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A list for the best after the fall.
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1,267 books · 3,428 voters · list created April 18th, 2009 by Osvaldo Ortega (votes) .
594 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Osvaldo 417 books
33 friends
Anne 375 books
9 friends
Sven 2167 books
58 friends
William 4054 books
134 friends
Amy 1689 books
349 friends
Michele 6285 books
168 friends
Loren 460 books
62 friends
Jim 428 books
29 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-35 of 35 (35 new)

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message 1: by Osvaldo (new)

Osvaldo Ortega Here is a list for the best of 'after the fall'. I wondered whether to call this apocalyptic or post-apoc. My interest lies more in what happens after it all goes wrong. Though the narration of how it all ends in 'Alas Babylon' had me riveted.


Mike (the Paladin) Lucifer's Hammer and The Postman are listed in separate editions that need to be consolidated... They'd be higher on the list if all their votes were together.


message 3: by Neospooky (new)

Neospooky There's a lot of things on the list that aren't post-apocalyptic and are simply dystopian. But it did point me in the right direction to add to my "to-read" list!


Mike (the Paladin) That seems to happen on a lot of lists. Epic fantasy or Urban fantasy lists end up with almost anything that "might" be considered fantasy and so on. I don't think everyone reads the requirements that closely... Oh well.


message 5: by Tina (new)

Tina A good many of these aren't post-apocalyptic or even dystopian! Many of these are just set in the future! Snow Crash is not post-apocalyptic. Neuromancer is not post-apocalyptic. Never Let Me Go is the furthest thing from post-apocalyptic. WTF.


message 6: by [deleted user] (new)

Neospooky wrote: "There's a lot of things on the list that aren't post-apocalyptic and are simply dystopian. But it did point me in the right direction to add to my "to-read" list!"

There are some books that belong on neither post-apocalyptic or Dystopian lists. Utopia by Lincoln Child is a good example.


message 7: by Malia (new)

Malia What part about the fall of the united states gonverment, crash of all major mainstream religions, and people living in u-store-it franchises makes Snow Crash and non post apocalyptic book? It's cover should be by the word in the dictionary as an example. And news flash all post-apocalyptic books are set in the future.


message 8: by Sérgio (last edited Oct 28, 2012 07:15AM) (new)

Sérgio Wow! I don't even consider myself that well-read but I can see that this list needs serious cleaning up.

Here are the books that I've read that I'm pretty sure don't fit the list, but since I'm not the list creator I won't erase anything if there isn't some consensus over it.

Brave New World
The War of the Worlds
The Trial
The Man in the High Castle
Roadside Picnic
Naked Lunch

What do you people think?


message 9: by Mike (last edited Nov 26, 2012 07:50AM) (new)

Mike Add Ender's Game to the list of books on here that are neither post-apocalyptic nor dystopian if these are to have any meaning as sub-genres.


message 10: by Audrey (new)

Audrey How is Good Omens post- apocalyptic? It is a book ABOUT the apocalypse.


message 11: by Shayan (new)

Shayan Foroozesh Hi everybody :) Does anyone know a book or an article on "post-apocalyptic fiction"? Part of my thesis is about post-apocalyptic fiction in general, but unfortunately I can't find an academic article or even a book about this genre.


message 12: by Taylor (new)

Taylor Since when is WATERSHIP DOWN post apocalyptic or dystopian? It's a book set in the world of rabbits. Geez.


message 13: by [deleted user] (new)

Stephanie wrote: "Since when is WATERSHIP DOWN post apocalyptic or dystopian? It's a book set in the world of rabbits. Geez."
People are idiots. There's a list on here called "Best Horror that is NOT Stephen King" and I found and deleted 12 King novels.


message 14: by Justin (new)

Justin Watership Down is BOTH dystopian and apocalyptic. It deals with a dysfunctional society that collapses. Pretty simple to identify. I think your bias is in assuming that nothing pertaining to rabbits can be dark enough to fit these categories. Well, you're wrong. I'm not a huge fan, but read the book before you make such a sweeping, poorly thought out statement.


message 15: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten People seriously seem to be confusing "dystopian" with "post-apocalyptic". Post-apocalyptic means that an APOCALYPSE has occurred (meaning some massive event that has destroyed much of life on earth) and the story takes place after the apocalypse. Dystopian means a story is taking place in a setting where the government is the opposite of a utopia (so, rather than being a perfect place, it is the opposite of perfect -- the government is intensely flawed). A dystopian society does not need to have taken place after an apocalypse. It's possible that a story can have both, but not all dystopian stories are post-apocalyptic. For instance, one could potentially write a story about the USSR and call it a dystopian society. There was no real apocalypse that caused the USSR to form.


message 16: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten Shayan wrote: "Hi everybody :) Does anyone know a book or an article on "post-apocalyptic fiction"? Part of my thesis is about post-apocalyptic fiction in general, but unfortunately I can't find an academic artic..."

Shayan -- go to your library and schedule a meeting with a reference librarian. He or she can help you find the articles you need. I actually just went into the MLA Bibliography and searched for "post-apocalyptic" and found a number of interesting articles on the subject. They're not hard to find and a reference librarian should be of immense use to you.


message 17: by Shayan (new)

Shayan Foroozesh Kristen, thank you very much. I found some great articles that were of great help to me. I'll heed your advice next tine if i decide to work on PhD. dissertation ;)


message 18: by Harriet (new)

Harriet Emett I would recommend changing the name of this list to Best Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Fiction.


message 19: by Shayan (new)

Shayan Foroozesh Donovan wrote: "I would recommend changing the name of this list to Best Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Fiction."

Yep. That'd be better.


message 20: by Loveliest Evaris (new)

Loveliest Evaris Oryx and Crake is my jam!


message 21: by Jack (new)

Jack How the hell is The Lord of the Flies Post-Apocalyptic?


message 22: by [deleted user] (new)

Jack wrote: "How the hell is The Lord of the Flies Post-Apocalyptic?"

It's been 15 years since I read it, but if memory serves, there is mention of a Nuclear War.


message 23: by Julie (new)

Julie Everett read the comment Watership Down is not apocoliptic, it's about a bunch of Rabbits. Yes it is, about a bunch of rabbits who had to find a new home since their old one was destroyed!!


message 24: by Michael (new)

Michael Engel I feel The Enemy Series, by Charlie Higson, needs to be on this list. Anyone agree?


message 25: by Miloslav (new)

Miloslav Štěpán How is Animal farm post-apocalyptic??


message 26: by Crystal (new)

Crystal Thili Malia wrote: "What part about the fall of the united states gonverment, crash of all major mainstream religions, and people living in u-store-it franchises makes Snow Crash and non post apocalyptic book? It's co..."

Yes all post-apocalyptic books take place in the future. That's not a newsflash. But NOT all books that take place in the future are post-apocalyptic.


message 27: by Reader (new)

Reader Dude (Mel) Which 20th century post apocalyptic novels are the most significant ones?


message 28: by Andy (new)

Andy Young under the dome is a really strange choice for this list. it is not apocalyptic either pre or post and is not really dystopian.

whilst it is only a personnel view it shouldn't really be included in any 'top' list of any fiction as it is one of the worst written stephen king novels.

sorry but i would have given his slot to the last tribe by brad manuel or the going home series by a.america


message 29: by Andy (new)

Andy Young Shayan wrote: "Kristen, thank you very much. I found some great articles that were of great help to me. I'll heed your advice next tine if i decide to work on PhD. dissertation ;)"

Andy wrote: "under the dome is a really strange choice for this list. it is not apocalyptic either pre or post and is not really dystopian.

whilst it is only a personnel view it shouldn't really be included in..."


Andy wrote: "under the dome is a really strange choice for this list. it is not apocalyptic either pre or post and is not really dystopian.

whilst it is only a personnel view it shouldn't really be included in..."


Jonathan wrote: "Jack wrote: "How the hell is The Lord of the Flies Post-Apocalyptic?"

It's been 15 years since I read it, but if memory serves, there is mention of a Nuclear War."



message 30: by Andy (new)

Andy Young my list goes like this. these are not in order of any preference.just my faves I have tried not to include ones from the list above :
The Aberrant series - Ruth silver
The southern reach series -Jeff Vandemeer
The Borrowed world series - Franklin Horten
The going Home series - A.American
The Last Tribe - Brad Manuel
The Hunger Games Series - Suzanne collins
The Chrysalids - John Wyndam
The New Agenda Series - Simone Pond
The Maze Runner series - James Dasher
The Death of Grass - John Christopher
Dies the fire - S.M.Sterling
Dust/wool etc -Hugh Lowery
The Fireman - Joe Hill
Swan Song - Robert Mccammon
Red Rising series - Pierce Brown
Hard Rain Falling Series - William allen
The park service series - Ryan winfield
The Journey home,Once upon an Apocalypse - Jeff Motes
The Last Survivors Series - Bobby adair & T.W Piperbrook
Lightening fall - bill Quick
The Postman - David Brinn
The Traveller series - Tom Abrahams
The wild shore - Kim stanley Robinson
The Inverted world - Christopher Priest
The liberty series - Regina Puckett
The Dead Lands - Benjamin Percy
Alas Babylon - Pat Frank
The last ship - william Brinkly
One second after/one year after - William forstchen


message 31: by Andy (new)

Andy Young Shayan wrote: "Kristen, thank you very much. I found some great articles that were of great help to me. I'll heed your advice next tine if i decide to work on PhD. dissertation ;)"

hi mate
I would be really interested in reading your dissertation/paper if its possible to email it to me,thanks loads
Andy


message 32: by [deleted user] (new)

Andy wrote: "my list goes like this. these are not in order of any preference.just my faves I have tried not to include ones from the list above :
The Aberrant series - Ruth silver
The southern reach series -Je..."


Great list!


message 33: by Daniel Grey (new)

Daniel Grey The Long Walk is not post-apocalyptic.


message 34: by Reavers (new)

Reavers A post apocalyptic discord server for fiction:
https://discord.gg/qzqYv4z


message 35: by Adam (new)

Adam Jordan Thanks for putting this together! Some titles I remembered putting on my backlog, others I have never heard of.


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