Why am I passionate about this?

Apocalyptic fiction is my go-to genre and a theme that got me started in my own writing. I love the human stories of struggle in an aftermath that encompasses the world. There is truth in apocalyptic fiction – and a warning to us all. I've been writing since I was a child, creating stories and comics of my own, binding them and circulating them to family and friends. I went to school for visual arts, where I thought my passion was taking me, but returned to writing as my main creative outlet. As of 2022, I've 14 books published. Creativity keeps me sane, and without it I'm not me.


I wrote

The Judas Syndrome

By Michael Poeltl,

Book cover of The Judas Syndrome

What is my book about?

It’s the end of the world. Will you know who your friends are? Comparisons between the fractured world outside and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Road

Michael Poeltl Why did I love this book?

Poetic, halting prose tells the story of a father and son roaming the unforgiving landscape of a post-apocalyptic world. Very well done. Gripping and terrifying. Beautiful in its misery. This isn’t a comfortable read so if you have issues with difficult situations steer clear. That being said, if you want to experience an emotional rollercoaster, this is definitely worth the read!

By Cormac McCarthy,

Why should I read it?

34 authors picked The Road as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • A searing, post-apocalyptic novel about a father and son's fight to survive, this "tale of survival and the miracle of goodness only adds to McCarthy's stature as a living master. It's gripping, frightening and, ultimately, beautiful" (San Francisco Chronicle).

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if…


Book cover of Legend

Michael Poeltl Why did I love this book?

There is so much crap out there concerning the end of the world, and this one really resonated with me. Initially, I feared I was going to be reading The Hunger Games again, which I enjoyed, but who wants to read the same book twice? Then, as I got a few chapters in, I realized it was very a different story, and well imagined. 

The relationship between the main characters was cleverly crafted, and the deeper story, the conspiracies, are what really made the book for me and I read the rest of the series.

By Marie Lu,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Legend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Legend is the much-anticipated dystopian thriller debut from US author, Marie Lu.

THE must-read dystopian thriller fiction for all teen fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth. A brilliant re-imagining of Les Miserables, the series is set to be a global film sensation as CBS films have acquired rights to the trilogy. The Twilight Saga producers, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, will produce.

Los Angeles, California
Republic of America

He is Day.
The boy who walks in the light.

She is June.
The girl who seeks her brother's killer.

On the run and undercover,…


Ad

Book cover of Foster's Revenge

Foster's Revenge by Jack Kelley,

In a kill-or-be-killed world, The Reaper does whatever it takes to survive.

Following the murder of his half-brother, legendary Army Ranger Luke Foster returns to the United States from fighting terrorists. His brother's history with a prominent New York Mafia family was no secret, so it's no surprise his life…

Book cover of Enclave

Michael Poeltl Why did I love this book?

This book has a unique take on the apocalyptic genre and the interest the story and characters offered.

In old New York, living in the tunnels of the ancient subway system, the book documents what might happen to those left to fend for themselves in a city whose social and political construct collapsed due to a violent strain of some virus. (Sound familiar?)

The way the female lead, Deuce, discovers this new world where the sun is a threat and the wide-open spaces, claustrophobic, is a testament to the way the author captured the character’s innocence. Aguirre expertly relates Deuce’s apprehension when discovering anything could be different from the darkness she’d grown up in.

By Ann Aguirre,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Enclave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel Enclave is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem…


Book cover of Oryx and Crake

Michael Poeltl Why did I love this book?

The world-building in this book is excellent, the future terrifying, and the writing spot on.

An interesting take on the near future. Dystopian for most, utopian for the lucky few. Apocalyptic for all ... eventually. Atwood is a master at back story and character development. Disturbing genetic experimentation is the star of this novel, and this is how I like my apocalypse: Human. Relatable stories. Real people facing real danger, real emotions, real scenarios in an all too possible end.

By Margaret Atwood,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Oryx and Crake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By the author of THE HANDMAID'S TALE and ALIAS GRACE

*

Pigs might not fly but they are strangely altered. So, for that matter, are wolves and racoons. A man, once named Jimmy, lives in a tree, wrapped in old bedsheets, now calls himself Snowman. The voice of Oryx, the woman he loved, teasingly haunts him. And the green-eyed Children of Crake are, for some reason, his responsibility.

*

Praise for Oryx and Crake:

'In Jimmy, Atwood has created a great character: a tragic-comic artist of the future, part buffoon, part Orpheus. An adman who's a sad man; a jealous…


Ad

Book cover of Whitehorse Peak

Whitehorse Peak by P.G. Badzey,

Seeking justice for a massacre in a frontier village, a young sellsword enlists the help of an unlikely combination of mercenaries, each of whom wrestles demons and secrets of their own. Together the new-found companions battle against a sinister cult and its inhuman allies in the dark caverns and green…

Book cover of The Hunger Games

Michael Poeltl Why did I love this book?

The Hunger Games is now a classic in the apocalyptic genre, which is my go-to genre.

I very much enjoyed the story and the suspense layered throughout. Many emotions presented themselves during my reading journey, and for me that's the sign of a job well done. Solid character workups and believable scenarios that kept me reading happily. The Hunger Games was a great series and I’m glad I picked it up.

By Suzanne Collins,

Why should I read it?

55 authors picked The Hunger Games as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...


Explore my book 😀

The Judas Syndrome

By Michael Poeltl,

Book cover of The Judas Syndrome

What is my book about?

It’s the end of the world. Will you know who your friends are? Comparisons between the fractured world outside and the world of the mind beg the question: which will collapse first in this coming-of-age story, told at the end of an age.

Book cover of The Road
Book cover of Legend
Book cover of Enclave

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,886

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Love and War in the Jewish Quarter

Love and War in the Jewish Quarter by Dora Levy Mossanen,

A breathtaking journey across Iran where war and superstition, jealousy and betrayal, and passion and loyalty rage behind the impenetrable walls of mansions and the crumbling houses of the Jewish Quarter.

Against the tumultuous background of World War II, Dr. Yaran will find himself caught in the thrall of the…

Book cover of The River of Eternity

The River of Eternity by Bruce Balfour, PhD,

1184 BCE. Ramesses III, who will become the last of the great pharaohs, is returning home from battle. He will one day assume the throne of the Egyptian empire, and the plots against him and his children have already started. Even a god can die.

Ray was raised with the…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, dystopian, and love triangle?

Survival 203 books
Dystopian 639 books
Love Triangle 78 books