Just saw that Folk of the Fringe was being serialized on OSCIGMS and it reminded me how much I loved some of those stories. Post apocalypse environments are endlessly fascinating to me and the initial Deaver story does a great job at capturing the atmosphere.
Speaking of post apocalypse, anyone have any recommendations for good reads? I've read most of the standards but would certainly be interested in any lesser known tales. All manner of apocalypse count : ) (Nuclear, plague, zombies... its all good)
Posted by Rodger Brown (Member # 11476) on :
"World War Z" is a good Zombie read, "The Road" is recommended by Ophrah's book club but I didn't enjoy it very much and it's a post apocalypse story.
Posted by kassyopeia (Member # 12110) on :
If you like Fantasy as well as SciFi, try Raymond Feist. His Midkemia-series is based on several worlds, which he gets to destroy one by one and then use the aftermath as setup for the sequel.
Posted by Steve_G (Member # 10101) on :
I mentioned it in another thread, but Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is awesome. Its set in a post- apocolyptic dystopia where different districts compete for favors and better treatment from the Capital. The Hunger Games is the main event, where every year 1 boy and 1 girl are chosen by lottery from every district to compete in a savage kill or be killed televised live battle. Its pretty brutal, but also impossible to put down. There is also a sequel coming out in August.
I also like the trilogy - Pretties, Uglies, Specials by Scott Westerfield. and because all good trilogies are 4 books long, don't forget Extras. Its also set in post-apocolyptic times, but once kids turn 16 they undergo pretty surgery, which also turns them into mindless twits who only care about partying. The book follows the actions of a young girl who starts fighting the system accidentally and eventually willingly. Its a page turner for sure, even though the sci-fi/technology aspects are a little light for my tastes, the story is very compelling.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Pat Murphy's The City Not Long After is the only piece of post apocalyptic magical realism I've ever seen. It's a pretty good book, too.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I'm not sure what the "standards" are, but Octavia Butler has a couple of great ones. "Parable of the Sower" and its sequel "Parable of the Talents" are...well...more like post-breakdown-of-society. What would you call that?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Steve_G: I mentioned it in another thread, but Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is awesome.
Ok, ok, I give!!!
*adds to Goodreads to-read list*
But I think I'll wait until the third book is out. Heavens knows I have enough to keep me busy until then.
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Pat Murphy's The City Not Long After is the only piece of post apocalyptic magical realism I've ever seen. It's a pretty good book, too.
*also adds*
Hmm. Remind me why you're not on Goodreads, Noem? Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
I recommend 'A Canticle for Liebowitz' if you haven't read it.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: I'm not sure what the "standards" are, but Octavia Butler has a couple of great ones. "Parable of the Sower" and its sequel "Parable of the Talents" are...well...more like post-breakdown-of-society. What would you call that?
Those books portray one of the most believable apocalypses I've ever seen.
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
If you're into short fiction (which I assume you are, having read Folk of the Fringe), there Wastelands, edited by John Joseph Adams. OSC's Salvage is part of this collection.
Posted by CRash (Member # 7754) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Pat Murphy's The City Not Long After is the only piece of post apocalyptic magical realism I've ever seen. It's a pretty good book, too.
Love that book. It's so trippy.
If you don't mind YA fare, "Shade's Children" by Garth Nix is a good read. Everyone over 15 vanishes overnight when aliens arrive on Earth. Then the aliens engineer the teenagers to use as soldiers in their war games. Creepy but really well done, IMO.
Posted by paigereader (Member # 2274) on :
Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country... it's little feminist but not beat you over the head.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
The Miocene Arrow. Post apocalyptic feudalism + rediscovery of the internal combustion engine = flying knights.
--j_k
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by paigereader: Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country... it's little feminist but not beat you over the head.
I hate that book.... Maybe I should read it again, but I just HATED IT SO MUCH!!!! I could explain why, but not without spoilers.
I totally recommend Octavia Butler though. I love her.
Posted by Mindbowels (Member # 7407) on :
Hey. Thanks for the suggestions thus far, looks like I have some things to add to my list (Wastelands and The City Not Long After sound particularly exciting)!
Yeah, when I think of the classics its things like Earth Abides, A Canticle for Leibowitz, World War Z, etc.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'd like to add Nightpeople to the list. Bonus: the author is a Hatrack member (although not especially active these days).
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Hmm. Remind me why you're not on Goodreads, Noem? [/QB]
Mostly because I haven't gotten around to it.
Actually, Kristy got me a little hand scanner thingy and a paid LibraryThing account a few months back, so I don't have much of an excuse for not having my library online somewhere--all I have to do is scan barcodes.
What is the advantage of GoodReads over LibraryThing, in your opinion (he asked, knowing that rivka has a vested interest in GoodReads)?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
1) Groups. I'm not sure if LT has them too (I think so), but the groups and bookclubs at GR are great. And extremely varied. I've made quite a few friends via the groups I participate in, and I'm really only active in a couple.
2) I like the way the website works better. I've been over at LT on occasion, and I don't like the organization scheme much. GR is far more individually customizable, IME.
3) Librarians. I'm not clear on who or how LT gets their book information, but I've seen all kinds of weird duplications. For instance, yesterday I was looking at a book over there, and it appeared to have 20+ editions -- until I realized it was the same 7 GR had, but several of the ISBNs were listed 2-4 times each. Which can happen at GR, but one of our horde of volunteer librarians will probably catch it, especially if the book/author is at least mildly popular. Having so many members invested in cooperating to correct the database is part of what leads to a great sense of community. (See: Groups. )
4) Responsive staff and volunteers. I have NEVER been on a site where the folks running things are as interested in feedback. If you ask for it in the Feedback group, and other people want it, there's no reason not to do it, and it's an easy change, expect an update within days. Sometimes hours. The impossible requests take somewhat longer (sometimes MUCH longer, if they turn out to be very difficult to program). But you don't have to take my word for it! Posted by Mindbowels (Member # 7407) on :
Just finished reading One Second After by William R. Forstchen, the narrative of a post-EMP North Carolina. It was fantastic, read it in two days, totally recommend it to all.
Posted by Mindbowels (Member # 7407) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sean Monahan: If you're into short fiction (which I assume you are, having read Folk of the Fringe), there Wastelands, edited by John Joseph Adams. OSC's Salvage is part of this collection.
Reading it now and loving it! Some of these stories cut off way too soon though!
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Noemon, you totally do need to join Goodreads. Be sure and friend me when you do. You have good taste in books. I want to see what you're reading.
Posted by Steve_G (Member # 10101) on :
Is there a Hatrack group at Goodreads? I joined recently, but haven't done much exploring into the groups thing yet.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Steve_G: Is there a Hatrack group at Goodreads?
Not that I know of. Well, other than for the Writers' Workshop.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
What is LibraryThingy?
I have to second all the "sign up for Good Reads" people though. I love GR!
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by James Tiberius Kirk: The Miocene Arrow. Post apocalyptic feudalism + rediscovery of the internal combustion engine = flying knights.
--j_k
The first in the trilogy, Souls in the Great Machine, was much stronger.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Strongly second A Canticle for Leibowitz. Unforgettable.
Posted by oscfan (Member # 12170) on :
Not exactly an apocalypse, but Cell by Stephen King was kind of along those lines.
It's about how everyone using a cell phone turns into zombie-like animals. So, basically the whole human race loses their minds and starts eating each other.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Sorry it's taken me so long to respond to this.
quote:Originally posted by rivka: 1) Groups. I'm not sure if LT has them too (I think so), but the groups and bookclubs at GR are great. And extremely varied. I've made quite a few friends via the groups I participate in, and I'm really only active in a couple.[quote]
Good to know.
[quote]2) I like the way the website works better. I've been over at LT on occasion, and I don't like the organization scheme much. GR is far more individually customizable, IME.
Also good to know. I like the idea of being able to customize my view of the site.
quote:3) Librarians. I'm not clear on who or how LT gets their book information, but I've seen all kinds of weird duplications. For instance, yesterday I was looking at a book over there, and it appeared to have 20+ editions -- until I realized it was the same 7 GR had, but several of the ISBNs were listed 2-4 times each. Which can happen at GR, but one of our horde of volunteer librarians will probably catch it, especially if the book/author is at least mildly popular. Having so many members invested in cooperating to correct the database is part of what leads to a great sense of community. (See: Groups. )
This is a huge advantage.
quote:4) Responsive staff and volunteers. I have NEVER been on a site where the folks running things are as interested in feedback. If you ask for it in the Feedback group, and other people want it, there's no reason not to do it, and it's an easy change, expect an update within days. Sometimes hours. The impossible requests take somewhat longer (sometimes MUCH longer, if they turn out to be very difficult to program). But you don't have to take my word for it!
As is this.
Is there an easy way to port a collection over from Library Thing?
quote:Originally posted by Tatiana: Noemon, you totally do need to join Goodreads. Be sure and friend me when you do. You have good taste in books. I want to see what you're reading.
I'll do so when I eventually join, Tatiana, but in the meantime I've been doing a fairly decent job of keeping track in this post in the 2009 Book List thread on the other side.
By the way, Tatiana, have your read any of Temple Grandin's stuff? I think that you'd find her work pretty interesting.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I like the idea of being able to customize my view of the site.
Hmm. That's actually not what I meant. While that is something being worked on (there's a major redesign of the My Books section currently in the planning/programming stages), I am talking about ability to customize bookshelves, including making them exclusive (which is an ability that was added due to user requests).
Nice that importing books is so simple.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
So you'll get right on it, I assume? Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'll eventually get right on it.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*LAUGH*
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I read an article by Temple Grandin long ago in I think the New Yorker. It was interesting. Even though she herself and her amazingly different brain are fascinating, I guess her line of work doesn't at all appeal to me. I suppose it's good to make slaughterhouses be as humane as possible, I just don't think it's possible to make them very humane, you know? I personally would rather work toward making them unnecessary when people choose for health, humane, or ecological reasons no longer to eat meat.
Posted by zippersmith (Member # 12186) on :
Earth Abides - George Stewart I found this book electrifying. What I got most out of it was how fragile literacy really is.
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