Settings in End of the World books

SourceL bhorrorblog.wordpress.com

End of the world books are typically categorized as a sub-genre of science fiction, usually built around the theme of the end of civilization resulting from some sort of apocalyptic event such as natural disaster, a disease or war—often times of a nuclear nature. 

End of the world books can deal with the actual events that lead to the catastrophic obliteration of mankind, with its characters struggling to survive, or the aftermath of said disaster. The time frame may be directly after the disaster, when characters or struggling to adapt to their new conditions or survive in a brutal, dangerous environment. Most recently, we’ve seen many dystopian novels set in the aftermath of the catastrophe, such as Revealing Eden, which takes place after the Great Meltdown obliterates those with light skin.

With the end of the Mayan calendar occurring this year, end of the world books are getting lots of attention for their cutting edge themes and issues they deal with. They can be very thought-provoking and incendiary, as they makes readers think about what would happen if such a disaster brought about an apocalypse. Many new young adult fantasy novels deal with these issues, which enlighten readers of a broad age range, many of which never thought about this kind of situation before.

Another trend we’re seeing a lot of in books with post apocalyptic settings, specifically among dystopian novels, is themes regarding the civilization prior to the catastrophe. Once the apocalyptic event occurs, the previous world is forgotten about and even mythologized. Former political regimes, class systems and racial stereotypes are obliterated, creating new prejudices, minorities and the like. 

Even in young adult fantasy novels, where the setting can be otherworldly, magical or paranormal, if they deal with the end of the world, the tone is going to be dark and thought-provoking, sometimes even harsh and brutal, depending on the message the author’s trying to deliver. 

While it may be grandiose and thrilling, often times, how the world ends doesn’t really matter—unless it’s a sci-fi driven work built around the actual apocalypse. Either way, setting a novel after the end puts the reader in an emotional state, since we’re all pretty attached to the world as we know it and the comforts we are accustomed to. The best fantasy novels give the reader a chance to stand in their protagonist’s shoes and sympathize with their plight, to feel the loss of the old world and possibly many of the people in it, and to adapt to a setting they could have never imagined, where their life is potentially at danger all the time and they need to do what they have to in order to survive.