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I'm sharing some of the books, films, and TV shows that inspired Rule of Extinction, both to provide recommendations and to give readers a sense of what to expect. Jurassic Park and The Lost World are two more inspirations for my new book, Rule of Extinction. Monster stories resonate because we have a primal fear deep in the back of our minds about being eaten (or stomped, slashed, and gored).
Dinosaurs are some of the best monsters. They're unlike anything we've ever seen, yet they’re real. They existed. One thing that makes the JP franchise so effective is that the theme park scenario puts regular everyday people face-to-face with these monsters.
My first book, The Dinosaur Four, included many of the same dinos as the JP franchise, though I depict them as vicious, feral animals, while the films tend to depict them majestically. In The Dinosaur Four, the "veggie-sauruses" are every bit as dangerous as the carnivores. It's the best R-rated B-movie time-travel dinosaur thriller you'll read all week.  Rule of Extinction is bigger and better than The Dinosaur Four. Rest assured: even though Rule of Extinction is a post-apocalyptic first-contact story, it's also monster horror. There are plenty of dangerous creatures that want to eat, stomp, slash, or gore anyone who gets in their way. And they do. If you haven't read (or watched) Jurassic Park and The Lost World in a while, maybe it's time to revisit them. (Click the book covers above for links.)
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I'm sharing some of the books, films, and TV shows that inspired Rule of Extinction, both to provide recommendations and to give readers a sense of what to expect. Bird Box by Josh Malerman was another inspiration for my new book, Rule of Extinction. I love post-apocalyptic fiction. And although zombies and plagues make for great set-ups, I'm particularly fond of stories with a unique spin on the apocalypse. Bird Box delivers. In Bird Box (and its great follow-up Malorie), most of humanity has been wiped out by something that turns people homicidal if they see it. Horrific violence can occur at any moment.
As a result, the characters spend much of their time blindfolded. The tension is palpable. The survivors are thrust into a group where they aren't sure who they can trust, which only adds to the pervasive sense of dread. The story centers around parent will stop at nothing to protect her children. Bird Box and Malorie are available at Amazon:
Susanne Bier adapted Bird Box into a terrific film. However, I really recommend the audiobooks. Cassandra Campbell's narration is fantastic.  Although Rule of Extinction is quite different, with a completely different post-apocalyptic scenario, I attempted to replicate the page-turning tension & the horrific sense that anything could happen.
One protagonist is also a devoted parent, fighting to keep his children safe in a world filled with monsters, both human and otherwise. I'm sharing some of the books, films, and TV shows that inspired Rule of Extinction, both to provide recommendations and to give readers a sense of what to expect.
The Mist was a huge inspiration for my first book, The Dinosaur Four, and aspects of The Mist influenced Rule of Extinction. Much of The Mist takes place in a supermarket, a location that's immediately relatable. I set The Dinosaur Four in a cafe for just that reason. In The Mist, as with so many great horror stories, the other people are just as dangerous as the monsters. A religious fanatic convinces the crowd that end times have come and demands a blood sacrifice. Rule of Extinction features a similar subplot, and it pushes the book's antagonist over the edge.
Frank Darabont’s film adaptation makes an unforgettable change that kicks you in the guts. My favorite version is a dramatized audio adaptation. I listened to that sucker endlessly as a kid.
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AuthorGeoff Jones is the author of the sci-fi thriller Archives
March 2025
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