Discussion: What's your favorite apocalyptic or dystopian book?
For as long as I’ve been reading, I’ve enjoyed books with apocalyptic and/or dystopian settings. Many of my all-time favorite books fall into that sci-fi/fantasy sub-genre. After recently finishing Robert McCammon’s Swan Song, I was reminded just how much I love these books. There’s something about them that distills the human experience into what’s most important: love, hope, and community.
It’s a subject matter I’ve covered rather well over the years:
And one of my favorite author interviews was with Edan Lepucki, about readers’ love for these grim settings. I’m not sure I still agree with all of Young Jeremy’s assessments, but it’s fun to read nonetheless (at least for me).
Okay, your turn. What are your favorite apocalyptic and/or dystopian books? I’ll be adding all of them to my TBR.
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace! Bleak, hopeful, exciting, original. I love it and it inspired the play I’m working on at the moment. (I think we should do more sci-fi/dystopias/big world building on stage - theatre doesn’t get to see much of this!)
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." It's one of my all-time favorite books.