My Categorization of Post-Apocalyptic Books

When I think of post-apocalyptic stories, I break them down into a few different categories, mostly depending on the timeframe in which it takes place.

Generally, there are stories that take place during the apocalypse, those set thereafter, but with the apocalypse having taken place in the living memory of at least some of the survivors (usually portrayed as very old by that point), and finally, those set so far in the future that the apocalypse is barely remembered or legend.

For the two latter timeframes, the cause of the doomsday is less important. For the books taking place during the apocalypse, you can further break them down by type of catastrophe. Usually the "living through the disaster" books tend to be sickness related.

My favorite books are the short term ones, taking place within a generation or two of the end of the world. When reading stories that take place further out, like the Pelbar cycle, I like reading about what they think when they discover bits or our history or technology.

Of the possible doomsday scenarios, my favorite books are those about a world-wide plage or other sickness, since war of any sort tends to ruin the resources available to the characters. I like seeing them head to WalMart to stock up on survival necessities before striking out to find other survivors or that kind of thing.

Anyway, as I mention the books I've read, I'll try to mention whether they're pre-doom, short-term post, or long-term post, and the type of apocalypse.