen King sort of way.