Later this month, HBO will premiere what’s sure to be another critically-acclaimed hit series – “The Leftovers.” Apocalyptic tales are all the rage right now, and this one has an interesting twist: Two percent of the world’s population disappears from the face of the Earth in a “Rapture-like” event.
This story began its life as a novel by Tom Perrotta, so in anticipation of this new drama, here are five books that also feature world-wide, apocalyptic catastrophes.
Dystopia Now by Harvey Hiestand
In Dystopia Now, the recession heralds the apocalypse. People desperate for work during these trying times head to HRW International, a company that hires the young, the unqualified and the incapable and profits from the employees’ termination.
The protagonist is HRW International’s Director of Personnel, Zeno, who during the Hundred Days Riots in Los Angeles, is given the opportunity to earn a huge company bonus and stays behind rather than evacuating the city, putting his life and that of his wife and unborn child at risk.
Tribulation: A Novel of the Near Future by Thomas A. Lewis
Political apathy, environmental destruction, widespread denial – these are the causes of worldwide collapse in Tribulation.
The story follows William Trent as he and his doomsday prepper and reporter son head to his sanctuary after the apocalypse descends on the country. William is a skeptic, his son a zealot, his daughter-in-law in denial. But as he watches the world he knows disintegrate around him, William becomes determined to not only survive, but to build a better life.
A Destiny of Fools by Ejner Fulsang
Sterility heralds the end of days in A Destiny of Fools. By 2085, the Great Sterility Pandemic has whittled the population of Earth down to 500 million, meaning the world is overrun with elderly and devoid of babies.
Outside New York City and Washington DC, the country is nearly depopulated and anarchic. And in the center of the action is Sophie, a TV broadcaster who becomes an enemy of the state as one last chance for humanity’s survival comes to light.
Central Outbreak Response: Genesis: A Tale of the Zombie Apocalypse by RJ Kennett
Of course, a list of books about the apocalypse wouldn’t be complete without zombies. Central Outbreak Response: Genesis follows war vet Max, who has big plans for his future.
But once the undead ravage the country, his plans are put on hold and he must instead struggle to survive and build a new life from the ruins. He thinks he’s found security among a mysterious organization called the Central Outbreak Response, but things aren’t what they seem.
77 Days in September by Ray Gorham
Terrorists are the culprits in 77 Days in September. They strike during Labor Day weekend, setting off a nuclear bomb 300 miles above the United States, and unleashing an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) that wipes out every electrical device in the country.
The result? A crippled power grid, no cell phones, and no transportation. The protagonist, Kyle Tait, finds himself stranded 2,000 miles from home in a country now transported to the 19th century, and makes the journey back to his family, who are struggling to survive in a world of chaos.
This is the first in an ongoing series and is followed by Daunting Days of Winter.