Apocalypse Panel: The best apocalyptic books and movies

It's time to start thinking about the end of the world again! This month's apocalypse panel question is:

Other than the stories you have written which is the best apocalypse movie or novel?

I don't know about the best, but I can tell you which are my favorites.

My favorite apocalyptic book is one Randy mentioned in his original post. Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card. It's not a novel, really, but a collection of short stories. Stories that moved me in a profound way. Here were my own people dealing with a world-ending situation. I had never seen anything like that before, and obviously, it had a huge influence on my own writing. If you've never read Folk of the Fringe, I highly recommend it!

As far as movies go, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit it, but I really liked 2012. Despite it's cheesiness and obvious flaws, I really cared about those characters and what happened to them. Somebody did something right in the writing there. Still, I'm glad I didn't fork over money to see it in the theater.

(Please do not confuse this film with 2012: Ice Age. That is another matter entirely!)

If you need a good laugh...

 
Don't forget to check out the answers from the other panelists. Maybe you'll discover some new books to read!

More Great Books for Christmas!

Looking for books for Christmas? See my last post for a few good suggestions. Here are some more.

For the space pirate lover on you list, check out T.M. Hunter's Aston West novels and short stories. These are action-packed and fun!

And speaking of action packed and fun, you might also give D.J. Butler's books a look. If you or someone you want to buy books for loves adventures, steampunk, or demon butt-kicking fantasy, you should give these a try! (Right now, City of the Saints is only available in e-book form, but a paperback version is coming soon.)

*Please note, that both of these authors books would get a PG-13 rating! Not for young kids.

 What are your latest book recommendations? 

('Cause I'm looking for books for Christmas too!)

The Book That Started It All

Back in 1988, I went into the back room of Blockbuster Video for my dinner break. Bored, I picked up a book on the table and started reading. I read three chapters before my break was over and I had to put it down. I loved those three chapters. I couldn't wait to read more! But the next day, the book wasn't there anymore. I didn't know who had brought it and I couldn't remember the title or the author. Oh, well. I didn't think about it again. Until...

1989. I'm in college and a friend told me I just had to read this wonderful book. He handed me Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I was delighted to realize that was it! The book I started to read at Blockbuster. Naturally, I loved it. I remember reading the end of the book in a car with a guy friend who was driving us back to BYU after visiting family in Vegas. I was bawling my head off! He must have thought I was so weird.

That's the book that really sparked my love and science fiction and made me want to write it too. Now, finally, it's going to be made into a movie! With Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley and all sorts of other wonderful actors. Am I excited? Oh, just a little. =D

Is there one book you can name that sparked something wonderful for you?

What Makes a Great Book Great

Photo by Mattox

Read any great books lately? I have. Great books can be found in any genre and from any time period, but they all have a few things in common, at least in my opinion.

Great book have great characters. Characters we can love. Characters we can hate. Characters we can root for. Characters we want to hang out with. Characters we want to be. I believe great characters are the most important part of a great book.

Great books also have great plots. Plots that matter. Plots that make our hearts pound and linger with us long after we put the book down. Great plots stem from great characters.

Great books also have a strong sense of setting. We feel like we are there, whether it's New York City, a small country farm, or a faraway fantasy kingdom. We can see it, smell it, feel it, live in it. It's so much more than just the geography. It's the culture, the history and everything else culminating in a place so real we can visit it again and again in our mind.

Great books have real emotion. They make us feel something. Joy, pain, love, hate, envy, peace. Great books bring out the strongest emotions inside us. They show us what it is to be human.

Character, plot, setting, emotion. Those are what makes a great book great. At least in my opinion. Are there any other elements you would add?

Read any great books lately?