Best Apocalyptic Science Fiction Stories?

"Soylent Green"?

I suppose anything in the "Left Behind" series would be more like nonscience fiction. (Pronounce that as "nonsense" if you wish.)

Hmmm, you only want apocalyptic science fiction. I never understood the fondness of looking for a depressing outcome, unless the prose was exquisite. Well my suggestion for an apocalypse with great writings is Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle".

Heard of it. Have not yet read it, though I've read several of his other books. Evidently, Leonardo DiCaprio has bought the rights and wants to produce the movie. The screenwriter from "Contact" appears to be writing it.

As far as depressing outcomes, there are plenty of apocalyptic books that end with a high note of purged re-birth. As in a phoenix rising from the ashes. So it's not all doom & gloom.

Don't wait for the movie, read the book. Vonnegut's writing is superb. Most apocalyptic stories I've read just predict the end of humanity or a part of humanity. Vonnegut goes much further. Like most of Vonnegut's writing but particularly this novel, you should discuss the implications and the "story between the lines" with a group of other readers. I'm certain a movie will quickly gloss over all of the critical implied facets.

Of course. Actually, I was mentioning the movie with a sigh of disappointment. Movies that were conceived directly for the screen are normally received better since there is nothing to compare to.

Slaughterhouse-Five, for example. I know it's been filmed, but I wouldn't dream of seeing it. The book was awesome.

On the Beach, as I mentioned above, is one of my favorite nuclear disaster books. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of watching the 1950's screen version. That, maybe more than any other experience, made me swear away watching movies after books.

Oddly enough... when I read a book that was written from a movie that was made... the book also falls on it's face. Stare Trek books for instance. The books are rubbish.

Speaking of post appocolyptic books that were made into horrible movies.....

Damnation Alley by roger zelzany.

the movie sucked so bad i found it painful. watching again on late night tv recently reminded me how little beyond the title hollywood decided to keep.

".. I never understood the fondness of looking for a depressing outcome.." The main attraction I think is that these scenarios allow all the rules to be "reset".

I imagine myself in these worlds and fantasise about what I would do, imagine no daily commute, no taxes, no planning regulations, no annoying people etc, just a requirement to stay alive, rebuild and grow.

I suspect most engineers think we have a special skill set that ideally suits us for such a life, after all it's hard to imagine an arts degree being much use when constructing a windmill. A knowledge of real world physics, chemistry and maths, an aptitude for building things, a capacity for hard work and experience in organising other people - WE'D BE GODS.

Along that line, I recommend Cross Time Engineer by Leo Frankowski. It's not an apocalypse book. It's time travel. But he's an ME and goes back 700 years. His engineering talents save his life, and more. Very cool! And relative.

All that I meant from my comment is that this is a science fiction genre that doesn't fascinate me. That's all. Those of you that enjoy this genre, have fun. I find that most of these stories remind me of William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" with the occasional odd twist. One of the more interesting twists was Harlan Ellison's "A Boy and His Dog".

As for the Engineers that survive a near apocalypse becoming anything resembling a god, you need a good dose of real politics and sociology. Remember where the engineer worked in "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome"? He worked in the bowels of Thunderdome converting pig manure into methane fuel.

The "we'd be gods" was written with tongue wedged firmly in cheek. _{(My cheek, attached to my mouth)}.

I like threads like this. I've read your 1st and 3rd selections and agree.

Here are 6 I like that I think fit within the overall apocalypse theme.

1. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

2. There Will Come Soft Rains and 3. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

4. When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie

5. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller, Jr.

Also need to mention a movie: 6. Dr Strangelove by Peter George and Stanley Kubrick

Happy 4th! Support the Troops & Vets!!!

Hi all, I don't have a list per see, and I don't know if my novel selection even fits the catagory, but:

1. 1984 by George Orwell.

But that is not science fiction, my supreme Captain, that is what we are dealing with every day. It's what's stopping me writing about it, only a snippet at a time comes through and the tunnel is too wide to know in which direction to look for the light.

What again was it that the Americans are independent of? It's all happening again.

George Orwell, what a visionary, Ky.

One of Orwell's main ideas was how language and education can be manipulated to control how people think. Well it's working! Just look at popular entertainment, it's depressingly low brow.

Not to forget that in 1934, George Orwell WAS Winston Smith, revising history for BBC.

My nomination, No Blade of Grass, serialized (S E Post?) around 1957 by John Christopher.

I wonder how many would remember the Saturday Evening Post. "The Perfect Squelch", Dave Morrah's "German" rhymes, but forget most of the "Hazel" cartoons.

Be here, live this.

Gazu, what does that mean? Are you making a statement or reply of some sort to part of post #4? I guess I didn't catch it.

Or is that a name of a book or something?

The Postman by David Brin

Warday by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, aftermath of a limited, 20 minute nuclear war.

Malevil by Robert Merle, set in rural France

Academic, scholarly research has compiled rather complete bibliographies of nuclear war and related post-apocalytic literature. Paul Brians at Washington State Univ edited a journal through the 1980's and early 1990's. Issue one has hundreds of titles.
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/ntc/

I will add a couple to your list.

The Earth abides by George R Stewart.

and..

The war against chtorr... Starting with A matter for men by David Gerrold. (this one is in five books so far and needs the the last three to finally get out.. )..The appocolypse has arrived and no one excpet for a very few have even noticed.

World War Z by Max Brooks

Farhnam's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein

A great how to as well as apocalyptic sci-fi.

Hooker

Now Im not sure if this series qualifies as "apocalyptic or doomsday" but it definatly qualifies as Sci-fi. Check out the Horus Heresy, what a good series.

I rather enjoyed "Battlefield Earth", the book not the movie

Childhoods End. The Sirens of Titan. Neither exactly apocalyptic, but both sensational reads with harsh endings for the protagonist(s).

Grey Knights Omnibus by Ben Counter

Didn't his brother Bean write Accounting for Dummies?

This short story was supplied the other day in Ant Slaying... in Mexico

http://www.daily-pulp.com/adventure/leiningen-versus-the-ants-by-carl-stephenson/

I enjoyed it, very down to earth.

You want Apocalyptic !? Read these and get back with me

"Parable of the Sower" Octavia Butler

"Parable of the Talents" Octavia Butler

1. The Locusts ... short story, by Larry Niven I believe.

2. A Canticle for Leibowitz.

3. Childhood's End

4. A Toy for Juliette ... short story from Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison.

Maybe it cannot be considered as "apocalyptic", but what about "Flowers for Algernon" ¿Daniel Keyes?

I read the book many years ago and read it for my wife and two daughters. I remember how all cry!. Tears still try to flow just thinking on it.

I think I'm getting old....

I know these aren't books but I love the Fallout video game series and I loved the movie Book of Eli.

Sorry I don't read as much as I should.

If you liked Fallout perhaps you should try Fallen Earth, the online persistent world mmorpg. Quite apocryphal.

Hooker

Lets not forget the clasics, HG Wells "Time Michine" & "War of the Worlds"

The Stand Steven King

The "Foundation" trilogy Isaac Asimov

No Blade of Grass Samuel Youd (John Christopher)

Number of the Beast Ray Bradbury

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever Stephen R. Donaldson

The Andromeda Strain Michael Chrichton

and the 1983 tv movie The Day After, starrig Jason Robards

"Alas, Babylon" has already been well covered.

Not really a book, rather a short story: Harlan Ellison's "I have no mouth and I must scream".