Apocalyptic Fiction

Visions of post-apocalyptic worlds have proved to be irresistible for many 21st-century writers, from literary novelists to fantasy and young adult writers. Exploring a wide range of texts, from the works of Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, Tom Perrotta and Emily St. John Mandel to young adult novels such as Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series, this is the first critical introduction to contemporary apocalyptic fiction.

Exploring the cultural and political contexts of these writings and their echoes in popular media, Apocalyptic Fiction also examines how contemporary apocalyptic texts looks back to earlier writings by the likes of Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells and J.G. Ballard. Apocalyptic Fiction includes an annotated guide to secondary readings, making this an essential guide for students of contemporary fiction at all levels.

"Released in the "21st-Century Genre Fiction" series, this book begins by distinguishing two ways of depicting a “ruined future”: as dystopia and as "a devastated Earth in which 'technofuture' has failed." So Tate (Lancaster Univ., UK) writes in the introduction. Tate correctly defines apocalypse as an “uncovering of what was previously hidden” about the future and notes its dependence on the Bible. Having acknowledged the biblical origins of modern apocalypses, Tate discusses five types of modern apocalypse, devoting a chapter to each. The first he dubs “God Rains Over Everything.” These apocalypses depict an end devised by God. The second type, which borrows its theme from the New Testament, depicts a sudden departure of people. The third resembles the implied chaos mentioned in Genesis 1:2 (Earth as without form and void). Type four depicts what Tate terms walking after catastrophe (i.e., life beyond a traumatic end), and the last, discussed in chapter 5 ("Keep Watching"), develops the walking theme further. On the plus side, the book surveys a wide range of literature and provides a useful way of categorizing apocalyptic fiction. On the negative side, Tate articulates no obvious thesis, so the reader is left to wonder what this literature adds up to. Summing Up: Recommended. With reservations. Lower-division undergraduates; general readers.” - CHOICE

“A worthy contribution to the body of literary criticism devoted to the genre.” - Science Fiction Studies