King's "The Stand" is an old favorite. I like it's mix of the secular and mystical. That combined with the "last man on earth" scenario (another personal favorite theme) and I was totally hooked. His "Dark Tower" books are a lot of fun and he wrote a collection of short stories called "Everything's Eventual" a few years ago that had some really great stuff in it. In fact, his short stories are much better than his novels which tend to be bloated and meandering.

The best novel on THAT subject was "Earth Abides" by George Stewart.

I read a boxcar full of Sci-Fi in my teens and 20s. I read all the classics and then some. Bradbury, Asimov, Niven, Dick are a few favorites in the genre.

By the time I reached 30, I was burned out on it and just kinda lost my taste for fiction in general. Now I tend to only read fiction on vacation. For the last few years I've read a lot of crime stuff. Recent writers like Carl Hiaason ("Sick Puppy" has some hilarious music stuff in it-highly recommended) and Elmore Leonard and old like Dash Hammet and Jim Thompson.

2 books by Christpher Moore stick ut as well. "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" and "Blood Sucking Fiends". Really funny and clever stuff. Go to amazon and read the synopses. They are as good as they sound.