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Original poster

After dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels to take on holiday

120 replies

toffeechai · 09/08/2022 07:26

Hoping that if I share my tastes, people might be able to suggest some good reads for my holiday.

Examples of books I have loved: Station Eleven, The Quiet at the End of the World, The Girl With All the Gifts, The Handmaid’s Tale, Red Clocks, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series.

I quite liked The Power.

I didn’t like: Hollow Kingdom (such a great premise but gave up as I hated the writing style), Moths. The Last, which I took on a previous holiday and finished but didn’t enjoy. Also not a Stephen King fan.

I’m looking up past threads too but any suggestions are appreciated, old or new!

OP posts:
TheHound86 · 09/08/2022 13:23

Last one at the party by Bethany Clift and The End of men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 09/08/2022 13:22

Another vote for the Chaos Walking trilogy - best YA fiction I’ve read and holds its own amongst the adult dystopian fiction too.

BarryKentPoet · 09/08/2022 13:19

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Worldshutyourmouth · 09/08/2022 12:47

Nevil Shute .. On the Beach, it’s a classic

PaddleBoardingMomma · 09/08/2022 12:18

The news

WelcomeEverythingIsFine · 09/08/2022 10:56

The darkest minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken. Marie Lu’s Legend series. The maze runner. I think they are technically young adult books but I loved them!

Walkacrossthesand · 09/08/2022 10:46

Late to the party as ever 🙄 and noting all the suggestions above.
Another Margaret Atwood is 'the heart goes last'. Dystopian future.

Bigoldmachine · 09/08/2022 10:01

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. For some reason I read this during lockdown. It is bloody brilliant

also I Am Legend (don’t be put off by the will smith film, it’s nothing at all like the book. Short, pacy book too perfect for holiday)

OhYouBadBadKitten · 09/08/2022 09:51

Swan Song is superb, but I think it does have a bit of a Stephen King feel about it.

Boybandfacedfannyfart · 09/08/2022 09:32

Swan song is outstanding! I’ve read that over and over for the last 30 years!

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 09/08/2022 09:32

Louise Welsh's Plague Times trilogy - A Lovely Way to Burn is the first one.

Don't take The Road on holiday!

IVFNewbie · 09/08/2022 09:31

Swan Song (Robert McCammon)
Lucifer's Hammer
Death of Grass
Alas, Babylon

All classics of the genre.

weebarra · 09/08/2022 09:30

Oh yes, I Who have Never Known Men is really interesting!

MuddlerInLaw · 09/08/2022 09:27

Gosh, I’ve never come across Jacqueline Hartman before - fabulous recommendation!

GertrudeKerfuffle · 09/08/2022 09:26

AshGirl · 09/08/2022 09:19

I Who Have Never Known Men is amazing! Always recommend this for dystopian fiction

Agreed, I've read this recently and found it really eerie.

MumofSpud · 09/08/2022 09:23

The Gone series by Michael Grant
Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

Both are classed as YA

AshGirl · 09/08/2022 09:20

AshGirl · 09/08/2022 09:19

I Who Have Never Known Men is amazing! Always recommend this for dystopian fiction

I Who Have Never Known Men https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L6XBVSQ/ref=cmswwrcppapi_JVQVE7R6G30P5TYSZJD7

AshGirl · 09/08/2022 09:19

I Who Have Never Known Men is amazing! Always recommend this for dystopian fiction

Original poster
toffeechai · 09/08/2022 08:54

Wow loads of replies already. Thanks everyone! I’ve downloaded lots of Kindle samples to check these out

OP posts:
Namechangenye2021 · 09/08/2022 08:38

Until the End of the World Series by Sarah Lyon’s Fleming.

AKnitterofThings · 09/08/2022 08:36

Artus · 09/08/2022 08:23

Station 11 Emily St John Mandel

I second this! Fabulous novel, especially since Co**d

MuddlerInLaw · 09/08/2022 08:31

Rosewater - Tade Thompson.

Really excellent and fascinating first volume in a trilogy. Fantastically refreshing and intelligent post-event novel.

Artus · 09/08/2022 08:23

Station 11 Emily St John Mandel

JuneOsborne · 09/08/2022 08:22

Not sure if you missed the oryx and crake trilogy mentioned above by a pp. Bloody brilliant. The second one in particular is stunning. Atwood at her best.

It's not exactly dystopian, but it kind of is, but I'd recommend Bel Canto

And then the classics 1984 and Brave New World of you've not read them.