Best Books About the End of Civilization (42 books)

Discover new books on Goodreads

Meet your next favorite book

Listopia > Best Books About the End of Civilization

Civilization's imagined downfall has spawned stories of hope in the face of utter futility. Here are some of my favorites, with one unexpected entry.

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 578,514 ratings score: 892, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Road by Cormac McCarthy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,078,804 ratings score: 889, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.35 avg rating — 10,212,733 ratings score: 789, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 858,173 ratings score: 693, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Swan Song by Robert McCammon 4.30 avg rating — 78,331 ratings score: 397, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 641,833 ratings score: 397, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke 4.12 avg rating — 177,730 ratings score: 298, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Girl with All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1) by M.R. Carey (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 249,632 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers, #1) by David Estes (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 4,450 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Ark by Annabel Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 74 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The 40-Minute War by Janet E. Morris (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 205 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Becoming (The Gaia Series Book 1) by Chris Ord (Goodreads Author) 3.68 avg rating — 84 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	On the Beach by Nevil Shute 3.99 avg rating — 51,337 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 4,469,867 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.15 avg rating — 447,008 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 226,410 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author) 4.22 avg rating — 288,875 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.03 avg rating — 1,020,811 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Power by Naomi Alderman (Goodreads Author) 3.75 avg rating — 258,243 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster 3.90 avg rating — 16,563 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Undead: Book One, Overview by Michael Pugh (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 19 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Iris by Norman Crane (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 19 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	6th Horseman by Anderson Atlas (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 33 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Equations of Life (Samuil Petrovitch, #1) by Simon Morden 3.84 avg rating — 2,557 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Culmination by Holly Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 29 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	This is the Way the World Ends: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Keith Taylor (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 1,801 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Rat City (Rat City, #1) by Tyffani Clark Kemp (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 25 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Gilded Harvest by Richard Myerscough (Goodreads Author) 4.62 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Damselfly by Chandra Prasad (Goodreads Author) 3.35 avg rating — 936 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The MaddAddam Trilogy: Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.52 avg rating — 4,693 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 45,839 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Before The Silence: A Prequel to The Silence Dividend (A Dystopian Sci-Fi Short Story Thriller) by Izzy Bond 3.75 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	American Survivor (Raven's Record #1) by Debbie Hightower (Goodreads Author) 4.63 avg rating — 76 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Last Advocate: He Knows The Truth But Is It Too Late? by L. J. Goodman 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack 3.92 avg rating — 2,930 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Undead: Book Two, North America by Michael Pugh (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	I Rule World (Balu Baldauf #1) by Ruthz S.B. 4.70 avg rating — 27 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Stark by Ben Elton 3.71 avg rating — 8,081 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The White Plague by Frank Herbert 3.68 avg rating — 6,976 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Silence Dividend: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Short Story (Speculative Fiction Thriller) by Izzy Bond 3.89 avg rating — 107 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Strain (The Strain #1) by Guillermo del Toro 3.80 avg rating — 91,169 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.39 avg rating — 7,293 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars