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Tribune News Service

If the gruesome setting of HBO video-game adaptation The Last of Us left you reeling for more stories of survival, found family and the haunting beauty of decay, you are in the right place.
Whether you are drawn to tales of fungal terror, dystopian futures or post-apocalyptic perseverance, this list includes books that capture the emotional depth, eerie atmosphere and heartbreaking stakes that made the series unforgettable.
1. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
A gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.
Arriving at the remote Usher estate, retired soldier Alex Easton discovers their childhood friend Madeline wasting away and the land itself much degraded. Alex has to uncover the sinister truth behind the House of Usher before it consumes them all as fungal horrors spread and anarchy descends.

2. The Bulgarian Bartender by Daryl Kulak
A darkly thrilling tale of friendship and betrayal in the heart of Eastern Europe.
When Kaylee McDouglas’ dream holiday turns into a nightmare, her best friends, exotic dancer Tiff and martial arts welder Angie, launch a wild rescue mission to Bulgaria. Armed with grit and guns, they dive into a shadowy underworld of crime and corruption.
With unlikely allies and danger around every corner, The Bulgarian Bartender is a fierce, fast-paced adventure about loyalty, courage and the kind of friendship that fights back.

3. The Passage by Justin Cronin
A sweeping, apocalyptic epic of survival, sacrifice and a girl who might save the world.
When a secret government experiment unleashes a catastrophe, young Amy becomes humanity’s last hope. Rescued by the agent sent to capture her, she begins a harrowing journey through a shattered world, carrying within her a power that could either redeem or destroy it.
The Passage is a haunting, unforgettable tale of courage in the face of the end.

4. HIVE by DL Orton
A haunting tale of love, sacrifice and the deadly cost of rewriting the past.
In a crumbling biodome adrift in a ruined world, scientist Isabel discovers a forgotten time bridge – humanity’s last chance to change its fate. However, only one person can go back. As time slips away, she and Diego are faced with an impossible choice: change history and risk everything or face the end together.
HIVE is a gripping sci-fi drama about survival, regret and the paradox at the heart of time itself.

5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A haunting, luminous novel about art, memory and survival in a world remade.
Fifteen years after a devastating flu pandemic, a troupe of actors and musicians roams the remnants of the Great Lakes region, performing Shakespeare for the scattered survivors. But when they encounter a dangerous prophet in a remote settlement, their journey takes a dark turn.
Spanning past and present, Station Eleven is a spellbinding exploration of what remains when everything else falls away, and the enduring power of art to keep us human.

6. Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
A witty, genre-bending space mystery where cosy crime meets cutting-edge sci-fi.
On the interstellar ship “Fairweather”, detective Dorothy Gentleman wakes in the wrong body – just as a murder is discovered and minds begin vanishing from the ship’s library.
With a charmingly chaotic nephew, a suspicious ex-girlfriend, and 300 years of secrets in play, Dorothy must unravel a chilling conspiracy that makes death disturbingly permanent. Smart, sharp and slyly funny, this novella is Agatha Christie in space – perfect for fans of Dorothy Sayers and Ann Leckie.
7. Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
A haunting and heartfelt tale of love, secrets and survival in a world where the dead do not always stay dead.
Peter and Cooper arrive in West Wranglestone hoping for safety and a new beginning, but the town harbours dark truths. As Cooper is drawn to others like him, Peter confides in Teddy, the sheriff’s son, only to discover that the community’s peace comes at a chilling cost.
In a place where the living and the Returned coexist, trust is fragile and danger is never far behind.

8. Space Brooms by A.G. Rodriguez
A fun sci-fi romp where custodian – or space broom – Johnny Gomez teams up with smugglers and is thrust into an unforgettable adventure.
Johnny thought life on Kilgore Station could not get any worse, until he finds a mysterious data chit buried in alien muck. Suddenly every thug, assassin and crime boss in the solar system wants him dead.
With a crew of misfits at his side and a target on his back, Johnny races to Luna to cash in … that is, if his enemies do not catch him first.


2026 public domain movies, cartoons, comics and books include Betty Boop, Nancy Drew

US poet laureate Arthur Sze on slowing down to translate poetry across cultures

Chef ready to bring a plant-based take on Singaporean food back home to the Lion City

John Skelley’s Harry Potter journey from Broadway understudy to star

Books and literature

If you enjoyed The Last of Us, you’ll love these 8 survival books

Bella Ramsey as Ellie in a still from season 2 of The Last of Us. Photo: TNS

Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel in a still from The Last of Us. Photo: TNS

The cover of Daryl Kulak’s book. Photo: Lulu Press

The cover of Justin Cronin’s book. Photo: Ballantine Book

The cover of DL Orton’s book. Photo: Rocky Mountain Press

The cover of Emily St. John Mandel’s book. Photo: Knopf

The cover of Olivia Waite’s book. Photo: Tor Publishing Group

The cover of A.G. Rodriguez’s book. Photo: Angry Robot

Indian activist author wins 2025 International Booker Prize for short story collection

Banu Mushtaq after winning the 2025 International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp. Photo: EPA-EFE

Indian lawyer and activist Banu Mushtaq (centre) and translator Deepa Bhasthi accept the 2025 International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, the first book originally written in Kannada, a southern Indian language, to win the prize. Photo: EPA-EFE

Mushtaq reacts after winning the 2025 International Booker Prize. Photo: AP

Mushtaq and Bhasthi will share the £50,000 prize money for the collection of 12 stories written between 1990 and 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Quarterly dusts off rare short stories from 007 creator Ian Fleming and Graham Greene

British thriller author Graham Greene. 

A short story from James Bond creator Ian Fleming (above) has recently been published, along with a short story by Graham Greene. Photo: Getty Images

The two stories were published in Strand Magazine. Photo: Strand Magazine

Reading at Night, a ghost story by British thriller author Graham Greene was also published in Strand Magazine. 

How silent book clubs are rising around the world as readers enjoy the no-pressure events

People read books in a park in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of an event organised by Silent Book Club Jakarta. Photo: Silent Book Club Jakarta

All types of book formats are encouraged at Silent Book Club’s events, from hard copies to Kindles and even audiobooks. Photo: Silent Book Club

Guinevere de la Mare (left) and Laura Gluhanich co-founded Silent Book Club in the US. Photo: Silent Book Club

People read in a park in Taipei, Taiwan, as part of an event organised by Silent Book Club Taipei. Photo: Silent Book Club Taipei

Attendees at an event organised by Silent Book Club Taipei hold up the books they are reading. Photo: Silent Book Club Taipei

The 10 most famous K-drama actresses of all time ranked, from IU and Song Hye-kyo to Son Ye-jin and Kim Hye-ja

Song Hye-kyo recently starred in the hit drama The Glory. Photo: Netflix

The Post’s pick of the top 10 actresses in K-drama series includes Song Hye-kyo (above), who recently starred in the hit Netflix drama The Glory. Photo: Netflix

IU in a still from “My Mister” (2018). 

Jun Ji-hyun in a still from “Legend of the Blue Sea” (2016). Photo: SBS

Choi Ji-woo (right) and Bae Yong-joon in a still from “Winter Sonata” (2002).

Lee Young-ae (right) and Ji Jin-hee in a still from “Jewel in the Palace” (2003). Photo: MBC

Kim Hye-soo in a still from “Juvenile Justice” (2022). Photo: Netflix

Kim Go-eun in a still from “Little Women” (2022). Photo: tvN

Son Ye-jin in a still from “Crash Landing on You” (2019). Photo: tvN

Gong Hyo-jin in a still from “When the Camellia Blooms” (2019). Photo: Netflix

Kim Hye-ja in a still from “Mother” (2009). Photo: SCMPost

Song Hye-kyo in a still from “The Glory” (2022). Photo: Netflix

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From fungal horror to a secret government experiment gone wrong and a post pandemic tale, here are 8 must-read survival stories


From fungal horror to a secret government experiment gone wrong and a post pandemic tale, here are 8 must-read survival stories.


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If you enjoyed The Last of Us, you’ll love these 8 survival books

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From fungal horror to a secret government experiment gone wrong and a post pandemic tale, here are 8 must-read survival stories

1. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

2. The Bulgarian Bartender by Daryl Kulak

From fungal horror to a secret government experiment gone wrong and a post pandemic tale, here are 8 must-read survival stories