Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction encompasses anything that's not real (yet). Many of the books I read in this genre are futuristic and post-apocalyptic. There are elements of fantasy in some but are all enjoyable reads. I promise, I'm not a doomsday prepper type, but I like reading books that make me think.
Never
A Novel
Ken Follett
One author's version of how the next world war might come about. It's full of action, political power plays, a little bit of romance and overall frightening outcome.
11/22/63
A Novel
Stephen King
This seems like it would be historical fiction, but it's not. It's an entertaining read about a modern day guy who goes back in time to stop the JKF assassination. I loved the historical details and Stephen King is a masterful story-teller and really draws you in. There's even an element of what the future might look like if the assassination had been thwarted.
Ghost Fleet
A Novel of the Next World War
P.W. Singer and August Cole
This is a terrifying prediction of the future. It reads like a science fiction novel, yet all the technology described already exists. It was a book that really made me think.
2034 and 2054
Novels
Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis
2034 is a novel of the next world war. It was action-packed and it really made me think. The sequel, 2054 was a little different but follows characters from the first novel. Both are great reads.
The Passage Trilogy
The Passage, The Twelve, The City of Mirrors
Justin Cronin
Had I known The Passage had vampiric elements in it, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. Fortunately, it's nothing like that other vampire series, and I couldn't stop reading it. It's a post-apocalyptic story and the journey the characters take is very compelling.
The John Matherson Series
One Second After, One Year After, The Final Day, Five Years After
William R. Fortschen
Fortschen describes an event so catastrophic that citizens of the United States of America no longer live life like we know it. The can no longer rely on modern-day amenities and people are living like they did back in the 1800s but are less equipped to do so. The first book was incredible, and while I didn't find the following books quite as compelling, however, they did provide a sense of closure.