The Rise of Apocalyptic and Survival Fiction

Steven Lake · 03-19-2012, 09:09 PM

One of the rising trends I've seen of late in literature, and even more so in the movies and TV, is what's known as "Apocalyptic" or "Survival" fiction, and even to some degree, non-fiction. IE, topics that cover end of the world themes such as zombies, alien invasion, nuclear war, asteroid impact, societal collapse, super plague, 2012 Mayan prophesy, etc. I find this trend to be rather interesting, and even more fun to write in than my old standby of Sci-fi. In fact, I have 3 books and counting I'm working on in the "Survival" fiction genre that are due out in the next 2 years. Yeah, that's how much I enjoy this particular genre. And it seems that I'm not alone if you look at the numbers.

So what do you guys think about the explosion in this genre? Is it anything you'll be writing in? Are you working on any books in this genre? What do you see as the major themes? Maybe, what are the topic focuses, or the areas of most common interest among writers and fans? Which are the most entertaining to you, and which are the most thrilling? (yes, there is a difference. lol) What about other things in this field that you know of that I haven't mentioned?

Note: MR says you can't list specific names or give links to *your* websites or books (it doesn't say anything about books or sites from other authors unrelated or associated with you, fyi) in this forum as that's considered promoting which can only be done in a very specific and tightly controlled area. But you can at least mention if you're doing anything, what theme (zombie, 2012, etc), maybe how many titles, but no specific details, m'kay? Wouldn't want the thread to get locked because of something silly like that which would break the rules, as I think this is a great topic to discuss. Plus I don't want to tick off the mods if I can at all help it. ^_^;;

crich70 · 03-19-2012, 09:17 PM

Well though I haven't got any story ideas about it I think it's a trend that comes along with the turn of the last century. We had the Y2K prediction and now we have the end of the Mayan Calendar and people are saying the end of that calendar cycle means the end of everything. I think such things come in cycles. People in 1000 AD thought the world would soon end too, and we're still waiting.

dadioflex · 03-20-2012, 08:37 AM

I'm pretty sure there's a link between vampires during booms and zombies during recessions. I think everyone is still kind of on edge about the economy so a typical post-apocalyptic scenario seems more feasible. Maybe even a feeling that life would be simpler if we didn't have to sweat the details and got back to fighting packs of *mutant dogs for old tinned goods.

* the mutation was can-opener jaws. Can-opener jaws.

Steven Lake · 03-20-2012, 08:42 AM

crich70: Yeah, there's always those types all the time. It just seems that a lot of even average people are discussing it. Heck, the people in my area are starting to discuss it, and that's something they never talk about. Most of the discussion around here is farm related.

dadioflex: Well said. I figure there's always some kind of connection between popular genre of the time and world events. I just never quite put the whole vampires and zombies thing together before though. That's kind of an interesting observation.

monkeyluis · 03-20-2012, 09:16 AM

I enjoy it. Sometimes it gets repetitive. But if there is something completely out of the ballpark different then I would jump on it.

VydorScope · 03-20-2012, 11:39 AM

Im not writing in that theme, but I have seen that same rise. I would not surprised if its a simple as recession + yet another end of world prediction driving it.

crich70 · 03-20-2012, 12:29 PM

Monsters do seem to gain popularity during times of recession and depression I agree. Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man were all made (by Universal) in the 1930's and early 1940's. Monsters seem to come in cycles. A different type came along in the 1970's and 1980's. Monsters like Jason and Freddy just to name two. Of course part of the popularity of the "end of the world" idea is also due I think to people like Harold Camping keeping it alive in the media.

mr ploppy · 03-20-2012, 12:58 PM

What's interesting about the modern crop is how few of them have happy endings. In the atomic bomb and evil aliens boom in the 50s, it was all resolved by the last page (or end credits). The message being that we could overcome if we only just kept calm and carried on. Now the message is you're all going to die so it doesn't matter what you do.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-20-2012, 01:00 PM

I think the "cycles" you've seen have more to do with media looking for something they haven't promoted lately, and dredging up old themes to rehash for the public's dime. Apocalyptic fiction and monsters have a nostalgia value that makes them popular with audiences, a known product and an easy sell.

It's also more popular now because special effects are so much more realistic (and cheaper) that it makes it easier to present wrecked cities, zombies and aliens, supernatural creatures and ruined ecosystems. Even television documentaries can present future creatures and "Life After Mankind" programs that look very dramatic and realistic, while spicing things up with "Us vs Them" conflicts.

There's nothing relatively new about society feeling unsure of its future; some of us have felt that way since the 1960s, and feel like the rest of you are just beginning to notice how bad things are. We can also recite the apocalyptic movies since then, from Soylent Green and ZPG, through Silent Running, A Boy And His Dog, Logan's Run, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Damnation Alley, to the multiple iterations of I Am Legend, Jerico, The Book of Eli, The Matrix, Terminator, The Island, etc, etc, etc... and we say: "What rise? When did it fall?"

The closest I've dealt with fiction after the fall would be... oh, wait, I can't actually tell you, or link you to it. Oh, well... use your imagination. At any rate, I have no personal interest in writing apocalyptic fiction. I'd much prefer to write about the next rise than the imminent fall.

Steven Lake · 03-20-2012, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

What's interesting about the modern crop is how few of them have happy endings. In the atomic bomb and evil aliens boom in the 50s, it was all resolved by the last page (or end credits). The message being that we could overcome if we only just kept calm and carried on. Now the message is you're all going to die so it doesn't matter what you do.

I'm not one who believes in the "always a happy ending" mentality. Sometimes a tragic end is better than a happy one. But even so, I'm one who still likes to have them from time to time. My three will all have happy endings to a degree. One is a straight up traditional happy ending, the second is semi-happy (they survive, but it's still hard times ahead), and the third I'm debating how to end it, be that happy, semi-happy, or mixed. (ie, both happy and tragic)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I think the "cycles" you've seen have more to do with media looking for something they haven't promoted lately, and dredging up old themes to rehash for the public's dime. Apocalyptic fiction and monsters have a nostalgia value that makes them popular with audiences, a known product and an easy sell.

You make a good point about the media. They do seem to sorta drive the tastes and fears of the population. Maybe that's why everyone calls them sheeple. lol.

Quote:

The closest I've dealt with fiction after the fall would be... oh, wait, I can't actually tell you, or link you to it. Oh, well... use your imagination. At any rate, I have no personal interest in writing apocalyptic fiction. I'd much prefer to write about the next rise than the imminent fall.

I think the easiest way to go about that is to do like what Walter Miller did in a Canticle for Leibowitz. He started not with the disaster, but the aftermath and the rebuilding to a new pinnacle that would eventually end in disaster again. It was a very interesting way to tackle the whole Apocalyptic/Survival genre from a new angle.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-20-2012, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lake

I think the easiest way to go about that is to do like what Walter Miller did in a Canticle for Leibowitz. He started not with the disaster, but the aftermath and the rebuilding to a new pinnacle that would eventually end in disaster again. It was a very interesting way to tackle the whole Apocalyptic/Survival genre from a new angle.

I've toyed with the idea of writing a full-length follow up to my recovery-related short story collection which shall remain nameless. Maybe someday.

anamardoll · 03-20-2012, 04:15 PM

I like zombie novels as escapist fare. I've jokingly said that every self-published author should* write a zombie novel, but I kind of think it's true for me. I want to write one someday, just for the fun of it.

* Note: Joking. Authors "should" write only what they want to write. It just sometimes feels like a rite of passage. Even Hocking has one, I believe.

Shiromi · 03-20-2012, 08:32 PM

I like some of what's out there, but some of the themes especially those seen in YA dystopic fiction can get a little repetitive. I find zombies particularly overdone, but I confess, I have at least one zombie story and another disaster story in the works, so there you go, maybe it is something about the age we're living in.

gmw · 03-20-2012, 08:47 PM

Mostly I see apocalyptic and survival fiction as just another way of creating a new fantasy world. You set the rules for this new world, somehow inspired by how (and when) the old world ended. The advantage over creating a totally new world is that you get to keep some elements familiar to the reader so that you don't have to build everything for them.

It also lets you keep the number of characters down

The first book I tried to write was something along these lines: a distant future sci-fi with an apocalyptic theme, I abandoned it when it started to feel like Red Dwarf without the humour. I still like some of the ideas I had then, I may even go back to it one day.

I enjoy reading such books when they're well done ... but that's all too rare.

Steven Lake · 03-20-2012, 10:45 PM

Shiromi: Hey, here's a twist for you on the zombie market. I'm not sure who did it, but one guy (an indie author if I remember right) mixed zombie and sci-fi. But instead of the undead coming around trying to eat people alive, they were an alternate race that were a functioning member of galactic society. It was kinda cool. One of my favorite parts was when a newcomer was discussing with one of the zombie ship captains what it was like being a zombie. He replied, "It's actually quite fun. The only bad part is when things start falling off. Opps, there goes my arm."

03-19-2012, 09:09 PM	#1
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	The Rise of Apocalyptic and Survival Fiction One of the rising trends I've seen of late in literature, and even more so in the movies and TV, is what's known as "Apocalyptic" or "Survival" fiction, and even to some degree, non-fiction. IE, topics that cover end of the world themes such as zombies, alien invasion, nuclear war, asteroid impact, societal collapse, super plague, 2012 Mayan prophesy, etc. I find this trend to be rather interesting, and even more fun to write in than my old standby of Sci-fi. In fact, I have 3 books and counting I'm working on in the "Survival" fiction genre that are due out in the next 2 years. Yeah, that's how much I enjoy this particular genre. And it seems that I'm not alone if you look at the numbers. So what do you guys think about the explosion in this genre? Is it anything you'll be writing in? Are you working on any books in this genre? What do you see as the major themes? Maybe, what are the topic focuses, or the areas of most common interest among writers and fans? Which are the most entertaining to you, and which are the most thrilling? (yes, there is a difference. lol) What about other things in this field that you know of that I haven't mentioned? Note: MR says you can't list specific names or give links to your websites or books (it doesn't say anything about books or sites from other authors unrelated or associated with you, fyi) in this forum as that's considered promoting which can only be done in a very specific and tightly controlled area. But you can at least mention if you're doing anything, what theme (zombie, 2012, etc), maybe how many titles, but no specific details, m'kay? Wouldn't want the thread to get locked because of something silly like that which would break the rules, as I think this is a great topic to discuss. Plus I don't want to tick off the mods if I can at all help it. ^_^;; Last edited by Dr. Drib; 03-26-2012 at 06:25 AM.

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03-19-2012, 09:17 PM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Well though I haven't got any story ideas about it I think it's a trend that comes along with the turn of the last century. We had the Y2K prediction and now we have the end of the Mayan Calendar and people are saying the end of that calendar cycle means the end of everything. I think such things come in cycles. People in 1000 AD thought the world would soon end too, and we're still waiting.

03-20-2012, 08:37 AM	#3
dadioflex Dyslexic Count Posts: 526 Karma: 5041991 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Palm TX, Advent Vega, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle	I'm pretty sure there's a link between vampires during booms and zombies during recessions. I think everyone is still kind of on edge about the economy so a typical post-apocalyptic scenario seems more feasible. Maybe even a feeling that life would be simpler if we didn't have to sweat the details and got back to fighting packs of mutant dogs for old tinned goods. the mutation was can-opener jaws. Can-opener jaws.

03-20-2012, 08:42 AM	#4
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	crich70: Yeah, there's always those types all the time. It just seems that a lot of even average people are discussing it. Heck, the people in my area are starting to discuss it, and that's something they never talk about. Most of the discussion around here is farm related. dadioflex: Well said. I figure there's always some kind of connection between popular genre of the time and world events. I just never quite put the whole vampires and zombies thing together before though. That's kind of an interesting observation.

03-20-2012, 09:16 AM	#5
monkeyluis Banned Posts: 725 Karma: 656644 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Central Florida Device: iPad "3", Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, iPhone 4S	I enjoy it. Sometimes it gets repetitive. But if there is something completely out of the ballpark different then I would jump on it.

03-20-2012, 11:39 AM	#6
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Im not writing in that theme, but I have seen that same rise. I would not surprised if its a simple as recession + yet another end of world prediction driving it.

03-20-2012, 12:29 PM	#7
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Monsters do seem to gain popularity during times of recession and depression I agree. Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man were all made (by Universal) in the 1930's and early 1940's. Monsters seem to come in cycles. A different type came along in the 1970's and 1980's. Monsters like Jason and Freddy just to name two. Of course part of the popularity of the "end of the world" idea is also due I think to people like Harold Camping keeping it alive in the media.

03-20-2012, 12:58 PM	#8
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	What's interesting about the modern crop is how few of them have happy endings. In the atomic bomb and evil aliens boom in the 50s, it was all resolved by the last page (or end credits). The message being that we could overcome if we only just kept calm and carried on. Now the message is you're all going to die so it doesn't matter what you do.

03-20-2012, 01:00 PM	#9
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I think the "cycles" you've seen have more to do with media looking for something they haven't promoted lately, and dredging up old themes to rehash for the public's dime. Apocalyptic fiction and monsters have a nostalgia value that makes them popular with audiences, a known product and an easy sell. It's also more popular now because special effects are so much more realistic (and cheaper) that it makes it easier to present wrecked cities, zombies and aliens, supernatural creatures and ruined ecosystems. Even television documentaries can present future creatures and "Life After Mankind" programs that look very dramatic and realistic, while spicing things up with "Us vs Them" conflicts. There's nothing relatively new about society feeling unsure of its future; some of us have felt that way since the 1960s, and feel like the rest of you are just beginning to notice how bad things are. We can also recite the apocalyptic movies since then, from Soylent Green and ZPG, through Silent Running, A Boy And His Dog, Logan's Run, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Damnation Alley, to the multiple iterations of I Am Legend, Jerico, The Book of Eli, The Matrix, Terminator, The Island, etc, etc, etc... and we say: "What rise? When did it fall?" The closest I've dealt with fiction after the fall would be... oh, wait, I can't actually tell you, or link you to it. Oh, well... use your imagination. At any rate, I have no personal interest in writing apocalyptic fiction. I'd much prefer to write about the next rise than the imminent fall.

03-20-2012, 04:15 PM	#12
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I like zombie novels as escapist fare. I've jokingly said that every self-published author should* write a zombie novel, but I kind of think it's true for me. I want to write one someday, just for the fun of it. * Note: Joking. Authors "should" write only what they want to write. It just sometimes feels like a rite of passage. Even Hocking has one, I believe.

03-20-2012, 08:32 PM	#13
Shiromi Member Posts: 16 Karma: 714416 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle	I like some of what's out there, but some of the themes especially those seen in YA dystopic fiction can get a little repetitive. I find zombies particularly overdone, but I confess, I have at least one zombie story and another disaster story in the works, so there you go, maybe it is something about the age we're living in.

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03-20-2012, 08:47 PM	#14
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	Mostly I see apocalyptic and survival fiction as just another way of creating a new fantasy world. You set the rules for this new world, somehow inspired by how (and when) the old world ended. The advantage over creating a totally new world is that you get to keep some elements familiar to the reader so that you don't have to build everything for them. It also lets you keep the number of characters down The first book I tried to write was something along these lines: a distant future sci-fi with an apocalyptic theme, I abandoned it when it started to feel like Red Dwarf without the humour. I still like some of the ideas I had then, I may even go back to it one day. I enjoy reading such books when they're well done ... but that's all too rare.

03-20-2012, 10:45 PM	#15
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Shiromi: Hey, here's a twist for you on the zombie market. I'm not sure who did it, but one guy (an indie author if I remember right) mixed zombie and sci-fi. But instead of the undead coming around trying to eat people alive, they were an alternate race that were a functioning member of galactic society. It was kinda cool. One of my favorite parts was when a newcomer was discussing with one of the zombie ship captains what it was like being a zombie. He replied, "It's actually quite fun. The only bad part is when things start falling off. Opps, there goes my arm."