Listmania!
Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Alas, Babylon (Perennial Classics)Alas, Babylon (Perennial Classics) by Pat Frank
Buy used from: £4.61
An absolute classic featuring the immediate aftermath of a nuclear war for the inhabitants of a small town in Florida.
On the BeachOn the Beach by Nevil Shute
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £2.99
A classic following the crew of a US submarine after a nuclear war as they seek sanctuary in Australia.
The PostmanThe Postman by David Brin
Buy new: £4.89 / Used from: £3.20
So much better than the movie - one of my all-time favourites.
Last ShipLast Ship by William Brinkley
Buy new: £12.50 / Used from: £2.35
Similar to 'On The Beach' in that it features the crew of a US naval ship during and after a nuclear war, but the story is quite different.
Level 7 (Library of American Fiction)Level 7 (Library of American Fiction) by Mordecai Roshwald
Buy new: £4.69 / Used from: £12.56
The story of a military officer trained to launch nuclear missiles. The majority of the story takes place in a large underground bunker after he has to do just that.
Eternity RoadEternity Road by Jack McDevitt
Buy used from: £1.43
A story set long after the apocalypse involving the search for ancient pre-holocaust knowledge.
A Wrinkle in the SkinA Wrinkle in the Skin by John Christopher
Buy new: £6.19 / Used from: £11.72
A huge earthquake destroys civilisation as we know it.
Ill WindIll Wind by Kevin J. Anderson
Buy new: £4.04 / Used from: £0.37
A microbe designed to clear up an oil spill gets out of hand and all oils and petrochemicals (and some plastics) and the planet are destroyed.
The Day of the TriffidsThe Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
A sci-fi classic that still reads well today despite its age, about killer plants in the UK.
Earth Abides (S.F. Masterworks)Earth Abides (S.F. Masterworks) by George.R. Stewart
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £3.69
A small group of survivors try to rebuild society in California after a devastating plague.
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Bantam Spectra Book)A Canticle for Leibowitz (Bantam Spectra Book) by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Buy new: £3.79 / Used from: £1.95
A monk worships ancient relics after a nuclear holocaust.
World in WinterWorld in Winter by John Christopher
Buy used from: £4.93
Severe climate change forces inhabitants of the UK to migrate to Africa.
The Penultimate Truth (S.F. Masterworks)The Penultimate Truth (S.F. Masterworks) by Philip K. Dick
Buy new: £4.89 / Used from: £3.04
An interesting story about a (mostly) fake nuclear war in which most of the population are tricked into remaining in their underground shelters while the elite live lives of luxury on the surface.
Riddley WalkerRiddley Walker by Russell Hoban
Buy new: £4.20 / Used from: £1.50
Not a personal favourite, but rated highly by most people. Interesting approach using a unique dialect of English unique to the book.
Long Loud Silence (Coronet Books)Long Loud Silence (Coronet Books) by Wilson Tucker
Buy used from: £4.35
A mixture of biological and nuclear attacks on the USA results in the states east of the Mississippi being quarantined.
Plague YearPlague Year by Jeff Carlson
Buy new: £1.14 / Used from: £1.12
A nanotechnology-based plague kills everyone spending more than a couple of hours below an altitude of 10,000 feet.
The RoadThe Road by Cormac McCarthy
Buy new: £4.69 / Used from: £2.00
A father and son travel through the US following a major disaster. Not much action but quite poetic with some nice individual scenes.
EmergenceEmergence by David Palmer
Buy used from: £36.47
A genius 11-year-old girl leaves a bunker following a plague that has killed every human on the planet. Luckily she's not quite human.
The Sheep Look UpThe Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
Buy used from: £17.34
A story set in the near future where pollution has reached record levels, threatening the end of life on Earth.
Long Voyage BackLong Voyage Back by Luke Rhinehart
Buy used from: £11.95
A group of survivors of a nuclear war try to escape the US in a yacht.
Darkness and Dawn (Dodo Press)Darkness and Dawn (Dodo Press) by George Allan England
Buy new: £16.61 / Used from: £30.85
Written in 1914 and shows it. A man and woman wake up around 1000 years in the future and find a desolate New York.
Farewell PartyFarewell Party by Bandy
Buy used from: £0.01
Technically pre-apocalyptic fiction I guess. The Earth is due to be destroyed in 3 months and the story follows the reactions of a typical American family.
Greybeard (Panther science fiction)Greybeard (Panther science fiction) by Brian W. Aldiss
Buy used from: £1.37
A couple's journey through England in a world where no children have been born for around 50 years.