What are your recommendations? Maybe you could link us your review.
Preciously Recommended:
robosnitz - "ALAS,BABYLON" by Pat frank.
Bluewolf25 - The Stand by Stephan King and make sure you get the new edition as it has a lot more flavor than the original from 1978
Chilbert - How about Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?
Foxtrot - Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
1984, by George Orwell
Cat's Cradle, Player Piano, and Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
Anthem, by Ayn Rand
These are all survival of a different sort.
FiregirlLouvier - Lord of the Flies. Short Overview: A group of young boys get stuck on
an island and have to find out how to survive on their own. They do everything from deciding on a leader to building a shelter. It's a lot like Alas Babylon in it's writing style except much shorter. However, I would not call it a particularly easy read, it's full of clever literary devices and sophisticated diction.
Also Anthem by Ayn Rand is really good. All of her books actually
Dreamcatcher - I almost said go watch Shutter Island, just for the effect, but its not much of a survival tale. My suggestion is going to be kinda weak on the list, but the first two of the books in the "My Side of The Mountain" trio are full of different ideas you can take for survival scenarios.
StodgyAyatollah - You could check out Cormack Mcarthy's The Road, it is a bit depressing and hard to read at times but the overall story is fairly good, a man and his son trying to survive in a destroyed world. I'm hoping the movie isn't too bad since the book had a lot of potential. I'm also going to hunt down Blood Meridian (by the same author) sometime but I don't think it would really fit into the survival category from what I've heard about it, but it still sounds interesting.
nixdad - I agree 100% with Stodgy's recommendation of THE ROAD. Think about the classics; Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson.
Also a Book by Robert Heinlein called "A Tunnel in the Sky."
Hazode - I know you said no vampires and such, but "I Am Legend" is a good book and quite easy to read, although the film kinda butchered it. And, Stodgy, The Road is a VERY good film, I haven't read the book yet but I haven't really got the time right now.
firmanlouvier - Never knew that "I Am Legend" was first a book, but then again....It is Hollywood.
And as far as how the movie goes, I thought it pretty good (but I never read the book). I just might have to give the book a try.
StodgyAyatolla - There are also two other movies based on the book as well, 1964's The Last Man on Earth, and 1971's The Omega Man. I haven't seen The Last Man on Earth but Omega Man is a classic in my opinion.
Hazode - The book is way better than any of the films, although I'm yet to see "Last man on Earth", and I agree with ayatollah, Omega man is a classic, Charlton Heston at his best... I think.
Marius - I have 'The last man on Earth" and i love it then again i wasn't as in to the movie as i was Vincent Price's acting. I love that guy he made everything so creepy, yet amazing at the same time.
leoth3b3a5t - watch the second disc of the movie Cast Away. great featurette on how to search for water, how to search for food in the desert. check it out.
Scooby-Doo -
I have 'The last man on Earth" and i love it then again i wasn't as in to the movie as i was Vincent Price's acting. I love that guy he made everything so creepy, yet amazing at the same time.
Definitely, Vincent Price is amazing, I have a couple of his movies my favorite being the original House on Haunted Hill, a classic for sure.
Anyway back to the topic at hand, I'm not much of a book reader (Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss I am embarrassed to admit are all I read) but I heard of a book awhile back called Hatchet. If memory serves it's about a young boy who survives in a forest with only the hatchet his father gave him, I'm not sure since I never read it but it might help.
