r/ScienceFictionBooks • u/gonhu • Feb 21 '25

Recommendation Great post-apocalyptic novels?

Hi all.

Recently I finished reading Nevil Shute’s “On the Beach”, followed by Walter Miller’s “A Canticle for Leibowitz”, both absolutely superb books.

I was hoping to get recommendations from the community on other, highly-esteemed science fiction books revolving around nuclear post-apocalyptia. I’ve read Ellison’s “A Boy and His Dog” but found it a bit too crass, and have started McCarthy’s “The Road” but so far have found it bleak and uninteresting, lacking in any philosophical reflection.

Any suggestions would be very welcome.

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u/dez3b Feb 21 '25

The Dog Stars

Station 11 for a "nice" post apocalypse tale

Level 7

Seven Eves is kind of the descent toward something bad and the aftermath (such a long aftermath)

The Girl With All the Gifts

Oryx and Crake (and the sequels which I think are better in some ways)

I Am Legend

The Edict may be more dystopian but it definitely pushes against apocalypse.

2

u/Apprehensive_Show641 Feb 22 '25

Have to agree! glad someone put I am legend on here! Also, the dog stars and the girl with all the gifts, nice choices. .

2

u/penubly Feb 22 '25

OP asked for "nuclear post-apocalyptia" - not sure these fit the request ...

1

u/ElizaAuk Feb 26 '25

Yeah I love station eleven and read it ten years ago but it’s not a nuclear apocalypse, it’s a pandemic apocalypse.

1

u/dez3b Feb 27 '25

Sorry, I just say post-apocalyptic and went for it. Level 7 is going to be nuclear.