Hats wanted: an apocalyptic discussion post.
I'm so bad at hiatuses. *facepalm* (Bear with me, I've spent the better part of a day surrounding by whooping Superbowl-crazed idiots, shoved into a corner scribbling tragic gen fic. devilyouwere, I'm looking at you right now
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And basically, let me just admit I like all flavors when it comes to the End of Times. Bleak and hopeless, or optimistic and hope-filled. Fast and hard like a nuclear bomb or alien attack or virus. Or a slow and steady spiral downward, like an infertility plague or the ravages of dwindling resources bringing on the final wars over water or oil. Mostly though, at the center of it all, I'm in it for human element, most definitely. I'm in it to root for humanity's heroes -- the survivors coming out of the rubble, pulling together to try to rebuild, to renew, the ones heading toward that last hope on the horizon. So basically I'm in it more for the characters, than the actual apocalypse if that makes sense. I'm in it to see how humanity reacts in the face of impossible devastation. I guess that's why I don't have a preference for the "how" the world ends, so much as the "what now." Meaning I love epic world-wide battles, with an overarching mythology of Good vs. Evil, just a much as I love a story about a band of survivors traveling across a deserted post-nuclear America. Give me the human story in the Apocalypse and I'm there.
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I've always been a hardcore junkie for apocalyptic sundries as well - movies, fic, novels, art, etc - so to see a recent swell in widespread interest of it (a lot of that attributed to SPN, actually) has me all tangled up in my underwear. I'm leaping in glee here, I really am.
I'll definitely share with you! Ummmm um um I'm actually blanking on books right now but I know they're out there. I'll hit you up with them when I remember, XD. As far as fic goes, I would have to say that strangeandcharm's apocafic Thursday's Child was really fantastic and imaginative; it was bleak and devastating, but had tiny moments of hope throughout and the characters were just so well drawn it felt very realistic and substantial. oselle also wrote another one that's much, much darker (I can't remember the title right now, oh god I'm horrible); it absolutely ripped me to shreds, to the point where I was physically shaking after reading it. And I know it's not posted yet and she'll probably stab me in my sleep for telling you, but devilyouwere has some stuff in the works that's just ten kinds of brilliant. murron wrote a brilliant one here that I just read recently that's among my favorite visions of how things could turn out (beware: it's seriously sad. Take tissues with you when you head over.) There's also Older, Too by evalens written for last year's deancastiel Renegade Angels exchange - it's Dean/Castiel/Sam, which is always lovely imo, but it's just sooooo fucking gorgeous, I can't even quantify it properly. It probably has the best slow-drip apocalypse feel I've ever read, hands down, this grave air of inevitable that sneaks into every word and action. bauble has also written some amazing stuff, namely The Day We Saved the World (which made me BAWL like a bawling thing D:) and the tremendously long Welcome to Oz series, which isn't so much apocalyptic in the traditional sense but it's still got that same all-or-nothing, world's-ending feel. Oh, and roguepixie88 wrote a fantastic one too, which I'll have to go find for you so you can read it. asdhajksds it's gorgeous.
There are tons more, too, but I can't think of them at the moment. Rest assured I'll link you to more if you want them though. :D
It's actually really interesting, I've read through each comment on this post and they've all had a lot of common elements - most people, it seems, are roped in by the human element in apocalyptic scenarios, and I have to admit that I myself fit snugly into that category too. I enjoy all manners of apocafic, but when it's brought right to the front door and plopped into the characters' laps, something intimate and personal that really drags them through the muck and gives them something to fight for and survive for, that's when it gets really good.
I'm with you that I don't really care "how" the world ends, as long as it's moderately original and it's brought back around to the characters. Large, grand-scale apocalypses are good too, but there's a tipping point where if the events are too global, too epic, there's a disconnect to the individual characters and it's just not as compelling. So yes, give me something visceral and fiercely character-driven too. It's all about the humanity lying underneath it all that really pulls it together and makes it a solid, awesome story.
Oops, coding fail. /o\
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Thanks!
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