Thursday, May 19, 2011

Will My Fictional Knowledge Save Me?

It's a gorgeous day outside, so what better than to think about civilization-destroying apocalypses? (Apolcalypsi?)  Netflix Instant Watch is a wonderful thing and recently I've seen a bit of the BBC show Survivors.  It has nothing to do with reality TV, I promise.  It's more like The Stand only British and probably doesn't have much to do with God or The Walkin' Dude.  

First, it made me think which type of apocalypse I'd like to be involved in.  Nuclear holocaust is right out - The Road's desolate, hungry wasteland is NOT appealing.  Zombie scourge is pretty bad ass, but let's be honest, when it comes to hand to hand combat with the undead or otherwise, I probably wouldn't make it very far.  Worldwide pandemic seems the way to go in terms of resources left over afterwards, especially as you don't have to count locations or resources out due to being surrounded by hordes of the walking dead.  Granted, survival is really a bit of a lottery, but I'll take my chances.  I wonder if, among the millions of useless online personality tests out there, they have a "Which Apocalypse Best Suits You?" quiz? 

Second, it made me think what I'd contribute to reemerging society.  Mostly entertainment, probably. I remember a lot of songs!  I'm not sure if knitting comes in handy.  I could probably use my domestic wiles to make canned food marginally tasty.  My fledgling gardening skills might be useful once the immediate crisis was over and we were able to settle down and start to rebuild society. 

Or maybe it would just be my vast pool of apocalyptic horror novel/movie experience - we could take fictional characters and apply those scenarios to real-life situations.  There's probably some valuable lessons in there!  The Stand (sure, you survived the plague, that doesn't mean you can't still break your leg and die in horrific solitude - be cautious!); the Gone series (seriously guys, resources do NOT last forever!); The Walking Dead; The Zombie Survival Guide; World War Z; Dawn of the Dead; etc, etc.  And now Survivors. Come to me, your encyclopedia of almost-useful-stories.

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