Guest Post from Ron Welch Author of Theradlands.com

This next guest post is from Ron Welch, blogger and author at Theradlands.com . Ron is a purveyor of all things wasteland. That is, to say he is a sort of aficionado of a fictional post apocalyptic, post nuclear war Earth. A planet completely devastated by nuclear war, civilization reduced to rubble, radiation pollution, the whole works! Think of the world of Mad Max or Fallout and you will get the idea.

I reached out to Ron after reading some of his well written and interesting posts and realized that I hadn’t really focused nearly enough on the so far fictional wasteland. The idea of the wasteland is prominent throughout all types of post apocalyptic fiction and it certainly deserves a place here!

I really enjoyed reading Ron’s insightful commentary. He actually puts the wasteland in a new sort of perspective that I hadn’t really considered before. Please enjoy his article and make sure to follow him on Twitter @The_radlands and visit his site theradlands.com . Thanks Ron!

The Power of Post-Nuclear Fiction

by Ron Welch

Post-nuclear fiction is unique; it captivates us with tales of inhumanity, survival, and occasionally grotesque mutations. Although each writer creates a different post-nuclear world, there are always a handful of similarities throughout to define sandstormthe genre and keep the audience anchored into the setting. Because a post-nuclear world necessarily requires advanced technology, the genre finds itself at a crossroad between sci-fi and fantasy, utilizing the social commentary of the former with the fantasticism of the latter.

From Mad Max to Fallout, post-nuclear worlds are generally rooted in techno-feudalism. Great leaders rise to power, protecting slaves and serfs from the horrors of the wasteland. Typically, walled villages are mandatory to keep out monsters (both human and beast). Bandits and raiders are present in every wasteland incarnation, similar to pirates radiationin both sci-fi and fantasy. Although outwardly techno-feudalism outwardly looks identical to traditional feudalism, where it diverges in post-nuclear fiction is at the means of collecting resources. Traditional feudalism is rooted in farming and the production of resources. Techno-feudalism is rooted in the scavenging of resources, both for convenience and because the secret to advanced (and even primitive) technology is lost on uneducated wastelanders. Scavenging is key to the setting.

falloutWhile exploring the wasteland, scavengers often come across pockets of radiation. In reality, radiation from nuclear weapons dissipates after a few months. In fiction, radiation is used as a placeholder for magic (again calling on traditional fantasy). Mutants (both human and beast), psychic powers, and unexplained anomalies are engrained in post-nuclear fiction.

From the burnpit screamers in A Boy and His Dog to Ghouls, mutants have been critical to the success of the post-nuclear genre. The existence of these creatures captures our imagination in a way that fantasy monsters and sci-fi boyanddogaliens cannot. Mutants, by their nature, rely on body horror. Generally, mutant designs are just a twist on something that already exists. For example, the Fallout franchise combined dogs and men into centaurs. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise has grotesque chimera and pseudogiants. A handful of franchises go a step further, adding sentient mutant races to interact with humans, filling a roll similar to Elves and Dwarves in fantasy or aliens in sci-fi. Mutants are engaging, as they encourage the audience to think about what other animals would look like in the setting.

Although less common than mutants, some post-nuclear settings also include psychic powers. This again calls back to the cross between sci-fi and fantasy. Psychic powers are effectively sci-fi magic. The difference is that mutant powers are often sporadic and uncontrolled (see Psykers in Warhammer 40k or Dark Ones in Metro 2033). Likewise, some settings (specifically S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Metro 2033) have anomalies that split from traditional radioactive horror and merge toward something more mysterious and occasionally spiritual. Anomalies rarely have a scientific explanation (even a super-scientific explanation that works within the universe), but they reflect something critical to the genre. After a nuclear war, the world will never be the same again.

madmaxvehicles In many ways post-nuclear fiction is similar to sci-fi and fantasy. They all reflect societies where governments are loose, territorial, or non-existent. They all have monsters, but the manner in which those monsters express themselves through design and intelligence varies widely. All of these things help the audience to better connect with the genre, because although fictional, it is rooted in reality. The locations are the same, but they are presented in through the filter of destruction and radioactive horror. Given the opportunity, post-nuclear fiction can define the post-apocalyptic genre the same way Tolkien defined fantasy and Frank Herbert defined sci-fi.

What do you think makes the post-nuclear genre unique? Tell us in the comments!

If you enjoyed this piece, you can read more specific articles at www.theradlands.com or follow us on Twitter @The_RadLands .

 

The Terminator

terminatorIt’s odd that I haven’t mentioned The Terminator on this site before. It was one of the first end of the world movies to capture my imagination. In many ways, the movie and the concept really sparked the genesis of my odd apocalyptic preoccupation. The Terminator is one of my all time favorite movies. An awesome combination of a killer cyborg, time travel, the dawn of true artificial intelligence and nuclear war gets me every time.

First off, lets get the criticism out of the way. I’m not claiming that the acting or the story line logic is perfect. Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting is fair at best (well, he is a cyborg). And yes, there is some unnecessary nudity – no I’m not referring to Sarah Connor. For some strange reason, only human tissue can travel through time, oh and a metal skeleton, but not clothes…Ok, lets move on shall we…

The premise itself is perfectly logical: artificial intelligence is born, sees humans as a threat, concludes that to eliminate the threat efficiently it must initiate a full scale nuclear strike against The Soviet Union (which was still intact at the time that the film was made). A newly born artificial intelligence aka Skynet knew that such a strike would be reciprocated and “bye-bye” humans, well most humans anyway. Of course, there would be survivors, but Skynet must have deduced that such a threat would be minimal with 90% of the world’s population dead and most of humankind’s infrastructure decimated.

We are led to believe that Skynet was somewhat surprised by the human will to survive. Indeed, humans can be quite resourceful and tenacious when necessary. The human resistance became something more than a nuisance to Skynet, so it comes up with quite an innovative plan to use cyborgs to infiltrate human populations to kill, kill, KILL!

Furthermore, Skynet decided to use its newly discovered time travel technology to send a terminator back in time to prevent the human resistance leader from being born by killing his mother Sarah Connor. Ha! Take that stupid humans!

However, apparently Skynet didn’t fully consider the consequences of time travel as Kyle Reese followed the Terminator back through time to defend Sarah Connor. We find out that Kyle is actually John Connor’s father!

cyberdyneNot only that, but we later find out (in Terminator 2) that Cyberdyne systems actually based most of its work off of the robotic arm and circuits that they found and studied from Terminator 1. Oh Boy! So did Skynet actually create itself accidentally by sending the first terminator back in time? Wow, time travel is fun isn’t it, if you can get past the headache! 🙂

Some of my favorite parts of the first Terminator movie are when we see the future through Kyle Reese’s dreams and memories. We see tricked out resistance 80’s cars with stolen mounted Skynet laser cannons (below). We watch as the early terminator units infiltrate a human enclave and kill everyone. We watch as a giant robotic tank drove over skulls in post apocalyptic Los Angeles.

Considering the special effect technology that was available in 1984, these scenes are epic! It’s like Mad Max mixed with Star Wars. Add in the 80’s synthesizer music and we are talking over the top awesome for a 10 year old kid and a 41 year old man alike!

The Terminator franchise now covers 5 movies, a TV series, novels and a comic series. The Walking Dead fan’s might be interested to know that Gale Anne Hurd was a writer and producer in almost all of the Terminator movies. It’s hard to really understate the influence The Terminator has had on our modern culture. To this day, it still stands as one of my favorite movies of all time.

 

World War Z The Movie

World War Z

Max Brooks’ vision of a zombie apocalypse is now available for the masses with the big screen release of World War Z movie. An action and suspense movie, bolstered with some excellent special effects, World War Z focuses on a UN investigator’s pursuit for the source of the zombie outbreak. The zombies are winning this war, and fast. Gerry Lane (played by Brad Pitt) and his picture perfect family are caught in a downtown Philadelphia traffic jam when the first zombies attack. After narrowly escaping the initial stages of the zombie apocalypse, Gerry is forced to go back to work for the UN in exchange for the safety of his wife and children. We follow Gerry in his investigation around the world, from one calamity to the next, on his quest to discover the source of the zombie outbreak. Worthy of special mention are the scenes in Jerusalem which are by far the best in their portrayal of thousands of zombies in their characteristic swarming behaviors.

While World War Z The Movie is certainly entertaining and enjoyable, it would be dishonest to ignore some of its more obvious flaws. For one thing, the movie doesn’t follow the book closely. In fact, Max Brooks himself says that the movie doesn’t resemble the book at all. You could say that the movie takes place in the same “universe” as the book but is basically a completely different side story (sorry, no Battle of Yonkers). World War Z also suffers from some logic problems that are common in the zombie genre in general. The logic issue has to do with the focus on a scientific solution to the zombie apocalypse when such an event clearly crosses over into supernatural territory. At one point in the movie, a World Health Organization researcher points out the futility of his own research when he mentions that they had initially tried to fight the zombies by infecting them with a variety of pathogens but were unable to do so due to their lack of a functioning circulatory system. In other words they are dead. Nevertheless, they carry on with their search for a biological solution. ***RANT ALERT*** The references to “mother nature” taking back the planet from us greedy humans by causing the dead to rise and eat us is just plain fucking stupid! Look, zombies are just fucking awesome, don’t get all scientific assholes! ***RANT ALERT*** (sorry had to vent!)

One concept that translates from the book is the notion that human beings could eventually band together to fight for the survival of the species. Setting aside our differences, even for a short time is a fascinating and optimistic idea for sure, considering most people can’t even get along with their next door neighbors. A world war, not against one another, but against a superior enemy that exists only to destroy us. Would humans eventually cooperate if they were on the brink of destruction? Faced with the ultimate test, would we prevail?

Do yourself a favor this summer and take your favorite person to the theater, get a bucket of popcorn, a large soda and watch as the end unfolds under the walking dead. Have fun, life is short!

Man of Steel

You might be surprised to see a posting on the new Superman movie on a site dedicated to apocalyptic fiction but I felt compelled to make a short post about Man of Steel. Actually, you could argue that Man of Steel has an apocalyptic theme as General Zod and his crew make some legitimate attempts to destroy the world as we know it, but that’s really beside the point. What it boils down to is that this is a good movie and you should check it out! 

I’ve always been a Superman fan but up until now I’ve found the movies to be slightly corny and cliché. Man of Steel is clearly a reinvention of Superman. We are talking a major reinvention on par with and exceeding Batman’s transformation in the Dark Knight movies. On top of a “grittier” and more realistic Superman character we get a lot more detail on the destruction of Krypton and the events that lead up to the creation of the superhero. The action and special effects are monumental. You get the sense that the technology has caught up with the story. In other words, the special effects that were available in the previous Superman movies weren’t good enough to be convincing. This is evident in the fight scenes which are simply mind-blowing. If you’ve seen The Avengers, think of the scenes when The Hulk smashes his enemies into the ground and you will get a sense of how awesome the fight scenes are in Man of Steel. Of course, the movie isn’t perfect. Some of the relationships are superficial, including the relationship between Lois Lane and Superman but I’m willing to overlook that type of thing and think it is to be expected in a two-hour blockbuster movie. Do yourself a favor this summer and make some time to go to see Man of Steel.

Oblivion

Oblivion

A fragmented moon offers some clues to the cause of the devastated Earth.

Leaning heavily towards the science fiction end of the spectrum, Oblivion is one of the best post apocalyptic movies that I’ve seen so far in 2013. Without giving too much away, Oblivion is a post apocalyptic movie with some extraterrestrial involvement. Not aliens exactly, but perhaps an advanced alien technology. The flooded out ruins of New York City, with the Empire State Building at ground level, will remain embedded in my mind for some time. If you are looking for a movie to go to this weekend, Oblivion is worth checking out. Watch the trailer below:

Red Dawn 2012

Red Dawn 2012

Being a huge fan of the original Red Dawn, released in 1984, I was excited to watch the latest incarnation of this fictional World War 3 invasion of America. Let’s just take it as a given that the logistics of such an invasion make it practically impossible. With that said, the idea of a small group of regular people engaging in guerrilla warfare tactics on familiar turf has a certain appeal to the John Rambo kid within all of us! Obviously, with the Cold War era behind us, the threat of such an invasion is even more unlikely. Not to mention, why would anyone bother to invade a country physically when they already own it economically? Though the invaders are North Korean, the implication is that they have the full support of China. With practical matters out-of-the-way, the recycled story of resistance against a superior enemy is enjoyable. Though it has its share of superficial relationships and some teenage “corny” moments, Red Dawn is packed solid with action and the scenery is much more enjoyable in high-definition compared to watching it on the giant old 200 lb 24 inch tv on the videocassette recorder! Part of the enjoyment in this remake is nostalgia, I suppose, but as long as your expectations aren’t too high and you are able to accept an unrealistic plot, Red Dawn is a fun diversion.

The Day

Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2011, The Day is a Canadian independent post apocalyptic film that follows a group of desperate survivors that get caught in a trap set by tribal cannibals. For those of you familiar with The Road, the atmosphere and setting to this story is quite similar. It is set in a bleak and desolate world that has been left barren by some unknown catastrophe. I thought of this movie as taking place in the same world as The Road with a different set of characters in perhaps a different part of the world. Taking this movie for what it is, I enjoyed it. It does have some logic problems though. For example, why does this tribe of cannibals keep coming after a group that has guns. I mean almost all of them are killed as they approach the house in waves but they just keep coming. Why would they risk the lives of so many of their own clan to get just a few people. After 10 years of post apocalypse survival surely they would learn that only practical energy is worth expending or they would have perished already? Considering that this is an independent film without a big Hollywood budget, this film isn’t bad. If you need a break from zombies and want a fix of doom and gloom, The Day might be for you. Beware though, these cannibals aren’t much smarter than zombies.

Battleship

battleship

The world is under a threat from a superior alien force in Battleship, an apocalyptic action movie now available on DVD. A display of modern naval prowess in a joint multi-nation warfare exercise happens to coincide with the landing of an alien invasion force. Without a doubt, Battleship follows a “Top Gun” format, featuring some big attitudes, competitive rivalries and a typical blockbuster romance. That being said, Battleship is a really enjoyable apocalyptic action movie. You aren’t going to find award-winning acting or a strong plot but you will find some good special effects and a lot of destruction. Sometimes it’s ok to just have fun – that’s just what this movie provides!

Supercut Apocalypse

For those of you that enjoy a good Youtube video you might want to take a look at this one. It features a variety of scenes from a number of apocalyptic movies including Terminator 2, Signs, The Day After, Resident Evil, War of the Worlds and a lot more. Journey to the Plains by Shels is played in the background which is a pretty cool song! Watch the video below:

Poll 3 Results: Your Favorite Post Apocalyptic Characters from the Movies

Who are your favorite post apocalyptic characters from the movies? And the winner is…Sarah Connor from The Terminator series! Over the course of the series, Sarah Connor develops into a seriously tough lady. Her role in the series is unforgettable from the moment that she discovers that her son will be an important leader in the fight against the machines. She even had a television series based on her efforts to protect her son called The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It was a good show, another one that they cancelled too soon. Thanks to everyone that voted in this week’s poll!

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Poll 3 Who is Your Favorite Post Apocalyptic Character from the Movies?

The Apocalyptic Fiction Poll # 3 will force you to dig way back into your movie memory to consider some of the more famous characters from the apocalypse. In this poll, I have listed some of the more recognizable characters from popular apocalyptic movies. Please cast your vote for your favorite post apocalyptic character from the movies below! If you don’t see your favorite character listed please leave your vote in a comment.

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The Darkest Hour

A business trip to Moscow goes from bad to worse for two friends that get caught in the middle of an alien invasion. First, all of the electronic devices are disabled by a massive microwave pulse from space. Then the aliens start floating down to Earth, at times they glow orange, but they are mostly invisible to the human eye. These aliens are not interested in communication, they simply want to eliminate humans from the planet so that they can harvest the Earth’s resources. This is a decent adventure story. Some of the special effects are interesting, for example, when we get to see the alien’s perspective. It has a decent amount of action. Due to its larger budget, it is slightly better than a SyFy prime time apocalypse movie, but the acting and plot is mediocre at best. Don’t expect The Darkest Hour to blow your mind, but it will serve as entertainment if you have a couple of hours to kill and nothing good is on tv.

Contagion

I really wanted to like Contagion. A movie about a worldwide pandemic must be good, right? Apparently not. Somehow they took a great subject with decent actors and made a terribly boring movie. The characters lack depth. Even Kate Winslet is mundane in this movie. Contagion was like reading about the Spanish Flu of 1918 in a microbiology textbook. It merely presents information. The plot twists, if you could call them that, were lame. Since I have only watched this movie once, I might have missed something that made it more entertaining. If that is the case, I sincerely apologize.

 

 

Melancholia

Quite frankly, if it weren’t for the apocalyptic theme in this movie I might have never watched it. That being said, it did capture my interest in an odd way. You might be inclined to walk out of this movie during the first hour or so due to its slow nature, however, I think it is worth watching in its entirety. While I don’t normally comment on specific actors, Melancholia, which is written and directed by Lars von Trier, warrants some mention of the main cast. Kirstan Dunst plays Justine, a young, pretty, mentally ill woman who gets hopeless bogged down in depression and is borderline psychotic. Charlotte Gainsbourg does a remarkable job playing Justine’s sister, Claire. Kiefer Sutherland, taking a dramatic turn from the role of Jack Bauer, plays Claire’s husband, John, a wealthy and uptight amateur astronomer who owns the mansion and surrounding golf course where the story unfolds. Unlike in some other apocalyptic fiction, Von Trier does not rely on the “emergency alert system” or media elements to describe the cataclysmic events as they unfold – it is told almost entirely through the characters with minimal reference to any outside description. Melancholia, it turns out, is the name of a newly discovered planet, which scientists believe is going to come very close to earth in its trip through our solar system. It suffices to say that there is a slight “margin of error” in the scientist’s predictions. Melancholia is more like a work of art than an action movie. It is not blunt. It certainly has some depth and is thought-provoking. While I would not recommend this movie to anyone that has a low tolerance for slow-moving movies, Melancholia does have some unique, indefinable rewards for those that are willing to invest their time and attention.

I am Legend

I am Legend is a novel written by Richard Matheson released in 1954 and has been adapted to the big screen several times, the latest being directed by Francis Lawrence in 2007. I am going to discuss the 2007 film as I just saw it again and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am Legend tells a story of a man that survives a pandemic that kills most of the human population. Most of the people that aren’t killed by the pandemic are transformed into zombie / vampire type of creatures. These creatures feed off of other living creatures such as animals and of course, the remaining human survivors. Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, is a virologist working to find a cure for the virus. He also is the last human alive in New York City.

The pandemic is described through a series of flashbacks in which Robert Neville recalls, among other things, the horror of losing his family. I would recommend the movie just to see the scenes of a post-virus New York City which are amazing! I Am Legend is one of my favorite movies and I would highly recommend it.