Earth Abides by James Stewart (1949)
This novel, first published in 1949, is a classic postapocalyptic story where the main character, Ish, is faced with a world in which most of mankind has died from a fast-moving, airborne disease. Ish connects with other survivors and begins building a community from the ground up. Although he wants to hold on to the vast knowledge accumulated over the centuries, the reality for his children and grandchildren is very different.
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (2015)
This is the story of polar explorer and captain of the ill-fated Endurance, Ernest Shackleton, who led his twenty-seven-member crew to survival and rescue in what is called the “greatest survival story of the twentieth century.”
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (2008)
This young-adult novel is from the perspective of a teenage girl through her journal entries after an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it closer to earth with cataclysmic results. This is the first in a series that examines the challenges of a postapocalyptic world.
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1979)
Lucifer’s Hammer is the name of a comet that slams into earth, resulting in a chain of events that destroy much of civilization on earth. This action-packed novel is about the efforts of the survivors to live on and rebuild civilization. It does a good job of addressing different scenarios that might follow such a cataclysmic event.
One Second After by William R. Forstchen (2009)
This novel describes the aftermath of an EMP attack on America. The book illustrates how ill-equipped twenty-first-century Americans are to deal with life when it suddenly reverts to nineteenth-century conditions. It will give you plenty of things to think about in the event of an off-grid breakdown.
Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley Rawles (2009)
This is an important novel in the hard-core survivalist world. It is based on the premise that the entire societal framework of America falls apart. A group of sound-minded survivalists use their skills and knowledge to survive the end of American civilization.
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder (2009)
This is the story of Deo, a young medical student who escapes and survives the horrors and atrocities of genocide in Burundi and Rwanda. He makes his way to the United States and through much hardship eventually becomes a physician who establishes a clinic in Burundi. It is worth reading to experience Deo’s personal strength and hope in the face of so much struggle.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)
This nonfiction account is the story of American Olympian Louis Zamperini, who first survived forty-seven days on a precarious life raft in the Pacific, followed by more than two years of mistreatment in a hellish Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. It describes his struggle with alcoholism and finally his victory as a Christian.
Where the Wind Leads by Vihn Chung (2015)
This is the first-hand account of a Vietnamese family’s struggle to survive and eventually flourish after the Vietnam War. When their property is confiscated by the communists and they see no hope for their future, they flee by boat. They are subjected to assaults and robbery by Thai pirates and are brutally traumatized by Malaysian authorities and set adrift to die in the South China Sea. Miraculously they are rescued and then begin the process of assimilating into a new culture.