Why am I passionate about this?

As a horror writer whose interests tend to favor morbid topics that are often neglected, end-of-the-world stories have fascinated me since I first read Stephen King’s The Stand at far too young of an age. I love how these works enable the exploration of life, death, and survival. My appreciation for the subject matter deepened during my studies in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, where I learned how genre fiction has the unique ability to both enlighten and entertain readers. This inspired me to write my post-apocalyptic horror novel, What Remains.


I wrote...

What Remains

By Corey Niles ,

Book cover of What Remains

What is my book about?

In a world on the brink of collapse, the White, an ominous force of undulating clouds, sweeps across the northern…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Cabin at the End of the World

Corey Niles Why I love this book

This book hooked me from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the last page.

My well-worn paperback was my constant companion when I first read it, looking for any quiet moment in my day to see how parents Eric and Andrew were going to survive their unimaginable predicament.

The constant tug of war between danger and safety, logic and faith, and cruelty and mercy kept me on the edge of my seat until the bitter end.

By Paul Tremblay ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Cabin at the End of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Paul Tremblay’s terrifying twist to the home invasion novel—inspiration for the upcoming major motion picture from Universal Pictures

“Tremblay’s personal best. It’s that good.” — Stephen King

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen, but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost…


Book cover of Parable of the Sower

Corey Niles Why I love this book

Beyond the chilling parallels between Octavia E. Butler’s 1993 novel and modern news headlines, what made this book stand out for me was how it explores hope in a desolate landscape.

I was not only drawn in by Butler’s masterful storytelling, but also by her exploration of what it means to be human in inhumane times. While I somehow only read this book in 2025, I’m looking forward to diving into the sequel.

By Octavia E. Butler ,

Why should I read it?

34 authors picked Parable of the Sower as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The extraordinary, prescient NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling novel.

'If there is one thing scarier than a dystopian novel about the future, it's one written in the past that has already begun to come true. This is what makes Parable of the Sower even more impressive than it was when first published' GLORIA STEINEM

'Unnervingly prescient and wise' YAA GYASI

--

We are coming apart. We're a rope, breaking, a single strand at a time.

America is a place of chaos, where violence rules and only the rich and powerful are safe. Lauren Olamina, a young woman with the extraordinary power to…


Ad

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Book cover of The Road

Corey Niles Why I love this book

I was first introduced to the film adaptation of The Road in my early teens when I went through all five stages of grief in the span of 1 hour and 51 minutes.

I then made a beeline to the bookstore for a copy of McCarthy’s novel, which subsequently solidified my love of end-of-the-world stories in how they can examine what it means to survive.

The Road is a story that has stayed with me over the subsequent decade and a half and greatly influenced my post-apocalyptic novel.

By Cormac McCarthy ,

Why should I read it?

40 authors picked The Road as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • A searing, post-apocalyptic novel about a father and son's fight to survive, this "tale of survival and the miracle of goodness only adds to McCarthy's stature as a living master. It's gripping, frightening and, ultimately, beautiful" (San Francisco Chronicle).

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if…


Book cover of The Mist

Corey Niles Why I love this book

While The Stand was my gateway book into post-apocalyptic horror, I find myself returning more often to Stephen King’s The Mist.

I love how this comparatively short and contained story explores the fear of the unknown in a compelling and succinct manner. Furthermore, I was both fascinated and unnerved by how the unprecedented events of the story change and corrupt the everyday people trapped in the supermarket.

My standalone mass market paperback copy is well-traveled, as it’s a quick and satisfying apocalyptic read that I will grab from my bookshelf when embarking on a trip. 

By Stephen King ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Mist as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s terrifying novella about a town engulfed in a dense, mysterious mist as humanity makes its last stand against unholy destruction—originally published in the acclaimed short story collection Skeleton Crew and made into a TV series, as well as a feature film starring Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden.

In the wake of a summer storm, terror descends...David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton join dozens of others and head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies following a freak storm. Once there, they become trapped by a strange…


Ad

Book cover of Head Over Heels

Head Over Heels by Nancy MacCreery,

A fake date, romance, and a conniving co-worker you'd love to shut down. Fun summer reading!

Liza loves helping people and creating designer shoes that feel as good as they look. Financially overextended and recovering from a divorce, her last-ditch opportunity to pitch her firm for investment falls flat. Then…

Book cover of Manhunt

Corey Niles Why I love this book

As a horror writer and reader, I usually think I have a high tolerance when it comes to the genre. Then, I read Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin.

This timely story is visceral and disturbing. Just about all my friends and family knew when I was reading this book because of my constant updates on how this wild post-apocalyptic book developed.

By Gretchen Felker-Martin ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Manhunt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Beth and Fran spend their days traveling the ravaged New England coast, hunting feral men and harvesting their organs in a gruesome effort to ensure they'll never face the same fate.

Robbie lives by his gun and one hard-learned motto: other people aren't safe.

After a brutal accident entwines the three of them, this found family of survivors must navigate murderous TERFs, a sociopathic billionaire bunker brat, and awkward relationship dynamics-all while outrunning packs of feral men, and their own demons.

Manhunt is a timely, powerful response to every gender-based apocalypse story that failed to consider the existence of transgender…


Explore my book 😀

What Remains

By Corey Niles ,

Book cover of What Remains

What is my book about?

In a world on the brink of collapse, the White, an ominous force of undulating clouds, sweeps across the northern United States, leaving nothing in its wake. As food and supplies become scarce, extremist religious groups seize control, plunging society into chaos and anarchy.

In this devastating new reality, Alexander and Sebastian—ex-boyfriends fleeing from their painful past—embark on a perilous journey south, hoping to escape the White's deadly path. With their only hope of survival tied to reaching the equator, they are pushed to their limits, both physically and emotionally. As they battle against the encroaching end of the world, they must also contend with their fractured relationship. What is the true cost of survival when everything they’ve known is collapsing?

Book cover of The Cabin at the End of the World
Book cover of Parable of the Sower
Book cover of The Road

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,212

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Reddy

Reddy by J L Wilson,

This is for those readers who like unusual settings and independent female characters in mid-life.

Book cover of Blackout Trail

Blackout Trail by Linda Naughton,

When an EMP brings down the power grid, Dr. Anna Hastings must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology. She joins devoted father Mark Ryan and his young daughter on a perilous journey across a thousand miles of backcountry trails.

Blackout…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, dystopian, and monsters?

Survival 206 books
Dystopian 688 books
Monsters 176 books