It’s a classic theme of science fiction: something really, really bad happens, and mankind is knocked back to the Stone Age. Of course, with the dropping of atomic bombs by the U.S. to end World War II, people came to realize that for the first time Man himself possessed the power to bring about a global cataclysm. And science fiction wasted no time in examining the possible effects (there were speculative stories in print well before the Manhattan Project was even conceived).

But nuclear holocaust isn’t the only way Man’s thin veneer of civilization can be stripped by catastrophe. It may have even already happened in our past (the vast majority of cultures have a Great Flood in their mythos). Regardless, Luciferu2019s Hammer: ... Larry Niven, Jerry Pou... Best Price: $1.97 Buy New $6.44 (as of 10:00 UTC - Details) what is perhaps amazing is that within the time frame of verifiable history, to include more than 60 years of nuclear capability, no such calamity has occurred.

Shouldn’t stop us from thinking about the possibilities, however. Here then are 10 science fiction novels dealing with humanity’s response to overwhelming devastation. They are in no particular order. The list is not at all a “top ten” nor does it even remotely presume to be comprehensive. If your favorite isn’t represented, by all means comment on that fact. This is simply a list bound by a common theme.

10 Lucifer’s Hammer – Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

This best-selling 1997 novel details the approach and aftermath of a comet striking earth with disastrous results. A large number of disparate characters are well-drawn and the book essentially focuses on the changes in their lives. In fact, much of the novel takes place before the comet actually strikes. But when the “Hammer” falls, civilization as we know it crumbles and the very survival of the characters is certainly in doubt. New social mores are On the Beach Nevil Shute Best Price: $19.74 (as of 06:20 UTC - Details) developed through necessity, as humans are put in the catch-22 of having to band together while being able to trust no one. The book is noteworthy for making us actually care about the characters we come to know, even though there are dozens of them.

9 On The Beach – Nevil Shute

Probably the earliest (1957) post-apocalyptic science fiction novel to truly achieve mass distribution. The mechanism of destruction is atomic war. Though widely taught in high schools around the world during the 1960s and 70s, when concerns about the Cold War were as rampant as they were in the 50’s, the book is not a treatise on the triumph of the human spirit. In fact, stoic acceptance and even government-sponsored euthanasia figure prominently. But the characters, for the most part, do not wallow in self-pity… they just go about their business. The main story is that of a United States submarine being placed under the command of Australian authorities (the northern latitudes become uninhabitable first). Although it certainly made an impression on millions of young adult readers back in the day, and is widely considered a classic, the list author views it as the weakest science fiction novel on the list. Earth Abides: A Novel George R. Stewart Best Price: $3.30 Buy New $11.51 (as of 10:00 UTC - Details)

8 Earth Abides – George R. Stewart

Published before On The Beach in 1949, what is posited here is a global epidemic that makes the Black Death look like last year’s winter cold. One gets the feeling that 99.9%+ of the entire human race is wiped out. The novel did win some awards, and has never been truly unavailable, but it never got the “buzz” of On The Beach. And although it can be powerful on first reading, it really doesn’t hold up. You see, our protagonist is essentially alone for a god-awful number of pages. He was up in the mountains and got bit by a rattlesnake, almost dying, so he “missed” the huge turmoil that mass death imposed on society. A lot of that part is very interesting, in detailing why and where power either stays on or fails, what happens to critters and plants, that sort of stuff. But it does tend to drag, and when the protagonist finally hooks up with a woman, that part starts to drag as well. It all builds towards what sort of society the progeny of the few survivors will create.

Read the Whole Article

A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller Jr. Best Price: $2.00 Buy New $8.79 (as of 01:40 UTC - Details)

The Postman Brin, David Best Price: $1.47 Buy New $5.80 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)

Eternity Road McDevitt, Jack Best Price: $1.25 Buy New $4.99 (as of 02:05 UTC - Details)

The Wild Shore (Three ... Kim Robinson Best Price: $4.44 Buy New $13.48 (as of 07:25 UTC - Details)

I Am Legend Richard Matheson Best Price: $0.45 Buy New $5.56 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)

Planet of the Apes Pierre Boulle Best Price: $1.75 Buy New $5.80 (as of 08:35 UTC - Details)

Alas, Babylon Pat Frank Best Price: $1.50 Buy New $9.79 (as of 01:20 UTC - Details)

Check Amazon for Pricing.

$post_author: WP_User Object
(
    [data] => stdClass Object
        (
            [ID] => 5860
            [user_login] => no_author
            [user_pass] => 6581364babeda3eebbeb65d5094e43d1
            [user_nicename] => no_author
            [user_email] => [email protected]
            [user_url] => 
            [user_registered] => 2013-07-08 16:44:09
            [user_activation_key] => 
            [user_status] => 0
            [display_name] => No Author
            [type] => wpuser
        )

    [ID] => 5860
    [caps] => Array
        (
            [author] => 1
        )

    [cap_key] => wp_capabilities
    [roles] => Array
        (
            [0] => author
        )

    [allcaps] => Array
        (
            [upload_files] => 1
            [edit_posts] => 1
            [edit_published_posts] => 1
            [publish_posts] => 1
            [read] => 1
            [level_2] => 1
            [level_1] => 1
            [level_0] => 1
            [delete_posts] => 1
            [delete_published_posts] => 1
            [email_single_user] => 1
            [email_multiple_users] => 1
            [tablepress_edit_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_delete_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_list_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_add_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_copy_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_import_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_export_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_access_options_screen] => 1
            [tablepress_access_about_screen] => 1
            [author] => 1
        )

    [filter] => 
    [site_id:WP_User:private] => 1
)

get_the_author_meta: 

$bio: 

$bios: Array
(
)