O'Brien's other book intended for adults, A Report from Group 17 (1972), is a science-fiction thriller that deals with some overlapping themes and ideas to Z for Zachariah, with nuclear war and two remaining survivors at the center of its plot.
Reading literature about the context of nuclear war, such as Hidden Dangers: The Environmental Consequences of Preparing for War (1991) by Anne Ehrlich or The Age of Radiance: The Epic Rise and Dramatic Fall of the Atomic Era (2014) by Craig Nelson, may also provide insight into some of the themes and ideas presents in the novel.
Other apocalypse fiction with the premise of nuclear war may be of interest, including Alas, Babylon (1959) by Pat...
