Last Man On Earth:
[alone]
Alone in a world devoid of any other human contact. Being a sole survivor after the apocalypse is a test on your sanity as much as it is on your survival skills. It’s a lonely and bleak existence. And there’s often not much hope for anything else to come.
Zombie Outbreaks:
[zombie]
Although not all zombie novels have made it into this list, those that are apocalyptic, or set in a post-apocalyptic world, will meet the criteria. Even if the outbreak appears to be limited to a relatively small area of the globe, as long as the setting is of an apocalyptic nature, it’ll find its way onto the list.
Rabies / All-out Rage Fuelled Rampage:
[rage]
Often very similar in nature to that of a zombie outbreak, these uber-violent epidemics often deliver a truly heart-pounding vision of a chaotic world of bloodlust and violence. Following the same rules as with zombie outbreaks, as long as the atmosphere is apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic, it’ll find its way in here in the end.
Plague Epidemic / Virus Outbreak:
[plague]
Possibly the most popular of the post-apocalyptic scenarios, plague epidemics or virus outbreaks create the perfect solution for the mass annihilation of the human race. Those lucky few immune to the threat find themselves survivors in a bleak and potentially deadly new world (a setting that’s often referred to as a ‘cost catastrophe’).
Natural Disaster / Ecological Catastrophe:
[natural]
Unrelenting earthquakes, catastrophic flooding, unquenchable fires, imminent meteor collisions, monumental climate change and the bitter reality of global-warming…when mother Earth fights back, humanity doesn’t stand a chance.
Extra-Terrestrial Threat / Mass-Alien Invasion:
[alien]
Aliens aren’t all like E.T. from Steven Spielberg’s family-friendly sci-fi film. When these out-of-space visitors decide it’s chow time for humanity, the threat can be almost impossible to overcome. From ‘War of the Worlds’ to ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ - if it’s of apocalyptic proportions, then it’s got a valid pass for the list.
New Breed / Mass Rampaging Creatures or Plants:
[new breed]
Originality will always have a strong place within the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. Whether the new threat on humanity have been scientifically altered or merely sprung up from out of nowhere (but not from space); as long as they’re reducing the world’s population to near nothing, these weird and wonderful new breeds can find a home in the list.
Vampire Domination / Mass Succubi-Like Threats:
[vampire]
Or favourite blood-sucking friends won’t always just linger in the shadows waiting to seduce young virgins for their lifeblood. They have the capability for world domination. And should they reduce humanity to but a handful of survivors or so, then life for those remaining is going to be very tough indeed.
Nuclear Warfare / Chemical Weapons / Megadeath Through War:
[warfare]
Humanity is its own worst enemy. Since the dawn of mankind we’ve been fighting with each other. And with so-called progression – we’ve mastered the art of murder en masse. Furthermore, we have enough weapons of mass destruction to destroy the world a hundred times over. And so when war does finally come knocking again, the end results can prove to be nothing short of utter annihilation.
Religious:
[religious]
Those who believe in the word of the Bible will more often than not believe that the apocalypse will one day arrive and man will be judged for his time spent on earth. Indeed, religion on a whole is rife with promises of Armageddon and ultimate judgement. And as such, its particularly fertile ground for tales of our ultimate destruction.
**To add further clarification to the types of post-apocalyptic fiction, the following extra categories have been included where necessary:
Rebuild:
[rebuild]
When mankind is reduced to almost nothing, those few remaining are forced to start again as if from scratch. They may have all the technology and materials that were left behind, but these supplies will only ever have a finite lifespan. And so they are forced to learn how to start over again. Learn how to make the things they need. And ultimately, adapt to a world that has irrevocably changed forever.
Vague Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic Nature:
[vague]
Not entirely apocalyptic, these novels may only affect small pockets of humanity. However, the general atmosphere or basic premise of the tale leans towards that of a post-apocalyptic novel (for example the massive earthquakes from Walter J Williams’ novel ‘The Rift’). It’s more about the essence of the novel than the trueness of an apocalyptic setting.
Dystopian World:
[dystopia]
A bleak vision of the world where humankind’s survival is one of utter misery and oppression. To be included within the post-apocalyptic list, the setting must be one of a limited humanity, where the fragments of mankind struggle with a life of hardship or under a harsh dictatorship. Wars and revolutionary rebellion are popular inclusions in these downbeat warnings.
Anthology:
[anthology]
Through its growing popularity, more and more stories are being penned involving an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic premise. For those books that collect together short stories solely on this particular premise, it would be wrong to miss them off this list. So here they are.
Deathlands:
[deathlands]
Running at over one-hundred novels, the Deathlands series is by far and away the longest standing post-apocalyptic series to see publication. Written under the house name, James Axler, the novels have been penned by numerous authors over the years. However, each novel has maintained the same desperate post-apocalyptic setting – offering up an action-rich mix of violence, sex, mutants and madness.
