Portal:Apocalyptic fiction

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Apocalyptic fiction

Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural phenomena, divine judgment, climate change, resource depletion or some other general disaster.

NASA's artistic depiction of a cataclysmic meteor impact: a rock hitting the planet Earth from the top of the image, creating a splash-like wave in the atmosphere.
Apocalyptic fiction

Alien invasion[edit]

The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial life invades Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under a colonial system, harvest humans for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy the planet altogether.

Armageddon[edit]

Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location. Used here to group fiction representing a final, apocalyptic war.

Cybernetic revolt[edit]

Dying Earth[edit]

The Dying Earth subgenre is a sub-category of science fiction or science fantasy which takes place in the far future at either the end of life on Earth or the End of Time, when the laws of the universe themselves fail. Themes of world-weariness, innocence (wounded or otherwise), idealism, entropy, (permanent) exhaustion/depletion of many or all resources (such as soil nutrients), and the hope of renewal tend to pre-dominate.

Ecological catastrophe[edit]

Impact event[edit]

An impact event is the collision of a large meteorite, asteroid, comet, or other celestial object with the Earth or another planet. Impact events have been a plot and background element in science fiction since knowledge of real impacts became established in the scientific mainstream.

Unexplained extinction[edit]

Pandemic[edit]

Post-apocalyptic fiction[edit]

See also[edit]