The Survival of the Fittest: Books About Survival of the Fittest After the Collapse

After being thoroughly disappointed with Ruler of the World, one of J. T. McIntosh’s later works, I decided to try one of his earliest novels. One from his prime. I chose The Fittest when I read that it was about animals with enhanced intelligence. It was his fourth published novel, from 1955. I love science fiction tales set just as civilization is collapsing. I have a strong affinity with Robinsonades, which are closely related to post-apocalyptic fiction. I especially love the cozy ones, about a small group of people struggling to survive. My gold standard for judging such stories is Earth Abides by George R. Stewart and the television series Survivors (BBC 1975-1977). If these are 5-star efforts, then The Fittest is only a 3-star work; however, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was a quick page-turner that I finished in less than 24 hours. The Fittest touched upon many of the essential elements of both Earth Abides and Survivors, but not as deeply. The setup for The Fittest also…