Loose ends and other ramblings

First bit of business here. I need to write about Gone by Micheal Grant. This is another of the interminable 'all the adults have died/vanished and the children have to fend for themselves' type book. The plot line was done much better in books like Empty World by John Christopher or even The Girl Who Owned A City by O. T. Nelson (even though I didn't care for the book much). This book takes a slightly new variation of that theme with the use of a giant bubble or force field or some such thing. Placed there by Alien Space Bats as far as I can figure out. I'm not giving anything away either because the author includes a handy map on the inside cover that gives all the details of 'The FAYZ' (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) and conveniently mentions that the 'zone' has a diameter of 20 miles and is centered on the power plant. Now I for one didn't read the opening teaser from the inside flap:


'The Little girl had the power. She had the power Sam had, or at least something like it.
The power he had used in panic to create an impossible light.
The power he had used and almost killed someone with.
The power he had just used again, dooming the very person he was trying so hard to save.
He was not the only one. He was not the only freak. There was -or had been- one other.
Somehow that realisation was not comforting.'

I of course like to just dive into a good post-apocalyptic book with almost no warning of what lurks within its covers. I didn't read the the inside tease until I was finished with the book and I only looked at the two maps when I was well past the middle of the book.

The only warnings I gave to myself about what was about to unfold was the blurb on the back...

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

and the video preview from the youtubes (since when did books begin to get their own trailer?) and the review from VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates ... I guess whoever they are): 'If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have a little like this'.

What I'm getting at is that everything I read or had looked into gave me the impression I was in for a fantastic PA experience. Well I was wrong. I did enjoy the book a great deal. But it wasn't apocalyptic. The first couple chapters give you the impression the event in the book is an earth shattering one. There is a bit of mayhem when the kids discover the adults have all vanished but most of that is the typical 'lets pig out on junk food and drink some beers' type of shenanigans. The bully begins to flex his muscles with no fear of an adult stopping him. The guy even gets a nifty name 'Orc'. Him and a bunch of other ne'er-do-wells take control of the town and demand tribute. And because bullies are notoriously stupid they don't plan ahead and the town is retaken by a group of even stronger and much more vicious bullies from The Coates Academy.

This book is quite a lot like Lord of the Flies, except they were sealed in a bubble and not on an island. Even the bubble scenario has been done quite a bit. Firstly in the book Spin by Robert Charles Wilson the entire Earth is sealed in a bubble. In the bubble time passes very quickly and at the normal rate for the rest of the universe. Secondly it is nearly a carbon copy of the scenario in the comic book Girls by Jonathan and Joshua Luna .... well just the dome bit and not 14 and over going 'poof' and the powers and what not. Other than that it's exactly the same. Also a bit of breaking news here. Apparently Stephen King has a new novel that will be released soon called 'Under the Dome' or 'The Cannibals' depending on the sites you are reading. He said it's deals with the same sort of material as The Stand but more allegorical. Anyhow this is the first sentence from the synopsis 'On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field.' So it looks as though Mr. King is jumping on the bandwagon. I don't care if he did write the original manuscript in 1980- I am still calling him a bandwagon jumper. I figure he thinks he may just as well get it out there while the getting is good. Stephenking.com has a handy excerpt of it. I won't be reading it though because of the whole me preferring paper deal.

Don't get me wrong though ... Hunger (Gone II) is out and on my list to read. Can't wait.

Look for posting of:

The Plague Trilogy by Jean Ure

Dark December by Alfred Coppel

Cataclysm by Don Pendelton

What Naill Saw by Brian Cullen

The Postman by David Brin

The Vanished by John Peel

Why Do Birds by Damon Knight

Twilight World by Poul Anderson

** yes I've been a bit lazy in posting. I'll get to work soon and whatnot **

The Machine Stops

No this post will not be about the short story The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. I can't I don't own it yet. This is a rare short story that is in fact quite simple to find and read on the interwebs. I haven't read it because I prefer to read the real pen and paper story. Oh well.

Last week I went on my yearly sporting event viewing with the fam. I guess I have to do this once a year to spend some quality time with my father-in-law. It's not a big deal really. Anyhow I went to the annual viewing of the local baseball team. The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. I had a pretty good time. We got some general admission seats so I got to sit in camp chair. Let me tell you this was way better then a box seat or a seat in the bleachers. Great time was had by all.

I even brought the book I was starting to the game because we got there early and I get bored way too quickly. Anyhow I sat there reading for a bit and relaxing. That's when I saw it. There was this old dude giving me the old stink eye. I couldn't figure it out. Was he grumpy because I was reading at a ball game? Was he upset because I had smuggled in some Mike 'n' Ikes and Lemonheads? What was his deal? It freaked me out so much I left to get a soda.

Now my wife prefers diet soda so that's what I got. I couldn't help but notice the soda jerk didn't give me a lid or a straw. I asked him and it sounded to me like he said he was out. Fine whatever... I went back to my chair and sat down picked up my book again and continued to read. The whole no lid thing really bugged me. My wife being a thinking sort suggested I go to a different counter and get a the straw/lid combo from them. Great idea I say. When I stand up though my book falls and hits the cup. DAMN IT! Now the ballpark has made me scuff my book.

I keep going though. I really want that lid/straw. I get to the other snack bar and ask them for the lid/straw. Guess what? Seems the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathing fugitives from evolution who are regular attendees of the ballpark (also the same sort who kick the backs of theater seats) can't be bothered to throw their trash in the proper place (and the ball park doesn't want to hire someone to do it) so the result is that the park is no longer giving out the lid/straw combo with the drinks. JUMPING JESUS ON A POGOSTICK! That's got to be the third most important element of a successful beverage enjoying occasion (#1 being the beverage and #2 being the cup). And when I got back the old guy was still giving me the ol' hairy eyeball. WTF. Hard to read when when someone is staring at you.

Woooo got that out of the way. That was a full-on Rick Emerson style rant. Wow. Anyhow the point being here is the book I started was Ill Wind by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason. It was a great book. Took me about a week to read it though. Not because it was a bad or boring book but because that week was very busy. First was the whole ball game issue. I should have known it would be a long reading process. I also had to contend with a bit of bottling my home brew and four days on the Columbia River attempting to catch the wily salmon. Not to worry I succeeded at both of those things quite handily.

On to the book discussion now. In Ill Wind by Anderson and Beason (and yes I had to keep telling people it wasn't about farts much like I had to tell my brother-in-law Matt that The Elegance of the Hedgehog had nothing to do with Ron Jeremy) the end comes about from 'The Petroplague'. After a large oil tanker 'The Zoroaster' hits the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay and begins to spill out a giant oil slick it looks like it's going to be the worst disaster the world has seen. Not to worry however because a crafty scientist has bioengineering a microbe that eats petroleum. Neet huh? Of course things go from bad to worse when the microbe gets out of control and eats everything that is petroleum based. It doesn't take much time at all and the world is back in the Dark Ages again.

It's a great book and if I had to compare it anything else I would say it is sort of a mixture of Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle and the Emberverse Series by S. M. Serling. The portion of Hammer I'm talking about is the simple scientists attempting to save what technology there is and using a bunch of improvised weapons to do the job properly. Yes I am perfectly aware of all the negative reviews saying Niven and Pournell are two racist bastards. Whatever. I for one think Lucifer's Hammer was pretty terrific (Tee double e double r double i double c c c ... woot). The portion of the Emberverse Series I saw was just the fact that machines didn't operate any longer and some scientists mentioning that new Dark Ages may descend on the Earth. The Emberverse Series is pretty fantastic in its own right as well. All the PA type stuff happens in the first book 'Dies the Fire' and the rest of the books just go into nation building. The part about the series that bugged me about the series and it not that they don't take advantage of methods of energy that are not fossil fuels or the Alien Space Bats whatever. I had a big problem with everyone all over the Earth at the same time deciding 'Hey I know lets all make armor, swords and crossbows... It'd be great to live in castles too.' I kept expecting them to do it in Ill Wind as well. Well hats off to Anderson and Beason for avoiding that particular pitfall and providing my with an outstanding diversion from everyday bordom.

Oh ya ... the old stink eye dude. Seems the place we chose to set up our camp chairs was also the place where the opposing team (The Canadians? Maybe?) came on the field. The old guy was just wanting to make sure he gave them an 'attaboy' and wish them luck. Wasn't about me at all.

Apocalypse by Suicide

Alright, so I just finished The Suicide Collectors by David Oppegaard. This book is set in the near future. It's a bit hard to tell from the story but careful readers will pick up on some pretty subtle clues. Clue the First: the roads are made of a special kind of super strong concrete (I tried to remember what they call it but no luck.) Clue the Second: Cars are powered by hydrogen fuel cells and have voice recognition. Clue the Third: Factories are run by robots (people get pissed about this and riot). So the book takes place in the future but the future is still a very recognisable and not too distant place.

The end of humanity in this book comes to pass in an interesting but not unheard of way. Everyone on the planet gives up on life and decides the best option is to kill themselves. The story picks up 5 years after the malady has pretty much burned itself out and few people are left. A bit is talked about of 'The 10 Percent'. Mr Oppegaard doesn't give many details but I guess The Despair is 90% fatal and the rest of the people have a bit of resistance to it.

The majority of the book deals with the conflict between Norman and a mysterious group of people who are known as 'Collectors'. These people apparently swoop in and collect the bodies of people who have killed themselves. They're pissed because Norman kills one instead of allowing them take the body of his wife. The specific mechanism of how these collectors figure out where the dead are or why exactly they collect them are never really gone into.

As I looked about the interwebs at different reviews I found a couple interesting things. Some I agree with such as the book being a damn fine work of fiction and the Collectors being like the 'bring out your dead' folks from the Black Death. Other things I totally disagree with.

First: Some found it unlikely that water would still be operating without any human intervention. Problem a. I watched Life After People recently and I'm nearly sure they said water would be running for years, problem b. in Earth Abides the water runs for decades as does the sewer system and no one had any difficulty believing that and problem c. the BOOK TAKES PLACE IN THE FUTURE. C'mon! We believe the fuel cells, the duracrete (is that the name of it?) and the completely automated factories but balk at the water still running in five years? That was a much smaller leap than cars and helicopters running without gas in five years. Just sayin.

Second this review taken directly from the author's website:

"Just when it seems that there are no new plots left to write about, David Oppegaard has come up with a doozy. His THE SUICIDE COLLECTORS takes us to a startling theme we haven't encountered before, with every page a thrilling new surprise."

-Stan Lee, writer, editor, & former Marvel Comics chairman

That is Stan Lee talking there. I guess he never saw The Happening, the M. Night Shyamalan pile. Now if Night had ran the movie to it's logical conclusion a world like the one in the Collectors would be the result.

Also he must have overlooked The Bridge by D. Keith Mano. Humanity also kills themselves in this book. I have read reviews of it here done in a much better depth than I intend on giving it. I will say only one thing here. I don't think the book is a PETA gone wild sort of thing, I took it as being more like The Handicapper General from Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut taken to the extreme of everything being equal not just people. In The Bridge everyone dies because killing anything - even bacteria when you breath - is illegal.

Lastly he must have overlooked The Suicide Plague by Ed Naha. I haven't read this one yet but it's not too much of a stretch to guess at the basic plot of the book.

So Stan Lee, you are wrong this has been done at least twice before and perhaps a third so it is definitely not 'a startling theme we haven't encountered before'. Just so you know.

That being said, this is a fantastic book and would be an excellent addition to any PA library. Even mine.

My Apocalyptic Library

Updated 9.11.11

Some of these are dystopian. I also included some books from the zombie and vampire canons and some from the ‘machine turning against man’ genre too. I do not include any dystopian novels in the ‘read’ section of the library. Some in the not read are dystopian. I left them in there because I need to find the cause of the ‘anti-utopia’. It all depends on the cause. If the cause was a world ending event it goes in the read list and if it is just a simple ‘society in which conditions of life are miserable and characterized by poverty, oppression, war, violence, disease, pollution, and/or the abridgment of human rights, resulting in widespread unhappiness, suffering, and other kinds of pain’ well then it’s not PA and will be dealt with as such.

My library (books, comics, movies, music and artwork) had been woefully out of date. Updating took me longer than I expected. But after all it had been a couple years since I updated so I wasn’t surprised.

Also I didn't get these overnight. This is ... well I guess a labor of love. My library started out from a very small and humble beginning. I only had The Stand by Stephen King, Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon, Fire by Alan Rodgers and The Dying by Leslie Horvitz. Then I discovered the interwebs and began collecting in earnest.

This list represents about 8 years of book store combing and looking at different websites. This search on eBay has been good for finding books I hadn't heard of before. Scifan has an After the Apocalypse - Post-holocaust - Apocalypse theme, an End of the World/End of Man theme as well as The Last Man theme. Very helpful.

At first I used Emptyworld to find books but soon my library was far more vast than the one there. The bulk of these books were from little used book stores in different towns. I absolutely cannot pass up a used book store and will stop at each and look around a bit. Lately it seems I have run out of books to find. A good thing too because I am running out of room to keep them. I find the best results for finding new PA books come from Paperbackswap.com. I have to wait but the books are free and I have plenty to read.

Books

Read: (Confirmed Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic)

Aldiss, Brian Greybeard
Aldiss, Brian Who can Replace a Man?
Allen, Rodger MacBride and Kotani, Eric Supernova
Anderson, Kevin J. and Beason, Doug Ill Wind
Anderson, Poul Twilight World
Anderson, Poul Vault of the Ages
Andrews, Scott The Afterblight Chronicles: School’s Out
Andrews, Scott The Afterblight Chronicles: Operation Motherland
Andrews, Scott The Afterblight Chronicles: Children's Crusade
Anthony, Piers Battle Circle
Armstrong, Jennifer and Butcher, Nancy Fire-Us I: The Kindling
Armstrong, Jennifer and Butcher, Nancy Fire-Us II: The Keepers of the Flame
Armstrong, Jennifer and Butcher, Nancy Fire-Us III: The Kiln
Armstrong, Michael After the Zap
Asimov, Isaac (ed) After the End
Asimov, Isaac (ed) The Last Man on Earth
Atwood, Margaret Oryx and Crake
Bacigalupi, Paolo Ship Breaker
Bacigalupi, Paolo The Drowned Cities
Backus, John Philp Hunter: After the Fall
Ballard, J. G. The Burning World
Ballard, J. G. The Drowned World
Bandy, Franklin The Farewell Party
Bark, Jaspre The Afterblight Chronicles: Dawn Over Doomsday
Barnhart, Len Reign of the Dead
Barnhart, Len Reign of the Dead: Apocalypse End
Barrett, Neal Jr. Through Darkest America
Barrett, Neal, Jr. Dawn’s Uncertain Light
Bear, Gregg Blood Music
Benford, Gregory and Rotsler, William Shiva Descending
Bennett, Margot The Long Way Back
Berk, Howard The Sun Grows Cold
Berman, Mitch Time Capsule
Birmingham, John Without Warning
Birmingham, John After America
Blackburn, John A Scent of New-Mown Hay
Bloch, Robert Fear Today – Gone Tomorrow
Bonham, Frank The Forever Formula
Bosse, Malcolm Mister Touch
Bourne, J. L. Day By Day Armageddon
Boyett, Stephen R. Ariel
Boyett, Stephen R. Elegy Beach
Brackett, Leigh The Long Tomorrow
Bradley, Darin Noise
Brennan, Thom Pavlov's Dogs
Brennan, Thom Omega Dog
Briggs, Raymond When the Wind Blows
Brin, David The Postman
Brockmeir, Kevin The Brief History of the Dead
Brooks, Max The Zombie Survival Guide
Brooks, Max World War Z
Budrys, Algis Some Will Not Die
Cameron, Kenneth M. Power Play
Carlson, Jeff Plague Trilogy I Plague Year
Carlson, Jeff Plague Trilogy II: Plague War
Carlson, Jeff Plague Trilogy III: Plague Zone
Charles, Robert Night World
Christopher, John A Wrinkle in the Skin
Christopher, John Empty World
Christopher, John The Death of Grass
Christopher, John Tripods 0: When the Tripods Came
Christopher, John Tripods I: The White Mountains
Christopher, John Tripods II: The City of Gold and Lead
Christopher, John Tripods III: The Pool of Fire
Clark, Simon Blood Crazy
Clark, Simon Stranger
Colander, Valerie Mieman Neena Gathering
Collins, Suzanne The Hunger Games
Collins, Suzanne Catching Fire
Collins, Suzanne Mockingjay
Coppel, Alfred Dark December
Crace, Jim The Pesthouse
Cronin, Justin The PassageCrowther, Peter
The Longest Single Note and Other Strange Compositions
Cullen, Brian, What Niall Saw
David James F. Footprints of Thunder
DelToro, Guillermo and Hogan, Chuck The Strain
DelToro, Guillermo and Hogan, Chuck The Fall
DelToro, Guillermo and Hogan, Chuck The Night Eternal
Dick, Philip K. Dr. Bloodmoney or How We Got Along After The Bomb
Dickson, Gordon R. Wolf and Iron
Dickson, Gordon R. In Iron Years
Dilouie, Craig Tooth and Nail
Disch, Thomas M. The Genocides
Drake, David and Mosiman, Billie Sue (ed) Armageddon
DuPrau Jeanne The First Book of Ember: The City of Ember
DuPrau, Jeanne The Second Book of Ember: The People of Sparks
DuPrau, Jeanne The Third Book of Ember: The Prophet of Yonwood
Dvorkin, David Central Heat
Eckert, Allan W. The Hab Theory
Ehrenhaft, Daniel The Last Dog on Earth (Doggy Apocalypse)
Elliott, Richard The Burnt Lands
Elliot, Richard The Sword of Allah
Ewing, Al The Afterblight Chronicles: Death Got No Mercy
Falkner, Brian The Tomorrow Code
Federbush, Arnold Ice!
Ferguson, Brad The World Next Door
Fingerman, Bob Pariah
Forstchen, William R. One Second After
Foster, Alan Dean Terminator Salvation
Frank, Pat Alas, Babylon
Franklin, H. Bruce (ed) Countdown to Midnight
Frenkel, James (ed.) Bangs and Whimpers: Stories About the End of the World
Gischler, Victor Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse
Glavinic, Thomas Night Work
Graham, David Down to a Sunless Sea
Grant, Michael Gone
Guha, Anton-Andreas Ende: A Diary of the Third World War
Gunther, Max Doom Wind
Haiblum, Isidore Transfer To Yesterday
Harris, Brian World War III
Herbert, Frank The White Plague
Herbert, James ’48
Hoban, Russell Riddley Walker
Hodge, Brian Dark Advent
Horvitz, Leslie The Dying
Hoy, Jeffrey J. The Long and Winding Road
Hoyle, Trevor The Last Gasp
Hubbard, L. Ron Battlefield Earth
James, P. D. The Children of Men
Jaros, James Burn Down the Sky
Jaros, James Carry the Flame
Johnson, Jeremy Robert Angle Dust Apocalypse
Jones, D. F. Earth has been Found
Kane, Paul The Afterblight Chronicles: Arrowhead
Kane, Paul The Afterblight Chronicles: Broken Arrow
Kane, Paul The Afterblight Chronicles: Arrowland
Keene, Brian City of the Dead
Keene, Brian The Conqueror Worms
Keene, Brian Dead Sea
Keene, Brian The Rising
Keene, Brian Unhappy Endings
King, Stephen Cell
King, Stephen The Stand (both cut and uncut versions)
Knight, Harry Adam Death Spore
Konkoly, Steven The Jakarta Pandemic
Koontz, Dean The Taking
Kunstler, James Howard World Made By Hand
Lanier, Sterling E. Hiero's Journey
Lanier, Sterling E. The Unforsaken Hiero
Laumer, Keith Catastrophe Planet
Lebbon, Tim Bar None
Lebbon, Tim The Nature of Balance
Leichter, Larry R. Epidemic!
Leinger, Robert Black Sun
Levene, Rebecca The Afterblight Chronicles: Kill or Cure
Llewellyn, Edward Prelude to Chaos
London, Jack The Scarlet Plague
Long, Jeff Year Zero
Macaulay, David Motel of the Mysteries
Maclay, John (ed) Nukes: Four Horror Writers on the Ultimate Horror
MacMillan, Ian Blakely’s Ark
Maine, Charles Eric Survival Margin
Maine, Charles Eric The Tide Went Out
Mano, D. Keith The Bridge
Masterton, Graham Famine
Masterton, Graham Plague
Matheson, Richard I am Legend
Mayhar, Ardath The World Ends in Hickory Hollow
Mayhew, Vic and Long, Doug Fire Ball
McBride, Michael Species 
McCammon, Robert R. (ed) Under the Fang
McCammon, Robert R. Blue World
McCammon, Robert R. Swan Song
McCarthy, Cormac The Road
McDevitt, Jack Eternity Road
McDevitt, Jack Moonfall
McPhee, James Survival 2000 I: Blood Quest
McPhee, James Survival 2000 II: Renegade War
McPhee, James Survival 2000 III: Frozen Fire
Miller Walter M. Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz
Miller, Walter M., Jr. (ed) Beyond Armageddon
Mitchell, Elizabeth (ed.) After the Flames Vol. II
Moody, David Hater
Moorcock, Michael The Ice Schooner
Moore, Ward Greener Than You Think
Morrow, James This is the Way the World Ends
Mullen, Mike Ashfall 
Mullen, Mike Ashen Winter 
Murphy, Pat The City, Not Long After
Nation, Terry Survivors
Navarro, Yvonne Final Impact
Navarro, Yvonne Red Shadows
Niven, Larry and Pournelle, Jerry Footfall
Niven, Larry and Pournelle, Jerry Lucifer’s Hammer
Nix, Garth Shade’s Children
North, Sam Another Place to Die
Nourse, Alan E. The Fourth Horseman
Nutman, Philip Wet Work
O’Brien Robert C. Z for Zachariah
O’Quinn, Bob The Bermuda Virus
Oppegaard David The Suicide Collectors
Page, Thomas The Hephaestus Plague
Palmer, David R. Emergence
Pangborn, Edgar Davy
Pellegrino, Charles Dust
Pendleton, Don Cataclysm
Pfeffer, Susan Beth Life As We Knew It
Pfeffer, Susan Beth The Dead and The Gone
Pfeffer, Susan Beth This World We Live In
Pfeffer, Susan Beth The Shade of the Moon
Pinborough, Sarah Breeding Ground
Pinborough, Sarah Feeding Ground
Pohl, Frederick (ed.) Nightmare Age
Pournelle J. E. (ed.) There Will Be War (vol. VIII) Armageddon
Pournelle J.E. (ed.) There Will Be War (vol. I)
Pournelle, J. E. (ed.) There Will Be War (vol. IX) After Armageddon
Pow, Tom The Pack
Prochnau, William W. Trinity's Child
Ransom, Bill Burn
Reaves, Michael and Perry, Steve Dome
Recht, Z.A. Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Strain book 1
Recht, Z.A. Thunder and Ashes: The Morningstar Strain book 2 
Recht, Z.A. with Brennan, Thom Survivors: The Morningstar Strain book 3 
Reeves-Stevens, Garfield Bloodshift
Reisig, Michael The New Madrid Run
Rhinehart, Luke Long Voyage Back
Robbins David Fox Run: Endworld 01 (I will only get just the one)
Robinson, Spider Telempath
Rodgers, Alan Fire
Roshwald, Mordecai Level 7
Ruskin, Ronald The Last Panic
Sargent, Craig The Last Ranger
Sarrantonio, Al Skeletons
Sellings, Arthur Junk Day
Shapira, Eric It’s Only Temporary
Sherriff, R. C. The Hopkins Manuscript
Sheffield, Charles Aftermath
Shiel, M. P. The Purple Cloud
Shute Nevil, On The Beach
Siegel, Barbara, Siegel, Scott The Burning Land (Firebrats, No 1)
Siegel, Barbara and Siegel, Scott Survivors (Firebrats, No 2)
Siegel, Barbara Thunder Mountain (Firebrats, No 3)
Sigler, Scott Infected
Sigler, Scott Contagious
Silverberg, Robert Time of the Great Freeze
Simak, Clifford D. City
Skipp, John and Spector, Craig The Bridge
Smith, Guy N. Warhead
Smith, Mitchell Snowfall
Spurrier, Simon The Afterblight Chronicles: The Culled
Stephens, J. B. The Big Empty I
Stephens, J. B. The Big Empty II: Desolation Angles
Stephens, J. B. The Big Empty III: Paradise City
Stephens, J. B. The Big Empty IV: No Exit
Stern, D.A. Black Dawn
Stewart, George R. Earth Abides
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse I: Book I: Dies the Fire
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse I: Book II: The Protector’s War
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse I: Book III: A Meeting at Corvallis
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse II: Book I: The Sunrise Lands
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse II: Book II: The Scourge of God
Stone, Del Jr. Dead Heat
Strieber, Whitley and Kunetka, James War Day
Strieber, Whitley Wolf of Shadows
Sutton, Henry Vector (not apocalyptic but here because the same event that spawned this also spawned The Stand)
Tevis, Walter Mockingbird
Townshend, James E. Postamble
Tucker, Wilson The City in the Sea
Tucker, Wilson The Long Loud Silence
Tucker, Wilson The Year of the Quiet Sun
Ure, Jean Plague
Ure, Jean After the Plague
Ure, Jean Watchers at the Shrine
Van Pelt, James The Summer of The Apocalypse
Varley, John Slow Apocalypse
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. Cat’s Cradle
Wilhelm, Kate Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
Williams, Conrad One
Wilson, Colin Spider World I: The Desert
Wilson, Colin Spider World II: The Tower
Wilson, Colin Spider World III: The Fortress
Wilson, Colin Spider World IV: The Delta
Williams, Paul O. The Pelbar Cycle I: The Breaking of Northwall
Williams, Paul O. The Pelbar Cycle II: The Ends of the Circle
Williams, Paul O. The Pelbar Cycle III: The Dome in the Forest
Williams, Paul O. The Pelbar Cycle IV: The Fall of the Shell
Williams, Paul O. The Pelbar Cycle V: An Ambush of Shadows
Williams, Paul O The Pelbar Cycle VI: The Song of the Axe
Williams, Paul O The Pelbar Cycle VII: The Sword of Forbearance
Wren, M. K. A Gift Upon the Shore
Wyndham, John The Day of the Triffids
Yarbro Chelsea Quinn False Dawn
Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn Time of the Four Horsemen
Young, Janine Ellen The Bridge
Zahn, Timothy Terminator Salvation: From The Ashes
Zelazny, Rodger Damnation Alley

Not Read Yet:(I don’t know if these books belong in the ‘Apocalyptic Fiction Canon’. Will delete or line out these if they don’t ‘hold up’)

Adams, John Joseph (ed) Wastlands, Stories of the Apocalypse
Adrian, Chris The Children's Hospital
Aldiss, Brian Galaxies Like Grains of Sand
Aldiss, Brian Hothouse
Amis, Martin Einstein's Monsters
Applegate, K. A. Remnants I: The Mayflower Project
Armstrong, Michael Agviq
Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid's Tale
Auster, Paul In The Country Of Last Things
Bacigalupi, Paolo The Windup GirlBallard, J. G. Myths of the Near Future
Ballard, J. G. The Atrocity Exhibition
Ballard, J. G. The Crystal World
Barjavel, Rene The Ice People
Barnes, John Mother of Storms
Benford, Gregory Matter’s End
Benford, Gregory Timescape
Blish, James The Triumph of Time
Blish, James They Shall Have Stars
Blish, James Vor
Bloodstone, John Thundar Man of Two Worlds
Bodeen, S. A. The Compound
Bowen, John After the Rain
Braziel, James Snakeskin Road
Brinkley, William The Last Ship
Brown, Jerry Earl Under the City of Angels
Brunner, John No Future In It
Brunner, John Now Then!
Brunner, John The Day of the Star Cities
Brunner, John The Infinitive of Go
Brunner, John Total Eclipse
Burdick, Eugene and Wheeler, Harvey Failsafe
Burkett William R., Jr. Sleeping Planet
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Talents
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower
Butler, Octavia E. Clay's Ark
Card, Orson Scott The Folk of the Fringe
Christopher, John Pendulum
Christopher, John The Long Winter
Christopher, John The World in Winter
Clemens, Suter P. Two Journeys
Cravens, Gwyneh and Marr, John S. The Black Death
Crichton, Michael The Andromeda Strain
Danvers, Dennis Circuit of Heaven
Danvers, Dennis End of Days
David James F. Thunder of Time
DeCandido, Keith R. A. (adapted) Resident Evil: Genesis
Dick, Philip K. and Zelazny, Roger Deus Irae
Dick, Philip K. The Penultimate Truth
Dickinson, Peter The Changes: A Trilogy
Dickson, Gordon R. No Room For Man
Dickson, Gordon R. Time Storm
Dietz, William C. DeathDay
Dietz, William C. EarthRise
Dietz, William C. Resistance: The Gathering Storm
Doyle, Arthur Conan The Pioson Belt
Dubois, Brendan Resurrection Day
DuPrau, Jeanne The Fourth Book of Ember: The Dimond of Darkhold
Elwood Roger and Kidd Virginia (ed) The Wounded Planet
England, George Allen Darkness and Dawn
Farmer, Philip Jose The Wind Whales of Ishmael
Farren, Mick The Armageddon Crazy
Frost, Jason The Warlord
Gardener, John The Dancing Dodo
Grant, Michael Hunger (Gone Book II)
Grant, Michael Lies (Gone Book III)
Griffin, Russell M. Century’s End
Haldeman, Joe The Forever War
Hand, Elizabeth Glimmering
Hand, Elizabeth Winterlong
Harris, Marilyn The Portent
Harrison, Harry Make Room! Make Room!
Harry, Eric L. Arc Light
Harvey, Gareth The Holtzmann Plague
Heinlein, Robert A. Farnham’s Freehold
Heinlein, Robert Tomorrow, the Stars
Herbert, James Domain
Hjortsberg, William Grey Matter
Hoch, Edward D. The Fellowship of the Hand
Hoyle, Fred and Hoyle, Geoffrey The Inferno
Hoyle, Fred October the First Is Too Late
Ingrid, Charles The Marked Man Omnibus
Johnson, Annabel and Edgar The Danger Quotient
Jones, Dennis Barbarossa Red
Joseph, Mark Deadline Y2K

Kavan, Anna Ice
Knight, Damon (ed.) Elsewhere x3
Knight, Damon Why Do Birds
Kornbluth, C. M. Not This August
Kollin, Dani and Kollin, Eytan The Unincorporated Man
Kress, Nancy Probability Moon
Kube-McDowell, Michael P. Alternities
Laidlaw, Mark Dad’s Nuke
Lance, Kathryn Pandora’s Genes
Laumer, Keith Assignment in Nowhere
Laumer, Keith The Big Show
Laumer, Keith The Long Twilight
Lee, Linda One By One
Leiber, Fritz The Wanderer
Leinster, Murray The Wailing Asteroid
Lewis, Richard The Spiders
Lieberman, Robert Perfect People
Little, Bentley The Revelation
Llewellyn, Edward The Bright Companion
Lowery, Lois Gathering Blue
Lundwall, Sam J. 2018 A.D.
Mace, David Fire Lance
Maguire, Gregory I Feel Like The Morning Star
Maine, Charles Eric Alph
Maloney, Mack Wingman
Manning, Laurence The Man Who Awoke
Marsden, John Tomorrow When The War Began


McQuay, Mike Pure Blood
McQuinn, Donald E. Warrior
McQuinn, Donald E. Wanderer
Merle, Robert Malevil
Merril, Judith Shadow on the Hearth
Miklowitz, Gloria D. After the Bomb
Miklowitz, Gloria D. After the Bomb: Week One
Mitchell, Syne The Changeling Plague
Monteleone, Thomas F. The Time Connection
Monteleone, Thomas F. The Time-Swept City
Moorcock, Michael Dying For Tomorrow
Moorcock, Michael The Land Leviathan
Moorcock, Michael The Time Dweller
Moorcock, Michael The Warlord of the Air
Moore, C. L. and Kuttner, Henry Earth’s Last Citadel
Moore, C. L. Doomsday Morning
Moore, Ward Caducus Wild
Moris, Janet (ed.) Afterwar
Nolan, William F. (ed.) California Sorcery
Nolan, William F. Impact-20
Norton, Andre No Night Without Stars
Norwood, Warren C. Shudder Child
Nowlan, Philip Francis Armageddon 2419 A.D.
Nunes, Claude Inherit the Earth
Offutt, Andrew J. Evil is Live Spelled Backwards
Olan, Susan Torian The Earth Remembers
Ouellette, Pierre The Deus Machine
Pangborn, Edgar The Company of Glory
Peel, John The Outer Limits book 7: The Vanished
Pohl, Frederik and Del Rey Lester Preferred Risk
Peters, Ralph The War After Armageddon
Pournelle, J. E. There Will Be War vol. II Men of War
Pournelle, J. E. There Will Be War vol. VII Call to Battle
Randall, Marta For Those Who Favor Fire
Roberts, Keith Kiteworld
Robinson, Jeremy Antarktos Rising
Ryan, Carrie The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Scortia, Thomas N. and Robinson, Frank M. The Prometheus Crisis
Scortia, Thomas N. Earth Wreck!
Self, Will The Book Of Dave
Sharpe, Matthew Jamestown
Sheckley, Robert Hunter/Victim
Sheckley, Robert The 10th Victim
Sheckley, Robert Victim Prime
Sheffield, Charles Starfire
Shelly, Mary The Last Man
Skipp, John Mondo Zombie
Smith, Dean Wesley and Weaver, Christopher The Tenth Planet
Smith, George H. Doomsday Wing
Smith, Guy N. Killer Crabs
Smith, Stephanie A. Other Nature
Spinrad, Norman No Direction Home
Stahler, David Jr. Truesight
Sterling, Bruce Heavy Weather
Stirling, S. M. Emberverse II: Book III: The Sword of the Lady
Stone, George Blizzard
Strieber, Whitley and Kunetka, James Nature’s End
Sullivan, Tim The Parasite War
Suter, Clemens P. Two Journeys
Swindells, Robert Brother In The Land
Takami, Koushun Battle Royale
Teppler, Sheri S. The Visitor
Tremayne, Peter The Ants
Tucker, Wilson Ice and Iron
Van Vogt, A. E. Empire of the Atom
Vance, Jack Tales of the Dying Earth (omnibus)
Varley, John Steel Beach
Wallace, Patricia The Taint
Ward, Dayton The Last World War
Warner, Douglas Death on a Warm Wind
Washburn, Mark Nightwind
Weinbaum, Stanley G. The New Adam
Wells, H. G. In the Days of the Comet
Wells, H. G. The Food of the Gods
Wells, Robert Candle in the Sun
Westerfeld, Scott Pretties
Wienbaum, Stanley G. The Black Flame
Wilhelm, Kate Juniper Time
Wilhelm, Kate Listen, Listen
Wilhelm, Kate, Welcome, Chaos
Williams, Gordon Revolt of the Micronauts
Williams, Gordon The Microcolony
Williams, Gordon The Mirconauts
Wilson, Steve The Lost Traveler
Winter Douglas E. (ed.) Revelations
Wren, Thomas The Doomsday Effect
Wylie, Philip The End of the Dream
Wylie, Philip Triumph
Wyndham, John Jizzle
Zamyatin, Yevgeny We (dystopian)


Comics/Grapic Novels:

Battle Royale
Dead Enders
Doom Patrol
The Stand
Tribes: The Dog Years
Walking Dead
Wasteland
Y the Last Man

Movies:
9
12 Monkeys
20 Years After (or Like Moles, Like Rats)
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
A Boy and His Dog
Apocalypse and The Beauty Queen
Autumn
By Dawn’s Early Light
Carriers
Children of Men
Deep Impact
Def-Con 4 (AVI)
Delicatessen
Dessert Punk (Full Series)
Doomsday
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Epidemic
Ever Since The World Ended
Fail Safe
Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America
Hardware
I am Legend
Jeremiah (Full Series)
Knowing
Last Night
Le Dernier Combat (AVI)
Logan's Run
Mad Max
Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior)
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
Meltdown: Days of Destruction
Miracle Mile
Night of the Comet
Panic In The Year Zero
Pulse (English version)
Pulse (Japanese version)
Sacrifice
Soylent Green
Supernova
The Day After
The Day After Tomorrow
The Earth Dies Screaming
The Fire Next Time
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Happening
The Last Man
The Last Man On Earth
The Last Mimzy
The Noah
The Omega Man
The Plague
The Postman
The Quiet Earth
The Screwfly Solution
The Shape Of Things To Come
The Stand
Thundar (Complete series)
Tooth and Nail
Tycus
When Worlds Collide
Z for Zachariah (AVI)

Art:

Natural Selection (545/750) by Paul Sloan

Music:

Wastelander, Wardrive

A bit of a departure

Stumbled on this when I was reading other blogs. Also thought it would be fun to create my own YA cover since I have been so embroiled in reading YA books lately. How hard could it possibly be? Not that hard as it turns out. This is what I came up with. I have no Photoshopping skills so I just basically followed the steps and with some very minor tweaking came up with this little beauty:

What will yours look like?
CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER
1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
The name that appears is your author name.
2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click http://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml
The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.
3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php
Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.
4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.
5 – Post it to your site along with this text leave it in the comments here.

I think my cover is at least as good as Gone by Michael Grant

As far as updates go, I finished 'Contemporary Issues in Literature'. I ended up doing an Author Study on Kevin Henkes as my final project. I was unable to read any of my 'reward books' because I had to read the books for the project. You can see a copy of my 'work' below. It's small but if you're super interested click on it and you see it in full glory. WooT! I bet I spent far too long on it.

Also (last bit of update stuff here) I am done reading YA books for a bit. The last one was Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. The book was great and if you would like to read a review look for it here. I haven't been a sixteen year old high school student for the better part of two decades. I don't remember books like this when I was a young reader. Jumping Jesus on a Pogo stick! Seriously, just full of sex, cursing and drugs. Wow, I had to stay up into the weee hours of the morning to finish it. A pretty good book to punish the liver by also.

And finally, when I was at the library getting all the YA stuff my eyes fell on The Suicide Collectors by David Oppegaard and I couldn't resist, I had to get it. So that is what I'm reading now.