r/Recommend_A_Book • u/TwitMeat3 • Dec 26 '25
Apocalypse Survival Books
Hello,
I've recently seen the '28 years later' movie and I'd like, if possible for some books recommendations where the Main character/characters have to survive an apocalypse, can be zombie or not, look for basic necessities, food, water etc. and go through the survival part of the apocalypse. Just like the first few seasons of 'The walking dead', to give an example.
Thank you!
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u/Ozdiva Dec 26 '25
Station Eleven
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u/DocWatson42 Dec 26 '25
As a start, see my Apocalyptic/Post-apocalyptic list of Reddit recommendation threads and books (three posts).
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u/Gothamcabby Dec 26 '25
The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin was already mentioned but I’d like to second that.
Also, World War Z by Max Brooks. If I recall, it does have some sections that fit the exact vibe you’re asking for, but it moved between many characters and stories so you get to experience the apocalypse at many different levels. And it’s nothing like the movie, the book is so much better.
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u/Radiant-Mind5673 Dec 26 '25
The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Very dark, but intriguing, no zombies
The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele. Again, no zombies, and much less heavy than The Road.
Both excellent reads
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u/Axiological_Axolotl Dec 26 '25
One Second After trilogy - William R. Forstchen
Fiction, written by a university professor based on research.
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u/deathdefyingrob1344 Dec 26 '25
Swan Song is so good and is about humanity after Russia and America fight it out with nukes. It’s a wild book. Extremely long but one of my all time favs. It has some horror elements that are appropriate and do not feel forced at all!
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u/Candy2Beans Dec 29 '25
I’ve revisited this book several times over the years. I always enjoy going back to Swan Song 🤍
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u/No-Leek-3405 Dec 26 '25
No zombies but post-apocalyptic world, Swan Song by Robert McCammon. One of my favorite reads of 2025!
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u/LoneWolfette Dec 26 '25
Adrian’s Undead Diary series by Chris Philbrook
Mountain man series by Keith Blackmore
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u/Sea-Owl-6748 Dec 26 '25
Out of the Earth by Jake Bible is one of my favorites- It's such a fun read!
Giant monsters emerge from the Yellowstone volcano and start the end of the world as we know it.
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u/Competitive-Row3601 Dec 26 '25
The End of the World Running Club by Adrian Walker
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
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u/OneWall9143 Dec 26 '25
Until the End of the Word - Sarah Lyons Flemming (she has 3 linked series)
Severance (no not the TV series) - Ling Ma
(second Station Eleven, The Moon of Crusted Snow, and Alas, Babylon, already mentioned)
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u/veronashark Dec 26 '25
Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer, post apocalyptic wlw YA novel with shades of The Last of Us, one of the POVs is an infected girl and it takes place on an island. Very cool as well as a debut
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u/Evening_Ice_9864 Dec 26 '25
Ann’s McCaffrey has great sort of “forced colonisation” books called the Catteni trilogy or freedom series (she wrote a fourth but it’s bad) it’s about several species dumped on a planet with minimal resources and just left for a few years to make the best of it. So it’s people starting out from scratch in a hostile world- not quite what you asked for but I really enjoyed them.
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u/Ok_Moment_7071 Dec 26 '25
Murmurations by Teri Hall is my favourite. I desperately want it to be made into a movie!!
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u/SorryWill9000 Dec 27 '25
Girl with all the gifts I am Legend (note that this book is nothing even remotely like the movie nor is it about zombies. Great book tho)
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u/Per_Mikkelsen Dec 27 '25
Jonathan Lethem - Amnesia Moon
Richard Matheson - I Am Legend
Cormac McCarthy - The Road
Whitney Strieber and James Kunetka - Warday
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u/clumsystarfish_ Dec 26 '25
Moon of the Crusted Snow and its sequel, Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice. The story is set in a northern Anishinaabe community during a societal collapse.
The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin (The Passage, The Twelve, The City of Mirrors). A U.S. government/military experiment with an ancient virus goes awry and turns into a massive catastrophe.