The word “apocalypse,” or, translated literally from Greek, “uncovering” is closely related to a sense of revelation. The reality is there—it merely demands a new way of seeing. As ingrained as they are in a wide range of both religious and secular thinking, images of the apocalypse perpetuate culture on a global scale: from Judo-Christian traditions to Islam, Marxism, and far-right Republicanism. One might ask in what way our representations of the End—or our understanding of past works—are influenced by changed social, environmental, and economic situations. Or, from another point of view: what is the role of (post-)apocalyptic texts in shaping our perceptions of reality, of human nature? Moreover, the idea of a final reckoning of good and evil, the promise of an apocalypse, proves to be potent not only in invoking fear but also hope for a new beginning. How then do the concepts of apocalypse, utopia, and dystopia relate to each other, and to what extent are they connected with questions of guilt and redemption?
Main Articles
Frederick Buell | Post Apocalypse: A New U.S. Cultural Dominant
Abstract and PDF
Elana Gomel | Invasion of the Dead (Languages): Zombie Apocalypse and the End of Narrative
Abstract and PDF
Karen J. Renner | The Apocalypse Begins at Home: The Antichrist-as-Child Film
Abstract and PDF
Jessica Hurley | Still Writing Backwards: Literature After the End of the World
Abstract and PDF
Laura Copier | “Has anyone seen this?”: Imaginary Apocalypse in Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter
Abstract and PDF
Teresa Heffernan | On Apocalypse, Monsters and Mourning
Abstract and PDF
Barnita Bagchi | Must there be Apocalypse? An Analysis of South Asian Speculative Fiction
Abstract and PDF
James Berger | “The Voice of the Bridegroom and the Bride Shall be Heard No More”: Apocalypse, Critique, and Procreation
Abstract and PDF
Masterclass
Stephanie Lang | The Vital Collapse-Apocalypse and the New Paradise in Eça de Queiroz and Teixeira da Pascoaes
Abstract and PDF