If you love disaster movies, you must be anticipating the release of Don’t Look Up. The film by Adam McKay is set to arrive in theaters on 10th December and Netflix on 24th December. It is a comedy-drama with several famous Hollywood and Oscar-winning stars. Among them, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.
The plot is centered on two low-level astronomers who discover a giant comet heading for the Earth rapidly to destroy it. Once they encounter weighty indifference from the White House, they both must warn humanity about this danger, bound to collide in six months, whatever it takes. They will navigate complicated political systems, public perceptions, and social media during their mission.
Anyone interested in asteroid(s) on course for destruction would be thrilled to watch this upcoming movie. Whether you are a novice or veteran in this film genre, you will love our list of what we consider relatable Don’t Look Up books.
The Hammer of God, by Arthur Clarke
It is the year 2110, and all problems and worries that have plagued our existence have been solved by technology. People can settle on the Moon and Mars and can easily travel around the Solar System, but they still depend on the resources from the earth. However, as humankind gets ready for a new golden age, a new problem lingers on the horizon.
An astronomer with no experience points his telescope to the night sky and finds a massive asteroid, Kali, hurrying towards the earth. This rock chunk could destroy life and annihilate all civilization. Some fanatics say the destruction is a sign from God, while the very best scientific minds try their best to look for ways to avoid it.
On the Goliath spaceship is Robert Singh and his crew, and they must beat time to redirect this meteor from its destructive course of collision. They are on the most critical mission in human history where accidents of humanity will collide with accidents of science. Succeeding in this role will also call for the ultimate sacrifice.
This compelling narrative depicts human efforts to avoid earth’s destruction by a shattering asteroid impact. It depicts that we might not have enough time for relationships, social and religious developments on earth.
Asteroid Diversion, by Bobby Akart
Asteroid Diversion is an excellent read that will strike fear into your heart and mind but positively. This is a terrifying event with details about preparation and survival. You will love the heroic characters and their self-sacrifice and how they are molded with humility and a lot of courage throughout the story.
2029 IM 86 is a killer asteroid on course to hit the earth- Northern United States and parts of Southern Canada. It is so large that it could mean humanity’s extinction.
It must be destroyed or diverted, and a pilot to the solution has been found. Gunner Fox, who has a lot of prowess, is called upon to go into space and destroy the incoming monster. He will do anything to save the earth. He is a major in the United States Air Force and takes on this assigned mission with no hesitation to divert the asteroid using atomic blasts. These blasts will creak the asteroid and reduce the debris field. However, forces are coming towards him with the hope that he won’t succeed.
Meanwhile, Russia has a plan that will alter the course of action by Gunner. One way or another, he will be able to complete the mission. The only thing he has to do is survive.
Fire in the Sky, by Gordon L. Dillow
This book is more of an informative kind of text that highlights compelling topics. It will let you see why the earth is ever-changing and that some of these changes can be destructive. We may have a lot to worry about, like dysfunctional governments, the stock markets, rising sea levels, and a lot more, but we need to face one other provoking concern- an upcoming asteroid.
The book is an account of asteroids that previously hit Earth, the ones that are possibly streaming toward us, and if we are prepared for the catastrophe. As the author warns, the earth will be hit by an asteroid or comet one of these days. It is only a matter of when.
Before then, we must better discover any objects coming our way and if they are big enough to get into the atmosphere without burning up. We also need to know what to do about them.
Dillow gives accountable facts using entertaining stories and events. Some facts are unknown by the majority even though they are critical. You will discover the details and scientific discoveries at Meteor Crater. You will also be introduced to individuals that work in Earth protection agencies and asteroid detection.
The incoming threat is real, but are we ready for when the disaster lands?
We All Looked Up, by Tommy Wallach
We All Looked Up is a story about four high school seniors. Peter somehow agrees that high school is the best time of one’s life. Eliza needs to escape Seattle and get away from her reputation. Anita, who is perfect on paper, is wondering if her admission was worth abandoning her dreams. Andy cannot even make out what all the fuss about college and career is about. For him, the future can wait.
Their hearts, hopes, and humanity will be put on the line by an asteroid hurtling toward the Earth. It will potentially wipe out all lives. It is known that its chance of destruction is 66%, which will take place in six weeks.
As the four seniors and other humans wait to see what damage this asteroid will cause, they are presented with challenging scenarios. They must let go of their thoughts about the future and decide how to maximize what they presently have remaining. Does anything matter anymore, or does everything matter even more with every passing minute? Everyone is on a countdown in an incredibly fragile world. Different people will share friendship bonds, becoming a collective whole as they await this major catastrophe.
Beyong The Ice Limit, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
This is a book with a fantastic imagination and superb adventure with well-written characters and thrilling situations. The largest-ever known meteorite has been discovered. It has been buried in the earth for tons of years on a lonely island in Chile. It weighs 4,000 tons, and being that heavy, this treasure may be impossible to move.
Meanwhile, New York’s billionaire Palmer Lloyd is set on getting this incredible gem for his brand-new museum. He stocks a cargo ship with the very best scientists and engineers to develop a flawless expedition to dig up this meteor. The ship is specially built not to draw attention with 100% coverage for safety.
With all the necessary measures taken, you would think nothing could go wrong. However, the ship is powerless in Antarctica. Everyone is working toward doing the right thing, but they all have inevitable failures. With the very first approach to this meteorite, people start to die. A horrible truth is about to unfold, and these men and women cannot move this ancient and enigmatic object. Instead, it is taking them away. This scientific expedition is veering into an uncontrollable disaster, and everything is not what everyone thought it would be.
Incoming Asteroid, by Duncan Lunan
What would we do if we learned that there would be an asteroid landing in a decade or less? Inevitably, there are many things humanity could do nothing about. For example, there may be no enough time to prepare for an unseen object hurtling towards us. It may be too large to stop. Supposing the incoming object is around 1km in diameter orbiting from its belt into Earth. How could it be turned aside?
The book explores three possibilities. The first one is the asteroid’s deflection using remote probes and technological help, developed and proposed, to change its course. Second is the effort to use a human-crewed mission to plant a propulsion technique to push it to a different orbit. The third possibility is a nuclear attempt to break the asteroid and disperse it.
The book also considers what political implications would come up- how governments around the world would react to this incoming threat and at the same time have a vision to minimize the loss of life. How would they also prevent panic during the few weeks into the possible impact?
The adopted techniques described in this book could be adopted to deal with even more significant threats. It shows that people recognize asteroid dangers and that there is hope with preparation.
Final Thoughts
Books and films featuring asteroids, their impending impact, and the possible effects offer informative input. They give us phenomenal and unimaginable ideas about such a scenario. They also help us get deep into our thoughts about different possibilities and ways of preparation for such an occurrence. With the movie Don’t Look Up coming up, fans would broaden their imagination with our list of books above.