Good EOTWAWKI books?

[Martinjmpr]

Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein was first published in mid '60s. It's about group of people are blasted into by a nuclear bomb.

The first half of that book is great. The second - yeah, not so great.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein was first published in mid '60s. It's about group of people are blasted into by a nuclear bomb.

I was going to mention this but the story is somewhat dated. There are some good tidbits in terms of how to think about preparing for the fall of civilization but the book itself was more an exploration of different societies using a nuclear exchange as the MacGuffin. Still a good read IMO but perhaps not the kind of material the OP was looking for.

[Martinjmpr]

I was going to mention this but the story is somewhat dated. There are some good tidbits in terms of how to think about preparing for the fall of civilization but the book itself was more an exploration of different societies using a nuclear exchange as the MacGuffin. Still a good read IMO but perhaps not the kind of material the OP was looking for.

As I said above, the first half is a pretty interesting survival tale of suburbanites dealing with nuclear war.

Then it goes off the rails with a magical transportation into a dystopian future where white people are slaves and blacks were their masters - I think the book was written in the early 60's and it was RAH's attempt to make his works relevant to the civil rights struggle.

As with his weird Oedipal complex in "Time Enough for Love" (where the main character goes back in time to have sex with his mother - Not. Even. Kidding. ) it gets awkward and uncomfortable pretty fast.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge RAH fan and have been for decades but his attempts to be "hip" in the 60's and 70's were kind of squirm-inducing. I tried to read "The Cat who Walks through Walls" but just couldn't get into it.

Funny thing, one of his last books, "Job: A Comedy of Justice" was actually one of his best.

[TheGrey]

As I said above, the first half is a pretty interesting survival tale of suburbanites dealing with nuclear war.

Then it goes off the rails with a magical transportation into a dystopian future where white people are slaves and blacks were their masters - I think the book was written in the early 60's and it was RAH's attempt to make his works relevant to the civil rights struggle. As with his weird Oedipal complex in "Time Enough for Love" (where the main character goes back in time to have sex with his mother) it gets awkward and uncomfortable pretty fast.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge RAH fan and have been for decades but his attempts to be "hip" in the 60's and 70's were kind of squirm-inducing. I tried to read "The Cat who Walks through Walls" but just couldn't get into it.

Funny thing, one of his last books, "Job: A Comedy of Justice" was actually one of his best.

RAH liked to turn society's ingrained beliefs on its ear- and as a result of this, he would be inundated with hippie fans that would stop by his place in Colorado Springs, telling him how glad they were that he 'got it, man.'

Many of RAH's books had the main character/s in a self-sufficient mindset, creating an environment that would allow them to survive or endure the unexpected. In "The Number of the Beast," packing the bug-out-vehicle had some interesting concepts.

Robert McCammon's "Swan Song" was also a good one to read.

[BushMasterBoy]

I was made aware of this novel because it is mentioned in a book about defending against a space alien invasion. That book is "An Introduction To Planetary Defense." Interesting because story is based in Colorado.

Synopsis below...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Column

[clodhopper]

Malevil by Robert Merle. Survivors in a French castle experience nuclear war and then deal with power/leadership struggles, marauders and more.

[CS1983]

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone. Starting with Alas, Babylon and The Water Knife.

I'd actually heard a snippet of an interview with Paolo Bacigwhatever about The Water Knife on NPR when it came out. Didn't catch his name or the title of the book, so had been wondering what the heck it was as the bit I heard sounded interesting.

Alas, Babylon starts out describing a scene with which I am very familiar (rural Florida). Looking forward to continuing it.

[JohnTRourke]

I have all the Survivalist books by Jerry Ahern except #1 (dammit, it got lost over the years). Yours for shipping or come pick them up. Let me know.

[CS1983]

I have all the Survivalist books by Jerry Ahern except #1 (dammit, it got lost over the years). Yours for shipping or come pick them up. Let me know.

PM sent

[Mick-Boy]

Another +1 for Black Tide Rising. John Ringo's books certainly won't make you a better person but they're fun to read. Literary trash in the best way.

There was a series I read a few years ago by Joe Nobody called "Holding their Own" that was pretty good. Post-economic collapse Texas.