existential dread + zombie virus + clever critique of life under late capitalism = one unforgettable read
Severance: A Novel: Ma, Ling
a group of precocious kids, on vacation with their self-involved (and perpetually drunk) parents, run away as a civilization-ending storm hits
A Children's Bible: A Novel: Millet, Lydia
octavia butler's legendary (and terrifying) vision of a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles
Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) by Butler
the bleakest of the bleak and also totally unforgettable. it's a classic for a reason.
The Road: Cormac McCarthy
it's about the things that truly make us human—love, art, community
Station Eleven: A Novel: Mandel, Emily St. John
do yourself a favor and don't read too much about this one before you start it
Never Let Me Go: Ishiguro, Kazuo:
The Handmaid's Tale gets all the love (for good reason) but Oryx & Crake is a stellar read too
Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy)
perfectly illustrates the saying, “absolute power corrupts absolutely”
The Power: Alderman, Naomi
an exhausted single mom makes a mistake and finds herself stuck in a nightmare
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
prisoners are forced to fight to the death for entertainment…and to make corporate overlords even richer
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
not to be that girl but THE BOOK WAS BETTER
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
from the book description: “Magical, haunting and criticaly acclaimed, this is a story of love and war, escape and survial set in a dystopian near-future.” NEAR FUTURE. you've been warned.
Exit West: A Novel - Hamid, Mohsin: Books
this book doesn't get nearly enough love
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
read banned books y'all
The Giver
look, all these stories are bleak. but this might be the bleakest. top 5, at least?
