The idea of a second American Civil War is commonly used in speculative fiction. The science fiction author Paul Di Filippo has coined the term America Disunited to describe a subgenre of speculative fiction where the United States is balkanized or facing civil war, arguing that the subgenre goes back to the 19th century. There has also been recent academic research into second civil war fiction. Others have argued the increase in novels on a second American civil war demonstrate increasing polarization in the United States since Donald Trump's first election.

Academic research Some scholars have argued that many second civil war fictional novels were written to inspire far-right radicalization and violence, such as The Turner Diaries. However, novels such as alternative history The Guns of the South or future dystopian fiction series such as The Hunger Games and Divergent do not attempt to do this.

List of second civil war fictional works

Examples of second American civil war speculative fiction, based on academic or other cited works include:

Title Author / creator Year Type Scenario Source The Iron Heel Jack London 1908 Novel U.S. dictatorship and rebellion It Can't Happen Here Sinclair Lewis 1935 Novel U.S. dictatorship and resistance "If This Goes On—" Robert A. Heinlein 1940 Novella U.S. dictatorship and rebellion Earth Abides George R. Stewart 1949 Novel Collapse of U.S./North American civilization The Long Tomorrow Leigh Brackett 1955 Novel Collapse and fragmentation of the United States Seven Days in May Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II 1962 Novel Attempted U.S. military dictatorship Davy Edgar Pangborn 1964 Novel Post-collapse North America under authoritarian rule Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner 1968 Novel U.S. social and political breakdown The Jagged Orbit John Brunner 1969 Novel U.S. social fragmentation and widespread political violence The Sheep Look Up John Brunner 1972 Novel U.S. social, environmental, and political collapse Ecotopia Ernest Callenbach 1975 Novel Secession of the Pacific Northwest from the United States The Turner Diaries Andrew Macdonald 1978 Novel U.S. insurgency and civil war On Wings of Song Thomas M. Disch 1979 Novel Fragmented and authoritarian United States Hello America J. G. Ballard 1981 Novel Collapse and abandonment of the United States Friday Robert A. Heinlein 1982 Novel Political fragmentation of North America Radio Free Albemuth Philip K. Dick 1985 Novel U.S. dictatorship and resistance The Guns of the South Harry Turtledove 1992 Novel Major U.S. rebellion/civil war Snow Crash Neal Stephenson 1992 Novel Collapse and political fragmentation of the United States DMZ Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli 2005 Comic-book series Second American Civil War The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 2008 Novel Post-collapse North American dictatorship and rebellion Divergent Veronica Roth 2011 Novel Post-collapse North American authoritarian society and rebellion Tropic of Kansas Christopher Brown 2017 Novel U.S. political collapse, authoritarian repression, and rebellion American War Omar El Akkad 2017 Novel Second American Civil War and national collapse The Handmaid's Tale Bruce Miller 2017–2025 Television series Authoritarian regime replacing the United States Biography of X Catherine Lacey 2023 Novel Alternate United States divided following political upheaval Civil War Alex Garland 2024 Film Second American Civil War and collapse of federal authority The Breakup Kurt Andersen 2026 Novel Dissolution of the United States and limited civil war Exit Party Emily St. John Mandel 2026 Novel U.S. coup, civil war, and national fragmentation

Other works in the category for Second American Civil War speculative fiction include:

Name Year(s) Released Media 1900: Or, The Last President 1896 Novel After the Revolution 2022 Novel Back in the USSA 1997 Novel "Back to the Pilot" 2011 TV episode Barb Wire (1996 film) 1996 Film Bring the Jubilee 1953 Novel DMZ 2022 TV miniseries Eddington (film) 2025 Film The Electric State 2023 Graphic novel Empire (Card novel) 2006 Novel Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said 1974 Novel First Citizen (novel) 1987 Novel The Handmaid's Tale (TV series) 2017–2025 TV series How Few Remain 1997 Novel Jericho (2006 TV series) 2006 TV series The John Franklin Letters 1959 Novel Kaiserreich (video game) 2016 Video game mod Leave the World Behind (film) 2023 Film Minuteman: The Second American Revolution 1976 Board wargame The Passion of New Eve 1977 Novel The Second Civil War 1997 TV film Shattered Union 2005 Video game Silicon Embrace 1996 Novel Superman: Red Son 2003 Comic Unwind (novel) 2007 Novel

See also

American Civil War alternate histories Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II

References