To this day, The Stand, King's post-apocalyptic epic from back in 1978, remains one of the prolific writer's most notable and popular works. It has transported millions of readers to a world where a weaponized influenza strain is responsible for the deaths of 99.4 percent of the global population. To this day, despite its length, The Stand continues to enthrall readers because of its focus on society's rebirth. But if you've read The Stand and are looking for more books by Stephen King, you've come to the right place.

In the same vein as The Stand, these nine books like The Stand are sure to touch you in the same way that you were moved by the themes of rebuilding a society and the battle between tyranny and democracy.

Books Like The Stand

World War Z, by Max Brooks

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War focuses on the effects of a zombie apocalypse, whereas Stephen King's novel focuses on the end of society due to a weaponized disease.

A somber sequel to Brooks' first zombie survival guide, World War Z tells the story of the Great Zombie War from the viewpoints of many different people who witnessed it firsthand.

A pathogen is released into the world, causing this zombie apocalypse. The uninfected must deal with the consequences and rebuild society after the threat is eliminated. You can read World War Z, which was adapted for the big screen by Brad Pitt in 2013, if you're looking for books like The Stand.

Is this your first time reading it? Other books like World War Z can be found on our list!

Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, the first in a trilogy, is an excellent choice if you're looking for books that are similar to The Stand.

Speculative fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic world where multinational corporations rule the roost is the focus of this story. Using flashbacks, the reader is taken on a journey with the protagonist as he learns about how the world came to be in this novel's present day.

Onyx and Crake and its sequels, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam, follow the same themes as the post-apocalyptic world of The Stand and result in the death of the majority of human society.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

As a fan of The Stand, you'll enjoy Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road, which features a post-apocalyptic setting and two characters' journeys to Boulder and Las Vegas.

"The Road" is a sci-fi road movie about an unnamed father and son who travel across the United States in search of water after a catastrophic event has wiped out most of the locals. The journey is a harrowing one because both characters are sick and have limited resources.

The Road, a novel that was later made into a film in 2009, has many of the same themes as The Stand despite its shorter length. If you're interested in the psychology of human survival after the apocalypse, this book is for you.

Is this your first time reading it? There are many more books like The Road on our list!

I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend is an excellent choice if you're looking for a great novel like The Stand and you're interested in the aspect of human survival after the majority of the population has been wiped out.

However, I Am Legend helped to establish many of the well-known vampire/zombie apocalypse genre tropes that are so prevalent today through its novelization in the 2007 Will Smith film.

As the last known survivor of a terrible pandemic, the story follows Robert Neville as he goes about his daily activities in Los Angeles. Human resiliency, survival, and society's psychology are all explored in this novel, as are many of the others on this list of books like The Stand.

The Last Man, by Mary Shelley

With its post-apocalyptic setting and original author, Mary Shelley, one of the pioneers of the science fiction horror genre, The Last Man (1826) is a must-read for fans of The Stand.

Since it was one of the first novels that looked at what might happen after the end of the world, The Last Man shows the reader how civil society crumbles before, during, and after the end of the world (until 2100).

Shelley's most famous work, Frankenstein, is far more well-known, but The Last Man actually explores many of the same themes as Shelley's more famous novel. Science and medicine, when misused, can have a devastating impact on society.

Swan Song, by Robert McCammon

If you're looking for a book like The Stand, Swan Song by Robert McCammon is an excellent option.

A near-1,000-page epic set in a post-nuclear world where society has been wiped out, Swan Song follows in the footsteps of Stephen King's The Stand.

As a result of exposure to nuclear radiation, the human race undergoes an evolutionary shift amongst survivors of nuclear devastation, which the novel follows.

Swan Song by Robert McCammon is an excellent choice for fans of The Stand who want to read another epic novel with similar themes.

Children of Men, by PD James

No disease wipes out the entire population like in The Stand, but PD James' 1992 dystopia Children of Men examines a post-apocalyptic England devastated by mass infertility.

This novel, set in the year 2021, tells the story of a society formed in response to rapidly declining birth rates as a result of widespread infertility, and how they are preparing everyone for the eventual survival of humanity as we know it. An intervening government has gone to great lengths in order to test men and women for fertility, and strange behaviors and trends have emerged in society as a result of this.

If you liked the beginning of The Stand and reading about society's decline before it was completely destroyed, Children of Men is a great choice if you're looking for books like The Stand. 2006 saw the release of the film adaptation of the book.

Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace

Going in a different direction from post-apocalyptic fiction and into dystopian epics, David Foster Wallace's nominal work Infinite Jest is a good pick if you're looking for books like The Stand but with a focus on human psychology and society.

With its futuristic setting, where the president of the United States is a former pop star who is unlikely to ever be removed from office, and where the calendar year is no longer numbered but sponsored by multinational corporations for tax revenue (i.e. The Year Whisper-Quiet Maytag Dishmaster), Infinite Jest is a monstrous book (over 1,000 pages!) that brings ecstasy to readers everywhere.

Mental health, addiction, and society are all topics explored in Infinite Jest. While it isn't in the same post-apocalyptic genre as the other books on this list, it is still a worthwhile addition to your reading list if you want to learn about these topics in a new light.

It, by Stephen King

A fantastic choice if you are not looking for books like "The Stand" because you enjoy "Stephen King's famous writing style" is "It," one of his most famous novels, and you can't go wrong with reading it.

In the idyllic town of Derry, Maine, a homicidal clown named Pennywise terrorizes the residents, and the story of the town's residents is chronicled in this film.

Because of its epic length and engrossing prose, it is not recommended for those who are easily frightened by clowns. Coulrophobia may develop as a result of reading this, so don't bother. However, if you're a Stephen King fan or a horror fan, this is a fantastic book for you!!

Many books like The Stand are available for you to add to your collection. Whatever your interest in post-apocalyptic society or your desire to read another great Stephen King novel, you're sure to find a book that moves you in the same way as the one you've just finished.

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