The Sword and Laser discussion

I really loved reading the Martian, especially the parts where he plans how to get food or create a shelter. I am looking for a book that focuses on those aspects. Unfortunately most post apocalyptic books, like Wool, the Postman or Canticle for Leibovitz, focus on political drama or other conflict but that is not really what I am looking for. Anyone have any suggestions.

SM Stirling has a series (1st book is Dies the Fire) and a parallel trilogy (1st book is Island in the Sea of Time) that sort of has this going on. It's more about groups working together though than just one or a few trying to survive, and there is politics, so might not fit for you.

A major Event stops all electricity from working all over the planet and civilization goes to pot (Dies the Fire) and we follow a few different groups as they create different pocket safe areas (clans, tribes, gangs, fiefdoms, democracies, etc.) and there's a lot about farming and rediscovering old tech like blacksmithing and such.

At the same time as the Event, the island of Nantucket is transported back in time to the 12oos BCE and the few thousand people have to do the same thing - find alternate ways to farm, build, fight, etc. (Island in the Sea of Time), though they still have electricity working if they can create it.

There are tons and tons of examples, but they're all written by and for the sort of wingnuts who believe conspiracy theories about FEMA camps and UN black helicopters. The most famous example would be Jerry Ahern's Survivalist series.

Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky is probably the first book of this nature I encountered. I think you'll like it, despite it being classified as a "juvenile."

Niven and Pournelle's Lucifer's Hammer has some survival stuff, both on a personal level and when it comes to groups. I haven't read it since it came out, so I don't know how strongly the conservative nature of those guys would slap me in the face today.

In my to-read pile I have the book The Dog Stars which supposedly has those elements to it, as well, but I can't confirm, obviously.

Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson hits all your points nicely.

Not a survivalist story but it is a survival story that was very enjoyable. Sentenced to Prism

Great suggestions. Thanks.

If you're not sick of zombie fiction (as another post suggests), Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne is a good story with a survivalist as the main protagonist. Since J.L. Bourne is an active Naval officer, the details of the weapons and other survival accoutrements are completely accurate (I presume).

I will second Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, the first title I thought of after seeing the words "survivalist SF," again despite the juvenile classification, and also, The Dog Stars.

The Dog Stars was the first book that came to my mind, Wolf and Iron is a good call as well

The Dog Stars was the first book that came to my mind, Wolf and Iron is a good call as well