Five of the best books where nature is the antagonist

Jeff Somers is the author of Lifers, the Avery Cates series from Orbit Books, Chum from Tyrus Books, and We Are Not Good People from Pocket/Gallery. He has published over thirty short stories as well.

At B & N Reads Somers tagged five books with Mother Nature as antagonist, including:

Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer

Krakauer once again shows us how nature is always our antagonist, whether we realize it or not. While researching a magazine article about the commercialization of climbing Mount Everest and guide companies promising wealthy amateurs the opportunity to stand atop the summit in relative safety, Krakauer got more than he bargained for. A freak storm killed eight climbers, including some of the best-known in the world, and left dozens of others—including himself—in desperate straits. His tale of survival remains one of the most harrowing committed to paper. Above the mountain’s “Dead Zone,” nature is all there is, and it does not like human beings. The story continues to be adapted at regular intervals, but so far no one has quite captured its sadness, desperation, and heroism.

Read about another entry on the list.

Into Thin Air is among Nicole Dieker's top nine books even non-readers will love, James Mustich's five top books about mountaineering, and Ed Douglas's ten best survival stories.

--Marshal Zeringue