If you don't believe the world is about to end, spend some time with an author of post apocalyptic books. You soon will believe it or at least be worried by it. For years, writers have excelled at frightening readers with tales of the end of the world and readers have enthusiastically thrived on it.
This is not a new phenomenon. The myths and tales of ancient cultures teem with stories of destruction from the heavens that wipe out mankind or, at the very least, a significant portion of them. The current trends in end of the world fiction, however, do not stem so much from ancient literature as they do from the work of several Victorian authors. When author Mary Shelley saw her book, The Last Man, published in 1826, it was the beginning of a new genre.
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.
Not all of worldwide mayhem is presented the same way. This could be part of what brings readers back time and again even though the premises can often be similar. You never know what will next cause the end of life as we know it.
In the same vein, novelists differ in their presentation of disastrous events. Some don't explain the origins at all. These authors prefer to lead the reader through the aftermath of the destruction by way of emotional connection with the characters' thoughts and actions.
While the fiction genre has seen more doomsday activity than non-fiction, factual post apocalyptic books do exist. In recent years, in fact, their numbers have grown due to the approaching end of the Mayan calendar and fresh discussions on the judgment of mankind by God.
This is not a new phenomenon. The myths and tales of ancient cultures teem with stories of destruction from the heavens that wipe out mankind or, at the very least, a significant portion of them. The current trends in end of the world fiction, however, do not stem so much from ancient literature as they do from the work of several Victorian authors. When author Mary Shelley saw her book, The Last Man, published in 1826, it was the beginning of a new genre.
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.
Not all of worldwide mayhem is presented the same way. This could be part of what brings readers back time and again even though the premises can often be similar. You never know what will next cause the end of life as we know it.
In the same vein, novelists differ in their presentation of disastrous events. Some don't explain the origins at all. These authors prefer to lead the reader through the aftermath of the destruction by way of emotional connection with the characters' thoughts and actions.
While the fiction genre has seen more doomsday activity than non-fiction, factual post apocalyptic books do exist. In recent years, in fact, their numbers have grown due to the approaching end of the Mayan calendar and fresh discussions on the judgment of mankind by God.
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Looking to move your kids from in front of the television for a time? Consider introducing them to 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 leading the way. One upcoming work like this is the Victoria Foyt's "Revealing Eden", the first novel of her "Save the Pearls" trilogy.