Extrapolating the social ramifications of an overpopulated world is a theme in science fiction (especially from the 60s and 70s) which particularly interests me. Not only can an overpopulated world make a fascinating backdrop to a straightforward plot (Robert Silverberg’s The Time Hoppers) but can also serve as the motivating superstructure of an entire novel (John Brunner’s monolithic Stand on Zanzibar).

An overpopulated world is often characterized by a breakdown of existing cultural and moral barriers, the “mechanization” or increasing “programmability” of mankind, societal good increasingly aimed at production or reproduction, landscapes plagued by extreme pollution (disease, extinctions, etc), and of course, a protagonist with traditionalist philosophies (for example, remembering the allure of “working the land” in the past less-populated world).

A few works below concern overpopulation on alien worlds…

I’ve decided to compile a list (updated as I discover more) of SF books and movies (my review linked) which feature overpopulation in some form or another. I’ve listed them by release date.

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Science Fiction Novels/Short Stories

1950s

C. M. Kornbluth, “The Marching Morons” (1951), 4/5 (Good)

Miriam Allen deFord, “Throwback” (1952), 4/5 (Good)

Isaac Asimov, The Caves of Steel (1954), 4/5 (Good)

Miriam Allen deFord, “One Way” (1955), 4/5 (Good)

Robert A. Heinlein, Tunnel in the Sky (1955), 4/5 (Good)

Frederik Pohl, “The Census Takers” (1956), (unread)

Robert Silverberg, “Why?” (1957), 4/5 (Good)

Robert Silverberg, “Force of Mortality?” (1957), 3.5/5 (Good)

J. G. Ballard, “The Concentration City” (variant titles: “Build-Up” and “The Disaster Area”) (1957), 4.75/5 (Very Good)

Robert Silverberg, Master of Life and Death (1957), .25/5 (horrible)

Robert Sheckley, “The Minimum Man” (1958), 4.25/5 (Good)

C. M. Kornbluth, “Shark Ship” (variant title: “Reap the Dark Tide”) (1958), (unread)

Robert Bloch, This Crowded Earth (1958), (unread)

1960s

Alice Glaser, “The Tunnel Ahead” (1961), (unread)

Anthony Burgess, The Wanting Seed (1962), (unread)

J. G. Ballard, “Billenium” (1962), 5/5 (Masterpiece)

Lester Del Rey, The Eleventh Commandment (1962, revised 1970), 3.75/5 (Good)

Frederik Pohl, “The Deadly Mission of Phineas Snodgrass” (1962, revised as “The Deadly Mission of P. Snodgrass”, 1970), (unread)

Rick Raphael, “The Thirst Quenchers” (1963), 3.5/5 (Good)

Jane Roberts, The Rebellers (1963), (unread)

Rick Raphael, “Guttersnipe” (1964), 3.25/5 (Vaguely Good)

Rick Raphael, “Odd Man In” (1965), 2.5/5 (Bad)

Brian W. Aldiss, Earthworks (1965), rating: 3.5/5 (Average)

D. G. Compton, The Quality of Mercy (1965), rating: 4/5 (Good)

Brian W. Aldiss, “Another Little Boy” (1966), rating: 4/5 (Good)

Harry Harrison, Make Room! Make Room! (1966) (unread)

Keith Roberts, “The Deeps” (1966) 4/5 (Good)

Roger Zelazny, The Dream Master (1966), 4/5 (Good)

David I. Masson, “The Transfinite Choice” (1966), 3/5 (Average)

Philip E. High, The Mad Metropolis (1966), (unread)

Kit Reed, “At Central” (1967), 5/5 (Near Masterpiece)

Clifford D. Simak, Why Call Them Back From Heaven? (1967), rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Robert Silverberg, To Open the Sky (1967), rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Robert Silverberg, The Time Hoppers (1967), rating: 2.5/5 (Average)

Louis Charbonneau, Down to Earth (1967), rating: 2/5 (Bad)

Irving A. Greenfield, Waters of Death (1967), rating: 1/5 (Terrible)

Harry Harrison, “A Criminal Act” (1967), (unread)

James Blish and Norman L. Knight, A Torrent of Faces (1967), (unread)

John Brunner, Stand on Zanibar (1968), rating: 5/5 (Masterpiece — my all time favorite sci-fi novel)

Robert Sheckley, “The People Trap” (1968), rating: 4/5 (Good)

Brian W. Aldiss, “Total Environment” (1968), (unread)

Kurt Vonnegut, ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’ (1968), (unread)

James Blish, “We All Die Naked” (1969), rating: 4/5 (Good)

Raul R. Ehrlich, “Eco-Catastrophe!” (1969), (unread)

Roger Zelazny, “The Eve of RUMOKO” (1969), rating: 3/5 (Average)

1970s

Joanna Russ, And Chaos Died (1970), rating 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Keith Laumer, “The Lawgiver” (1970), (unread)

Dean R. Koontz, Anti-Man (1970), (unread)

James Blish, “Statistician’s Day” (1970), (unread)

Don Pendleton, 1989: Population Doomsday (variant title: Population Doomsday) (1970), (unread)

Michael G. Coney, “The Sharks of Pentreath” (1971), 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Kate Wilhelm, “Where Have You Been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?” (1971), 3.5/5 (Good)

Mark Adlard, Interface (1971), 3.25/5 (Vaguely Good)

Maggie Nadler, “The Secret” (1971), (unread)

T. J. Bass, Half Past Human (1971), rating: 2.5/5 (Average)

Harry Harrison, “Roommates” (1971), (unread)

Gordon R. Dickson, The Outposter (1971), (unread)

Robert Silverberg, The World Inside (1971), rating: 5/5 (Masterpiece)

Max Ehrlich, The Edict (1971), (unread)

Ursula Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven (1971), (unread)

Dan Morgan, Inside (1971), 3/5 (Average)

Frank M. Robinson, “East Wind, West Wind” (1972), (unread)

Kurt Vonnegut, “The Big Space Fuck” (1972), (unread)

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Darkover Landfall (1972), 3/5 (Average)

Andrew J. Offutt, The Castle Keeps (1972), (unread)

Thomas M. Disch, 334 (1972), (unread)

Michael Elder, Nowhere on Earth (1972), (unread)

Edmund Cooper, The Tenth Planet (1973), (unread)

Colin Free, Soft Kill (1973), (unread)

John Jakes, On Wheels (1973), 3/5 (Average)

Michael G. Coney, Friends Come in Boxes (1973), 4.25/5 (Good)

Stanislaw Lem, The Futurological Congress (1974), 4.5/5 (Very Good)

John Hershey, My Petition for More Space (1974), 4/5 (Good)

Alan E. Nourse, The Bladerunner (1974), (unread)

J. G. Ballard, High-Rise (1975), rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth (1975), 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Algis Budrys, “A Scraping at the Bones” (1975), (unread)

Evelyn E. Smith, Unpopular Planet (1975), (unread)

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Time of the Fourth Horseman (1976), (unread)

George Guthridge, “Dolls Demise” (1976), (unread)

William Walding, “Triage” (1976), (unread)

Mark Adlard, Interface (1977), 3.25/5 (Vaguely Good)

Colin Kapp, Manalone (1977), (unread)

1980s

Axel Madsen, Unisave (1980), (unread)

Joe Haldeman, Worlds: A Novel of the Near Future (1981), (unread)

Philip José Farmer, Dayworld (1985), (unread)

Philip José Farmer, Dayworld Rebel (1987), (unread)

Michael Kurland, Star Griffin (1987), unread

Barry B. Longyear, Sea of Glass (1987), (unread)

David Brin and Gregory Benford, Heart of the Comet (1987), (unread)

Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Stephen Barnes, Legacy of Heorot (1987), (unread)

1990s

Philip José Farmer, Dayworld Breakup (1990), (unread)

David Brin, Earth (1990), (unread)

Charles Harness, Lunar Justice (1991), (unread)

George Turner, The Destiny Makers (1993), (unread)

2000-Present

Charles Stross, Accelerando (2005), (unread)

Brian Aldiss, Finches of Mars (2013), (unread)

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Science Fiction Anthologies

1970s

Future City (1972), ed. Roger Elwood, rating: 3.25/5 (Average)

No Room For Man (1979), ed. Joseph D. Olander, Martin Harry Greenberg, Ralf S. Clem, (unread)

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Science Fiction Movies

1970s

Michael Campus, Z.P.G (1972), (unseen)

Richard Fleischer, Soylent Green (1973), rating: 6.75/10 (Average)

2000-Present

Neill Blomkomp, Elysium (2013), (unseen)