Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Just categorizing. . .

“This is the end/Beautiful friend/This is the end/My only friend, the End

—Jim Morrison, The Doors, “The End,” 1967

“An apocalypse is a work of literature dealing with the end of human history. For millennia apocalypses of various sorts have arisen throughout the world in the cultural life of many peoples and religions. They are generated by philosophical speculation, by visions of the future, or by inarticulate longings and apprehensions, and not infrequently by the abiding human passion for what J. R. R. Tolkien called “sub-creation”. These poems, epics, fantasies, myths, and prophetic works bear a common witness to man’s transient state upon the earth. Man is a stranger and sojourner. His existence is inexpressibly beautiful—and dangerous. It is fraught with mysteries that beg to be deciphered. The Greek word apokalypsis means an uncovering, or revealing. Through such revelations man gazes into the panorama of human history in search of the key to his identity, in search of permanence and completion.”—Michael O’Brien, Father Elijah

OED. Apocalypse. Etymology: < Latin apocalypsis, < Greek ἀποκάλυψις, noun of action < ἀποκαλύπτειν to uncover, disclose, < ἀπό off + καλύπτειν to cover. 1. (With capital initial.) The ‘revelation’ of the future granted to St. John in the isle of Patmos. The book of the New Testament in which this is recorded. 2. By extension: Any revelation or disclosure.

OED. Armageddon. Etymology: See Rev. xvi. 16 (A.V.) The place of the last decisive battle at the Day of Judgement; hence used allusively for any ‘final’ conflict on a great scale.

OED. Ragnarok. The destruction or ‘twilight’ of the gods; spec. the last battle of this world, in which gods and men will be defeated by monsters and the sun will grow dark.

In literature, modern:

· M. Shelley, The Last Man, 1826

· H.G. Wells, The Time Machine, 1895

· H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds, 1898

· R.H. Benson, The Lord of the World, 1908

· G.R. Stewart, Earth Abides, 1949

· R. Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains,” 1950

· J. Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, 1951

· A.C. Clarke, Childhood’s End, 1953

· R. Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, 1953

· R. Matheson, I Am Legend, 1954

· J. Wyndham, The Chrysalids, 1955

· N. Shute, On the Beach, 1957

· W. Miller, Canticle for Leibowitz, 1960

· J.G. Ballard, The Drowned World, 1962

· P. Bouelle, Planet of the Apes, 1963

· L. Niven and J. Pournelle, Lucifer’s Hammer, 1977

· S. King, The Stand, 1978

· J.N. Schulman, Alongside Night, 1979

· W. Strieber, War Day, 1984

· D. Brin, The Postman, 1985

· R. McCammon, Swan Song, 1987

· G. Dickson, Wolf and Iron, 1990

· P.D. James, Children of Men, 1992

· M. O’Brien, Father Elijah, 1996

· M. O’Brien, Eclipse of the Sun, 1998

· M. Atwood, Oryx and Crake, 2003

· S.M. Stirling, Dies the Fire, 2004

· C. McCarthy, The Road, 2006

· J.J. Adams, Wastelands, 2008

· J. Cronin, The Passage, 2010

Graphic Novels

· Moore and D. Gibbons, Watchmen, 1986-1987

· P. David, The Hulk: The End, 2002

· B.K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man, 2002-

· Wood, DMZ, 2005-

· P. Pope, Batman Year 100, 2006