Readers have always had a strange fascination with tales of how the world will end. Yet no matter how hopeless events may appear, there is always an author ready to make it seem that much worse. Recently, the post apocalyptic books have become very prevalent in literature and more appear every day.
Mankind has been suggesting that the world is coming to an end nearly as long as it's been around. The stories of death and destruction spread by ancient cultures have survived time to still be present today. It is not unlikely that these tales influenced Mary Shelley in 1826 to begin a novel that would become the mother of post apocalyptic literature today.
Many similar books followed in the Victorian era but the genre really gained a foothold during World War II. The atomic bomb showed humanity that we now had the power to destroy not just ourselves but the entire planet. The 1950s, as a result, became a booming period of destruction and mayhem in literature. While this seemed to decline after the Cold War, the past ten years have shown an increase in end of the world scenarios once more.
This genre contains varying methods of worldwide destruction. Readers may encounter anything from plague to nuclear war to comet collisions. Even aliens have more than once had their chance to cause the end of the world.
Some writers don't reveal the cause of destruction at all. Readers are shown the way in which characters react to the disaster, how they survive, and if they decide to rebuild civilization. The importance of the story is not in how or why the event happened but in what surviving humanity will do about it.
Most doomsday literature is centered around fictional aspects but that doesn't mean there are no real life discussions about possible events. Non-fiction post apocalyptic books can cover everything from the judgment of God to the mysteries of Mayan predictions. Some even question alien invasions.
Mankind has been suggesting that the world is coming to an end nearly as long as it's been around. The stories of death and destruction spread by ancient cultures have survived time to still be present today. It is not unlikely that these tales influenced Mary Shelley in 1826 to begin a novel that would become the mother of post apocalyptic literature today.
Many similar books followed in the Victorian era but the genre really gained a foothold during World War II. The atomic bomb showed humanity that we now had the power to destroy not just ourselves but the entire planet. The 1950s, as a result, became a booming period of destruction and mayhem in literature. While this seemed to decline after the Cold War, the past ten years have shown an increase in end of the world scenarios once more.
This genre contains varying methods of worldwide destruction. Readers may encounter anything from plague to nuclear war to comet collisions. Even aliens have more than once had their chance to cause the end of the world.
Some writers don't reveal the cause of destruction at all. Readers are shown the way in which characters react to the disaster, how they survive, and if they decide to rebuild civilization. The importance of the story is not in how or why the event happened but in what surviving humanity will do about it.
Most doomsday literature is centered around fictional aspects but that doesn't mean there are no real life discussions about possible events. Non-fiction post apocalyptic books can cover everything from the judgment of God to the mysteries of Mayan predictions. Some even question alien invasions.
About the Author:
Looking to move your kids from in front of the television for a time? Maybe you can get them into the pastime of reading fiction. Such novels for teenagers are numerous as are the quality authors, with the genres of young adult fantasy novels, science fiction and post-apocalyptic books in the vanguard. One upcoming work like this is the first of the "Save the Pearls" young adult series, "Revealing Eden" written by Victoria Foyt.