Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction

Author Mary Shelley was born in London, England on August 30, 1797. Her father was a philosopher and her mother (who shortly died after Shelley’s birth) a feminist. She had several brothers and sisters growing up. She would often read and write in her free time, showing a true passion for literature early on in life. Shelley went on to date and marry poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Tragedy struck when her half-sister committed suicide shortly before Shelley’s marriage to Percy. With the tragedy…

is for their own good. The ways in which the people are suppressed differs from book to book reflecting the time it was written in. This has not changed with the trend into Young Adult fiction, the focus however has. The focus of adult dystopias is primarily the governments, where as in today’s young adult fictions the focus is the characters. The author focuses more on the protagonist’s feelings and relationships. Letting the government act as background, setting, and reasoning for the dire…

everywhere, quotes from the novels are exchanged in everyday conversation, and the merchandise that has made its way from the shelves and into the lives of nearly every fan. Since there has been such an overwhelming rise in popularity for the young adult fiction genre, a novel such as The Fault in Our Stars would a more fitting choice for the story that defines this generation than Harry Potter because it has become more relevant in the pop culture of…

The dismal and gray fiction following the journey of an unnamed father and his son through a post-apocalyptic wasteland depicts a form of human connection unlike any other. Cormac McCarthy successfully highlights the unspeakable bond between parent and child within The Road, with a young boy and his dying father facing the seemingly hopeless world around them with the mentality of heroism and morality as they battle the so-called “bad guys” of the new world. As Carlson writes, “...other people…

commonly found in sociopaths; such as lack of remorse, lack of empathy, shallow emotions and cruelty. Throughout the world in which The Road takes place, cruelty has evolved from its basic sociopathic trait into second nature for survivors in this post-apocalyptic environment. Cruelty has ultimately taken root in the human psyche becoming nothing more than instinct. In the novel, cruelty is a natural occurrence by the marauders, cannibals, and thieves. However, the man reveals a glimpse of…

Science Fiction is almost exponentially broad in terms of its definition. For the sake of my argument we will be looking at this genre for its discussions regarding the consequences and encounters with change that is poses. Throughout the majority of human history, society moved slowly. Because of this it was nearly impossible for people to visualize a future that diverged drastically from their own case. When the Scientific Revolution occurred it brought with it new discoveries of astronomy and…

Science Fiction Writing: Fiction or Prediction? Much like a window into our future’s worst nightmares, the science fiction genre allows one to get that “based on a true story” horror movie feel for what could happen to the world we know. The books and stories that fall upon this category are not supposed to be a foolproof, flawless prediction of the daily lives of future generations, but do often hold some truth in the erratic world of tomorrow since they are frequently based on real events.…

Nothing screams classic horror novels like Frankenstein. A household name that, on its initial reveal, rocked the world. Since then there have been a multitude of adaptations recreated off of the base premise. 30+ movies inspired by Mary Shelley’s legendary novel. Most aren’t the best, but there are some diamonds in the rough. I really want to take this opportunity to compare the classic novel to an interesting adaptation called I, Frankenstein, directed by Stuart Beattie. The differences…

addressed, as well as the general correlation between how the men within this novel view women and how this only promotes their oppression. Authors’ Main Points: Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake (2009) is a piece of speculative fiction that is set in a post-apocalyptic…

Video games are arguably even less associated with storytelling than comics are, with some critics believing “that the video-game form is incompatible with traditional concepts of narrative” (Bissel, 93). Where the medium truly excels, however, is with its capacity for immersion. Like how the addition of sound allowed filmgoers to not just watch the action but hear it, “Every new medium that has been invented … has increased the transporting power of narrative” (Rose, 36). Where readers of books…