I'm someone who finds comfort in preparation, and in imagining that things could actually be a whole lot worse. Zombies, for instance. I have read a whole slew of zombie books, as you'll note below, and those suckers (chompers) are a doozy. But there's more than just exaggerated fantasy on this list. There's historical fiction from other devastating times in history, and there are moments of awe among the ruin. I like apocalyptic fiction because it makes our day-to-day moments burn--like the moon in Susan Beth Pfeffer's YA novel or the sun in Karen Thompson Walker's--just a little brighter.  - JILL