Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction

[mingmong]

Feed Trilogy spoilers

Could have been one of my favourite YA books. The first book was incredibly emotional, I've read it twice and shed a tear both times. I still enjoyed the second one despite its descent into ridiculousness, and I enjoyed setting up the CDC as this shady organisation desperate to cling on to the power it has found itself with. But bringing back Georgia was one of the stupidest decisions he could've made, and completely ruined the series for me.

Sand by Hugh Howey is a pretty neat book. About life in the desert, except the desert sits on top of a buried city. Salvagers use recovered technology to build suits capable of manipulating fields so the sand flows around them, allowing them to dive the city like a huge shipwreck.

[cassidy]

Currently reading The Girl with all the Gifts by Mike Carey. Didnt even realise it was Post apocolyptic and not only that but its bloody superb as well. Such a well realised world and really well written. Done 200 pages in a day its that much of a page turner. Highly recommend it.

[Anne Summers]

Thanks, just downloading this - came into the thread when I saw it had been bumped specifically because I'm hankering for a new bit of post-apocalypse, the fact that its Mike Carey means I'm pretty happy.

[cassidy]

Its one of the best books I've read this year. Loved it all and completed it in about 36 hrs

[rumblecat]

Usually I don't bother with recommendations now, because it's led me down the garden path into reading some fairly pedestrian stuff but really glad I ignored that rule and went out and picked up Girl with All the Gifts- really is as good as you say, and it's a tough one to put down.

Hadn't even heard about it and would probably have not picked it up if it hadn't been for this thread, so cheers for that cassidy.

Also really like the fact the synopsis on the back gives so little away. It's nice to pick up a book that doesn't feel the need to explain everything and give away 100-pages-in plot turns on the back- so much better to be a little more enigmatic and atmospheric.

[cassidy]

To be fair I said too much posting in this thread. But I had to share.

[Silent Runner]

cassidy should be on commission for sales of TGWATG in this thread. I got it on my kindle yesterday and blitzed through the first 25% last night. Fantastic read so far. I’d have read more but had to sleep.

[rumblecat]

Finished "The Girl With All The Gifts"- thought it was excellent and interesting to read from the interview at the back that Carey was writing a screenplay of it at the same time he was writing the novel. I can see how a film would work, but it'd be a tough one to beat the book.

Big old plot spoilers ahoy-

I kind of feel the first third was the strongest, although I liked the middle section when they were on the move. Wasn't so keen on the wild children aspect of it- ultimately it all makes sense for the world he'd created, and it wasn't like they ruined the book for me- I did find the end disappointing- not because it was badly written or conceived, but because I wanted Parks to make it, and I guess as a human I wanted our race to make it through...

So it's more than I was disappointed for the characters rather than with the book, if that makes sense. But the fact I ended up being sympathetic to all the characters, even Dr. Caldwell, is a testament to how well Carey shifted between points of view.

[johnj]

Finished the Wool triology recently, was pretty good. Just finished Stephen King's 'The Stand' - could have done without the religous hocum but I suppose it was an interesting slant - quite interested to check out the film off the back of it.

[Anne Summers]

I got about half way through the second Wool volume before I just sort of lost interest and drifted onto something else. I think part of the problem was, once I'd found out about why they were all there, I didn't think there was really going to be anything interesting left to find out.

The Girl With All The Gifts, I am really enjoying - there's mileage in the post apocalyptic zombie genre yet!

[PK]

I've just taken the longest possible route home from work so that I could read more of The Girl With All The Gifts, thanks for all the recommendations in this thread! What a great book

[neoELITE]

I've just ordered The Girl With All The Gifts.

One that's always stuck with me in this genre is Autumn by David Moody; I've not read any of the series after this first book. It was unsettling and threatening even though there is little actual 'death' and the zombies don't shamble about eating people, they just seem to aimlessly wander around and, at the end, they're like a flood. I loved the ending as it was so understated.

[idiwa]

Currently reading The Girl with all the Gifts by Mike Carey. Didnt even realise it was Post apocolyptic and not only that but its bloody superb as well. Such a well realised world and really well written. Done 200 pages in a day its that much of a page turner. Highly recommend it.

Bought this the day you posted about it on the Kindle. Really enjoyed it and the ending was great but...

I'm sort of at odds with Rumblecat's break up of the first third etc. I really liked the stuff in the classroom and the stuff post mobile lab, but the on the run after the attack on the base I was pretty bored with. I don't know why, it just really tailed off for me at that point. I think (and this is really pedantic of me I know) but there was a few things that didn't sit right with me. I always got the impression that Sgt Parks was American not British. He just never came across to me as sounding British; he refers to the jeep and Humvee when the British don't use jeeps or Humvees (yeah I know that is pretty anal and who knows what they were using as it in the near future). But he also refers to stepping on the gas pedal and some other shit that I can't remember now. During the attack at the base Melanie is described as sinking her teeth into the pant leg of one of the junkers. Is Carey from the US? I've never heard of him before this.

Sorry I know that above sounds really anal. Just wondered if anyone else sort of felt it jarrying a bit.

Was really gutted when Pvt Gallagher got offed Poor Kieron, just as he finds the jackpot of wank mags and cuppa soups.

But apart from that I really, really enjoyed it. Cheers Cassidy

Finished "The Girl With All The Gifts"- thought it was excellent and interesting to read from the interview at the back that Carey was writing a screenplay of it at the same time he was writing the novel. I can see how a film would work, but it'd be a tough one to beat the book.

Big old plot spoilers ahoy-

I kind of feel the first third was the strongest, although I liked the middle section when they were on the move. Wasn't so keen on the wild children aspect of it- ultimately it all makes sense for the world he'd created, and it wasn't like they ruined the book for me- I did find the end disappointing- not because it was badly written or conceived, but because I wanted Parks to make it, and I guess as a human I wanted our race to make it through...

So it's more than I was disappointed for the characters rather than with the book, if that makes sense. But the fact I ended up being sympathetic to all the characters, even Dr. Caldwell, is a testament to how well Carey shifted between points of view.

I've just ordered The Girl With All The Gifts.

One that's always stuck with me in this genre is Autumn by David Moody; I've not read any of the series after this first book. It was unsettling and threatening even though there is little actual 'death' and the zombies don't shamble about eating people, they just seem to aimlessly wander around and, at the end, they're like a flood. I loved the ending as it was so understated.

I tried reading Autumn a few years ago but it was pre Kindle and I was reading it on the iPhone (which was a pain in the tits). I might go back to it as it was pretty decent.

[idiwa]

Read The Passage by Justin Cronin a few weeks ago - you want an apocalypse, that's an apocalypse. Bit overlong maybe but it had me gripped the whole way.

I started reading this last week and really loved it…

all the Project Noah stuff with Richards, Wolgast and Amy. Felt more like a political thriller than anything else. Then all shit kicks off and Wolgast is with Amy in the wilds surviving. Was genuinely gutted with Wolgast died from radiation sickness and didn't understand why Amy left him to die alone. No doubt that will be covered later.

But then its jumping 91 years into the future in California at the sanctuary camp and I'm kinda struggling with it. It's like all the characters from the first third of the book are no more and I'm being bombard with all these new characters and how their new society/ laws and employment types are just totally alien to me. I really don't want to give up on this but I've gone from reading a few chapters every day during the Wolgast stuff to just being a bit "meh" about it as it becomes Mad Max with fangs.

Tell me it picks up again please Atm the dude's realised the batteries are kinda fucked at the sanctuary and he's talking about building a radio transmitter (against the wishes of the founding families).

[Anne Summers]

Bought this the day you posted about it on the Kindle. Really enjoyed it and the ending was great but...

I always got the impression that Sgt Parks was American not British. He just never came across to me as sounding British; he refers to the jeep and Humvee when the British don't use jeeps or Humvees (yeah I know that is pretty anal and who knows what they were using as it in the near future). But he also refers to stepping on the gas pedal and some other shit that I can't remember now. During the attack at the base Melanie is described as sinking her teeth into the pant leg of one of the junkers. Is Carey from the US? I've never heard of him before this.

Carey is British but he's worked in American comics for years and probably lives in America, so not surprising he uses Americanisms.

[Anne Summers]

I started reading this last week and really loved it…

all the Project Noah stuff with Richards, Wolgast and Amy. Felt more like a political thriller than anything else. Then all shit kicks off and Wolgast is with Amy in the wilds surviving. Was genuinely gutted with Wolgast died from radiation sickness and didn't understand why Amy left him to die alone. No doubt that will be covered later.

But then its jumping 91 years into the future in California at the sanctuary camp and I'm kinda struggling with it. It's like all the characters from the first third of the book are no more and I'm being bombard with all these new characters and how their new society/ laws and employment types are just totally alien to me. I really don't want to give up on this but I've gone from reading a few chapters every day during the Wolgast stuff to just being a bit "meh" about it as it becomes Mad Max with fangs.

Tell me it picks up again please Atm the dude's realised the batteries are kinda fucked at the sanctuary and he's talking about building a radio transmitter (against the wishes of the founding families).

I thought The Passage picked up after the first section - like you said, the first part just seemed like a fairly bog-standard thriller to me, until the apocalypse stuff kicked in.

I started book 2 when it came out but it lost my attention after a quarter of the way through or so - is it generally felt that it's a bit of a let-down or does it get better?

[neoELITE]

I've finished The Girl With All The Gifts. Really interesting book. Read in a week. I very much enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation people. I've read a few zombie books but this wasn't really about the hungries - it felt a bit like The Mist near the end. Most of the threat came from the survivors.

[idiwa]

Cheers Anne

[El Spatula]

Mike Carey is also a scouser, and we do use pants for trousers I'm afraid!

[idiwa]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo.jpg

Ok la, fair enough.

[Harsin]

I thought The Passage picked up after the first section - like you said, the first part just seemed like a fairly bog-standard thriller to me, until the apocalypse stuff kicked in.

I started book 2 when it came out but it lost my attention after a quarter of the way through or so - is it generally felt that it's a bit of a let-down or does it get better?

If anything it gets worse. Takes all the worst parts if the first book and then ramps them up to 11.

[idiwa]

Just finished The Passage. Amazing read! As I said above moving from part 1 to part 2 was a bit of a jolt but it soon settled down. Heard a lot of crap things about The Twelve (which is a shame) but I think I'll give it a try at some point.

Noticed on IMDB there is an entry for The Passage but there's not really much hard details.. god knows how they'd sum up The Passage in 90mins for the masses.

[PK]

A Canticle for Leibowitz is a classic, but its very religion focussed, so your enjoyment of that might be dependent on how much you know about Catholicism.

This is a great book, thanks for the recommendation 3 years ago!

[ZOK]

Here is another Philip K Dick post-apocalyptic short, called The Defenders. It's not at the level of Second Variety, but it's a nice read nevertheless: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28767/28767-h/28767-h.htm

[smac]

This [Canticle for Leibowitz] is a great book, thanks for the recommendation 3 years ago!

The sequel is terrible, so don't be in a hurry to read that!

[hungry joe]

The Book Of Dave is pretty good, if you like the thought of Wilf Self writing Riddley Walker.

If you don't it's insufferable, apparently.

[Padaxes]

Currently reading The Girl with all the Gifts by Mike Carey. Didnt even realise it was Post apocolyptic and not only that but its bloody superb as well. Such a well realised world and really well written. Done 200 pages in a day its that much of a page turner. Highly recommend it.

Just finished this and really enjoyed it excellent stuff.

Moved onto Autumn as recommended above and it's really not comparing well. I'm struggling to keep reading it, completely UNengaging in every way. Bland writing , bland characters.

[ZOK]

I've got The Girl With All The Gifts audiobook on the go thanks to you lot.

It's flipping great, well done all!

[BossSaru]

I liked The Girl With All The Gifts, but did not love it. The world is well realised, the plot moves quickly and the book certainly does not outstay its welcome. However the characters felt somewhat cliched and predictable.

Based on earlier recommendations in this thread I have suggested On The Beach to my book club, which they chose and will now read. The cover art really sold it to me, and the blurb on the back suggests a different slant on the post-apocalypse genre, focusing on characters facing an imminent death rather than fighting gangs for survival.

[Exit Chamber]

Now that is a grim book......