Books Like Fallout

 The original Fallout game was released in 1997 and quickly garnered a cult following thanks to its Atompunk retrofuturistic setting and dry sense of humor. The series went on to receive four titles in the main series as well as numerous spin-offs. Fallout is also receiving its much-anticipated television series in 2024, which is set in the same continuity as the games. For fans who can't get enough of the games and want to read stories with similar settings or themes before the series hits, check out the following books like Fallout.

Fallout: A Tale of Mutation

by Erwan Lafleuriel

Fallout: A Tale of Mutation by Erwan Lafleuriel is a great read for fans who want to know more about what went on behind the scenes during the games' development. The book covers everything up to the fourth title in the main series and is also helpful for readers who want to brush up on their Fallout knowledge before the television series release. 

Metro 2033

by Dmitry Glukhovsky

Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky is the novel that inspired the video games Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Night, both of which share similarities with the Fallout series. The setting is a post-apocalyptic Moscow where a handful of survivors have taken refuge in a shattered subway. The story takes place 30 years after the surface was turned into a poisonous wasteland, and an entire generation has been born and raised underground. In addition to the post-apocalyptic setting, Metro 2033 shares other similarities with the Fallout series, such as the mutant horrors on the surface and the different factions vying for survival. 

Alas, Babylon

by Pat Frank

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank is one of the earliest novels about the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. It centers around a small Florida town. While the rest of the United States is devastated by a nuclear holocaust, the fictional town of Fort Repose, Florida, manages to escape relatively unscathed. The 1950s setting of the novel will resonate with fans of the Fallout series. Like the vault dwellers in Fallout, the residents of Fort Repose have to deal with a world they no longer recognize following an apocalypse. 

Wool

by Hugh Howey

Wool is the first book in the Silo series by Hugh Howey. Just like the vaults in Fallout, the remnants of humanity in Wool live underground in a single silo. In Wool, the world outside of the silo has grown toxic, and it is forbidden to talk about it. Life in the silo is one without hope and dreams of the surface, but those who dare to be optimistic are allowed to go outside to prevent them from infecting others with their optimism. Wool follows the story of Juliette, a mechanic from the down deep who suddenly finds herself promoted to head of law enforcement after the previous sheriff leaves the silo. Wool is a great book for readers who enjoyed the vault aspect of the Fallout series. 

Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors

by Benjamin Wallace

Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors is part of the Duck & Cover Adventure series by Benjamin Wallace. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a man known as the Librarian has been helping others survive the world's end. After a tragedy shakes his confidence, the Librarian considers getting out of the nomadic warrior game, but then he meets a woman who survived a vicious raider attack. Together, they set out to warn the nearby town of New Hope about the impending threat. Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors features the same type of humor found in the Fallout series, and the story will remind readers of some of the quests found in the games. 

The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

One of the most iconic images of the Fallout series is a lone wanderer setting off into the wasteland with a loyal canine companion in tow. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller is a post-apocalyptic story in which the world is decimated by a deadly flu, not a nuclear war. The protagonist lives in an airport hangar with his dog, Jasper, and a cranky old man named Bangley. The protagonist believes that all hope is lost until he receives a random transmission through the radio that hints at a better life in the outside world. However, like most of the protagonists in the Fallout series, he will have to risk everything and venture past the point of no return to discover what awaits him in the world outside his tightly controlled perimeter.  

The Gone-Away World

by Nick Harkaway

The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway is filled with satire, which is something it shares with the Fallout series. Instead of nuclear bombs, the world was hit with "go away" bombs that have erased sections of reality from the planet. Survivors of this event cluster together inside the Livable Zone, with the world outside home to all manner of horrible mutations. However, to save what is left of the world, Gonzo Lubitch and his best friend must brave the dangers of the outside world together. Despite its bleak setting, the Fallout series doesn't shy away from humor and absurd elements, which can also be found in The 

Dies the Fire

by S. M. Stirling

Dies the Fire is the first book in S. M. Stirling's Emberverse series. The story is set in the aftermath of an event called "The Change," which rendered all electronic devices and fuels in the world inoperable. This plunged the world into a dark age, and some decided to band together for survival while others began building armies for conquest. 

Damnation Alley

by Roger Zelazny

Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny is a story that will appeal to all Fallout fans who have had to brave the dangers of the wasteland to complete quests. The anti-hero of Damnation Alley is Hell Tanner, a man facing life in prison for his various crimes. However, instead of rotting away in a tiny cell, he is given the opportunity to receive a full pardon on the condition he completes a cross-country drive. His mission is simple: all he has to do is deliver a case of antiserum to the people of Boston, Massachusetts. However, between him and his destination are radioactive storms, hordes of carnivorous beats, and giant, mutated scorpions.