Apocalypse Fiction / Your Favourite Apocalypse

[major.walrus]

Apocalypse scenarios are fairly common subject material in books, games, movies etc. Variations on the theme include disease apocalypse, nuclear apocalypse, zombie apocalypse... examples could be '12 Monkeys', the Fallout game series, and 'I Am Legend' respectively.

My personal favourite would have to be a zombie apocalypse. I assess most buildings I enter for their suitability as defense against a zombie horde. I know i'm unlikely to survive on any other merits, so mental preparedness is the key. Not that i'm weird or anything. >_>

Which is your favourite apocalyptic scenario, and do you think you would survive it? Why is it your favourite? What apocalypse fiction have you come across that doesn't fit under the three categories I used as examples?

[Jeffuary]

I still think the best is the Mad Max/Road Warrior scenario. Seems frighteningly plausible, and sets up some of the best action and stunts ever put to film.

Scenario, for those unfamiliar:
As natural resources begin to dry up, nations start to go to war to control them. The superpowers finally get involved in full-fledged nuclear war, leaving Australia unharmed directly, but dying a slow death as the economy collapses and the government struggles to continue. Roving bands of thugs fight and kill for oil to keep their cars and motorcycles running so they can maintain control of the roads.

[major.walrus]

Yeah, the battle for resources is an integral part of the dynamics of any apocalypse scenario :D

Since most tend to involve superpowers, Australia's role is always an interesting point of speculation too. If we were going for a nuclear apocalypse, though, I reckon in the years leading immediatly up to it China would annex it for it's uranium and coal resources. You'd only need about three nukes to disorganise the entire country.

[Mike H]

3? It would take 3 nukes to take out one major urban center, for a large country, try 30-40.

[Mike H]

Also Australia happens to be allied to the 2 largest superpowers (military wise) in the world (the USA, and the UK.)

[Envy]

Fist of the North Star

[Kellye]

Parable of the Sower. Book about environmental holocaust where an orphaned girl from a gated community ends up starting a post-apocalyptic religion.

Very good. :up:

[Mike H]

Fist of the North Star

Why? The Road Warrior was 10 times better, and The Fist of the North Star was almost directly based of the Mad Mad series.

[Soyabean]

Zombiessss :)

Critical question is whether zombies can survive underwater (films seem divided on that) - if they can't, best plan seems to be to head for a smallish island. If they can, then maybe the classic plan of holding out in a huge shopping mall full of supplies is the answer.

[Envy]

Why? The Road Warrior was 10 times better, and The Fist of the North Star was almost directly based of the Mad Mad series.

Because it contains 10 times as much awesome.

[Sewwattsnew]

Zombiessss :)

Critical question is whether zombies can survive underwater (films seem divided on that) - if they can't, best plan seems to be to head for a smallish island. If they can, then maybe the classic plan of holding out in a huge shopping mall full of supplies is the answer.

Yes!

But better than a shopping mall is a zoo. Think about it; you'd have some serious security in almost any enclosure, stockpiles of food, and generators. And at worst, the animals will serve as alarms for approaching zombies. At best the carnivores will eat them (of course this would require either getting zombies into enclosures or letting large predators run about).

[unovegan]

Mine would have to be The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Amazing book with a film version coming out within this year.

What's more fun than a post Nuclear war world?

[MrFalafel]

I'm intrigued by the 'almost everyone on earth dies and a few survivors have to rebuild society' stories.

The 1970s BBC TV series by Terry Nation called 'Survivors' is a great example. In the first episode, 99% of the earth's population dies from a virus that escaped from a lab. Society crumbles and we follow a handful of ordinary individuals through their day to day lives as they try to find food and interact with other survivors. It ran for 3 years.

http://www.survivorstvseries.com/What_Is_Survivors.htm

They did a remake last year but it sucked. Go with the original.

[major.walrus]

3? It would take 3 nukes to take out one major urban center, for a large country, try 30-40.

How big would you define a 'major urban center' as?
If by 'major urban center' you mean a place like London, then I stand by what I said. One for Sydney, one for Brisbane, one for Melbourne.... there goes the organisation and a lot of the population. I'd say Canberra too but it's importance is pretty much token. You wouldn't need to touch most of the country with population distribution like Aus has.

If you consider Sydney to be major population center then the estimate would have to be modified to about six... maybe ten at the most...

That said, although all the first-world, high-tech stuff would dissapear in that, I bet the people in Coober Pedy would be the last standing.

[chryssiie718]

I remember a TV show/special that was on when I was a child, probably early 60's, that scared the sh*t outta me. A post nuclear story done in the "cold war" era, I think it was called "On the Beach". I think there is a book also. I like the Road Warrior stories too. I am not a fan of zombies having been traumatized as a child by "The Night of the Living Dead." (original) :D

[das_nut]

Canticle for Leibowitz.

Awesome book.

[unovegan]

Canticle for Leibowitz.

Awesome book.

What is the premise of this book?

[Digger]

A Boy and His Dog
by Harlan Ellison

"A Rather Kinky Tale of Survival"

[unovegan]

A Boy and His Dog
by Harlan Ellison

"A Rather Kinky Tale of Survival"

The movie version starring a very young Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame!

[Soyabean]

Yes!

But better than a shopping mall is a zoo. Think about it; you'd have some serious security in almost any enclosure, stockpiles of food, and generators. And at worst, the animals will serve as alarms for approaching zombies. At best the carnivores will eat them (of course this would require either getting zombies into enclosures or letting large predators run about).

But can animals catch zombie-ism? Resident Evil contained zombie dogs - and at least one Resident Evil game contained zombie-fied zoo animals I believe.

[fadeaway1289]

But can animals catch zombie-ism? Resident Evil contained zombie dogs - and at least one Resident Evil game contained zombie-fied zoo animals I believe.

I was just about to mention that. I think zombie zoo animals is creepier than human zombies.

[christian.xvx]

What's more fun than a post Nuclear war world?

Nothing! Add me to the list of post-apocalyptic aficionados. :smitten:


I was just about to mention that. I think zombie zoo animals is creepier than human zombies.
Zombie animals are pretty well established in the genre. Off the top of my head: Return of the Living Dead features a cadaver dog who became reanimated. I also believe there were zombie birds in the 3rd Resident Evil movie. Black Sheep (New Zealand) is about zombie sheep and Dead Meat is about zombie mad cows that transfer the disease to humans! And lets not forget The Mad which people become zombies from eating infected beef.

Another reason to be veg*n perhaps?

[MrFalafel]

I've just started a book written back in the 1940s about a strain of plant virus that attacks and kills all wheat, rye and other grain crops around the globe in a matter of a couple of years. Of course there's massive famine then civil unrest. Its the story of one family's fight to stay alive. Its called The Death of Grass by John Christopher.

[das_nut]

What is the premise of this book?

A monastary in post-apocalypse America.