What’s your favorite doomsday scenario?
Post-apocalyptic and doomsday fiction and non-fiction has been popular since the first written words. Today, it’s one of the hottest sub-genres in publishing. Some might argue it has become a genre of its own.
I’m one of those people, although I’m biased—apocalyptic fiction is my bread and butter. For the past decade I’ve written all sorts of end of the world scenarios. Alien invasions, viral outbreaks, EMPs, civil-wars, and now I’m about to embark on a new scenario, and I want to know—what’s your favorite apocalypse to read about?
For me, I think the best stories are those that are the most realistic, the kind that scares the reader and inspires them to prepare to survive such an event.
Natural disasters, a viral outbreak, terrorism, nuclear war are all scenarios that have happened on some level or another. Wide-scale events that could potentially wipe out the entire human race.
There are also doomsday stories that are complete science fiction.
Think Doom, the video game that has inspired novels and movies. In the scenario, scientists on Mars open a gate to Hell that disgorges demons and horrendous beasts that eventually make it to Earth and kill off a majority of humanity. World War Z and the Walking Dead are popular modern day zombie stories that have the same premise. While there is some science in these stories, there is almost zero chance either of them could ever happen.
But there are science fiction ideas like artificial intelligence that could transform into reality. AI, in my opinion, is one of the biggest threats to the human race aside from a virus or asteroid.
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In my four-book series Trackers, the end of the world comes from a North Korean nuclear and EMP attack. In my four-book Orbs series, natural resource thirsty aliens arrive on Earth to take one of our most valuable resources.
These stories were two ways I believed the world could end, but there are plenty of ways humanity could meet its doom.
So what do you think? What’s your favorite type of doomsday story? Let me know in the comments.
He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing.
When he isn't writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world.
He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his wife, their dogs, and a house full of books.
You can follow Nicholas on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, Tumblr, and his website.
Your offer of the 4 book set for .99 does not come up when you click the link.
Just do a manual search on Amazon and you’ll see the 4 books for just $.99 hth
I’m addicted to doomsday stories. I’ve been listening, via Audible, to Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger books. Each one is a potential disaster scenario. I also enjoyed “The Tide” series by Anthony Melchiorri. I did purchase your one of your boxes sets, but have a few more Joe Ledger books to go. Best of luck with all of your future endeavors, keep them coming!
I totally enjoyed the Hell Diver series and I too enjoy realism in scifi stories. I really like pandemic stories and nuclear fallout end time themes. Perhaps a story where a massive meteor storm takes out a large number of the thousands of satellites in orbit, raining nuclear debris down upon the Earth and disrupting communications and information systems?
Outside of the zombie craze, I think a more realistic scenario with global warming is the degradation of environment and some point massive world wide crop failures. At some point, people will get hungry and the idea of eating other people will start being a real possibility. You don’t need zombies for masses of people searching out and hunting their fellow humans for dinner in such a world.
I tend to prefer the sort of scenario that can’t be fixed: its how people adapt to survive and thrive – one example would be a new ice age (e.g. due to an impactor altering Earth’s orbit slightly).
Lucifer’s Hammer
I second that
The Stand. Although the “walking man” demon is a bit hokey the story shows how society can break down after a rogue virus is unleashed. Also loved Lucifers Hammer.
EMP is my favorite, I like when it’s well written with lots of key characters, I like when the author goes into great depth of how society collapses and the characters survive and rebuild.
I’ll read anything related to time travel.
I love Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. It was so down-home and every-day. People had to figure out how to continue their daily lives when things weren’t exactly the way they were before the incident. A real sense of community developed, and I was a bit sad when the government people got in contact.
For me, my go-to is zombie stories. However, next to that I am into survival stories related to large scale disasters like an asteroid impact with the earth and then the humanity toll that people would have to deal with during this disaster. The story behind their backgrounds and how they interact with each other. The story and people and not the disaster is really my point. Very similar to Trackers.
Tough decision as I love them all, but natural disasters (anything from asteroid strikes to mega hurricanes) are top of my list.
Aliens invaded and subject the people to torture by forcing them to have sex with each other and produce Alien/human offspring. And then another bizarre Alien from different galaxy helps humanity to fight back.
I really can’t choose a favorite. It is my favorite genre and I do like the variety out there. The EMP strike type book is great when realistic tips are shared about survival. I do love a good mutating virus or alien to keep humans on the run and fighting for their lives. I also like the future type stories where humans have destroyed their own planet and have to deal with it (Hell Divers and Wool, etc). I like an end to a series. As disappointed as many fans get when that happens, I like to see my favorite authors create new stories, new characters and new settings. I get bored when it drags on too long. Keep writing Nick, love your books!
I began preparing for an event after reading Walter Williams’ The Rift. Since then I’ve read every possible scenario. I think the most likely is an EMP or Coronal mass ejection. The one that scares me the most is a zombie event. The one I like the most is a pandemic as it would reduce the population drastically leaving fewer people to compete with available resources. The real danger isn’t the event itself but surviving afterward.
Climate change could be the next major apocolyptic event. Not only the temperature changes but the things that happen as a result of that which could include the release of ancient things such as:fungus or other bacteria or virus.
I love the survival stories after an EMP or CME. To me, these are very realistic and actually scare the bageebies out of me! I read the Trackers series and you did an awesome job with that series! Hoping you write more of this style.
The doomsday scenario that most frightens me is a total economic collapse. Stock markets collapse, businesses fail, unemployment nears 90%, China calls due the trillions owed and takes ownership of the property of the U.S. – land, buildings, minerals, natural resources. Evictions of home owners from property the Chinese and Unified Korean authorities desire for their own. Russia takes Alaska. Americans become slave labor. Doomsday has arrived – tomorrow.
Went to order the book sets, was able to get Orbs, but Amazon does not show a box set order button, just the individual books at regular price.
A new research topic: sun is a long-variable Star, 12,000 year superflare….
Science fiction, in literature, is defined as a category of speculative fiction that commonly showcases futuristic and extraordinary ideas, like space exploration, technological advancement, aliens, and more. In the platform of film, on the other hand, science fiction is referred to as the genre that utilizes imaginary and fictional science and technological-based portrayal of events that are not totally accepted by the integrating science. Regardless of what avenue it is, science fiction is truly one of the genres that have made it to the to-be-read and must-watch lists of every patrons.