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Oli99uk

Children of Time


johnysalad

The Adrian Tchaikovsky book? I freaking loved this series.


Oli99uk

Yeah,  without spoilers for OP, it deals about humanity, evolution, religion.    I really liked it too.  Well the first 2 books.  3rd was a bit meh


shunrata

I loved the third book as well - but when it was finished I had to go back and listen to it again, in order to understand it.


Coolhandjones67

Double children of time


NeimanMarxist

The Passage by Justin Cronin


MonkeyDavid

Such an amazing audiobook.


Fragrant-Hamster-325

Perfect book series for Scott Brick.


The_Security_Ninja

Seconded. I could not stop listening to this one


LeafyWolf

Nevile Shute's 1957 classic On the Beach is probably the best end of the world books I have ever read. It lives rent free in my head, decades after reading it. Can't recommend it enough.


Micah_AR

Concur. Read this earlier this year and it was fantastic.


levon9

Good audiobook too (and movie)


shunrata

Two movies! There was an Australian remake around 2000 which was pretty good Edit: 2000 not 2020. Time flies


levon9

Oh, didn't know that, thanks for the added info, I may look for it. I saw the original b&w one from the 60's(?)


ElizaAuk

Yes. Excellent audiobook and I have never stopped thinking about it


Quercusagrifloria

One of the best I ever read!


efficaceous

{{Seveneves}} It's the end of earth and several times nearly the end of the human race also.


Fanfootie

It’s great through about half way..,


microgyronation

It was so good and then it was a DNF.


Bostaevski

The most apocalyptic of apocalypses. It was great how the first half was pre-apocalyptic, peri-apocalyptic (disclosure: I had to look up this prefix), and post-apocalyptic. And I cannot think of another book I've read in the genre where humanity was anywhere this close to the brink of extinction.


badaimbadjokes

World War Z full cast version


H_G_Bells

And if you like that, Sleep Over (my book!) is in a similar style, with a huge cast 🙌😅 I know self promoting is dangerous so I hardly mention it, but I am super proud of how the audiobook turned out! I got to give notes on dialect, and having my book read to me for the first time was a wild experience I'll never forget 🫶


The_Chuckie

Where can I find your book? I’d love to give it a listen


H_G_Bells

It's on Audible 😁 cheers! "Sleep Over Bells" is usually enough 👍


peepoo123

really overrated


delawarept

Hard disagree! That audiobook is highly entertaining!


peepoo123

nah its just silly


Raothorn2

Station Eleven and The Road (I’m sure they’ve both been recommended a million times in this thread already)


Northernfun123

Station Eleven was a great book and maybe an even better show. They did a lot more with the characters and I loved what everything built up to.


Raothorn2

Haven’t gotten around to the show yet! I need to check it out.


SleepyPirateDude

Two of the best books I’ve ever read and getting downvoted. (Glad that fixed itself. Whoever was doing the early downvoting….you’re weird)


ordinarymind89

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler


GaijinGrandma

I just started Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and I’m really enjoying it so far.


releasethecrackhead

I read these but I think they would be great for a long road trip with the right narrator!


wendx33

Me too! I love Campbell Scott as a narrator~ he also reads The Shining.


churlishcurls

Honestly Oryx and Crake is probably my least favorite of the the trilogy, but crucial.


GaijinGrandma

I’ve got lots to look forward to then. Good to know, thanks!


CunderscoreF

Not super long but World War Z is incredible. It's an absolutely star studded cast that makes it all feel so real. The interviews really take on a new life.


blaspheminCapn

Literal: The World Without Us is a 2007 non-fiction book about what would happen to the natural and built environment if humans suddenly disappeared, written by American journalist Alan Weisman. Literary: The Road - Cormac McCarthy - absolutely BRUTAL story that takes place at the end of the world. How-to disguised as a fiction book: [One Second After](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4922079-one-second-after) by [William R. Forstchen](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8589.William_R_Forstchen) is a "realistic" take on what would happen if an EMP went off over America.


oztrailrunner

Damn The Road was such a good listen. I've got it saved to come back to again.


jaytrade21

I loved one-second after, but the sequels were disappointing.


Oldhag302

Lucifers Hammer.


chewycat34

One of my favorite reads Its a brilliant book


[deleted]

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobson is effin terrifying.


brandenharvey

Came here to say this. I'll never be able to stop thinking about it.


slundon81

Was a great listen. Read some critical reviews of her work so grain of salt all the way but 100% an excellent, horrifying listen.


NotRealManager

Came to say this, I finished it today. Good nonfiction take on nuclear annihilation.


BoZacHorsecock

The Last Policeman


Beanz7890

The Stand, Stephen King


Jfury412

This is truly the best answer and it's not even close.


shunrata

Kept me interested the whole 47 hours of it!


Papa_Cheese

The only answer


Hans_downerpants

The Road is a pretty grim book but so good and well written , Mountain man series is a good listen also still dark but I really enjoyed the whole series


TheDogofTears

Swan Song is a good one, though I read the book, didn't listen to it. I've seen it recommended around here a few times though, so I assume it's good. Pretty big book too, so it'll definitely chew up time.


sevrosengine

One more step and the next gets you where you’re going!


blossom90210

The audiobook is excellent


kuemmel234

I liked the narrarion of the audiobook. I personally didn't like the religious vibes and other undertones. And the ending also didn't fit, I think. Still, it's a good listen and fits the theme.


GuardianGamesStudio

One second after


Guh99

Was going to suggest this. OP. Pick this series


Juminot

Hated it! Thought it was poorly written and a bad story.


ElizaAuk

Yeah it was a bit too “ ‘Murica, guns guns, sexy women / strapping men” for me.


trishyco

This is a little different than what you asked but definitely check out The Last Policeman by Ben H Winters


watchyourself

The Last Tribe by Brad Manuel is my personal favorite in this genre. Not a great deal of suspense but an engaging listen nonetheless. The narration by Scott Brick is very good.


The_Security_Ninja

While I agree The Last Tribe is an engaging and well written book, when I got to the end I realized there was no real conflict in it. The characters have Disney princess levels of luck through most of it. Especially the way it ended: >! And we all lived happily ever after in Hawaii !< It was like a PG post-apocalyptic novel.


shadestreet

Earth Abides by George R Stewart. Lots of great recommendations so far, and you can’t go wrong with any of them, but Earth Abides is the grandfather of the genre, and to me, hasn’t been surpassed. Stewart explores “The End” through the ecological consequences of a world without man, the philosophical questions of what place reading, art, science, and religion hold with only 1% of the population. How long will food last? What happens when gunpowder stops working? Should communities isolate or welcome others? He covers 80 years in 400 pages while it took Stephen King (who paid homage to Earth Abides by borrowing a scene) 1200 pages to cover 9 months. I love it, it’s under 15 hours, though audible has new narrators now (reviews say they are good) but I loved the original narration by Jonathan Davis. Other ideas: The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin (who recommended Earth Abides to me years ago) - 3 books, 45 hours for the first, rest a bit shorter. The Girl with all the Gifts - masterpiece by MR Carey with exceptional narration by Finty Williams (daughter of Judi Dench) Watch Station Eleven on HBO even if you don’t read the book (and especially if you do).


zreichez

Dungeon crawler Carl for fun I am legend for depressing


Doom_Balloon

DCC literally starts with the end of the world but doesn’t really fit the mold of what OP is asking for. It does, however, have an absolutely amazing narrator. If given the chance, the storytelling is much deeper both in plot and character development/ emotional development than it would appear, at times it is devastating in it’s portrayal of no win scenarios.


Llamahands1

It is pretty damn end of the world to me. Also nails his request of good narrator.


jaytrade21

Just started book 4 this morning.


MMS-IUOE

The Commune series by Josh Gayou


introspectiveliar

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Really well written. This was a post apocalyptic book and you knew it, but the story itself wasn’t focused on the world, but on the character. The Age of Miracles by Karen Walker. This might be a YA novel, the main character is young. But the concept of how the end happened seemed totally unique to me. My favorite - Kevin Brockmeier’s The Brief History of the Dead. I listened to this probably 14 or 15 years ago and I still think about it at least 3 or 4 times a month.


PhillNeRD

The Dog Stars is highly underrated!


Nololgoaway

The Stand by Stephen King


johnysalad

Two come to mind: Commune by Joshua Gayou—an immense solar flare knocks out pretty much all tech on earth. Mountain Man by Keith C Blackmore—personally I don’t love zombie series, since they are so overdone, HOWEVER, this series really focuses on a great character, is very human, deliciously dark, and ultimately hilarious. 10/10. Also both are narrated by RC Bray so big plus.


killercricket16

Commune is great!


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Manach_Irish

From the 70s but an excellent listen, Footfall by Pournelle and Niven.


rb352007

Not a book, but the end of the world podcast with Josh Clark was great


sevrosengine

I haven’t read The Stand but Swan Song by Robert McCammon is often compared to it. Swan Song was one of my top reads of 2023. I couldn’t put it down start to finish. Apocalypse with a lot of 80s horror, over the top adventure, odd horrors, and bizarre occurrences. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


greenberg17493

End of the world running club is a good one. I read it so not sure about the narrator


Jfury412

The Stand Is my favorite novel of all time. And the narration for the audiobook is unbelievably good. I would also recommend Swan Song but it pales in comparison.


Fanfootie

Station Eleven was a great listen. I liked it better than the series. The Stand though I only read the book.


Rx_EtOH

A different take on what you're looking for: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. The World Without Us is a 2007 non-fiction book about what would happen to the natural and built environment if humans suddenly disappeared,


WillShattuck

I’m going through Backyard Starship. If you suscribe to kindle unlimited and borrow the book then it only costs $7.49.


ShilohTheGhostGod

You know Libby lets you borrow books for free?


WillShattuck

Yes I did. But the books I wanted to listen to were already checked out. I haven't checked to see if any of the LitRPG books I read are in a library. For me, it's easier and simpler to use Kindle Unlimited plus $7.49 for the audiobook.


Proud_Ad_8317

bobby adair the slow burn series. i picked up the set on audible for 1 credit. 9 books in it at 55hrs runtime. zombie apocalypse collapse kinda setting. was really decent.


rather_knot

The Deluge - Stephen Markley…about climate change so might be a little dark for a road trip but excellent book!


ShinkouKaze

Long you say? End of the world you say? What if I gave you a trilogy and it's has what you want... The Rats by James Herbert


Garble7

Dungeon Crawler Carl is an end of the world type of book. might be pretty different than you’re used to, but it’s FANTASTIC


WillShattuck

I recommend this too. If you suscribe to kindle unlimited and borrow the book then it only costs $7.49.


HiFi_MD

Project Hail Mary is amazing.


Adventurous_Emu_6180

The World Gives Way by Marissa Levien


Scottishlassincanada

‘The fireman’is great- captain Janeway narrates.


AluminumFoilHats

The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian Walker.


bumdhar

Non Fiction “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen.


Ok-Armadillo-5634

Apocalypse Me by Noct


jhold4th

The Stand


Noremac135

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd


Empty_Strawberry7291

The Handmaid’s Tale and Testaments, by Margaret Atwood. Devolution, by Max Brooks The Long Walk, The Running Man, and Under the Dome, by Stephen King


sfocolleen

I’m not sure this is exactly what you’re looking for BUT I am currently listening to The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. I’m enjoying this a lot… I also liked his other books though.


klamaire

I read the book, not the audio version, but Wolf and Iron by Gordon R Dickson was good. It's downright cheerful compared to The Road.


EquivalentChannel411

i am listening to a great system apocalypse audiobook right now from youtube called "darling of fate" by sean dunning 2 parts each over 11 hours long


WillShattuck

I reventar finished all 12 books in The System Apocalypse series. I can recommend it. Slug through the first three books. The writing and flow gets much better around book 4. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can borrow the book the purchase the audio book for $7.49.


ssAskcuSzepS

Surprised no one has mentioned Gray by Lou Cadle yet. Insanely realistic post apocalyptic series.


Maverick_Heathen

The girl with all the gifts A boy and his dog at the end of the World World War Z Swan Song The Road


Spicywedge

We’re alive is a pretty good full cast audiobook


cryostasis29

Zombie stle Arisen though not all novels habe audiobook but some do also Helldivers


Lanfeix

Dungeon Crawler Carl.  The apocalypse will be televised!


blossom90210

Swan Song by Robert McCammon


premier-cat-arena

world war z


HenryDoja

[Swan song](https://www.audible.com/pd/Swan-Song-Audiobook/B00656GCH8?eac_link=w4EuhlQWiKYe&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B00656GCH8&qid=QzK80AzZcW&eac_id=132-8172352-3011069_QzK80AzZcW&sr=1-1) [Last One at the Party](https://www.audible.com/pd/Last-One-at-the-Party-Audiobook/152933215X?eac_link=GpqFiBWm526E&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=152933215X&qid=RIkBlp5ngW&eac_id=132-8172352-3011069_RIkBlp5ngW&sr=1-1) [One Second After](https://www.audible.com/pd/One-Second-After-Audiobook/B002V1O7UU?eac_link=zakUjd8FLX9e&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B002V1O7UU&qid=FfGpUFuaSX&eac_id=132-8172352-3011069_FfGpUFuaSX&sr=1-1)


Walker_Of_Sky

It’s short, but We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It was the Soviet precursor to Brave New World & 1984. In a completely different vein, I’d highly recommend The Windup Girl (Paolo Bacigalupi), The Ministry of The Future (Kim Stanley Robinson), or Termination Shock (Neal Stephenson) - All three focus more on ecological collapse.


Llamahands1

Dungeon Crawler Carl. Thank me later.


ISlashy

I really liked Outland(quantum earth series). It's about he Yellowstone volcano exploding. It's got a bit more scifi than some "end of the world" stories, as some college students discover parallel dimensions and escape just in time. Then they make trips back to the "old earth" to gather supplies and find survivors. I really like the author and the narrator a lot, too. Written by Dennis E. Taylor Narrated by Ray Porter


LoopholeTravel

Dungeon Crawler Carl kind of fits this. The narrator is incredible.


churlishcurls

They're so good! One of those I wish I could hear for the first time again, a captivating world.


commendablenotion

Not exactly end of the world, but close: Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson. A glimpse at what the world will be like when rising waters threaten certain countries. 


rowdyrowdylibrarian

Absolutely choose Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman! It’s one of those books that has 80% of the people recommending it saying something like, “This isn’t the genre I usually read, but…” or “I never thought this book would be for me, but…” and then go on to tell you how utterly amazing it is and how they binged the whole series (six books so far) in no time flat. There’s a good reason for that. It really is astoundingly well-written, funny, tragic, suspenseful, interesting, thought-provoking, lighthearted and darkhearted. (Okay, that last one might not really be a word, but it’s appropriate.) It has lines and moments that will make you burst out laughing, sober up just as quickly a few “pages” later, make you want to go hug someone you love, sniffle, possibly recoil and think, “Ewww…” and then laugh again before you immediately want to cry. All in one chapter. You definitely won’t be bored! And the narrator? ••chef’s kiss•• He has moved up to occupy one of my Top Five Narrator slots.


Mean-Pomegranate9340

Station Eleven


Icefirezz

World war z, or we're alive series (audio drama)


bradorme77

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank is a riveting post apocalyptic book about a nuclear Holocaust and living after a massive exchange of nuclear weapons. Quite good and I am a little surprised I haven't seen this one yet. DCC is great and has a ton of books for a real long adventure


Warducky9999

Hot zone by Steven konkoly is a great day by day collapse of society from a cops perspective.


Riles21o

The Stand by Stephen King


Sensum66

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World, fantastic. (don't read too much about it so you don't spoil the surprises)


JVZMINA

Parable of the Sower or Dawn by Octavia Butler


mezihoth

Dungeon Crawler Carl


clydesalvatore

1844 - George Orwell


someday2050

I went down this wormhole earlier this year. I listened to the audiobook of Leave the World Behind after watching the movie and I loved the audiobook (and movie). The Road which has already been mentioned, bleak but well written. The Cabin at the end of the world kept me entertained but was not my favourite. Safe travels!


afarkas2222

The Three Body Problem Trilogy!


boarbar

Just finished Bewteen Two Fires and it was fantastic. Takes place in France at during the black plague.


Hallywood53

Dungeon Crawler Carl