20 Best Apocalyptic Books (2023 Update)

In an instant, everything stops. no lights. no phones. no transportation. when coordinated emp and cyber attacks wipe out the nation''s power grid and communications, ultra marathon runner, maddie langston, is forced to run for her life. stranded in a chicago airport when the lights go out, maddie is in a race against time. according to her father, she doesn''t have long before the city descends into chaos. she must leave the airport before it is too late. although she knows she must flee the windy city, maddie''s first battle is to overcome her fear of the violence she knows is coming. she''s a fighter; she just doesn''t know it yet. the perilous journey out of the city becomes even more difficult when maddie takes responsibility for an orphaned ten-year-old girl. together, as chaos fills the streets, they must fight to survive in a turbulent new world. would you have what it takes to survive? this heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller is the first book in t. l. payne''s days of want series. get it now! publisher''s note: turbulent has recently undergone a second round of professional edits to take care of those pesky typos. five star reviews for turbulent "one of the best post apocalyptic books i have read." "good character development and a great plot made this book hard to put down. a credit to this genre!" "great book i was on the edge of my seat reading it . got to the last page immediately downloaded the next book in the series. great reads great author." "scary realistic. could not stop reading and have already ordered the next book in this series. recommend this to all fans of the genre." "i truly enjoyed the story line, it kept me interested from cover to cover." "excellent storyline and realistic characters make this a book hard to put down. looking forward to reading the other books in this series." "one of the best post apocalyptic books i have read." "this had me totally engrossed the whole time, very hard to put this one down." "t.l. "this story caught my attention right from the very beginning and didn''t let go until the very end. eye opening and disturbing in many ways." "i was immediately swept up into maddie''s world and i couldn''t turn the pages fast enough. this story has everything including hope! a must read for the post apocalyptic/prepper reader." "i really enjoyed this book. it was well written and the characters were well developed. there was suspense and thankfully no zombies lol. looking forward to reading the rest of this series." "what!!! how did this book end so quick? i was enjoying this books so much that i forgot to keep track of my percentages as i went along! i was shocked to find myself at the last page. easy engaging and chucked full of realistic scenarios and information that can be utilized now!" "this book is fantastic. the story line is interesting from the start to the end, it hardly makes you want to stop reading it. being able to read the perspective of different characters adds more to the story and does not drag the story line as some books do. if you read it you will not regret it. other books by bestselling author t.l. payne days of want series hunted turmoil uprising upheaval mayhem (coming soon!) gateway to chaos series seeking safety seeking refuge seeking justice seeking hope (coming soon) fall of houston series (coming autumn 2020!)

The fight to survive continues across the united states in book three of the bestselling lone survivor saga… a month and a half on the appalachian trail and beth 'bluebird' sullivan and landon gray thought they'd seen the worst of society. with a mysterious stranger in their midst, trouble at every turn, and miles to go, the unknown will be even more terrifying.back in castine, maine, survival is getting harder every day as martial law is imposed and loyalty tested. when max goes missing and returns with a tale of a group who might be able to help, deputy daniels must decide which side of the law he's on. all that escapes is book three of lone survivor, a post-apocalyptic emp thriller series following a group of survivors as they fight to stay alive after an emp destroys the nation's power supply.

The dead rise… a mysterious incident in russia, a blip buried in the news–it's the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men. humanity falls… a lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. bur he never expected that his anonymous blog would ultimately record humanity's last days. the end of the world has begun… governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called "safe havens" are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it's every man, woman, and child for themselves. armed only with makeshift weapons and the will to live, a lone survivor will give mankind one last chance against…

If society fell apart, could your family survive? jim powell thought he was ready but when isis operatives unleashed a coordinated attack on america's infrastructure, he found himself in a terrifying predicament. trapped hundreds of miles from his family, with thousands of stranded travelers and scarce law enforcement across the country, the miles between jim and his family become a brutal gauntlet where the rules of a civilized society no longer apply.but jim has years of planning under his belt. he's spent most of life outdoors, studying survival, and obsessing about preparedness. he soon finds that training for societal collapse is very different from actually experiencing one. if jim wants to make it back to his family, he'll need to find the strength and brutality to meet this new, harsh world head-on – even if it means rising to unimaginable levels of violence.

Shortlisted for the arthur c. clarke award 2018 one of financial times' best books of 2017 'sea of rust is a 40-megaton cruise missile of a novel – it'll blow you away and lay waste to your heart . . . visceral, relentless, breathtaking' joe hill, sunday times bestselling author ************ an action-packed post-apocalyptic thriller from the screenwriter of marvel's doctor strange humankind is extinct. wiped out in a global uprising by the very machines made to serve them. now the world is controlled by owis – vast mainframes that have assimilated the minds of millions of robots. but not all robots are willing to cede their individuality, and brittle is one of the holdouts. after a near-deadly encounter with another ai, brittle is forced to seek sanctuary in a city under siege by an owi. critically damaged, brittle must evade capture long enough to find the essential rare parts to make repairs – but as a robot's cpu gradually deteriorates, all their old memories resurface. for brittle, that means one haunting memory in particular . . . ************ 'the novel does not stint on action and violence, but what lingers in the mind are its brutal vision of a world cannibalising itself and the poignant questions it raises about soul and sentience' financial times

He hated the rules until the power grid failed.tyler ford is a tour guide, a brother, and the son of a prepper from whitefish, montana. robbed of a childhood and forced to learn his father's stringent rules of survival for every kind of apocalypse, he couldn't wait to leave home, but when an emp obliterates the united states electrical grid, takes out communication and stalls vehicles, tyler must face the past and remember what he taught him if he hopes to make it out of vegas alive. when chaos erupts, will you know the rules to survive? erika lyons just wanted an evening away from the hectic world of hotel management but she got more than she expected. there's only one thing worse than a bad date, that's relying on them to keep you alive. demanding guests were a challenge, desperate ones, pure hell. can tyler, and two ordinary strangers survive the perilous journey home to montana? can the ford family hold it together long enough to push back the tide of violence, looters and roving gangs? and will they help the community survive as the world is thrown into darkness? rules of survival is book one in survival rules, a post-apocalyptic emp thriller series following the ford family and their community as they fight to survive after an emp destroys the nation's power grid.

Imagine the unimaginable.america's power grid has been unplugged by a natural disaster caused by the sun. what was supposed to be a phenomenal light show, a spectacle like no other, turned into chaos, mayhem, and death.ordinary americans found themselves separated from their families, facing the worst of mankind. they pulled together in an effort to survive. however, they now face new threats who threaten them." bobby akart is a genius at creating disaster scenarios." international bestselling author, bobby akart, one of america's favorite storytellers, delivers up-all-night thrillers to over a million readers in 245 countries and territories worldwide.when two successive blasts from the sun slam into each other, they forge a perfect storm so intense that our planet's magnetic field is no match for its fury." engaging characters that are so real, they could be your neighbors. or you!" without warning, the power grids across north america collapse leaving travelers stranded and families separated from one another. law enforcement is incapable of protecting life and property leaving the opportunist criminals of new york to run amok. however, it's not only the big cities that face challenges. rural america is not spared from those who'd take advantage of lawlessness." masterful and suspenseful!" the cubbison family faces harrowing challenges as they finally reunite with one another. however, one of them faces the raging fires of hell which thrusts the family into despair. will they all survive the depravity of their fellow man?" no one can research like bobby akart and then turn this meticulous research into one exciting thrill ride."

In a post-apocalyptic world of vampires vs. humans, yuichiro brings vengeance upon his vampire overlords! after trumpets of the apocalypse proclaim the fall of humanity, vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth. yuichiro wants just one thing—to get revenge by killing each and every vampire.yuichiro’s dream is near-impossible, given that vampires are seven times stronger than humans, and the only way to kill them is by mastering cursed gear, advanced demon-possessed weaponry. not to mention that humanity’s most elite vampire extermination unit, the moon demon company, wants nothing to do with yuichiro unless he can prove he’s willing to work in a team—which is the last thing he wants!

He thought he was prepared. he thought his family was safe. he was wrong. five years after a pneumonic plague killed two-thirds of the world's population, army veteran marcus battle is isolated. he's alone with his guns, his food, and the graves of his wife and child. unaware of the chaos that's befallen everything outside of his central texas ranch land, marcus lives a spartan life. if anyone steps onto his property he shoots first and never ask questions. but when a woman in distress, chased by marauders, seeks asylum, marcus has a decision to make. does he throw her to the wolves to protect himself or does he help her and leave the shelter and protection of home?

A legend is reborn in the american apocalypse. – for rob "hood" huntington, a regular twenty-something kid from d.c., the end of civilization happened in an instant. there were no warnings. one day, the power cuts off, and it never comes back on. his home city devolves to chaos after being decimated by a nuclear blast. – luckily for hood, he quickly discovers he's one of the most naturally gifted marksmen alive. – two years have passed since civilization has collapsed. hidden away in the mid-atlantic countryside rests the small town of clearwater, where hood, his sister taylor, and an ex-cop by the name of whiskey lead a group of thieving survivors. in the remnants of america, two wasteland kings fight a ruthless war for control of the land. a war hood and his loved ones cannot escape. – in between making bad jokes and getting drunk with the unlikely friends he's made in the clearwater crew, hood has to face the reality of this new world: you have to fight for your survival, you have to fight for your family, you have to fight for what you believe. – even if you see yourself in the faces of the people on the other end of the trigger. – the american rebirth series#1 hood #2 legends #3 american rebirth (to be released summer 2017)if you enjoyed i am legend, the road, the walking dead, or the last of us, you won't want to miss hood!

25% off for a limited time only! from ryan schow, bestselling author of the last war and the age of embers, comes an intense new tale of strength, survival and patriotism. dark days of the after puts ordinary citizens on the front line of a domestic conflict that was never supposed to happen, one that will either unify the country or break her for good… this is not the america you know. in the near future, the constitution is outlawed, the government is ceremonial at best and the country is about to lose her name. no one knows how this happened, or why america prostrated herself to the kind of foreign forces who would impose obedience through compliance. resistors call the occupation "creeping death." those countries grabbing at the reins of power see it for what it is-a full scale invasion. security engineer, logan cahill, is part of the underground effort to reclaim america, but when he finds a cryptic message in the world's largest server room leading to a doomsday clock, everything changes. he now knows the enemies, the weapons and the time of america's death, right down to the minute. if he wants to survive the apocalypse, he and the feisty skylar madigan have to bug out fast. this won't be easy considering the surveillance grid in place, or the armed lock-down of all major cities. the final defensive frontier for dedicated patriots is life on the land held by their ancestors, those men and women dug into their off-grid homes and operating a black market economy. but not everyone has what it takes to survive life outside the occupied cities, and precious few know how to defend themselves against the brutality of america's captors. all that is about to change… what other readers are saying… "i was captivated by the story line from the outset, the character build was awesome, i really felt connected to each one of the characters. ryan obviously either knows a lot about cyber stuff or he is damn good at research as it is spot on and so well woven into this book." – cobbnwebbs, amazon reviewer ★★★★★ "i was captivated by the story line from the outset, the character build was awesome, i really felt connected to each one of the characters. ryan obviously either knows a lot about cyber stuff or he is damn good at research as it is spot on and so well woven into this book." – readerx, amazon reviewer ★★★★★ the dark days saga – planned series dark days of the after dark days of the surge dark days of the apostasy dark days of the enclave the complete last war series the last war the zero hour the ophidian horde the infernal regions the killing fields the barbarous road the terminal run the complete age of embers series the age of embers the age of hysteria the age of reprisal the age of exodus the age of defiance categories: post-apocalyptic, dystopian, war fiction, survival series, emp, prepper, action, adventure, science-fiction, men's adventure, women's adventure, teen & young adult apocalypse, us horror, civil war.

The future is divided by perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. if you're inside you're lucky. if you're outside, life expectancy takes a nose dive. riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. but her cosseted life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through and murders her sister. she forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. luc decides to go with her otherwise she'll be dead before she's past the security gate. but what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever imagined.

Abolish an ancient evil threatening devastation in this adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game called by the elder elemental eye to serve, four corrupt prophets have risen from the depths of anonymity to claim mighty weapons with direct links to the power of the elemental princes. each of these prophets has assembled a cadre of cultists and creatures to serve them in the construction of four elemental temples of lethal design. it is up to adventurers from heroic factions such as the emerald enclave and the order of the gauntlet to discover where the true power of each prophet lay, and dismantle it before it comes boiling up to obliterate the realms. – an epic adventure for characters levels 1 – 15, the elemental evil story arc, princes of the apocalypse provides everything a dungeon master needs to create an exciting and memorable play experience. – includes new elemental spells and the element-touched genasi as a new playable race. – fans of the dungeons & dragons roleplaying game can get a sample of what this product has in store for them through the d&d encounters in-store play program. – adventure design and development by sasquatch game studio llc.

A fresh post-apocalyptic anthology of 18 stories: the end of the world seen through the salvage and ruins. featuring emily st john mandel, carmen maria machado, clive barker, china mièville, charlie jane anders and more.what would you save from the fire? featuring new and exclusive stories, as well as classics of the genre, grassmann takes us through the fall and beyond, to the things that are created after. featuring work from china miéville, emily st john mandel, clive barker, carmen maria machado, charlie jane anders, samuel r. delaney, ramsey campbell, lavie tidhar, kaaron warrern, anna tambour, nina allan, jeffrey thomas, paul di filippo, ron drummond, nikhil singh, john skipp, autumn christian, chris kelso, rumi kaneko, nick mamatas and d.r.g. sugawara.

"thoroughly enjoyed the series. couldn't put it down… which is why i've already finished reading the book on the day it was released." – karl from usa today bestselling author ar shaw! graham morgan never set out to survive the apocalypse. he'd only meant to save his dog and those he'd come to love. but then tragedy strikes when the enemy makes a return and this time graham says goodbye…once and for all. for fans of dean koontz, william forstchen, and a. g. riddle.

"this unputdownable story has everything–a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs."–kirkus reviews (starred)when a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. perfect for readers of station eleven and the girl with all the gifts.my name's griz. my childhood wasn't like yours. i've never had friends, and in my whole life i've not met enough people to play a game of football. then the thief came.there may be no law left except what you make of it. but if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Tension grips the country as the nuclear talks with iran start to go poorly. this is largely ignored by the populace, and the threat of war goes unheeded. blake has lived his life through hard work and his blog-back country j. he's an off-grid homesteader, blogger, and author. he has the life that preppers dream of, and he never knows it. as an on-again-off-again handyman, he learns how to fix everything in his life except loneliness, until he meets sandra. sandra is an army veteran who has caught his attention, and she's also the preacher's daughter. sparks fly the first time they meet, and the shy hermit asks her out on a date. follow the couple as they try to survive raiders, hunger, and human nature when the balloon goes up after an emp is set off.

A war was brewing within our borders. not a war with weapons, but one with words. until now. and so it begins … from critically acclaimed author, bobby akart, doomsday, a new post-apocalyptic survival thriller, is a gripping series of america on the edge of societal collapse and destined for war. in doomsday: apocalypse, book one of the doomsday series, it's new year's eve. as the ball drops in times square, americans are preparing for a new year and a bright future. instead they find themselves fighting for their lives as the fuse has been lit that sends the country into chaos. with political rancor at an all-time high, the war of words had escalated, and a political war erupts. americans are caught in the crosshairs of societal unrest and a shadowy group stoking the fires of discontent burning in america. words are replaced by weapons as neighbor turns on neighbor, and powerful forces stop at nothing to reshape a nation in turmoil. america has become embroiled in something more than a clash of ideologies. she now faces a battle in which the blood of patriots and tyrants would be shed. as americans struggle to survive, some sought a place of safety where they could ride out the coming storm. however, even if they can overcome the threats confronting them, will they bear witness to an america hell-bent on destroying itself? this is a story of a nation divided, on the cusp of a second civil war, and what that portends for our future. remember, all empires collapse eventually, and america will be no exception. other books in the doomsday series book one: doomsday: apocalypse book two: doomsday: haven book three: doomsday: anarchybook four: doomsday: minutemenbook five: doomsday: civil war

The death will find you… after an asteroid strike, a deadly virus emerges. known as the death it ravages the world killing over 90% of those infected. after six months in a self imposed quarantine, a survivor, devin chase steps into a new world. as he travels, he discovers others like him who are immune but he also must confront that the world he knew is gone. it has been replaced with a savage and brutal one where the only rule is 'kill or be killed'.

Nuclear armageddon hangs over us like a mighty sword. – some said it would be the war to end all wars. – they were wrong. the real battle against extinction was just beginning. – international bestselling author, bobby akart, one of america's favorite storytellers, delivers up-all-night thrillers to readers in 245 countries and territories worldwide." masterful and suspenseful!" this is how the world ends. not with a bang, but with many nuclear bombs detonated around the planet. it was no longer a topic of conversation around the dinner table as in years past. – nobody was prepared, including the world's governments. yet the threat was always real and the devastation was predictable." bobby's uncanny ability to take a topic of what could happen and write an epic story about it is short of preternatural!" the damage was incalculable. millions died at the points of impact. nuclear winter spread across the globe. a rapidly cooling climate shocked humanity and all living things … to their death. – akart's new nuclear winter series depicts a world on the edge of nuclear destruction. nuclear armageddon became reality and ordinary americans paid the price. "i never would have believed that mr. akart could outdo himself! well, he has! this series is quite possibly the best he has ever written." this is more than the story of a nuclear conflict. it's about the devastating effects wrought by nuclear winter. our possible future is seen through the eyes of the albright family whose roots stretch back to the early settlement of the florida keys. – while they fight for survival, they trek across a rapidly deteriorating landscape wrought with danger from both the elements and their fellow man. – it was not our fight, but it became our problem." i am speechless. by far the most edge of your seat, acrylic nail biting book ever. e v e r."