Anuj Shrestha

Novels that prepare us for the end of the world

A new kind of disaster fiction is serving as scenario planning for real global crises. Its ancestors are geopolitical epics, 19th century social novels and cyberpunk, but this is a new breed — call it the apocalyptic systems thriller, or A.S.T., for short.

The currency of the A.S.T. is plausibility. It can be counterfactual, but never fantastical. It has to feel true. The thriller tropes, the chases and the explosions that are often a part of these stories must be anchored by real-world knowledge. It’s entertainment, but it’s also meant to enlighten the decision makers who might grab a hardcover at an airport bookstore.