I noticed that the movie thread kept getting derailed by people saying read the book... So here we go.

The poll will be for books that fit into the genre, and I will add more options as people give them to me as I only know of three books that really fit.

After voting please state why you voted for that book... I am always looking for more books set in this genre.

While I enjoyed Alas, Babylon it was just a touch... to real. The Postman is, for me at least, the closest a book has came to the Fallout world.

The Long Tomorrow - Leigh Brackett - Post Nuclear War

The comic book "Wasteland" is a nice read.
Here's the first issue OFFICIALLY available for free: http://www.onipress.com/thebigwet/downloads/freeissue1.php

As for novels, I would also suggest Nevil Shute's On the Beach. Its a really good post nuclear war novel. However its not really like fallout 3 in the sense that its about the country of Australia and how it survived a global nuclear war and is now just waiting for everyone in the country to be killed by the fallout thats slowly drifting to them.

Its a really sad novel but its also an excellent read for anyone who has the time to pick up a copy.

I am legend, which became omega man or will smiths i am legend the film, its about a virus but interesting story about survival after after a world wide disaster.

One short story that's easy enough to read, and pretty good considering its limited length, is http://jerrywbrown.com/datafile/datafile/110/ThereWillComeSoftRains_Bradbury.pdf by Ray Bradbury. The poem within the short story was even shown in Fallout 3 at some point, and it's retro-futuristic(made in 1950) and everything. ;]

Never read it, but I keep hearing about the book A Boy and His Dog-supposed to be really good according to anyone who mentions it.

Shame on me for not mentioning this one in my earlier post...kudos to you sir :tops:

"There Will Come Soft Rains", while short, is an excellent piece of post-nuclear war literature. It fits the fallout world to a T and anyone who hasn't read it yet (or the poem) should definetly do so. If you want to see the poem in-game theres a house in Georgetown with a Mr. Handy who reads the poem to the skeletons of two kids.

Thanks. x3 One of the more memorable post-apocalyptic stories I've read.

Indeed, it's a great piece of fictional work-especially for those of us too busy to devote to a full book currently, as I am(I have three book to read as it is, right now). The utter loneliness, hopelessness, and sorrow of the situation couldn't be better portrayed, in my opinion. Whenever I read it I always feel a sort of isolation about the story, and it's one of the few stories that gives a strong emotional impact in referring to a possible, completely nuked world that I've read.

Plus, the concept and actual portrayal is really interesting. =]

I've never seen the part of Fallout with that bit, personally, but I intend to soon-always sounded really cool, considering the entire house is based on the story.

The Stand by Stephen King. A post-apocalyptic story where a virus has destroyed about 99% of the population. It is a fairly long and interesting read, but only relates to Fallout in it's post apocalyptic nature. It's a fairly large novel that will require some time to read.

"By The Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benet is my favorite post apocalyptic story and is the only close to the Fallout genre that I have read. It is a short story and only requires minutes of your time and is something I would considering reading for yourself. Interesting enough though the disaster it hints to borders that of nuclear bombs, the story was made in the thirties.

Anthem is a novel I have also read. I'm only putting this one because it does deal with the destruction of mankind(how is up to the reader) but really that would be it's only similarity. It's mostly about a society that is mostly like communism in which individualism does not exist.

That's all I have for now.

The Short Story A Boy And His Dog by Harlan Ellison seems to fit. I haven't read it, but I have watched http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Boy_and_His_Dog (which isn't everyone's cup of tea).

The Postman, because it is the most suitable one for Fallout, the Road is too depressing,
it just has a bad vibe. :sadvaultboy:

I was not sure World War Z could be included but then I had a dream about Central Asia and Europe having to deal with swarms (in the millions) of Feral Ghouls (from China and India) as discribed in World War Z "Around the World, and Above." Then add the thought of swarms of glowing ghouls that leave deadly radiation behind everywhere they go.

Roadside picnic...

'48 by James Herbert. It isn't post nuclear it is an alternate history. It is set three years after ww2, in 1945 Hitler released a virus that killed pretty much everyone. It's set in England and the post blitz wasteland that is 1940's london fits really well with the retro feel of Fallout. It's about the immune survivors being hunted by the dying remains of the uk's nazi colaborators.

What about the book of eli

Anyone know that book where humanity was almost destroyed thanks to some disease. It also describes how a community of survivors descends into tribalism. I remember Chris Avellone saying it acted as an inspiration for Arroyo in FO2.

Nevermind, found it from the bible. It's "Earth Abides", if anyone's interested.

The King James Bible?

Harlan Ellison:
-Blood is a Roamer
-A Boy and his Dog
-Vic and Blood

Roger Zelazny:
-Damnation Alley

Walter Miller Jr.:
-A Canticle for Liebowitz

H. Beam Piper/Jerry Pournelle:
-Any Atomic-Era stories

Phillip K. dike
-The Second Variety/Screamers

Stephen King's

The Stand: Complete & Uncut Edition. :rock:

"PLAGUE OF THE DEAD THE MORNINGSTAR STRAIN" and "THUNDER AND ASHES THE MORNINGSTAR STRAIN" By Z.A RECHT

A virus called Morningstar breaks out in Africa and it quickly overruns the continent and threatens to jump continents. The virus turns its victims into something like 28 days later (sprinters) but it does not happen as fast as it does in that movie but the when the victim is killed they come back as a true zombie (shamblers).

Somewhat different, but a good post-Apocalyptic novel is Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
@Dean Martin: Roadside picnic is brilliant, if not quite post-Apocalyptic!