"Robinson Crusoe," Daniel Defoe

"The Portable Thoreau," edited works of Henry David Thoreau

"Follow the River," James Alexander Thom

"Deliverance," James Dickey

"Alas, Babylon," Pat Frank

"Lucifers Hammer," Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

"The Stand," Stephen King

"Survive the Savage Sea," Dougal Robertson

"Lord of the Flies," William Golding

From the original thread:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000rCq

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), March 18, 2000

Answers

A Gift Upon The Shore by W. Wren. The story of two women who survive a nuclear attack and the aftermath; how they prepared, how they took a stand against road raiders, growing food and animals, and a catalyst with fundamentalists who want control and the best part for me was how they went to great lengths to find all the books they could, to preserve for future generations. Great book.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 18, 2000.

Ken,

Here's a great list. http://www.reed.edu/~karl/postapoc/index.html

Of these (among many others) I recommend: Alas Babylon.. Fla after nukes in the fifties

A Canticle for Leibovitz.. the Monks save the books again in the second dark age.

The Parable of the Sower...Droughtstricken LA has devolved into walled neighborhoods surrounded by the lost, lawless and starving. First of a series by Octavia Butler.

Lucifers Hammer..the meteor hits

Warday...America after a limited nuclear exchange. We win but you can't really tell.

A really odd one..Dahlgren by Samuel R. Delaney

The nuts and bolts of survival are fascinating, but I've always found the psychology of the victims, the reduction of life to something like feudalism really compelling. Couldn't relly say what it would be like without a strong government to moderate and intervene. I guess we could ask those in Kosovo or Madagascar.

Best Regards..very interested in all the other replies.

Boomlet

-- boomlet (stillhere@theend.com), March 18, 2000.

Ken:

Judging from many of the posts on many boards; I would suggest one book.

"That Dark and Bloody River"; A.W. Eckert. In many ways it seems to tell the story that we see. [Yea, I know that I used many too many times; talk to my English teacher :o)]. Her name was actually Many.

Best wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), March 18, 2000.

Ken:

I think it might be time for some ALTERNATIVE reading:

Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer

Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger

We wouldn't want to get in a rut, right?

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 18, 2000.

Or perhaps a good film. May I suggest the critically acclaimed apocalyptic thriller; "Y2k - The Movie", starring Chris O'Donnell. Quite the cliff-hanger that'll keep you glued to the edge of your couch. I'm sure it's now available on videotape or DVD at finer stores everywhere.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), March 18, 2000.

How about the "Decrease in the Russian Population"

written by I. Ban Yackingoff

-- Blushing (crimson@red.com), March 19, 2000.

How about:

"Extrordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" by Charles Mackay?

I also remember hearing about something called "A Short Introduction to the History of Human Stupidity" But can't recall the author. It was supposedly quite thick.

-- Flash (flash@flash.hq), March 19, 2000.

here are some post nuclear holocaust scenarios

the last ranger unknown author (about a dozen books in series)

deathlands by james axler (about 40+ books in series)

outlanders by james axler (continuation of above series set about 100 years in future)

the gaurdians by unknown author (about a dozen books in series)

earth blood by james axler (trilogy)

the survivalist by jerry ahern (about 20 books in series)

enjoy, duke

-- duke (revduke@hotmail.com), March 22, 2000.

Can't believe you astute literary types missed the all time best selling classic work of Y2K apocalyptic fiction:

TIMEBOMB 2000 By Ed Yourdon! BWAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!

-- haha (hahahaha@ha.ha), March 22, 2000.