Written by Tim Roberts
For many people, it can be tempting to think that a panel session all about apocalypse stories will be completely morbid, but not this one at Conflux 5. By the end of the allotted time, I’m almost surprised we don’t all end up doing the ‘Monster Mash’.
The trio of Rob, Deborah and Richard cover a lot of troubled ground in this session, ranging from levels of apocalyptic destruction to various agents of doom and the drama/fright value of a Zombie Apocalypse compared to the much slower process of polar ice melts. Super-predatory species can doom their chances of being all-conquering by consuming their food sources too rapidly. Vampires are generally smarter: they leave some untainted ‘supplies’ to cultivate for future needs.
Biblical-style scenarios have a history of being explained as retribution for mankind’s habitual decadence.
Nuclear blasts rate a fair mention, especially in the 50s-70s, and so does the basic genre-embracing question of why people around the world continue to be fascinated and appalled at the same time when reading apocalypse stories. One main theory is: reading the story is considered a comforting ‘proof’ it isn’t happening to you, the reader…yet.
Other psychological aspects of this kind of story are: the ultimate isolation of individuals; extreme survival challenges posed by the total collapse of whole mass-population support systems. There are many behavioural consequences of sudden drastic reductions in safe food sources.
A classic question arises: what is more likely – total failure of moral codes on large scale among survivors, or an enhanced capacity to work in teams and deal with the basics of life?
Of course, apocalypse stories have been popular in a variety of media outside books, especially in film, tv shows and graphic novels. There are the monster movies led by a post-WW2 Godzilla and many made-for-tv movies featuring tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Radio shows rate a mention too, including that classic 1930s broadcast of War of the Worlds, as read by Orson Wells.
Assorted points:
Entropy is a force that leads towards death and decay, and is a recurring story-telling motif in apocalypse tales;
The ‘Minute to Midnight’ scenario, relating to last chance to avoid total destruction by preventing a nuclear war or doing something urgently to prevent a biology-related apocalypse;
The poet and mystic William Blake wrote a lot about apocalyptic ideas and possibilities.
Note: no panellists or audience members are bothered by a zombie invasion during this session. If the hotel staff cop it instead, they keep very quiet about it.
Conflux 5, 2008
Report on panel session: Horror of the Apocalypse
Panel session: 1pm, Saturday
Panel members: Rob Hood, Deborah Biancotti, Richard Harland
Featured as an AHWA presentation
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