POST-APOCALYPSE TOASTIES

With the DVD release of I Am Legend with Will Smith as the only survivor of the Apocalypse, we look at some of our favorite post-apocalyptic stuff . . .  

Damnation Alley
by Roger Zelazny
This 1969 novel unsurprisingly has a Hell’s Angel as protagonist. A brisk, fun read – avoid the terrible 1977 movie though.

Lucifer's Hammer
by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
In this thick novel (published in 1977) civilization as we know it comes to an end when a meteor hits the planet. Things soon degenerate to Mad Max-levels. Civilization after all is only skin deep if we are to believe two of science fiction’s arch pessimists . . .

The Postman
by David Brin
This 1985 novel couldn’t have less to do with Kevin Costner’s lame 1997 movie. Hard SF fans should check it out. (The book, not the movie . . .)

The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son's post-apocalyptic tale of survival. Now being filmed with Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron.

Y: The Last Man
Comic book series that kicked off in 2002 and only recently ended features a lone man named Yorick (!) and his monkey in a world populated only by women. Before you think he’s a lucky guy, think twice . . .

The Death of Grass
by John Christopher
Filmed as No Blade of Grass. In the original 1956 novel a virus destroys plants and causes massive famine and the breakdown of society.

A Boy and His Dog
Novella by Harlan Ellison. Filmed in 1975 – starring Don Johnson and the dog from the Brady Bunch as his telepathic companion. A huge influence on the Mad Max movies . . .

The Ultimate Warrior
1975 movie starring a bad ass Yul Brunner.

Panic in Year Zero!
This 1962 movie is about a family that escapes Los Angeles devastated by a nuclear attack. Ray Milland is the dad who has to protect his wife and daughter from marauding gangs.

The Trigger Effect
Underappreciated movie directed by the scribe of Jurassic Park and starring Elizabeth Shue. An extended electricity blackout results in the slow unraveling of society.

The Stand
Thick 1978 novel by Stephen King about a supernatural-themed end of the world. Also made into a cheesy mini-series.

Mad Max
The granddaddy of them all! Mel Gibson avenges his family’s death at the hands of a vicious biker gang.

Road Warrior
Even better than Mad Max. It may have “inspired” a host of terrible cheapo straight-to-VHS rip-offs in the 1980s, but is still one of the best action movies ever made.

Any of your favorites we missed? Then let us know at our Discussion Board!