The best books about the end of the world as we know it

Daniel Cotton Author Of Life Among The Dead
By Daniel Cotton

Who am I?

What would I do if I was the last person on Earth? I have wondered this since I was a child after watching apocalyptic movies; Damnation Alley, Night of the Comet, and of course the Romero Living Dead movies. Would I be able to make it? Could I not only survive but contend with whatever menaces there were to face be they aliens, monsters, the living dead, or the actual living. My imagination would run loose, putting myself in the shoes of the characters to see how I’d fare, what would I do differently. These little escapes grew and matured into my own stories.

I wrote...

Life Among The Dead

By Daniel Cotton

Life Among The Dead

What is my book about?

There are over a million people in the city of Waterloo. Today, most of them have died, and now they're hungry. Corporal Dan Williamson is caught in the middle of the outbreak, desperately trying to reach his wife who is somewhere amid the urban decay. There are other souls out there, other tales of survival among the horror. Dan will soon learn that the living may prove to be an even bigger threat than the dead in this zombie epic.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

The Books I Picked & Why

I Am Legend

By Richard Matheson

I Am Legend

Why this book?

This is the book that started my obsession with apocalyptic fiction, even before I had read it. I saw the three film adaptations before buying this book, the first I viewed was called Omega Man. I feel this book captures the loneliness one would feel if they were the last on Earth. The main character, Robert Neville, battles depression and alcoholism when not defending his home at night from the ghouls that try to enter. He overcomes the depression as he begins to search for a cure.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

'48

By James Herbert

'48

Why this book?

It’s been a while since I have read this one but it has always been one of my favorites. An American pilot is stranded in post World War 2 Britain. In this reality, moments before defeat, Adolf Hitler released a biological weapon that decimated the population. A hemorrhagic virus that attacks certain blood types, those not killed initially are slowly dying and desperate for a cure that they think is in the main character's blood since he is unaffected. The action in this book is some of the best I have ever read as the ‘Black Shirts’ chase our hero through the war-torn city.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Memoirs and Misinformation

By Jim Carrey, Dana Vachon

Memoirs and Misinformation

Why this book?

For a list of post-apocalyptic books this may seem like an odd choice. Actor, now author, Jim Carrey’s fictionalized autobiography does conclude with the end of the world. I liked seeing his famous friends fighting the alien forces meant to clean up the planet of those who did not choose to surrender. Gweneth Paltrow becoming a gung-ho warrior. Sean Penn plucking a cigarette from his own severed hand. This weird book captivated me.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

The First Days: As the World Dies

By Rhiannon Frater

The First Days: As the World Dies

Why this book?

This book captures the horror of a sudden onset of the end of days. Zombies are suddenly real and rising all over as two badass female characters unite to survive. As a writer of zombie fiction, I am very choosey, often I find myself Monday morning quarterbacking the choices characters make when I read or watch them, this one impressed me.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Swan Song

By Robert McCammon

Swan Song

Why this book?

Saving the best for last. This was published after and said to be inspired by Stephen King’s The Stand, but I feel it far surpasses it. This book has the same scenario of a desolate end of everything with the remaining humans in a fight of good versus evil, but in this book, I feel the characters are more believable. The evil ones are despicable, and the good ones are likable. Especially Swan, whose innocence shines from the page.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Closely Related Book Lists

The best books on writing

John Vorhaus Author Of The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You're Not John Vorhaus

The best books on writing

Denise Kiernan Denise Kiernan

The best books about the sea and navigation

David Barrie Author Of Supernavigators: Exploring the Wonders of How Animals Find Their Way David Barrie

The best post-apocalyptic novels

Sam Kates Author Of The Cleansing: Earth Haven: Book 1 Sam Kates

Distantly Related Book Lists

The best books that remind us that we are all idiots

Strobe Witherspoon Author Of OOF: An Online Outrage Fiesta for the ages Strobe Witherspoon

The best books to take you into another world

Jane Struthers Author Of Red Sky at Night: The Book of Lost Countryside Wisdom Jane Struthers

The best totalitarian novels since George Orwell’s 1984

Richard Godwin Author Of One Lost Summer Richard Godwin

The best books for people who can’t read five books on the same topic

Mike X Cohen Author Of Linear Algebra: Theory, Intuition, Code Mike X Cohen

Random Book Lists

The best science books

Jorge Daniel Taillant Author Of Meltdown: The Earth Without Glaciers Jorge Daniel Taillant

The best books on the early United States

Alan Taylor Author Of American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850 Alan Taylor

The best books on Norse mythology and polytheism

J.D. Foslan Author Of Loki's Saga: A Novel of the Norse Gods J.D. Foslan

The best books on Vikings

Nancy Marie Brown Author Of The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women Nancy Marie Brown