Good evening! Perhaps, you're curious about the post-apocalyptic genre and want to learn more about it. The market has a wide variety of literature, films, games, and shows at your disposal. When I name drop the post-apocalyptic genre, most people envision a burned out Earth scenario. But the genre has multiple varieties and some might appeal more to you than others. I'll give you a list of post-apocalyptic settings and some examples for each category. The genre is far more diverse than you might realize.
Zombie Apocalypse This subgenre is probably one of the most popular and recognized post-apocalyptic settings. It's actually one of my least favorite settings because most zombie movies and games start to look the same after a while, but the public seems to love this subgenre. One way or another, the dead begin to rise and terrorize mankind, leading to the total collapse of civilization. Some zombies are slow walkers while others are fast, but their motives are the same. Zombies will eat any living being on the planet. They can also be difficult to kill because zombies are already dead. Usually, it takes drastic measures like decapitation or destroying their head in some other capacity. Examples: The Walking Dead (tv show/comics), World War Z (film/novel/game), Dawn of the Dead (film series), The Last of Us (game), Night of the Living Dead (film series), 28 Days Later (film series), Days Gone (game), Resident Evil (games/films). Natural Disasters This is a diverse subgenre than can range from meteor storms, widespread tornados, a gigantic earthquake, volcanic activity, and more. A massive type of natural disaster almost destroys the world. In the end, the disaster either ceases by itself or mankind finds a clever way to make it stop. I can only think of movies for this subgenre. Examples: 2012, San Andreas, Geostorm, Armageddon, Deep Impact. Nuclear Apocalypse People tend to recognize this subgenre because it was popularized by the Mad Max franchise. Years after a nuclear war turns the world into a desert wasteland, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a harsh environment with minimal resources. Once in a while, this setting is the product of our sun turning into a supernova and burning up the Earth's environment. Examples: Fallout (game series), The Book of Eli (film), Eclipse (comics), Rage (game series), Metro (game series), Desert Punk (manga/anime), The Rover (film). Alien Invasion This one is straight forward. Aliens come from deep space and lay siege to Earth, intending to kill or enslave all human beings for some reason. I'm not usually crazy about this subgenre either, but it has some good material periodically. Examples: Independence Day (film), XCOM (game series), The 5th Wave (novel/film), Colony (tv show), V (tv show), Half-Life (game), Falling Skies (tv show), War of the Worlds (novel), Halo (game series), A Quiet Place (film series), Birdbox (novel/film). You're probably wondering about the Alien and Predator franchises, but I don't remember those movies causing the collapse of civilization. They usually go in the action and horror categories. Plague Sometimes, a global disease kills the entire human race except for a small number of individuals. Mankind's last hope is a cure and it's usually a frantic race before the human race goes extinct. Examples: 12 Monkeys (film/tv show), The Last Man (novel), The Andromeda Strain (novel), Contagion (film), The Last Ship (tv show), The Stand (novel/tv miniseries). A plague is also the backdrop for the Planet of the Apes reboot movies. Machine Uprising Robots are another menace who can rival zombies and aliens. A single machine develops sentient independence and plans to take over the world. This AI creates other machines who will wage a war against mankind. It might sound silly, but this is the basic premise for every machine uprising. Examples: Terminator (film series), The Matrix (film series), Westworld (film/tv show), X-Men: Days of Future Past (comics/film). Arctic Apocalypse Occasionally, a disaster strikes and covers the entire world in snow or ice. This doomsday event leads to the extinction of mankind except for a small number of survivors. I don't see this setting very often, but it's an interesting scenario. Examples: Snowpiercer (film/comics), The Day After Tomorrow (film), Frostpunk (game). Dystopian Societies Sometimes the world is being controlled by a corrupt dictatorship and mankind is living under very cruel and disturbing conditions. These settings might not be truly apocalyptic, but it's not much better. Dystopian settings can have a wide variety of stories, conflicts, and outcomes. Examples: The Hunger Games (novels/films), Divergent (novels/films), The Handmaid's Tale (novel/tv show), 1984 (novel), Fahrenheit 451 (novel), The Purge (films/tv show), Blade Runner (film), RoboCop (film series), Dredd (comics/film), The Darkest Minds (novel/film), Children of Men (film), Logan's Run (film). Other Types of Invasions The human race might have to worry about other creatures aside from zombies, robots, or aliens. It's basically the same premise for each of these situations, except each type of invader looks somewhat different. Examples: Vampires-Daybreakers (film), Stake Land (film), The Strain (novel/tv show), I Am Legend (novella/film). Angels-The Prophecy (film series), Legion (film), Dominion (tv show). Demons-Doom II: Hell on Earth (game), Spawn (comics/games/tv show), The Void (film). Plants- The Happening (film) Animals-Zoo (novel/tv show) Superheroes-The Infinity Saga (comics/films), X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (comics/film), Injustice (game series). Lovecraftian Creatures-Annihilation (novel/film), Fade to Silence (game) Dragons-Reign of Fire (film) Werewolves- Werewolf: The Apocalypse (tabletop game), Wolf's Rain (manga/anime) I'm also certain the third Jurassic World film will fit in this category with dinosaurs. Punk Genres It's not unusual for the punk genres to have post-apocalyptic elements. Settings may vary between steampunk, cyberpunk, dieselpunk, stonepunk, biopunk, solarpunk, etc. Think about a term called retro futurism. It's either a futuristic version of the past or an antiquated future. The setting could be an alternate version of Victorian England, World War II, Medieval Europe, the Stone Age, the Renaissance, the Wild West, Ancient Greece, 18th-Century France, or even a distant future. Take your pick. An apocalyptic event has changed civilization dramatically and it looks very different than the world we understand today. Examples: The Clockwork Century (novel series), Alita: Battle Angel (manga/anime), Ghost in the Shell (anime/film), Mortal Engines (novels/film), Horizon Zero Dawn (game), BioShock (game series). Naturally, I'm going to mention my own steampunk book series, titled The Post-Apocalyptic Society. Most likely, the upcoming games called Cyberpunk 2077 and Biomutant will also fit in this category. I've seen it all. The post-apocalyptic genre has other scenarios periodically, including rising sea levels, mass suicides, diminishing oxygen, global famine, mass organ failure, toxic water supplies, mass blindness, global infertility, worldwide drought, and even ridiculous concepts like blobs or killer tomatoes! Hey, the remake of The Blob is actually pretty good. Ultimately, you can find many types of post-apocalyptic settings and some of them are pretty interesting. What's your favorite post-apocalyptic setting? Do you find the genre entertaining or is it too depressing for your taste? Tell me all about it in the comment section. Keep your eyes open for more interesting content. Thanks for visiting and come back soon. Good night!
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