Comments on: 10 Best Post-Apocalypses

By: sgMarshall

sgMarshall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:17:30 +0000

Keep the Lord of the Flies in. That the Lord of the Flies isn’t the result of nuclear bombs is besides the point, thought that should be corrected above. Post-apocalyptic works are about failing or failed societies and civilizations, and perhaps even more importantly how the survivors try to rebuild society and civilization. Or at least how they try to cope with the collapse. The LotF is certainly about these ideas. Post-Apocalyptic works don’t require that salvation never comes, so that they’re rescued at the end is besides the point. The war itself and the apocalyptic bombing of England coupled with the plane crash certainly counts as an apocalypse.

By: Sparrows345

Sparrows345 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:14:30 +0000

Duh. THE TERMINATOR. What’s wrong with you ladies.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:03:28 +0000

I agree with the person above who mentioned Eternity Road, by Jack McDevitt. It’s very different from the typical PA novel, and such an adventure. Another, little known work, but among my favorites is Neena Gathering by Valerie Nieman Colander. As far as I can tell, it’s the only book she ever had published, but it’s well worth your time to search it out. You can get it used at amazon. A couple other “fun” ones are Swan Song by Robert McCammon and “Fire” by Alan Ryan (this one is probably much harder to find, but like Neena Gathering, worth the effort).

By: Phil Fish

Phil Fish — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:17:05 +0000

Is “Them!” considered a PA film? (Nuclear fallout creating giant ants that attack people.)http://www.cryptomundo.com/wp-content/them3.jpg

By: Tennessee

Tennessee — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:25:18 +0000

For best PA books that haven’t yet made it to movies, I vote for “Alas, Babylon” and “Wolf and Iron.”

By: bubba

bubba — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:57:40 +0000

Just to flesh out the list a little with a not-really-top-10 but classic anyway:

Panic in Year Zero: Super b&w classic with a 50s/60s dad (ray milland) leading his family to safety after the bomb falls in california. Plays like Leave it to Beaver with H-bombs.

Also, I think there is a nuclear war suggested in Lord of the Flies. It’s not simply a WWII-era plane crash. The war may be imminent or have already happened (and been limited).

By: employee clockin clockout

employee clockin clockout — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:15:18 +0000

How about postnuke zombies? Best of both worlds.

By: venom

venom — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:23:11 +0000

oops, spoke too soon.

You put I Am Legend? Wow, that is a horrid hollywood movie, and Omega Man?

The Last Man on Earth – 1964 – Vincent Price – I cannot believe you missed this movie? It not only started the whole Zombie idea, it also started the post apocalypse idea.

Shame on you, I retract my previous post.

By: venom

venom — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:18:57 +0000

Today I looked on Google for the “Best post apocalypse movies” and so many people had put the staples (Mad max, Omega Man) but none had the balls to post Threads.

Threads is by far the greatest, most disturbing look at our future regardless of the device (Nuclear or natural).

The whole idea of people turning into animals, becoming retarded for generations due to radiation and lack of proper schools since they all were destroyed. The whole idea of everyone in the movie dying in horrible, fantastic, different ways.

I loved it, even though it scared the hell out of me.

Bravo for the list, excellent!

By: Basisrente

Basisrente — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:42:40 +0000

I love that kind of videos. Especially “i am legend” and “28 days later”. Really great movies.

By: Bogota

Bogota — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:52:40 +0000

Stephen, would you really call Mad Max postapocalyptic? The first movie of the trilogy never struck me as taking place after any sort of apocalypse, modern society still existed and everything. Still a fun movie though. Mad Max 2 (the road warrior) seems much more like the “iconic” post-apocalypse setting to me.

Anyway, any fan of cold-war era post apocalyptic stuff should check out The War Game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Game. I think the whole thing is available on youtube. Also, the novel Alas, Babylon is a very interesting piece of fiction from that era.

I have to say that my personal favorite post-apocalyptic setting is that of the Fallout, a computer game. An ingeneous combination of 50’s scifi and coldwar/Road Warrior apocalypse that presented a very beleivable and consistent world despite its stylized elements. Unfortunately it’s sequels sort of trashed the setting.

By: mythokrates

mythokrates — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:06:25 +0000

Post-apocalyptic fans ought to look for GALACTIC EXODUS: Counterdance of the Cybergods. Deep in the future, after the loss of Earth, a whole civilization via a fleet of 12 world-ships seeks a hospitable ‘New Earth.’ The voyage is marred by a revolution of their super-computer ‘Regulators’ — re-work of a 1980 unpublished ms: ‘The Musician and the Mind-Simulator.’ Unusual presentation.

By: hammin8r

hammin8r — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:51:26 +0000

The movies was perhaps the worst adaptation of all time, but the novel Damnation Alley was one the best post-apocalyptic novels all time. It’s anti-hero Hell Tanner was the prototype for characters li Mad Max and Snake Pliskin.

By: rocketman739

rocketman739 — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:15:10 +0000

Stop yelling about how Lord of the Flies isn’t post-apocalyptic! It doesn’t help to call people stinky. I, personally, think that it is pretty clear that there is a terrible war, but not necessarily one that destroys civilization–at least, not one that has destroyed it yet. But I won’t call anyone who thinks it’s set in WW2 or something else stupid.

By: Seedouble

Seedouble — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:19:39 +0000

I have not read Lord of the Flies since I was in school, but certainly the interpretation back then was that the events occurred against a backdrop of nuclear war – to the extent that the reappearance of civilization in the form of the Navy at the end was to be seen as something of a surprise. I recall there being references inconsistent with – although clearly inspired by – a World War 2 evacuation. After many years I’ll have to read it again now, which is surely the best thing about these lists!

Regarding the comment above connecting the film version of The Quiet Earth and quantum suicide, I’m led to the same conclusion. It’s a very eerie film.