Hats wanted: an apocalyptic discussion post.

[thevinegarworks]

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

Comments

[kaitlyn_lehman]

As a fan of shows that deal with their fair share of apocalypses I tend to lean towards fic that's a bit optimistic. Like, the situation that the people are in totally sucks but they have faith that they will overcome the odds and be triumphant. I've read some very good dark apocafics and I've read horrendous ones. I guess it just depends on who is writing them.

[thevinegarworks]

I'm the same way. I like both versions, depending on how they're handled, as long as the story is compelling and the characters true to themselves. Some authors have just blown me away with their fantastic visions of an apocalyptic world, while others just haven't worked for me at all. I think you're right, it's all down to the author and how they handle the concept.

[kaitlyn_lehman]

Definitely. I like that you brought this up. There's a lot of apocafic around because of the direction of Supernatural. It's nice to hear what others think about it.

[ampliflyer]

Hard one, because I like all kinds of apocas. Maybe quiet and slow are better, you know, those kinds where the characters are a bit contemplative and we see the world through their eyes; the shock, the devastation, the loss, finding the hope again, basically their whole journey, whether it ends good or badly. I love fics with great imagery, there needs to be details, details that make sense, without being too much like some unnamed Russian novelists. I rather read a story without any dialog than a story that has only dialog. And usually with apoca!fics that's what I get, descriptive writing full of numbed emotions, the realization of how small you feel yourself in the clutches of an apocalypse, how one is learning to be a human again, learning to survive with less and the most important thing, the appreciation for other survivors, connecting again, maybe falling in love again in the quiet desperation, hoping for a better tomorrow

[thevinegarworks]

I tend to like character-driven apocafics more too, the ones where you really connect and see the struggle and the effect of this terrible circumstance on them. Like you said, the loss and finding hope again and the journey, never mind where they end up. I love it when an author tracks the progression of a character through a unique perspective of the end of the world.

I completely agree that apocafic needs great imagery and description. Some of my favorite ones have been very light on the dialogue and more heavy on the description than I generally like in any other genre of fic, but with apocafic it works and in fact serves to improve it.

numbed emotions, the realization of how small you feel yourself in the clutches of an apocalypse, how one is learning to be a human again, learning to survive with less and the most important thing, the appreciation for other survivors, connecting again, maybe falling in love again in the quiet desperation, hoping for a better tomorrowGod, yes, this. You hit that perfectly on the head. The common

[ampliflyer]

Brain!twins!

I really hope I'll be able to finish my apoca somewhere in the near future. I'm not selfish or anything by nature but God, my story? Will be a kickass. I'm really in love with it myself but there was jsut no friggin way I'd be able to finish it in time for APBB. Can't wait to read yours, btw ;)

One of the best apoca I've read is Rheanna's Hard Prayer, it's SGA (John/Rodney) and very gripping, quiet and pressing. It deals very well with a possible cause for an apocalypse: sickness. The characters are very damaged, both in their own way and when you've spent the last year alone in the world, trying to survive by cans of food and talking to the dead guys who used to be your friends, it's bound to leave you somewhat crazed. And when you finally meet someone, after all that time, it's hard, because you've forgotten how to interact with people. And it's hard to try and trust them, hard to feel anything that is suppose to be normal. It's hard to care again. Lovely and horrendous story altogether and I just love it so hard

[thevinegarworks]

Haha, oh bb, that doesn't sound selfish at all. Confidence is good. :D All of my bigbangs this year are fantastic plot ideas. Whether they'll be decent in execution is another thing, but at least the general ideas are good. ;P

Oh man, I've never seen any SGA or been into it, but that does sound like a really kickass story.

Ah yes, The Stand... I remember it well. I honestly can't bear Stephen King's writing, heh, but I do agree the book was brilliant in terms of how huge and complex it was. And The Walking Dude, eugh. *shiver* Captain Trips is some fierce shit.

[chica_charlie]

I'll just lurk here for the good ideas. :P

[thevinegarworks]

Hee, you ~inspired me. :)

[chica_charlie]

Yay? :P

[nyoka]

Oh, this topic makes me so happy! I'm a bit of a (post)apocalyptic fiction and movie addict, so this is a topic close to my heart. What can I say: I love me a Big Damn Apocalypse. And I'm also greedy, so I would love to hear some of your favorite book and fanfics that have dealt with the Apocalypse if you don't mind sharing with me

[thevinegarworks]

I'm glad it made you happy, bb. :D

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

[nyoka]

Oh, just wanted to drop in and say thanks for the recs. I've read a couple of those -- I read and recced Oselle's last weekend b/c it blew me away -- and look forward to reading more so thank you. And yeah, if you have others you want to rec my way, please do. I am greedy!!! I mean I know and have read many of the old school SPN classics like Last Outpost, and there's a ton in the RPF AU world as well, but I know I've missed many of the newer fics out there in fandom.

Thanks!

[_whee_]

I absolutely adore apocafic, more so if they include zombies. I tend to favor ones that don't end well, unless they've got zombies, which, of course, must be defeated eventually. And I tend to like the apocalypse being brought on by something natural...like, lately it's been space collapsing in on itself. That's horrendous, yet, amazingly fascinating.

[thevinegarworks]

You know, I've never really read any zombie apocalypse fics. With as much of a zombie movie/graphic novel (omg Robert Kirkman Iluuuuuu) junkie that I am, I've never read any zombie apocalypse fic. Huh.

Guh, space collapsing in on itself. I love space things, so if there were actually a well-executed fic or book out there about it, I would be all over it.