I have read only one other book with an apocalyptic disaster plot, Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Both it and The Road have similarities beyond the plot, but also many differences.
Similarities:
Both books are focused around isolated groups. In Left Behind, four children are left alone and have to rely on each other to survive. Also, both books have widespread fires destroying everything. The characters in Left Behind are seeking for something, too. They are trying to find their family in the midst of the disaster.
Differences:
The cause of the apocalypse is known in Left Behind. The series (12 books in all) is an interpretation of the rapture, where all believers vanish from Earth at the same time. All the instantaneous disappearances cause many disasters all over the Earth, especially fires caused by abandoned machinery operators, airplanes pilots, etc. In Left Behind, all the children stay local. They ravage through the city for their relatives instead of embarking on an adventure. Unlike The Road, there is an end in mind in Left Behind. All the children are anticipating a return of the people who vanished (as prophecized). The Left Behind series is very riveting and worth reading. It does not have the horror and gore that The Road has (which I enjoy) but still very suspensful.
No comments:
Post a Comment