Background reading

[Bran82]

Hey guys

I'm new to forum posting and would like to start a new post-apoc project.
Any suggestions on books/novels to prepare a little background for my games?

Thanks!
B

[warlord frod]

You might try The Emberverse series, or Change World, a series of post-apocalyptic alternate history novels written by S. M. Stirling. 

[Sinewgrab]

The Postman, A Boy and his Dog, Earth Abides, The Road, and maybe the Horseclans series is where I would start.

[S_P]

The Death of Grass is a favourite of mine.

[nedius]

I enjoyed The Road and World War Z.

[Penchour]

Not sure if you can find an English translation (sadly, as for once I found a French author that makes great modern Sci Fi), but you may find interest in the first 2 books of the Climatic apocalypse trilogy : AQUA(tm) and Exodes. The first one is somewhere at the verge of civilisation, meeting slow desagregation in front of drastic climate change, high religious histery and desperate economic war, while the second (same timeline, 30 something years later) definitely sounds like a dark Mad Max/nihilist trend.

https://www.amazon.ca/EXODES-LIGNY-JEAN-MARC/dp/2841725928

[SBRPearce]

A World Made by Hand and The Witch of Hebron by James Howard Kunstler are novels of a post-peak-oil industrial-collapse "apocalypse". Will McIntosh's Soft Apocalypse is another interesting one, with a multi-pronged "everything's all effed-up" feel as the Old World winds down to a very bumpy close.

For a grim, elegiac snapshot, see if you can find Connie Willis' short story "The Last of the Winnebagos"... It's worth the search.

[Bran82]

Great suggestions, thank you all! I'm off reading now, starting from The Road

[oldskoolrebel]

The Road is an interesting read, I found it pretty a harrowing, McCarthy certainly doesn't pull any punches.

I really enjoyed Wool by Hugh Howey. The rest of the trilogy was okay, but I felt that I'd have been happy having just left it with Wool.

Cheers
Andy

[Sinewgrab]

The Road is an interesting read, I found it pretty a harrowing, McCarthy certainly doesn't pull any punches.

I really enjoyed Wool by Hugh Howey. The rest of the trilogy was okay, but I felt that I'd have been happy having just left it with Wool.

Cheers
Andy

I would agree - I actually liked the movie as well - but neither is anything I will revisit.  Too stark, too depressing.  Good flavor for PA, though.

[Carrakon]

I think "the Guardians", a series of books by Richard Austin might be what you're after. Not exactly high class literature, but chock full of great gaming and background ideas.

[Infovore]

I might be in the minority here but....I thought the road was hugely overrated.  

"Some will not die" is one of my all time favourites though so I'd really recommend that. I'll throw in a weird one, the Last Policeman trilogy (starting with the Last Policeman) by Ben Winters. It's weird because it's pre-apocalyptic but you watch the world gradually go to hell through the whole series. Some really interesting ideas and generally a good read.

[RedGobbo]

Maybe Metro 2033 and other books from this series. It's a bit different approach to post-apo setting but still quite intresting. I always thought that Metro 2033 universe would be a great setting for skirmish miniature game.

[HerbyF]

A Canticle for Leibowitz has long been a favorite of mine.

[Laflin and Rand]

Dinner at Deviant's Palace by Tim Powers is a fun read.