I really like Hatchet by Gary Paulsen when I was younger. I read all the sequels. I recently went back and reread it to he disappointed how short it was. It also read a lot more like a children's book than I remembered. I am looking for any good fiction or non fiction survival books.
Posted Mar 7, 2016, 4:40 AM UTC
The Martian felt like a modern adult version of Hatchet to me.
I really loved the Martian. It is probably the only survival book I have read that has come our somewhat recently.
The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Thanks! I'll look into them.
Some of my favorites:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (non-fiction)
Last of the Breed by Louis L'Amour (fiction)
The Purification Ceremony by Mark Sullivan (fiction)
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta (fiction)
The first two recommendations focus more on the survival aspect than the last two, but I loved all of them.
Winterdance is pretty good. It's by Paulsen, about his experience racing in the Iditarod. It's realistic and has survival elements.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing is one of the best survival stories I've ever read, and it's a true story.
Yes! There are a lot of books about polar explorers that OP may love for their survival stories. Endurance is definitely my favorite of them. Of course there is Nansen, Byrd, and Scott to look into, but I loved the book "Alone," which tells the story of the first person to stay at the South Pole over an entire winter. This book sent chills down my spine from his living condition -- both antarcticas cold winters and the scenarios he is faced with!
I'll check out "Alone" - I love stories like these. Thanks! :)
Both non-fiction stories of survival that I thought were incredible.
Also, not strictly survival but very good non-fiction adventure reads in the same vein are A Man's Life and The Hard Way by Mark Jenkins.
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Death Watch, although I read it so long ago I don't know what age it is for.
The Revenant by Michael Punke. I didn't like the movie but the book put much more time into the survival aspect. Great quick read.
Seconding Into the Wild. You might enjoy The Last American Man, by Elizabeth Gilbert, as well. Gilbert found fame later for Eat, Pray, Love, which I found unreadable, but The Last American Man is a fascinating non-fiction story of a modern-day mountain man.
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the classic example of that genre. If you're looking for something a lot more modern you should check out The Martian by Andy Weir, which is a survival story about an astronaut stranded on Mars.
I have never read Robinson Crusoe. Has it aged well? I can be picky about classical book and have a hard time getting into them if the writing feels too dated.
I'd say it's aged well. It's not written in a contemporary style but it's not difficult to read. I couldn't say if you would be able to get into it or not. That's really up to you. It's in the public domain so you can just see for yourself.