Comments on: Nuclear apocalypse obsession?

Question: Nuclear apocalypse obsession?

ArchEnemy — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:23:38 -0800

Is there a name for a morbid obsession for apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic everything??

I follow quasi-religiously each one of the (fortunately!) frequent posts here asking about survival skills in case of a end-of-the-world or decline-of-society situation, and try to note references on scifi works about this same theme to get them as time and resources permit.

I find a strange pleasure browsing flickr and other pic sites looking for urban and industrial decay photography.

I love all Soviet and american propaganda about the "bright atomic future" of the 1950s and everything red scare- or cold war-related, fact and fiction: Nuclear related military paraphernalia. Underground bunkers and factories and fallout shelters. Cheesy radioactive-mutant stories.

So my question could be stated like this: "what's a name for this... hobby/obsession/condition?". To be more precise, i'd be looking for a community, resource/knowledge center, or simply some well-aimed keywords to apply my google-fu on. Ideally, something much like Orion's arm on a more nuclear-apocalypse-y style would be great. A little fantasy is fine. All i have now i've obtained from recent googleing, askmefi threads and some wikipedia articles, so feel free to throw everything you have, even the most obvious or remotely related stuff. All will be well received and dutifully consumed. TIA.

By: poppo

poppo — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:26:40 -0800

how about apocolypticaphilliac

i also love those questions, yet have no answer for yours.

By: Johnny Assay

Johnny Assay — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:30:06 -0800

Some fancy words that are associated with the end of the world are "millenarian" and "eschatology". Both originated in a more religious context, but I've heard them applied to more modern situations as well.

Also, you might enjoy Exit Mundi if you haven't already found it.

By: jon_kill

jon_kill — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:48:28 -0800

May I suggest you check out www.rr-bb.com?

You might get a kick out of it.

Sorry, I have no word for what you are though.

By: nelleish

nelleish — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:01:46 -0800

You might also enjoy adding the books in this thread, to your reading list, I know I've been enjoying them far too much. Personally I'm a fan of the ecological collapse and/or plague scenarios for the world's end, but I count Alas Babylon and On the Beach as favorites, and which are both from the era you enjoy. I also reccomend the radio play The Wheel by SciFi.com's Seeing Ear Theatre

I sadly have no answer to the "What am I?" question, although misanthrope might be applied by others, which I disagree with. I don't hate people, I just think as a species were a little too goddammed cocky and it wouldn't hurt to have us all taken down a notch, or several hundred. You know, as a learning experience. I think I also find a lot of hope in the stories of survival after such all-encompassing change, hope for people now. So basically I don't think you or I hate humanity, although we might be considered so by the media we chose to consume.

By: trinarian

trinarian — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:19:28 -0800

eschatological is the best word

By: Sara Anne

Sara Anne — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:29:49 -0800

Might I suggest 'paranoid'?

By: furiousthought

furiousthought — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:38:09 -0800

Just go with "morbid."

By: Help Me Impeach Bush

Help Me Impeach Bush — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:38:50 -0800

I don't have a name for fans of this particular genre, but I know a great resource for you:

Post Apocalyptic Media

It has lots of good information and links about movies, games, TV shows, and books on this topic, as well as some pretty active discussion forums, and news about current events related to the topic.

As for the name, maybe this is your opportunity to come up with one?

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 10:09:09 -0800

Hellinahandbasketology.

By: ArchEnemy

ArchEnemy — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:11:52 -0800

@Sara Anne: i'm not afraid to recognise i may be a bit paranoid sometimes. I find it kind of funny to switch into a 'suspect of everything' state of alertness every now and then, but OTOH, it's not like I think there will be ICBMs raining tomorrow. I just like to take a perverse point of view.

@nelleish: i think i understand what you mean when talking about hope, survival and reconstruction of things, because i find it to be the most interesting part of it. It's great to witness the reconstruction of society from chaos, step by step.

thank you all for every link posted!! i have a bunch of tabs to be read in the next few hours / days. keep'em coming!

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:23:42 -0800

I loves me some eschatology.

By: The Bishop of Turkey

The Bishop of Turkey — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 12:10:49 -0800

Talk of paranoia -- do I know you or are you reading my thoughts/stalking me? A friend of mine and I were discussing this exact question the other day. The best we came up with was apocagasm (but that was more for the joy one feels when reading eschtological materials) and apocaphilia.

As to the, as nellish puts it, "What am I?" question, I would answer that as "not alone."

And if you haven't already, when you read those old threads make damn sure you've taken everyone's advice on reading Stewart's Earth Abides. Major apocagasim.

By: staggernation

staggernation — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 12:59:45 -0800

Back in the days when the Y2K bug was going to kill us all, the terms "doomer" and "Doombrood" (as in, he's a member of the Doombrood) were thrown around quite a bit. Maybe "Doombrooder" would fit you? Sort of a nice double meaning to "brood" there...

By: staggernation

staggernation — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:02:35 -0800

Oh, and if you're looking for things to Google, try "TEOTWAWKI" (and be sure to look on Google News as well).

By: staggernation

staggernation — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:56:26 -0800

Um, actually, if you find a lot of results for that on Google News, that would be a bad sign. I meant Google Groups.

By: rob511

rob511 — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:20:31 -0800

I'm afraid you're in the loving, relentless grasp of myco•nepho•mania. Lie back and smell the coffin.

By: salvia

salvia — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 17:38:41 -0800

I have a variant on the same thing. Oh, here in my apocalypse bookmark folder... what about "Doom Junkie?" Nah, I don't like that either.

P.S. Urban decay photos!

By: hortense

hortense — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:14:49 -0800

Eschatologic fever ...

By: ArchEnemy

ArchEnemy — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 04:03:27 -0800

@staggernation: i'm into doom metal music too, so doomer might come handy as a fit-all approach