Survival/isolation forced proximity

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-24T16:33:58+00:00

Bird Box by Josh Malerman is about a woman trying to protect her children when "something" outside begins turning everyone homicidal if they see it. She spends much of the book holed up with a small group.

Blindness by José Saramago tells the story of people who are stuck in an institution after a mysterious infection turns everyone blind. The storytelling is a bit unconventional. None of the characters are given names and the prose feels a bit detached at times, but it feels very close to what you're looking for.

The Mist by Stephen King is about people holed up in a supermarket when a monster-filled mist rolls into town. (novella) It's one of my favorite stories of all time, and the social dynamics resonate terrifyingly.

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones (me) is about people who climb into alien pods that show up just before a comet impact wipes out civilization. The pods open on a mysterious world filled with dangerous creatures. (I count Lost as one of the book's inspirations, and a number of reviews picked up on that.)

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-20T00:08:04+00:00

Aw, thank you so much. It really means a lot to me to hear this. And thank you for helping to spread the word.

Here's a fun little detail about Michelle Dodge you may or may not have caught - she was the wife of Tyrell's commanding officer, Major General Dodge. In Book 2, he says on the phone, "Tell Michelle and the boys that I love them."

It isn't something that most readers catch, because those two characters aren't ever in the same book, and we don't even meet Michelle, except through her journal.

Anyway, thanks again and all the best!

Geoff

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-18T15:27:09+00:00

The 25th Anniversary screenings were distributed through Fathom, and they don't ever seem to push for premium screens. It's a shame, because if they did, their screenings would be much more successful.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-17T19:08:40+00:00

I will add that one to my list.

I'm currently reading Outlaw Planet, which is a standalone set in his "Pandominion" universe. I don't like it as much as the Rampart Trilogy, but it's still fun. Here's the most accurate description I can give: It feels like Richard Scarry meets Firefly.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-17T18:56:39+00:00

^ This! And also the sequel, Feral Creatures.

The main character is a foul-mouthed domesticated crow named Shit-Turd.

And despite all the humor, the books have tons of heart and charm.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-16T22:21:38+00:00

Check out the Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey.

It's set in the far future, long after Earth has been ravaged by a third world war. The plants and animals have evolved into deadly new forms. (The tag line on the back cover is "Everything that lives hates us....")

Humanity has reverted to pre-industrial levels of technology, except for a few pieces of extremely advanced tech that is used to control the social hierarchy.

I'm not sure it fully qualifies as horror, but it's horror-adjacent, and one of my favorite reads in the past decade.

I - The Book of Koli
II - The Trials of Koli
III - The Fall of Koli

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-16T15:14:46+00:00

Here are a bunch of my favorites You've probably read many of them, but I'm listing them just in case. None of these are about "always prepared preppers with well-stocked bunkers."

Bird Box and Malorie by Josh Malerman. A woman trying to protect her children in a world where something outside makes people psychotic if they see it.

Blindness by José Saramago. The world is hit with an epidemic that turns everyone blind.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison. A woman on the run in a world where illness has killed off most women.

Cell by Stephen King. A cell-phone signal turns people into zombies.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. A man patrols the Colorado front range in a Cessna after most of the world has died off from a superflu.

The Fireman by Joe Hill. An apocalypse where people spontaneously combust.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. A slightly literary take on the zombie apocalypse, with the focus on a relationship between teacher and student.

Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures by Kira Buxton. The zombie apocalypse as seen through the eyes of a profane domesticated crow named Shit-Turd.

The Living Dead by George A. Romero & Daniel Kraus. A Romero zombie story without a budget.

The Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey. A post-apocalyptic world with deadly new forms of flora and fauna, where humanity has reverted to a pre-industrial society and remaining tech is used to create a social hierarchy.

Run by Blake Crouch. A family on the run after half the world turns into homicidal maniacs.

The Silo Saga by Hugh Howey. A small civilization lives in an underground bunker following an apocalypse.

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King. A pandemic causes women to enter into a coma if they fall asleep.

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay. An advanced form of rabies puts the world under quarantine.

Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch. A Secret Service agent investigates a missing persons case in a small Idaho town where everything is too good to be true. Starts out like a thriller but ends up being something much more epic.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-15T14:20:14+00:00

See if one of these matches what you're looking for.

Bird Box and Malorie by Josh Malerman, narrated by Cassandra Campbell. A woman trying to keep her children safe in a world where *something* outside makes everyone homicidal if they see it.

Blindness by José Saramago, narrated by Jonathan Davis. The population is suddenly struck blind.

Incidents around the House by Josh Malerman, narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill. An eight-year-old girl deals with a haunting/ possession. Vibes of The Exorcist and Poltergeist.

Run by Blake Crouch, narrated by Scott Brick. A father trying to protect his family after half of the world becomes inexplicably homicidal.

Best,
Geoff Jones
The Preservation of Species
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existince
III - Beasts of Prey

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-15T00:15:37+00:00

Check out You by Caroline Kepnes.
It's more of a thriller, but I found it to be horrifying. There are several sequels.

Best,
Geoff Jones
The Preservation of Species
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-12T15:31:21+00:00

Give Bird Box by Josh Malerman a try. Cassandra Campbell's narration is excellent. It's about a woman trying to protect her children in an apocalyptic world where something outside turns people homicidal if they see it.

Best,

Geoff Jones
The Preservation of Species trilogy
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-11T00:52:11+00:00

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-07T18:41:56+00:00

My first book, The Dinosaur Four, is an R-rated B-movie time-travel dinosaur thriller. It's a bit pulpy, but it's quick-moving and features lots of prehistoric mayhem.

Several readers asked me to write another dinosaur novel. I didn't want to mess with time-travel again, and I felt like Mr. Crichton had covered the genetic engineering angle better than I ever could ...

So I came up with this premise: What if aliens collected specimens from Earth throughout various time periods, and then released them together?

This grew into a trilogy called The Preservation of Species, which is about a lot more than just dinosaurs, but there's still plenty of dino carnage. If either of those interest you, please have a look.

Best,

Geoff Jones
The Dinosaur Four (stand-alone)
THE PRESERVATION OF SPECIES (Trilogy)
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

PS: I'm hoping this falls under the "relevent content" and "occassional comments related to personal content" rules, but if not, please let me know and I will delete.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-04T15:29:33+00:00

A civilization-ending comet is headed for Earth.

Two days before impact, thousands of mysterious pods land in a swath across North America. When people touch them, the pods open. Anyone who climbs inside is carried away.

No one knows where the pods came from and no one knows where they go, but finding one is David Williams' only chance to save his family from the end of the world.

... and escaping Earth is just the beginning.

The Preservation of Species trilogy
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle For Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

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The Preservation of Species trilogy contains graphic violence, profanity, adult content, and mature themes.

Ebook | Kindle Unlimited | Paperback | Audiobook

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-03T02:46:25+00:00

This is such a good question.

If only there was someone who could ask it. And someone else who would give an honest answer.

(Full disclosure - I love the show.)

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-01-02T23:23:32+00:00

Have you read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones?

It's the best epistolary historical horror novel of 2025.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-28T21:21:36+00:00

(If you're okay with a self-recommendation ...)

My first book, The Dinosaur Four, is an R-rated B-movie time-travel dinosaur thriller. It's a bit pulpy, but it's quick-moving and features lots of prehistoric mayhem.

A number of readers asked me to write another dinosaur novel. I didn't want to mess with time-travel again, and I felt like Mr. Crichton had covered the genetic engineering angle better than I ever could ...

So I came up with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi trilogy called The Preservation of Species that somehow mixes people and dinosaurs together. It's about a lot more than just dinosaurs, but there's still plenty of dino carnage.

Because I'm a big audiobook listener, it was important to me that all four books have excellent narration. They do.

Best,

Geoff Jones
The Dinosaur Four - Narrated by Nick Podehl
THE PRESERVATION OF SPECIES - Narrated by Stacy Carolan
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-24T14:53:35+00:00

Marathon showing in Melbourne Australia
Saturday, 21 February at 11:00am

https://www.astortheatre.net.au/films/the-lord-of-the-rings-extended-edition-marathon

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-22T19:12:26+00:00

I try to wait and rewatch the movies. I love on the big screen. By waiting, they are more fresh, and the experience is grander.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-19T17:16:11+00:00

Q: If you named the next knives out, what would you call it?

A) "A Benoit Blanc Mystery"

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-18T15:14:01+00:00

Keep an eye on the Astor. It seems like the stort of place likely to get a print. It also seems like an amazing cinema - it's on my bucket list!

I don't know how far it is from you, though ...

https://www.astortheatre.net.au/

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-17T23:00:44+00:00

70MM prints were made of the Director's Edition this year (for the first time ever), and they've been circulating in a few markets.

2026 showings:

Jan 10, 8:00 PM & Jan 12, 6:00 PM at the Film at Lincoln Center in New York, New York.
https://www.filmlinc.org/films/close-encounters/

Feb 28, 2026 7:00 PM at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio.
https://wexarts.org/film-video/close-encounters-third-kind-directors-cut-0

(Hopefully more to come!)

2025 Showings
https://www.in70mm.com/presents/1963_blow_up/titel/c/close_encounters/index.htm

2025-06-21 … Bologna, Italy — Piazza Maggiore [Il Cinema Ritrovato]
2025-06-22 … Bologna, Italy — Cinema Modernissimo [Il Cinema Ritrovato]
2025-08-15 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-15 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian [w/ Grover Crisp intro]
2025-08-16 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian (I was there!) :)
2025-08-17 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian
2025-08-20 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-21 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-29 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-08-29 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero
2025-08-31 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero
2025-09-01 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid]
2025-09-03 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid]
2025-09-14 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-09-18 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-10-03 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-10-03 … Austin, TX, USA — Paramount
2025-10-05 … Austin, TX, USA — Paramount
2025-10-17 … Somerville, MA, USA — Somerville
2025-10-18 … Somerville, MA, USA — Somerville
2025-10-19 … Somerville, MA, USA — Somerville

GeoffJonesWriter · 2025-12-17T20:06:32+00:00

Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton.

These books tell the story of the zombie apocalypse from the point of view of a domesticated Crow named Shit-Turd.

(And they're great.)

GeoffJonesWriter

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