What causes the Apocalypse?
The so-called Mayan Doomsday is fast approaching. I predict that most of us will survive on December 21st. I also predict that the apocalyptic genre of fiction will survive as well. This genre has received a lot of attention, but predicting the end of the world is nothing new.
I guess one of the oldest apocalyptic stories is the story of Noah’s Ark. Some scholars believe that parts of this story were derived even from earlier work. Apparently, people have been inspired to write or talk about Doomsday from the very beginning or recorded time. As it happens today, the ancient floods were probably pretty horrible things. Since the news did not spread as it does now, a flood that covered a vast area may have seemed to cover most of the world.
Of course, modern fiction has also presented us with a lot of pretty scary scenarios. Floods still persist as a remarkable way to end the world as we know it. A horrible zombie apocalypse has appeared as a popular favorite for decades. Some fiction speculates that our end could be caused by other supernatural forces or beasts like vampires or demons. Natural explanations include meteor strikes, a change in the planet’s rotation, and black holes. There are as many creative ways to condemn the majority of the human race as there are readers and writers.
Why do readers enjoy apocalyptic fiction?
I have seen many articles and forum posts where readers discuss the reasons why they enjoy these types of books. They are interesting to read.
- Some readers enjoy these gloomy books because they give them a way to escape from thinking about their current life for a while.
- Some books can also give warnings about things that could happen if humanity stays on its current course. Some readers find these books speculative educational.
- Most good apocalyptic books also show the human spirit as people get through their situations. In that way, doomsday books can be quite hopeful too! That may seem a bit ironic, but it’s true.
Why do authors write apocalyptic books?
What inspired the authors to write about the end of the world? I have asked this same question to some authors of apocalyptic fiction. The answer to this question varied with both writers and readers.
- Some were inspired by other books in the genre. The authors just wanted to expand on a topic from a different angle.
- In fact, some decided to write an end-of-the-world book because of real-world experiences. They were involved in a war or trapped in a disaster zone. Writing the book was a way of accepting his experiences.
- Some stories even arose because the author wanted to expand on a dream or a nightmare.
- Some writers wanted to show a mirror of the current problems of society by writing an apocalyptic book on what could happen if these problems are not solved or if these problems get worse.
Of course, let’s not overlook the obvious. Some readers just want to be entertained. Some writers just want to entertain us!