What is the most depressing sci fi you have ever read?

[The Newswire]

Today, Slashdot asked the question: Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Depressing Sci-fi You've Ever Read?

For me, it was The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury...

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[inox]

For me it is The People of Sand and Slag.

[Scarab]

In my case it's a Danish book called "Ikke med et Brag" by Jørgen Minor from 1985, where a scientist manages to create a virus that destroys humanity's ability to procreate. Then there is one woman who turns out to fertile still, but she's from Africa, so enter journalist that whips up a media-frenzy and a lynch-mob and there we go - end of humanity.
"Ikke med et brag" means "Not with a bang"

-Scarab

[inox]

Scarab, sounds like the person who wrote Children of Men may have read that book.

[Scarab]

I haven't read Children of Men or seen the movie, but yes, the plot synopsis for CoM sounded awfully familiar.

-Scarab

[Morning Glory]

I Am Legend By Richard Matheson is probably the most depressing book I've ever read, of any genre let alone scifi.

VALIS by PK Dick is pretty close. I don't really remember why, but it's basically about PKD trying to kill himself and questioning God because of a woman that he knew that committed suicide, and then when he meets God and ask what is the meaning of life, why do people suffer and why me? God basically says. "Fuck you. That's why." and it's pretty much a true story.

A Scanner Darkly is also really depressing because it is also about reality. It's about how drugs are dumb. Or more precisely about how drugs are almost completely inconsequential and just make you feel funny, which is kind of silly and would actually be funny if it wasn't so fucking sad that they completely destroy people's lives and the government has fucked over everyone as an excuse to stop them from doing that.