14 Books Set In Post-apocalyptic Cities
The world as we know it has crumbled. Skyscrapers stand in eerie silence, streets are reclaimed by nature or overrun by chaos, and humanity clings to survival amid the ruins of civilization. Post-apocalyptic cities are more than just backdrops—they are characters in their own right, teeming with danger, mystery, and hope.
Whether it’s a desperate fight for survival, an eerie dystopian mystery, or a glimmer of rebuilding in the ashes of destruction, these 14 books set in post-apocalyptic cities will immerse you in landscapes both haunting and breathtaking.
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
🌫️ A Father and Son’s Journey Through a Dying World
In a world stripped bare by an unnamed apocalypse, a father and son walk through the ashes of civilization, searching for warmth, food, and hope. The skeletal remains of cities offer only whispers of the past, while the road ahead is fraught with danger—both human and otherwise.
📖 Read if you love: Stark, poetic writing, emotional survival stories, and raw depictions of the end of the world.
2. Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky
🚇 A City Driven Underground
After nuclear war wipes out most of the surface world, the last remnants of Moscow survive in the underground metro system, where each station has become a new city-state. As mutant creatures roam the tunnels and political factions vie for control, young Artyom embarks on a dangerous journey to save his home.
📖 Read if you love: Dark, atmospheric settings, survival horror, and eerie subterranean worlds.
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
🎭 A Post-Pandemic World Where Art Still Thrives
Twenty years after a flu pandemic destroys civilization, a traveling troupe of actors and musicians roams the scattered settlements of a fallen America, keeping culture alive in the ruins. But as they perform Shakespeare in the shadow of abandoned skyscrapers, they find themselves hunted by a dangerous prophet.
📖 Read if you love: Lyrical storytelling, non-linear narratives, and the power of art in a ruined world.
4. Silo by Hugh Howey
🏢 A City Beneath the Earth
In a massive underground silo, humanity has survived for generations, believing the outside world is toxic and deadly. But when a woman named Juliette begins questioning the strict laws that govern their existence, she unravels a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve been taught.
📖 Read if you love: Claustrophobic settings, unraveling conspiracies, and high-tech dystopias.
5. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
🔥 A Future America on the Brink of Collapse
In a near-future ravaged by climate change, economic ruin, and violent crime, teenager Lauren Olamina dreams of something greater. As she flees the burning remnants of her home city, she begins crafting a new philosophy—one that might change the world, if she can survive long enough to share it.
📖 Read if you love: Social commentary, deeply philosophical themes, and visionary protagonists.
6. The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes
🌆 A City Divided Between the Living and the Abandoned
Half of this once-thriving metropolis has been left to decay, claimed by nature and the forgotten. A lone journalist chooses to live among the ruins, documenting the ghosts of the past—until a new danger emerges, threatening to destroy even the remnants of what once was.
📖 Read if you love: Atmospheric writing, slow-burn dystopias, and cities as living, breathing characters.
7. Wool by Hugh Howey
🚪 Truth Lies Buried Beneath the Surface
The world outside is toxic, or so the residents of the massive underground silo believe. But when a rebellious few begin questioning the official history, they uncover truths that could shatter their fragile existence.
📖 Read if you love: Suspenseful thrillers, dystopian conspiracies, and deep world-building.
8. The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag
🤖 A City Haunted by Forgotten Machines
In an alternate, decaying America, a girl and her robot companion travel through a desolate landscape, passing the rusting remains of war machines and abandoned megacities. As she pieces together the truth of what happened, she realizes that something eerie still lingers in the ruins.
📖 Read if you love: Haunting, surreal landscapes, cyberpunk aesthetics, and graphic novel-style storytelling.
9. Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
❄️ A Floating City in a Dystopian Future
In the Arctic waters of a climate-ravaged world, a floating city thrives—but corruption, crime, and disease lurk beneath the surface. When a woman arrives riding a killer whale, bringing whispers of revolution, the city’s delicate balance is thrown into chaos.
📖 Read if you love: Eco-dystopias, cyberpunk intrigue, and unforgettable world-building.
10. Severance by Ling Ma
📦 A Post-Pandemic City Haunted by the Past
A slow-moving pandemic turns people into mindless, routine-following husks, leaving cities abandoned but eerily unchanged. As the world collapses, a young woman navigates the ghostly remnants of New York City, reflecting on memory, capitalism, and what it means to truly live.
📖 Read if you love: Literary fiction with dystopian elements, pandemic narratives, and introspective journeys.
11. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
💧 A City Fighting Over Its Last Water Supply
In a near-future ravaged by drought, cities fight tooth and nail for the last remaining water rights. In the ruins of Phoenix, a fixer known as the Water Knife enforces the will of the powerful—until he uncovers a secret that could change everything.
📖 Read if you love: Climate dystopias, brutal survival stories, and neo-noir thrillers.
12. The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
🌊 A Sunken City Consumed by War
In a future where the oceans have swallowed much of the land, warring factions battle for control of the drowned remains of Washington, D.C. Two orphans, caught between sides, must navigate a treacherous world where loyalty is a dangerous game.
📖 Read if you love: Action-packed survival stories, war-torn dystopias, and deeply emotional character arcs.
13. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
🦑 A City Overrun by Bioengineered Monsters
A ruined city is ruled by a monstrous, flying bear, and scavengers struggle to survive amid the wreckage. When a woman discovers a strange, shifting creature she names Borne, she unravels the city’s dark secrets—and finds herself in the middle of an unnatural war.
📖 Read if you love: Weird fiction, biopunk aesthetics, and unsettlingly beautiful prose.
14. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
🕶️ A City Where Memories Disappear
A strange plague causes people to lose their shadows—and then their memories. As the world unravels, a couple in a crumbling city fights to hold onto love and identity before the disease erases everything they are.
📖 Read if you love: Hauntingly poetic writing, magical realism, and memory-based mysteries.
🛠️ Rebuilding or Ruin?
Post-apocalyptic cities show us the fragile line between civilization and chaos. Whether filled with desperation, mystery, or the faintest flicker of hope, these books prove that even in the ruins, humanity endures.
💬 Which one are you most excited to explore? Or do you have a favorite post-apocalyptic city novel I missed? Let’s chat in the comments! 🔥🌆
