Apple TV’s Silo has been an incredible addition to the post-apocalyptic genre, but it seems far from being the perfect replacement for HBO’s Station Eleven. While the HBO miniseries will always remain one of the most distinct post-apocalyptic TV shows, another limited sci-fi series from 2024 comes close to filling its void. Interestingly, the show in question is based on a seminal post-apocalyptic book that even inspired Stephen King.
Although Station Eleven is still relatively obscure compared to some of the mainstream, long-running shows of the genre, it is almost unanimously loved by those who have watched it. What makes it memorable is that instead of treading the same path as most post-apocalyptic series, it never solely focuses on humanity’s survival in a dying world.
Instead, it highlights how survival alone is not enough for humanity to sustain itself. There is almost a quiet, poetic melancholy to the series where it captures how, beyond the primal desire to survive, the remaining humans in a post-apocalyptic world find purpose in art, memory, and connection. It is less about violence and despair and more about how one finds meaning even after the world as we know it ceases to exist.
Station Eleven can probably never be replaced. However, MGM+’s one-season adaptation of George R. Stewart’s Earth Abides comes close to being the next best thing in the post-apocalyptic genre.
Station Eleven Fans Will Love MGM+’s Earth Abides
Similar to Station Eleven, MGM+’s Earth Abides takes a more meditative approach towards portraying the world in the aftermath of an apocalypse. Its story neither features any supernatural elements nor does it raise the stakes of its drama by relying on constant violence and large-scale conflicts. Instead, it gradually explores how humanity allows the meaning of culture and knowledge to evolve.
In both, the physical remains of the world are gradually consumed by nature. A quietness looms over the planet and newer generations emerge who know little about the world from the “before times.” There are also no conventional antagonists in both. The conflicts in the two shows emerge from the internal friction between survivors who struggle to hold on to fading cultures and history.
Earth Abides is more anthropological than Station Eleven in the sense that it has a macro-level view of human behavior and ecosystem recovery. Station Eleven, on the other hand, inclines more towards art and theater, highlighting how, even in a dying world, creative legacy helps humanity find a sense of purpose.
However, the serenity with which both walk through their post-apocalyptic stories and the day-to-day snags of their surviving characters makes them seem similar in spirit. Earth Abides‘ original book, which was written by George R. Stewart, is also considered one of the most seminal books in the post-apocalyptic genre.
Owing to this, it would be fair to say that, in some ways, the book has influenced many modern stories in the genre, including Station Eleven.
George R. Stewart’s Earth Abides Inspired One Of Stephen King’s Greatest Books
Speaking of how Earth Abides has influenced the genre, Stephen King, too, drew from the book when he wrote The Stand. On paper, Stephen King’s The Stand seems almost nothing like George R. Stewart’s Earth Abides. Like most Stephen King books, The Stand, too, adopts supernatural horror elements and unfolds more as a tale of good versus evil.
However, as Stephen King himself revealed in Danse Macabre, the core idea for The Stand came to him through the George R. Stewart novel. In the book, the author recalled reading about “an accidental CBW spill in Utah.” The event reminded him of the world-ending events from Earth Abides, prompting him to write his own version of a post-apocalyptic story.
Earth Abides‘ influence goes far beyond the literary world. Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, too, loved the book and even based his song, “Third Stone from the Sun,” on the novel. The MGM+ adaptation of the George R. Stewart book is, by no means, perfect.
In terms of acclaim and even overall production quality, it also comes nowhere close to Silo, Station Eleven, or the recent adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. However, its ability to capture the realism of a post-apocalyptic world and keep its drama simple but compelling throughout its runtime makes it worthwhile.