Post-holocaust

Post-holocaust is a sub-genre of science fiction dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophe---usually nuclear war, but not invariably. It rose to prominence following World War II, because for the first time it was believed that man had the capacity to destroy his civilization. One early example, though, was written in the 1930s — Stephen Vincent Benet's story "By The Rivers of Babylon."

Most post-holocaust stories feature primitive descendants of modern-day people, usually in a pseudo-medieval society. Those whose backstory includes nuclear warfare often also feature mutation, of animals, plants and humans alike. Mutants may be anything from the heroes of the story to inveterate enemies of the protagonists.

A seminal work in this subgenre was Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz. Many subsequent stories were clearly derivative of this novel. Things like a recrudescent Church (Catholic or other), pseudo-medieval society, and the theme of the rediscovery of the knowledge of the pre-holocaust world were central to this book.