Just in case the world really is coming to an end in the coming days, you should probably take the time to read these top-selling books about the apocalypse. You never know. Something you read in these books could save your life! Or not. Either way, we know you’ll be entertained. Check them out:
The Stand by Stephen King
A strain of flu virus escapes from a medical facility and wipes out 99% of the world’s population within several weeks. The remaining 1% is split into two factions: the peaceful, led by a 108-year-old woman, and the violent who are under the command of a dark magic wielder. Somebody’s going to lose.
A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen
After a lethal virus killed most of the world’s human population, a twist of fate brings together four survivors in their attempt to rebuild a new nation. Just as their lives begin to intertwine, reports of another outbreak hit the news send the still vulnerable society into a massive fright.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Through a barren land once known as America, a father and son put their dreams for a better life into reaching a faraway coast. They have nothing but a pistol to protect themselves from lawless gangs along the ruined landscape. The small and vulnerable family must stay alive amidst near total hopelessness.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin
It all starts with a devastating earthquake across the planet, a dead son, a betrayal, and a daughter whose whereabouts is unknown. For the mother, nothing else matters except finding her daughter. She will make the world suffer if that’s what it takes. The Broken Earth trilogy consists of The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky.
Year One by Nora Roberts
New York City is inhospitable following a lethal sickness. Everyone is looking for a way out into a new safe frontier. Strangers bump into each other and no one knows if every encounter is friendly or deadly. All seem to wander with no clear purpose throughout the ravaged landscape.
Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts
The pre-teen Fallon Swift doesn’t have recollection about the pre-Doom world. All she knows is a city where the Purity Warriors are hunting down gifted individuals like herself. When the time is right, she must take her place as The One and pick up the sword to save the future.
The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts
Ever since the Doom, people with magick powers appear all over the city and everywhere else. Twenty years after the deadly sickness struck, Fallon Swift has transformed into a mighty witch. She is on a journey to bring down both the evil government and the Purity Warriors.
Crimson Phoenix by John Gilstrap
Victoria Emerson, a West Virginia congressional member, has no taste for Washington D.C. power plays, and when the country is on the brink of a nuclear war, she is denied entry to a secure bunker. She survives the war nonetheless, but now must live in an unforgiving barren land.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
An apocalyptic tale full of satirical commentary about the madness of modern man, Cat’s Cradle delivers a hilarious vision of the planet’s future. Often through black humor, Kurt Vonnegut touches the issues of science and the point of religion. Irony and parody are on every page.
Sandstorm Box Set by T. W. Piperbrook
On a harsh desert planet where food and resources are scarce, the colonists barely manage to survive. Supply ships from Earth no longer make any visits. When Neena Xylance finds herself separated from the rest of the group, she discovers a terrifying force capable of total destruction.
METRO 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky
The world is now a wasteland. Human population barely exists. The remaining few take refuge within the confines of the city boundary to stay safe from deadly radiation. It has been years since anyone saw a plane or a train. No one knows if there is anything alive beyond the walls.
Worlds by Joe Haldeman
By late 21st century, most people have abandoned the Earth and now live in orbiting satellites; each has its own cultures and independent government. A young political science student named Marianne O’Hara has never been to Earth, but she’s planning a trip down. She’s in for the shock of a lifetime.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Humans turn to the stars when Earth is rapidly becoming uninhabitable. In space, they discover a terraformed planet designed to sustain life. It is a new world in every sense of the word, with both hope of a better future and the imminent threat of the unknown.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Across the United States, cities big and small have turned into ghost towns in the aftermath of the zombie war. Things are no different throughout the world. Max Brooks embarks on a journey to document the tales of battles and horror stories as told by the few remaining survivors of the war.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
A special young girl named Swan is on an adventure with her friend Joshua across a wasteland once known as the United States. Their destination is Missouri, a place where she can start using her power to put the devastation to an end. It’s not going to be an easy journey.
The Children of Men by P. D. James
As the civilization crumbles due to steady increase of despair-induced suicides, the world is on a trajectory toward a bleak future. Children no longer exist. Theodore Faron, an Oxford historian, seems to have given up hope until he meets Julian and her cousin, the Warden of England.
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
The United States will inevitably lose the upcoming war. In just one second, an EMP weapon in the hands of the enemies has the power to send the country back to the Dark Ages. Terrifyingly plausible, One Second After reads more like a serious warning than a sci-fi book.
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
An alien race known as the Oankali saved the few survivors of a nuclear war on Earth by putting them into a deep sleep for centuries in a spaceship. When Lilith wakes up, the aliens want her to lead a new generation of human to rebuild and repopulate the Earth.
The Great De-evolution: The Complete Collection by Chris Dietzel
The end of the human race is not a single great extinction event, but a gradual disappearance of human intelligence; it is an evolution going backwards, hence de-evolution. As the population meets a swift yet certain end, one person finds herself on the path to an unhappy conclusion.
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
Set in a future desolate version of the United States where witchcraft is once again a recognizable force, two desperate Russian wizards send a young mercenary, Lizbeth Rose, to search for the descendant of Grigori Rasputin. But there’s danger in the search. Somebody does not want this descendant to be found.
The World Gives Way: A Novel by Marissa Levien
Since five years of age, Myrra has always been a contract worker whose life belongs to the highest bidder. The death of her employer grants her freedom far sooner than she expected. She is determined to survive despite the crumbling world around her.
How many of these books have you already read? Did you like them? Send us a note and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you may want to know:
What exactly are apocalypse books about?
Inspired by religious writing but considered to be in the science fiction genre, apocalyptic books generally cover events that show the end of humanity, or at least the near end. Some global catastrophe causes civilization to crumble and forces the survivors to do things they never would have considered doing when living in a modern society. Some of the events include worldwide earthquakes, alien invasion, nuclear war, incurable pandemic diseases, famine, water shortage, etc.
What was the first apocalypse book?
Surprisingly, the accolades go to 19th century author Mary Shelley and her book, The Last Man, which was published in 1826.
Why is post-apocalyptic literature popular?
The popularity of post-apocalyptic books is probably due to the success of science to have produced the atom bomb. With bombs and other destructive mechanisms that truly have the power to end the world, reading about the subject has become a passion for millions of people. There’s also the thrill of adventure, and an individual’s firm belief that he or she is capable of thriving in such a world. We all want to envision ourselves as a survivor under any circumstances.
